Harley Saddlebag Installation
One of the hidden pitfalls of installing a detatchable backrest on my Sportster, was the very limited number of Harley Davidson saddlebags that would work with my chosen configuration. This left me scouring the Internet for large leather saddlebags that would fit my bike.
The fit of the saddlebags was important to me. I did not want saddlebags that rested over the rear shocks and stuck way out. This meant two things. I would probably end up purchasing slant style saddlebags, and I would need to relocate the turn signals to allow for a larger saddlebag setup. With the turn signals relocated, I was left with close to sixteen inches of horizontal room and plenty of vertical room to the exhaust pipes for large saddlebags.
16 Inches of Vertical Room
I decided to purchase heavy duty large leather saddlebags from Hot Leathers. The saddlebags measured 14 inches wide, 12 inches long and 7 inches deep. The saddlebags were the throw over type, with a zipper for easy removal of the saddlebags. Hard mounting the saddlebags had always been my goal, so I removed the yoke and began the hard mount process.
Saddlebag Supports
To keep the saddlebags from swinging inward toward the rear tire, I made saddlebag supports from 1 inch steel stock, 1/8 inch thick. Because the bags I purchased were reinforced along the back midline, I cut the strips 6 1/2 inches to angle and fit between the mounting points and the reinforcement. After cutting the strips, I drilled a 5/8 hole 1/2 inch from the top, and spray painted the finished pieces gloss black to match the black paint on the Sportster.
Marking the Mounting Holes
Holding the saddlebags against the appropriate side of the bike, I centered them between the shock and the relocated turn signal, and made a two small marks on the back side of the saddlebags above the detatchable mounting bolts. Removing the detachable bolts, I removed the turn signal mounting plate and positioned it over the saddlebag, aligning the bolt holes with the two centering marks I just made. Using the turn signal mounting plate as a template, I marked the spots where I needed to drill holes through the leather, just below the top leather reinforcement, taking into consideration the bolt and washer diameters.
Mounting Bolts in Place
Measuring the existing Harley detachable mounting bolts, I purchased three inch Grade 8 zinc plated bolts (probably overkill) from Home Depot. The replacement bolts were a half inch longer to allow for the thickness of the leather, supports and washers. I also picked up four fender washers to mount on the inside of the saddlebags to help with displacement, and twenty 3/8 washers to move the saddlebags an extra 1/4 inch out. Without the added washers, the right side saddlebag sat a bit close to the drive pulley on the rear wheel. You can see in the picture that the saddlebag supports rest against the saddlebag, followed by the washers and the detachable sideplate mounts.
Fender Washer on Inside of Saddlebag
Saddlebag Hardware Mounted
When securing the saddlebags to the fender support, use the original Harley Davidson mounting nuts. Make sure that the bolts do not protrude beyond the end of the nuts. If the bolts extend beyond the end of the nuts when fully tightened, there is a risk that the rear tire could be punctured on a hard bump. It is important that the factory clearance be kept. An alternative method would be to run the bolts through from the fender, and to apply the nuts inside the saddlebag.
