Dates link to Blog Entries at Paladin Roaming:
I got my '00 Savage on
Aug. 15th, 2004. Didn't do the MSF course and DMV until
Oct.14th. My birthday is
Nov. 18th and Wendy got me the Leatherlyke Saddlebags I had strongly hinted at. $430, but they are hard sided and lockable which is pretty much required if you wish to keep things in them in Los Angeles. If you want to run bagless it takes seven seconds to remove a bag, thirteen seconds to remount:
VIDEORiding in the rain you do not want to cross diaganal railroad tracks too slowly -- they'll slide your front tire sideways and toss you to the ground. You'll bend a footpeg and place a barely noticible scratch on your saddlebag. Bag actually supported the back end of the bike! Tough material.
Three and a half years later the bags look and work nearly like new. The locks are a bit worn, they weren't the best to start and I've been meaning to replace them with locks that take the round type of key. I have definitely got my money's worth out of them.
However, I recieved an IM:
Keith_T wrote on 05/21/08 at 09:02:27:...I found a thread on a Valkrye forum that talked about how the Leatherlyke's rest on the shock and how this could be bad for the shock. I think you've had your bags installed for a number of years. Have you had any issues with the shocks?...
I haven't had any issues with the shocks -- but after three and a half years there are rub spots on the shocks.
This is strictly cosmetic. I cannot see how a little rubbing would affect the operation of the spring/shocks.