Well, when I got my new rear tire, I had to take off my prior set of saddlebag supports and decided that new brackets would be nice.

So I worked up a couple of designs, and came up with something.  Luckily, I have metal available through my work, and the ability to bend it.
This is 14 gauge steel:  (The bends are 90° although they don't look it)


Taped up the fender, drew a line around the side bracket, to mock up and get it fit.




Found these fasteners at a local boating store.  They are exactly what my bags attached to the yoke with.  (Expensive little boogers though, $2.00 each, hubby and mine together needed 16 of them!)


Lined everything up and started drilling holes to attach the fasteners


Needed something on the bottom to hook the lower saddlebag strap, so I added this piece of round rod (hacked from my old supports)


Getting it welded up today and hopefully will be painted today too.  Notice the slit on the bracket for the right side?  Its for the helmet lock.  I unscrewed the lock, but didn't realize the back plate of the lock was welded to the side bracket.  Instead of cutting it off (ruin it for future) we cut a slit in the new bracket for it to go through.  So now if I ever take these off, or ever want to use the helmet lock, I still can.



Will add some pics when its done.  Anybody see any issues?

Thanks Ero.  If you look at the picture with the round bar laying on the bottom, you can see all 8 drilled holes on each bracket, so I'm good there.  And I thought about rounding the corners, but I think I'm just going to put something at each corner to pad it, like one of those felt thingys you stick on the bottom of a chair leg so as not to scuff the floor?  Know what I mean?  If I put one in each corner, it won't be as rough (destructive) on the back of the bag.  Could change my mind once I mount it and see.

I liked the old brackets too, but my problem was with how they attached to the bike.  I was trying to improve the strength.  And I also didn't have a way to secure the old ones from letting the bags flop out to each side.  I think this will make them lay flat better.  I think its going to look better, once its all painted up real pretty...    

Painted up and ready to install.  Man, why do I have to work today??  ugh!

verslagen1 wrote on 08/13/10 at 09:06:14:


I'm not sure what you are saying....

Ah!!  Yea, now's a fine time to tell me!  Why didn't ya say somethin' yesterday!?!?  LOL

I don't think my bags will be too heavy for it, but gussets could still be added later, if necessary.  I'll keep a watch and keep that in mind.  

Now that I get a better look at it, those bend radii look good.

Keep an eye on the bends for cracks to develop.

Nice one baby hog.
Clive W

John_D FSO wrote on 08/16/10 at 14:18:14:


Haha Thanks John!  I got all the steel out of our scrap bin at work, so only the fasteners cost me anything.  The woman who owns the marine supply place where I bought them, used to work with me (almost 20 years ago!) and she cut the price of them from $2.79 each to $2.00.  I actually found them online cheaper, but preferred to buy them locally, no shipping.   My husband did the drilling, guys at work welded and painted them.  I guess I did install the fasteners and put them on the bike, with help of hubby.  I'm happy with the end result for my purposes.  These would only work if you had the mounting holes like the Saddlemen bags have, but I'm sure the base could be adapted for other bags.  I'm too much of a perfectionist, as far as doing something for someone else, so I'd have a tough time doing that!   I've gotten to ride a few times with them now, and I'm very happy with them.  Next project...........