How To Choose Motorcycle Saddlebags

You are reading this right now because you are probably a motorcycle rider or enthusiast. Any you probably own a hog or Harley, or a street bike or cafe racer. In any case you are thinking of putting motorcycle saddlebags on your iron steed to make it more manly but also to give it more practicality on those long distance road trips. However how would you really choose a saddlebag for your needs.

First gauge what kind of rider you really are. Are you a weekend rider or do you really live on your bike basically. Do you take long trips or very short ones from the house and back only. These are questions that will affect how big a saddlebag you will need. You will not need a very big one should you be an occasional rider and if you take very short trips only.

Another thing to determine is to know exactly what you need these bags for, whether it is for pure looks or also for functionality. Should you want one want for looks then you may be more concerned with how it complements or enhances the overall appearance of your bike, if you are concerned about functionality then you will need to look at other qualities.

Getting one for looks then you can basically look at two general designs, whether they be plain or studded. If your bike already has studs then it will pay to go with studded leather designs, if your bike has no studs then you can get away with plain leather satchels. In some cases you will see ones with buckles, however these are just a matter of taste as buckles really serve no additional purpose on these kind of bags.

Functionality wise you should be asking yourself if the bag you want will first and foremost be secure or not. This means will you get bags with locks or not, but if you are a frequent rider and you do go long distances, it may be advisable that you get one with locks.

The frequency of your riding will also determine what kind of mounting mechanism that you should use. If you happen to be an everyday user and travel fairly long distances on average there is no need for you to constantly take your saddlebags off. In this case it may be better for you to use a hard mount or a quick disconnect system as these are more durable in the long run.

Price will be something that you must consider also. Good quality saddlebags do not come cheap and expect to spend over two hundred dollars and up on quality ones. However, many stores online do have inventory clearance sales that you can avail of to save yourself some money. There are plenty online that sell bags at a discount.

In the end the choice is really yours but also balance your needs versus your wants. Should you really want one because it looks cool then invest in one that will add value to your motorcycle not only in the looks department but to its overall price should you decide to sell your bike later on.