Soft Luggage for 6th gen

I'm too cheap (aka broke!) to buy the hard bags for my VFR but I am planning a couple of trips (moderate distance, one with the wife) this year and would like to find a set of soft saddle bags for the bike.

I have a couple of examples in mind, one I found at the Toronto bike show and the guy is letting me pass by his office and they will test fit some for me there in the spring, but before I commit to something I wanted to know if anyone has experience with a set. Anything to look out for etc...

Photos would be awesome if anyone has one with soft luggage fitted but not necessary.

Thanks for the help!

 

hello there! this is what i found and bought at craigslist for a bargain. cortech has smaller bags while mine has more capacity for longer trips.

Cortech :: Luggage :: TriBag Saddlebag

just put it on my 6th gen last night. only took her for a spin in the parking lot and will take her out today and see how it is. good luck on your search.

 

I don't have any luggage on my bike yet but do know two people who run this stuff Motorcycle luggage, hard soft motorcycle luggage, racks, touring luggage | Ventura and swear by it.
I have looked into different options as well like the Luggage locker Motorcycle Luggage from Luggage Locker but It seems as though these are for solo rides and not two-up.

I would definately look into RKA as well RKA Home Page. I have an RKA Magnetic Tank Bag and love it. It has Ceramic Coated Magnets that are very strong and will not scratch paint.

When I get luggage it will be the Ventura System as it is very versatile and is easily removed when not needed.

Jason

 

Take a look at the rapid transit bags.
Not that expensive.

Rapid Transit Recon 77 Saddlebags - Motorcycle Superstore

 

I have used the Cortech saddle bags, and they are easy to use and hold enough for a weekend out. I now have the hard Honda saddlebags. I've seen a few sets of the Honda bags go for $200 on ebay before. Usually have some scratches and stuff, but that can be fixed fairly easy.

 

i struggled with bags for quite some time. the location of the under seat mufflers make it virtually impossible to not fry any saddlebag put on this bike. i easily melted a set of universal cortech's.
then i figured hey, the hondaline bags use a rack mount system to keep their bags off the cans, the softies need it even more so.
so i went to my local hardware store and bought some,... well,... metal. i don't know its exact purpose but it looked strong and pliable. 2 mounting locations. top of the pillion peg bracket and the grab handles. same mounting locations for the factory bags.
example 1:
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then the difficult choice of bag. your traditional universal square saddle bag just doesn't work on a sport bike in my opinion. so one day i found myself in paris (don't we all?) and i saw some guy parking a GS with a set of really nice looking bags on it. i had to inquire. they're french made and just recently started shipping them to the US. and surprisingly, not all that expensive. under $150. i paid just over $100 in france. gotta love the current exchange rate. they're made by a company called Bagster.
here they are mounted on my bike:

they also offer a muffler pad which further shields the bag from muffler heat. i highly recommend just in case.

all in all, there pretty much is no practical soft bag option for the 6th gen. looks like honda made sure of that. the shape of the rear hugger and the protruding muffler just don't allow it without fabricating some sort of bracket system that holds the bag off the cans.
good luck

 

GEARS mini saddle bags.

These are what I have had on my bike for a year. They were 75 bucks so I was not worried if they were not what I wanted. I have been happy so far. They hold 4 days worth of clothes or 2 days worth of groceries. They have held up very well. They take 5 minutes to take on and off(due to 5 straps) but they stay put while riding, even at high speeds. When expanded they stick out a bit, but not crazy. Last summer I used them on a couple long trips. I was even able to strap a sleeping bag between them thanks to D rings on the front and back. I am planning several big trips this summer and will be using them. They even came with water proof liners.

One complaint: they will not hold a full size helmet.

 

I like the look of the 'ventura' rack and bags. I think I like the idea of them for the wife to lean back on a bit. They are probably not meant to support the pillion but I'm sure one of the welders in our shop can shore them up a bit for her.

I like too that when riding solo they are more over the bike than a typical top case... seems to me like it would balance the bike a bit better. Still a bit pricey but can't be much more than buying a set and deciding we don't like it or they're too small or they melted against the exhaust etc then buying the venturas anyway.

Will probably order the set soon and will post up how they work out....

 

they (the ventura people) say it shouldn't be used as a seat-back but i'll tell you from personal experience they're quite sturdy. and just having it there gives the misses (or any passenger) a greater sense of security when you go taking off like a rocket when the light turns green. 'cause i sure do. :thumbsup:

 

Givi voyager bag.....2x20-35 litres

 

With the misses (aka bozz) we don't usually see much "rocketing"!!!

Would you say they are sturdy enough that from time to time she could lean on it? I doubt she would spend the entire day leaning back but at least for a bit of a rest... really when it comes down to it, if she can't lean of it I don't mind.... I know I'll be comfy!!!! :wink:

 

well, my ventura rack was on a 4th gen which bolted in 2 locations. at the frankenstein bolts and at the grab handles under the seat. very, very sturdy. even to lean back on.

as for the 6th gen. i imagine it only bolts at the grab handles and that's probably it. i would post a question asking if anyone (most likely an Aussie) is currently using a ventura rack on a 6th gen and how sturdy is it? but like i said, they build a quality product and it can most likely support someone leaning back on.