Hey, I'm planning on doing some light touring this summer (500-1000) miles, and I'm interested in getting a sissy barbag or saddle bag setup for my 500r. I've been surfing around trying to find something that looks like it'd fit, but my biggest concern is simply that I'll grab a good looking bag / saddlebags, and then discover that they won't fit, or won't hang on to the 500.

So all in all, this is a call out to anyone who has any experience in this field, and recommended companies or specific bag set up would be great, also LINKS!

I'd appreciate anything you guys could offer.

 

Take a look farther down in this forum for the thread titled "Is it bad to put anything in the compartment under the seat?" (https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_134362/tm.htm)
Look for the photo of calamarichris's bike with Tourmaster Cortech Sport bags on it. He's a big fan of them and has done some pretty serious touring with them.

 

Three words for you: Tourmaster Cortech Sport.

Safe journeys!
-CCinC

 

I told you he was a big fan of his luggage!

 

So let me ask this, I've bought more or less the same set-up for my bike, and the little loop and clip sections that are supposed to hold the saddlebags down.... where the Eff did you manage to secure those to, while clipping them to the bike? I've been poking around with the helmet lock and passager pegs, but they aren't far enough down to provide tension against the bags.

BTW, thanks for the initial advice. It was a pain in the *** to ride with a back-pack. Plus it wore out some of the nylon stiching on my leather jacket.

 

I just knot the two rear ones together and leave them buckled all the time. This strap goes underneath the taillight.
The front straps get fastened to the passenger footpeg brackets. To do this, unbuckle those loops, wrap them around the peg bracket, passing the female buckle through the loop and simply snap it to the male buckle. Then simply snug the straps using the sizing buckles.
What I really love about these bags is that they fit on my 500, my ZX9R and my W650 with very minimal adjustment.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

I appreciate all the insight!

 

I also have the Tourmaster Cortech Sport bags and like calamarichris like them very much. but his way of strapping them down is better than the way I strapped mine. Never had a problem I had used the helmet locks and the rear tie downs, just in the back of your mind about that tie down letting go.
Which tank bag did you go with go with ?
By the way when we ride two up I leave the saddle bags on and remove the trunk bag only and the wife says she can not tell the difference with bags on or off. We have went 350 miles and she the ride was fine.

Phil

 

Hey decked out with the cortech like me in my 04" 500. Just wondering how many miles you got

 

How many miles with the Cortech Sports? Probably only 30-40,000.because I wanted to wear out my previous Tourmaster bags (which technically still hasn't happened):

How many miles on my current 500? Only 7,000.
How many lifetime miles? Easily more than 250,000; perhaps approaching 300K.
Peace!
-CCinC