Bike - 2015 Road Glide
Bags - 2014+ OEM Style Top Shop Bags painted and sold by The Factory Match

My painted TopShop extended bags arrived yesterday afternoon (courtesy of The Factory Match) and the bags look pretty fantastic. As I was prepping for installation I ran across an issue that I'm not sure what the "correct" course of action is.

Here is my problem;

The OEM bags use rubber isolation grommets that the quick release fasteners go through when attaching the bags to the bike. The holes in the OEM bags are large enough to accommodate said isolation grommets.

On the TopShop bags the holes drilled into the side of the bags is significantly smaller in diameter and there isn't any way that the rubber isolation grommets will fit into those holes. Which leads me to my questions.

1. Are the TopShop bags supposed to be installed without using the isolation grommets?
2. Am I supposed to drill out the existing holes in the TopShop bags so that I can use the isolation grommets?
3. Has anyone else experienced the same thing (i.e. did I just get a defective set of bags)?
4. For anyone else that has experienced the same issue, what was your final solution?

Pics included for reference.

 

For me when I did this moving the grommets wasn't easy, but you have to do it (I trimmed the carpet a little). Don't drill out the fiberglass hole. If you are sure it won't fit call TopShop and TFM. They will talk you through it.

 

Well, glad that I'm not the only one I guess. I put a call into TopShop earlier, waiting on one of their "installation" guys to call me back. But there is no amount of soap, grease or spit that is going to make a 9/16" diameter grommet go through a 3/16" hole.

Great looking bike by the way. Did you install skid plates on the bottom or your bags, or is the clearance OK as is?

 

I have the skid plates on and JNR rear air. I haven't hit the skid plates yet.

 

the top shop guys should be answering every question you have...... ????

 

That's what I did as well it was a tight fight but went in just fine.

Don't drill the bag like mentioned.

 

Thanks for all the guidance guys. Spazz reached out to me over at another forum and tells me that the fiberglass hole is fine, I just need to trim the inner liner and all will be well. Basically echoing what everyone here has said. I'll get on that task tonight.

Thanks again.

I kind of feel like an idiot now..........................

 

Better tight, than Loose!!

Just sayn

 

Don't feel bad for questioning it wevsspot, many of us have done much much worse.

Did you get the bag hardware switched over?

 

Yep, you were right EW, I was just approaching the installation all wrong. I already had new grommets, so all I needed to do was trim the liner away, soap down the new grommets and they slid in easy peezy.

Got left side bag installed last night before I hit the bunk. Will get right side done tonight.

I won't lie, those dang hinge screws are a pain the ****. Specifically the two that go through the canvas and screw into the lower holes on the hinge. My service manual says something like "caution - these screws strip easily, especially the two lower screws". They weren't frickin' kidding. Stupid things.............

Had to stop by Fastenal this morning and I picked up a complete set of high quality allen head screws to replace all the cheap HD stock ones (soft to start with and probably made in China).

Left bag lid requires a bit more finesse to close and lock than what I'm used to with the OEM bags, but I'll learn to live with that because these things are going to look fantastic.