I bought some Willie & Max slanted throw on saddle bags for my 09 sportster. It came with little instruction and 3 pieces of nylon cord that won't hold a knot. What is the best way to attach the bags. Do the bags get fixed to the frame or do they float. How about a bracket? I read that Rambob made his own. Anyone else do this?

 

If these follow suit with the bags I've had on my two sportys, there is a recommended saddlebag bracket that will keep the bags off the suspension. Tie up the pieces on top of the fender to get the bags to the right height, if the nylon doesn't work here try leather strips. Use tie wraps to attach the D-rings on the bag to the bracket. If there are no 'D' rings, use an x-acto to poke small holes in the bag where it meets the bracket and use tie wraps to secure the bag to the bracket.

The poke-the-hole method is what I used on both and never had a problem, never leaked, never moved. Note I used this method because I did not remove the bags from the bike. If you are going to want to remove them on a regular basis this would probably not be the way to go unless you have a lot of tie wraps.

Free $0.02, I hope this helps.

 

Use one piece of the cord to weave the yoke together. Use a 1/4"x20 bolt 1/2" long to bolt down the yoke. I had to drill a new hole in the yoke with a brass tube in the drill press. If you don't have a drill press, you'll have to improvise.

 

If the bags are "compact slant throw overs" and you do not want them to come loose, then:
1--Take off the seat and adjust the top strap so the bags are at the right height. Then reinstall the seat.
2-- Slide TWO medium nylon zip ties over the tail light bracket and use a cord to secure the ties to the rear tie tab on the saddle bag on each side. (Zip ties fail sometimes. So use two for safety).
3.--Repeat the cord/zip tie routine at the front of each bag, but attach to the top of the shock mount.

If everything is secure, then you are good to go. If you are not a Boy Scout, get one to do the knots for you. Ride safe.

If a bag can move, then it will move. That is not a good thing. If you are using some other setup, then brackets that secure the bags are a good safety investment.

 

I made my own brackets from flat steel stock...$12.00 worth. My wifes bags weren't Willie & Max but they were throwover bags. I relocated the rear turn signals, cut off the yolk and hard mounted them to the struts. Looks good!