Welcome to the HD world! As a wise man once said to me, getting a Harley is like getting a naked Build a Bear from grown men. You'll want to customize it for your needs. Just be careful you don't spend more than the purchase price...some of us do.

You might also look at the Harley accessories offerings, you can go online and get a free parts and accessories catalog sent to you, or any dealer will likely give you one.

It's about 2" thick and there are a ton of bags, backrests, luggage carriers, all sorts of things pretty much anything they can think to put a bar and shield logo on. There are tons of aftermarket choices as well so do a little homework and you're wise to post up questions here.

Folks tend to like HD branded stuff - you can count on the quality and durability (at a cost of course), that it'll fit, and that it will come with great install instructions (which you can also get online on the HD website). You can get best pricing from discounting dealers like Surdyke.com. You can also usually find used HD parts on eBay, I've had great luck buying there for 1/2 of retail or less. Similarly, if you sell your bike or take off stock items to get upgraded items (like footboards, grips, seats, etc.) you can normally sell your branded HD takeoff parts for about 1/2 on eBay so figure that into your cost model.

This is a great forum and welcome. Feel free to post up any questions you have, and don't worry about the occasional troll that will tell you do do a search. Oh, and if you do want to search, use google - just type hdforum.com then whatever you want to search for and it'll do a lot better job than the built in search.

 

Still pretty happy with a set of original HD bags... not the biggest but IMO they look good.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write such a long response, it is much appreciated & will definitely get a catalogue & my credit card handy

 

Tinker,

That is a beautiful bike, that is exactly what I am looking for right there!

Thanks!

 

Careful with the short ones, they don't just bolt on. You will have to drill a hole in the strut and modify the back plate to use them on your Lo.

 

Thanks.
Like yourself I have been riding Japanese (and German...) bikes for many years. I switched to HD a couple of years ago and have since owned a Switchback (not the best bike imo), a Road King Classic (great bike but heavy) and now this one; so far the best fit for my prefs. I've done a number of 3-5 day trips with it and haven't found anything wrong with it.
Think you will enjoy yours; safe riding !

 

Here are some HD bags for a good price. Might need a little leather conditioning which is not difficult.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281819067004

 

I have the HD hardbags off a Road King Classic on both my Fatboy Lo and Crossbones. They look right to me on these rigs and with the appropriate brackets are very secure. Great solid bags with leather covers and I've converted the Fatboys bags to a combination lock for a bit more security.

 

I don't know why I am having such a difficult time understanding how bags hook up to a bike, there are so many variations & brackets to choose from.

Do you think these would be a direct fit or would I need a different bracket or frame to install them?

I guess until I put my first set on will I get the puzzle figured out.

Thanks for the info, I am considering just ordering these.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...02-9153700c--1

 

It is confusing, don't feel bad. There are a myriad of different saddlebag mounts and quick disconnect backrest/ other accessory mounts. One thing you can count on, if HD says they will fit they will and they either come with the necessary bolts or the instructions tell you which bolt kit to buy and they give you a part number.

The bags you posted will fit sure sure. You can get cheaper at Boardtracker or Surdyke HD.