Got a two part question here. Received a new set of fat boy bags for the fat boy at Christmastime. Haven't put them on yet. Just not sure. Does anybody have a picture handy of their fat boys with bags on? I'd love to see them. I already checked the pic forum above. Secondly, how do you guys with the leather saddlebags permanently mounted wash your bike? Can you get in there behind the bags to do a good job and can they get wet. Any help out there or advice??
BA

 

It takes all of 5-10 minutes to remove the saddlebags. It's OK to get them wet, but you can't do a good job of cleaning the rear fender or rear wheel with them in place. I often remove the seats when cleaning to get at all the dirt.

 

On a HSC, it only takes a few minutes with tools to take off the bags. If I remember right though, "permanently" mounted bags for a FB don't come off as easy. You might want to look into quick release mounts for them before you put them on...

 

I have just enough space to pull a rag through between the fender struts and the bags due to the supports. On a previous bike I made the mistake of installing and removing mounted bags too often and eventually messed up the thread and bolts. Fixing that was more trouble then it was worth and I won't do that again because of it. Maybe once a year to get some wax back there but that's it.

 

Check out ezbrackets.com or ghostbrackets.com. EZ brackets is the better of the two. I have them on my FatBoy.

 

I wash my bike with one wet rag and one dry. The odd time I use a hose. Anyway wipe with the wet followed by the dry. I do this pice by piece. This takes about twenty minutes. The whole time I leave the bags on and just reach in behind. When it comes to the wheels I do as much as I can then push the bikeforward or backwards to get the rest. I have a set of throwovers so they move easier to work around and am able to get to everything.

 

FB With Bags

 

When I do a full wash job on my bike I take off seats, bags, windscreen.... anything not nailed down.