[il_ragazzo]

Georgia is a very humid place, more so than Texas and we all know central California is as dry as chalk.... That said, water is one of the most efficient ways to take heat from some thing. So what I'm trying to imply here is that the humidity (water in the air) being more concentrated in Georgia might be able to dissipate heat from the exhaust faster than it can in Ca or dryer parts of Tx. Just a hypothesis to the geographic location and exhaust temp differences.

Same idea with oil coolers in the mountains. less dense air cools a lot less than dense air. food for thought.

But still better safe than sorry.

[zuma]

You may be onto something. There are summer days in Texas where the lizards have to carry sticks. I witnessed one lizard as he jumped onto the tailpipe of a Harley just to cool off. One time it got so hot that...

[Assimve]

I never thought about humidity being a factor, but that could well be it lol. We are sitting at 40% today and that will increase to 75% as the day progresses.

[zuma]

I think he's right. It is so arid here that I can almost strike a potato chip and ignite it. I do have burn marks on my Nelson-Riggs though they were not making contact with my pipes...very close though.

[Assimve]

I have put some miles on these bags now and I am still loving them. There is so much pollen out right now that the wind has a yellow hue, and none of it has made it past the outside of the bag yet. I ran several days with the dust covers on, and today have been riding all day without them with no problem. I do not do much rain riding, but once I get caught out in it, I will try to remember to update this thread.

As far as heat goes, I tightened the straps and the bags are completely off of the silencer. I have been riding this way for hours on end without any trouble. I even noticed after one long ride (3-4 hours) that the dust cover had managed to rest on the can and it was not damaged. I could still take up some slack and raise the bags higher, but I am happy where they are now. You guys is hotter or more arid regions may want to tighten them up a couple notches right out of the box though. The dust cover does touch the pipe sometimes.

Some people can be concerned about hitting the curves with luggage on their bike. Let me just say that it would be impossible for this to hit the ground without wrecking. I hit a curve sharp enough that my peg and boot got road rash and the bag was never touched. (The road sloped a bit, I am not a racer. I went in too fast, and trusted the bike to make it. I would have gotten my *** off the seat, but I didn't expect the curve to be so sharp.)

[MyrtleBeach]

I like the look and functionality of these bags. I have an 88 1100f and think I will go with them. My only concern is if they are touching the exhaust pipe? And thanks for the leatherup website.

So what's a cheap ******* to do? I went to my all time favorite cheap site for gear (leatherup.com) and hit closeouts. I figured I would not be out much if I went wrong and I know from personal experience that their return policy is great.

I ordered the Xelement Nylon Slant Saddlebags because they were only $50, looked nice, and were well reviewed.

They are very nice imo. The bags feel very solid and are well made. The rain covers fit very nicely, and they have a TON of great features like being removable, coming with a paint protective backing, leather accent etc.

These bags are big. I read the dimensions and still was suprised when they arrived. It's a great look on the bike.

Now for the awesome part: They are a direct underseat fit. Just lift seat, place bags, and replace seat. The "adjustable mounting yoke" comes perfectly set to drop and go on my kat (04 750.) There are even two spaces that perfectly align with the seat stoppers. I could not have custom ordered a better fit.

*Edit: One thing to note is that these bags do render the rear pegs effectively unusable. Good thing they zip off .






On a related note; I wanted to take a second to mention Xelement and their gear. I was hit by a driver running a red light while wearing Xelement gear and it performed perfectly. I am a large man and there were no burst seams, or real damage to my jacket even though I had slid a long way. (I was doing 45 when she hit me.) I was wearing an earlier version of this jacket.

Just wanted to dispel some of the weariness about using this particular brand of cheap gear. The customer service at leatherup.com is great too, which is unexpected at this price point.[/QUOTE]

[badwithcomputer]

just what i've been looking for!

Thank you!

[badwithcomputer]

shipping to nova scotia...

$51.. more than the price of the bags

[rugidone]

shipping to nova scotia...

$51.. more than the price of the bags

$79.95 Shipped!

[badwithcomputer]

how did you manage that?? they only gave one fedex option!

[MyrtleBeach]

Xelement Saddlebags $50

Purchased the Xelement Saddlebags. On my 88 1100f they do not block the passenger pegs, they look good and they offer enough added room if I need to pick something up I can. $58 shipped.

[greentreena]

I just picked up some bags for my Kat, they look and fit great.

http://www.nelsonrigg.com/store/product.aspx?pid=1665

[ratgti]

ive looked at saddle bags and stayed away . i just have a really big back pack. but maybe at some point i may take a shot at saddlebags if i could find some cheap on craigslist or something .

[greentreena]

ive looked at saddle bags and stayed away . i just have a really big back pack. but maybe at some point i may take a shot at saddlebags if i could find some cheap on craigslist or something .

I picked them up because I didn't want a back pack for my upcomming long trip. I figure I might me sore just from riding without adding a pack.

[drewpleblanc]

Those bags look great! I have been searching here and there every now and then looking for some decent priced bags that would fit will on the Kat. My biggest problem with the bags i've looked at was how they always seemed to get in the way of the BLINKER! But, i did also think of the pipe - good to know i'll be able to adjust them high enough to avoid getting burnt or worse, melted!!!

Thanks for this link! As well as for the website! Great deals are always something i'm on the look out for. I've been riding without a proper riding jacket or anything and really have been feeling like i should get one; just to be safe. The idea of just my clothes and the road meeting sucks. Just been looking for the cheap but quality option, since good jackets usually cost an arm and a leg!!!