|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 17, 2014 1:28:51 GMT -5
I got these saddlebags off eBay (originally to use on my Xingyue 150) from a seller who thought they were "model-specific" to his Japanese motorcycle... NOT! But, they pretty much fit most ANYTHING including your fat-tire Schwinn bike... LOL! The problem I encountered on my Kymco was that the hand grab-rails interfered with placement of the bags. I loosened the rails, and slipped the saddlebags "bridge" between the bags over the rails, then fit them UNDER the seat with parachute-cord.
This style of bags can be "thrown over" most scooter/cycle seats, or, under them. Scooters are often too wide to use them "as-is" like mine, but the "bridge" can be widened with cord or webbing, and canted to keep the bags level on the up-swept scooter plastics. See what you think...
Here's a generic shot to show the look and proportions...
This shows the way the saddlebag "bridge" had to straddle the scooter grab-rail. Bags mounted in FRONT of the rail were too close, and you couldn't use the center-stand. Mounted in BACK of the rail were too far back, covering the turn-signals. It worked great!
This shows how the saddlebag "bridge" was widened with para-cord, and canted to level the bags... It is soft, flexible and right at the bottom of the seat, so it doesn't really interfere with under-seat storage. You can also see the courtesy-light that comes on in the storage area with the seat up... Must be a lady designed this feature, to remind guys to put the seat down... One of my favorite "perks" on old "Minnie Mouse"... LOL!
Here's another generic shot showing the way they look... They COVER the "Grandvista 250" name badge, so Minnie REALLY does now look like a Chinese 150... LOL!
These bags are a nice, medium size, and do not overpower the small scooter. They still add a LOT of extra storage. I can stuff a dozen cans of delicious cat-food (or a dozen cans of delicious beverage) in each one! These are very good quality outdoor vinyl, nearly a quarter-inch thick in places, with a double-layered, double-stitched bridge between them. The material looks and feels SO much like real leather that you have to smell them to tell if they're real leather, or vinyl! I don't recommend doing that in public... LOL!
They have waterproof strips over the openings, and then the lids. The lids have stainless buckles, but ALSO have quick-release "pinch" closures on the latch-belts. Very handy! I did get a buy, winning them for five-dollars (I was the only bidder...) plus $15 shipping. I see similar bags new however, from around $50 to $100 on eBay all the time. Still a good buy for the quality offered.
Installation can be as simple as tossing them over the passenger seat, or as permanent as making metal mounts for them. These are almost always marketed to MOTORCYCLES, but I find them to be a practical addition to a scooter, too.
Just one more way to carry more stuff!
Ride safe,
Leo in Texas
|
|
|
|
Post by SylvreKat on Jun 17, 2014 6:26:01 GMT -5
Seriously, Leo? With that car-sized trunk, you needed MORE storage space? What're you doing, hauling around the entire store? Sheesh!  Kidding aside, they do look nice. And an awesome deal for you! Way to go! >'Kat |
|
|
|
Post by bandito2 on Jun 17, 2014 8:49:50 GMT -5
Very good deal!!! I get stuff for lo $ on ebay too. And those are in the goldie locks size..... not too big, not too small.... just right!  |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 17, 2014 10:10:49 GMT -5
Seriously, Leo? With that car-sized trunk, you needed MORE storage space? What're you doing, hauling around the entire store? Sheesh! Kidding aside, they do look nice. And an awesome deal for you! Way to go! >'Kat
Even at 85mpg I STILL like to keep the trips to the store to a "minimum"... LOL! Gas is near $4 a gallon here, and with our marvelous Middle East skills, it's not likely to get cheaper any time soon... I filled up yesterday, and for the FIRST time, I put in $6 worth of gas. THAT'S a LOT of money for gassing-up a SCOOTER! Even with that large trunk, too often I find a few purchases that just don't quite "fit". Now, there's always room for that extra cat-food, tools, rattle-can paint, etc. Carrying space is like money: you just CAN'T have TOO much. I did originally get these for the old 150, which did NOT have a large trunk. I never got around to trying them. But after my last trip to Wally World, carrying that last bag of stuff on the floor, I figured it was time to see how they work. With their "easy-on, easy-off" mounting, they could be a good answer for the occasional traveler who doesn't always need the extra space, as well as the rider who's always going to the store. These really do offer a lot of "bang for the buck"... Even if bought new for full price. You don't see too many scooters with saddlebags, but they do seem to be highly practical. And they sorta balance off that monster trunk... HeHeHe!Keep ringin' them bells, and, Ride safe!Leo |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 17, 2014 10:20:34 GMT -5
Very good deal!!! I get stuff for lo $ on ebay too. And those are in the goldie locks size..... not too big, not too small.... just right!
That's how I felt too. I had these on hand from a year ago, bought originally for my Chinese 150 but never got around to trying them. Their dirt-simple "mounting" makes them universal for ANY bike, scooter (or, with a wider "bridge" extension, a horse...). If I ever get tired of looking at them, they come right off! I'm amazed at how many of these get listed on eBay for pennies, just because the original buyer thought "somehow" they were made to fit his/her individual bike! Cheesh... "Model-specific" bags have machined mounts and bolt onto your Harley, Honda, etc. hard-mounting points, and cost HUNDREDS of dollars. C'mon guys... READ the listing BEFORE you buy something. That's what makes eBay SO much fun!Ride safe! Leo |
|
|
|
Post by rockynv on Jun 17, 2014 12:10:01 GMT -5
Very good deal!!! I get stuff for lo $ on ebay too. And those are in the goldie locks size..... not too big, not too small.... just right!
That's how I felt too. I had these on hand from a year ago, bought originally for my Chinese 150 but never got around to trying them. Their dirt-simple "mounting" makes them universal for ANY bike, scooter (or, with a wider "bridge" extension, a horse...). If I ever get tired of looking at them, they come right off! I'm amazed at how many of these get listed on eBay for pennies, just because the original buyer thought "somehow" they were made to fit his/her individual bike! Cheesh... "Model-specific" bags have machined mounts and bolt onto your Harley, Honda, etc. hard-mounting points, and cost HUNDREDS of dollars. C'mon guys... READ the listing BEFORE you buy something. That's what makes eBay SO much fun!Ride safe! Leo Reminds me of a Craigs List add I saw where the seller had to clarify his listing of shipping boxes for sending your Xbox in for service due to complaints from buyers who were expecting to get an Xbox Game Player and not just the shipping container to ship your broken Xbox in for factory service. His original posting was pretty clear as was his first update yet people still were expecting to get an Xbox Game unit for the cost of the shipping of the box and the packing inserts. |
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Jun 17, 2014 13:43:08 GMT -5
Sidebar issue: Rear White wall still looks pretty good  |
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Jun 17, 2014 13:52:48 GMT -5
Very good deal!!! I get stuff for lo $ on ebay too. And those are in the goldie locks size..... not too big, not too small.... just right!
That's how I felt too. I had these on hand from a year ago, bought originally for my Chinese 150 but never got around to trying them. Their dirt-simple "mounting" makes them universal for ANY bike, scooter (or, with a wider "bridge" extension, a horse...). If I ever get tired of looking at them, they come right off! I'm amazed at how many of these get listed on eBay for pennies, just because the original buyer thought "somehow" they were made to fit his/her individual bike! Cheesh... "Model-specific" bags have machined mounts and bolt onto your Harley, Honda, etc. hard-mounting points, and cost HUNDREDS of dollars. C'mon guys... READ the listing BEFORE you buy something. That's what makes eBay SO much fun!Ride safe! Leo Oh it gets even worse than that. I had a guy here looking for a MODEL SPECIFIC starter clutch for a Chinese 244cc engine. No amounting of explaining could make him understand there was no such thing a an L-Roar "brand" part!  |
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 18, 2014 0:40:50 GMT -5
Sidebar issue: Rear White wall still looks pretty good However, yes, it's working well. This WAS the Rustoleum side. I chipped, sanded and dug away all the Rustoleum that would come off, and re-did it with Krylon. It's staying on well, as did the other side done in Krylon. It DOES however, YELLOW pretty badly. Each new coat stays a little whiter, so I'm just giving it a couple of weeks between coats, then re-coating. By the end of the season, the tire should look pretty good! For those doing a "rat-bike" look, ONE good coat of Krylon, left to season would be PERFECT! It "seasons" to the ideal, yellowed, aged, rat-look in a week! It's like it's MADE for the rotting, never-cleaned fifties look... I'm not kidding. The Ruckus, Rat and "Nekkid" skelly boys favoring the faded paint, and slightly-rusted chrome would DIE for the look this Krylon turns to in a week! It's tempting to re-label this paint for rat-white-wall use and sell for $40 a can!
Once I'm TOTALLY done spraying the white, I'm going to do the rim edges in red, along with the brake-calipers. It's those little touches that make the "look"... I also picked up a cut-off single Harley "fish-tail" exhaust pipe. The end-cap on the stock muffler comes off, and an inner shorty pipe will get welded on, allowing the old-school fish-tail to slip over. I just can't resist "Westernizing" the mouse just a little... LOL! Ride safe! Leo |
|
|
|
Post by urbanmadness on Jun 18, 2014 10:13:36 GMT -5
I bought a set of canvas throw overs when I was riding my 150. They didn't look all that great but they were awesome for the extra storage.... I paid like 35 bucks for them, brand new. They just did not hang right, althogh with a little massaging they would of. I like them becuase I could take them off the bike in less then a minute. Perfect for when you go to coffee, and you don't want to leave camera gear or other valuables on the bike while you get a hot cup of joe.
Leo, that set look perfect on that bike. They have the right "hang" and they look like they were made for your bike.
|
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 18, 2014 10:58:18 GMT -5
Urbanmadness,
Thanks! I think the appearance of the "hang" is what keeps many scooter riders from using saddlebags. Nobody likes their ride to look any more "doofus" than necessary... And let's face it, a motorscooter can rank pretty high on the "duh..." meter... LOL! The "upsweep" rear plastics common with many modern scooters makes the bags hang "nose-down" and just look "wrong"... I found with these bags (and they are pretty "generic") that they weren't wide enough to go all the way across the scooter plastics anyway, so I just added two "joiners" of para-cord.
With that in place, I just lowered the bags to where they looked vertical (instead of "bow-legged") then shortened the front piece of cord until they hung level. Mine are anchored left and right by the grab-rail passing through, but with any scooter, the bridge could be anchored with a sheet-metal screw and fender washer inside the seat pan to keep them from sagging with a load in only one bag.
Most scooters would not have the grab-rail like mine, interfering with the fore/aft placement, so the same method of mounting could be used with instant on/off capability. With the "bridge" under the seat, the bags are relatively immune to being stolen, but you could still just lift the seat and bring them in with you if they contained valuables.
I've already had a few local scooter-jockeys inquire as to how I got these to "look right"... When I showed them how EASY it is, they were amazed, and are now looking for bargain bags themselves!
For even EASIER on/off one could simply extend and adjust the bridge between the bags with black nylon web-straps, or vinyl and just lay them over the passenger portion of the seat.
It's great when something turns out easy! 
Ride safe,
Leo
PS: When I finally get the rear whitewalls just right, and get around to doing the wheel rim edges and brake calipers red, and get the chrome Harley fish-tail exhaust on, I may have created a new "look" for Asian scooters... Think of it as sorta "Italian Red-Neck" ... Like Buddy meets Vespa, meets Cushman and Vintage Harley, for a "ménage-a-junque" ...
With a few beers added to the styling process, there may even be some checkerboard trim, silver conchos, fringe and superfluous vintage lights and reflectors sprinkled about... It's OK... I'm OLD and allowed such weirdness, at least in Texas... LOL!
|
|
|
|
Post by shalomdawg on Jun 18, 2014 19:57:29 GMT -5
howdy leo and guys
it's great to "hang" with y'all after my day trip to pacific city on the nice curvy made-fer-ridin' road and purrrfect weather. nice job on the bags. do you notice extra aerodynamic drag? er maybe they don't hang out any further than yer knees. I get a bit spraddled after an hour or so riding so the knees hang out in the wind.
I just got back from spain and had noticed the burgman 200 there and was just at the suzy dealer here in salem and noticed they now have that model. 18 horsies but heavy at 359 pounds which is as much as most 250s with the same horsies anyway not to get on another subject---just ramblin'
lotsa miles and smiles to ya
ken
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Jun 19, 2014 1:20:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 20, 2014 0:39:43 GMT -5
Spandi,
Those look GREAT on your long scooter! My old "Minnie Mouse" is only slightly bigger than a 150 so the "dainty" size bags look "right". That's a BIG scooter! Looks like it must be the bomb for comfortable cruising! I'll bet THOSE bags DO hold a load: they're BIGGER than the bags on my last Harley dresser!  Enjoy! Leo
|
|
|
|
Post by urbanmadness on Jun 20, 2014 1:43:29 GMT -5
Those are large bags... Bigger then what's on my Goldwing, and bigger then what's on the Scrabeo.
|
|
