MotoYard.com Blog

If you travel any at all on your motorcycle, even if it is just across town, saddlebags can be your best friend. They can hold anything you might need to take with you for the day or for a week. Most people choose one of the two most common types of motorcycle saddlebags. These are called “throw over” saddle bags and “hard mount” saddle bags. Their names are pretty much self-explanatory.

Throw over saddlebags came into vogue back in the 1950s. Then, in the 60s, motorcycles became very popular and more people were using them to travel for long distances. They needed sturdier motorcycle luggage that could ride for hours without shifting position. A few innovative riders decided to make a few holes in the back fenders of their bikes so that they could bolt their saddlebags onto them. This not only helped steady the saddle bags a great deal, but looked better, too. These riders were quite pleased with the result. Others noticed the change and decided to try it for themselves. Word spread, and soon most everyone was bolting down his or her bags.

None of this was lost on the motorcycle companies. Two of the biggies in that time period were Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycle Companies, and they noticed this new way of carrying saddlebags. This led them to add struts to the next production year’s motorcycles. With the addition of these struts, saddle bags could more easily be bolted to the bike. This also eliminated the need for drilling holes in the fenders.

Time went by, with the motorcycle companies making various small changes to their bikes to enable riders to carry their saddle bags more efficiently. Then, the companies noticed another trend. They realized that the larger motorcycles were being used for long distance journeys much more than the bikes with smaller engines. They decided to reinforce this trend by developing a saddle bag made of fiberglass and including it with each motorcycle they sold. The idea proved very popular, and many people bought these bikes.

Today, there are several brands and models of motorcycles that come from the factory with their own saddle bags. Some people still prefer to buy their own motorcycle luggage, as they would rather have it made from leather than fiberglass. Recently, saddle bags have come on the market made of leather that blend in with the motorcycle’s design so well that they are not quite as noticeable. There are also saddle bags that are tailor made for each kind of motorcycle there is, and these match the color of the bikes. Saddle bags have come a long way since the 60s!

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