VikingBags

I have spent a lot of time researching saddlebags (soft and hard) both before and after purchasing Viking bags. I am very confident that I could not find a better product for the money.

As for the bags themselves, I have ridden and parked in driving rain without so much as a drop of water getting in the bags. I haven't tested the hardbags in the rain yet, but I can't imagine the experience will be any different.

As for customer service, I have dealt with them several times over the years. I have had only one issue with the many bags I have owned (a buckle broke after 6 months, but was still functional) and they replaced the defective piece. I see a lot of complaints on some websites, but the most negative thing I can say is that once I dealt with a fairly new employee who wasn't as knowledgeable about some product specifics; however he didn't give up and did manage to find the answer. Maybe I'm just more patient than the average person, but no one who knows me would give me such a compliment. They do not offer free shipping in the event you do not like a product; however they have several stores, so ship it to the closest one to save a buck or two.

As for installation, these are universal bags folks. Just because they say they fit a specific model of bike means it will fit in the area designated for a saddlebag... assuming you have not made any alterations to the bike (I can't leave my alone without doing something to it every 6 months) and you place the bag so there is appropriate clearance from the exhaust AND within the confines of the mounting hardware. I learned the hard way that you may need a little extra clearance if you have a passenger! To the bag's credit, it was laying flat against the pipe for several hours and melted the leather as well as warped the internal floor material, but it never actually breached the bag! Have someone sit on the back as you select a mounting height.

Lastly, if you have a detachable sissy bar and you want a detachable Viking bag as well (the brackets are very solid and easy to use) be aware that there will be several inches of space between the fender rail and the bag - think BMW-style bags. That kind of drove me crazy as I like bag close to the bike, so I'm now going with a permanent mount system. The trade off is the space as much more expensive bags ($1000 Harley for example) mount flush due to internal hardware... which takes up lots of usable space. You can't beat the capacity of the Viking bag.

I give them a 4+ because I have to do everything online. I would like to see the products in a bike store (other than at a rally or show); however the low overhead keeps their prices down, so it's hard to complain too much.