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I found some relatively cheap leather bags online and added some metal Harley logos. They've served me well for 15 years. They are just generic saddlebags, but everyone thinks they are Harley bags.
Okay, I am a long time rider and have several bikes...and here is something to think about that hardly no one talks about:
Hard bags are not very handy as they don’t conform to what you are carrying like flexible leather/pleather bags. If the package you want to carry back from the store doesn’t fit in a hard bag, tough luck. And, that generally includes how tall something is as most hardcase bags open to the outside meaning you can really strain the hinge going over bumps if they are let open.
I much prefer leather bags which flex…and then simple covers which sometimes I just push inside the bag as a liner and thus things can stick out the top. I use my motorcycle a lot to get groceries and run errands as a motorcycle gets around shopping centers much easier than a car.
So, think about what you are going to carry…and, as not one can predict the future, I say favor soft leather/pleather saddle bags which can bulge and conform to whatever. The guys I know with hard case saddlebags struggle to put in a shoebox or even a bag of groceries which fit well in my leather bags…when I push the top downside the bag.
So, even when looking at leather bags, the profiled covers are not always as handy as just a simple layover cover but at least the profiled covers are flexible bending without a hinge to tweak as hard case bags are if you try to ride with them wide open (and again, open to the outside rather than towards the seat).
Just my 2 cents from a guy who has lots of riding experience. Note that when I want to carry a lot, I also have a magnetic tank bag with a backpack inside which adds even more carrying capacity….although my 2006 Screamin’ Eagle has a fiberglass ‘fake’ tank (so I use one of my other bikes when I am need to carry a lot).
