Yamaha Soft Saddlebags

YAMAHA SOFT SADDLEBAGS

EVALUATION

Here we have another entrant in the burgeoning soft luggage competition, this model having several features that set it apart from most of the others. These are Yamaha saddlebags, designed by the accessory people at Yamaha’s offices in this country, and produced by an outside supplier, This is how most Yamaha accessories are created and produced and the result has been a catalog full of Yamaha accessories that generally work very well.

Perhaps the world doesn’t need another producer of soft saddlebags, what with the dozen or so companies in the business already, but the Yamaha bags are noticeably different. Most obvious of the differences is the material Yamaha has used. The 400 denier nylon is a material of fine weave, unlike the coarse Cordura material used on most of the other soft saddlebags. The cloth is coated with polyurethane for water resistance and the bottom panel of the saddlebags has a reflective coating to protect the saddlebags from exhaust heat. Plastic panels are fastened inside the backs and bottoms of the saddlebags to preserve their shape. The construction of the saddlebags enables the bottom of the bags to fold up, being held in place by a small tab of Velcro, so the bags can be stored flat.

Anyone who has seen the cowboy in the movies casually toss his saddlebags over the horse and then climb on and ride into the sunset should know that the cowboy wasn’t using Yamaha’s saddlebags. These saddlebags don’t just toss over a motorcycle. There are straps and brackets that clamp to the seat and other plastic locking connections that then fasten the bags to the straps and brackets. Yamaha has also thoughtfully made a turn signal relocation kit available, which makes more room for the bags beside the motorcycle.

Because of the signals and the straps and brackets, it takes a good half an hour to install the Yamaha soft saddlebags on a motorcycle. The brackets slip onto the bottom of the saddle and then straps are run through the brackets. The saddlebags attach to these straps and then another strap from the saddlebags is run down to the rear footpegs. A bungee cord can be fastened at the back of the saddlebags, holding them together, if needed.

With the Yamaha bags firmly attached to a Seca 650 there was no way they could fall off the bike or into the rear tire. The small tab of Velcro in the saddlebags couldn’t hold the sides together when the bike was ridden, so the bags soon eased into a natural position, bulging out at the sides. Cinching up the outer straps held the bottoms off the mufflers with about an inch to spare.

These are slightly smaller than some of the other soft bags available. Yamaha claims 1200 cu. in. of capacity in each bag, about two-thirds of a cubic foot. Our measurements show the back wall of the bags 12 in. high, 12 in. wide at the top and 15 in. wide at the bottom. The bags are 8 in. thick, assuming you have square blocks in the bags. Otherwise they take whatever shape the contents are.

Each bag has a single plastic zipper running along the top, covered by a flap. There are no auxilliary pockets or compartments. The flap over the zipper and the coating on the inside make the Yamaha bags resistant to water. This is about a half-stop away from waterproof. In a long rain things inside the saddlebags absorbed some moisture, but they weren’t wet. Not a good place to leave your blue chip stamps, but okay for most anything else, in other words.

If there were no other soft saddlebags, the Yamaha bags would be marvelous. They fit a large range of bikes, look acceptable, are convenient to use and with a list price of $99.95, the price is reasonable. Because there are so many brands avail-

able, the Yamaha bags get classified a bit more. They aren’t as large or useful as the Compac bags, for instance, and they are more work to remove and fasten to the bike. This makes them better suited to permanent mounting on the bike. Ours have stayed on the bike while we put things into or out of the bags. Other saddlebags are likely to be carried into the office or the home because they attach with less time or effort. For long trips the lack of auxilliary pockets and nice little cubbyholes make the Yamaha bags less desirable.

What the Yamaha bags have going for them are a better than average' appearance and they are well made. There are no glaring faults of the saddlebags, they just aren’t quite as versatile as some others. Available through Yamaha dealers. 89