Eclipse Saddlebags
Eclipse Saddlebags
EVALUATION
Nobody has been making tankbags in this country longer than Eclipse, and the experience has been used well, the current Eclipse tankbags being as useful and reasonably priced as anything made. Now Eclipse has expanded its offerings to include, among other things, soft saddlebags.
More soft saddlebags? Aren’t there already more ways to pack your luggage than to leave your lover? Probably. But the Eclipse soft saddlebags aren’t exactly like anybody elses’.
What the Eclipse saddlebags are, are the world’s least-soft, soft saddlebags. The lady who ends the opera doesn’t have as much support as these saddlebags have. There are aluminum panels and rods and plastic shields and foam padding. There are assembly instructions and instructions on what to do before you assemble the saddlebags.
Actually, the assembly of these saddlebags is their greatest shortcoming. Before getting to the assembly instructions, the rider is first guided through the pre-assembly instructions. These have lots of things for the assembler to note, like where various plastic panels fit and what some of the shapes are called.
All the panels and rods are there to hold the Eclipse saddlebags in some kind of shape when they are empty. They also shield the bags from exhaust heat and hold parts of the saddlebags away from shocks or other parts of the motorcycle. Fitting these parts together took one editor (mechanicus ineptus) a little more than an hour. The bottom panels didn’t want to fit into their pockets. Finally the panels were trimmed, pieces were stuffed into sort-of shape and jumped on, and the rods were forced into place with physical and verbal abuse.
After that, it’s all downhill. Installing the saddlebags involves a little more than throwing them over the saddle. There are bolt-on latches and wrap-around straps and a harness that clips to the seat. This part only takes 5 min.
Now the reinforcing makes sense. With all the belts and fasteners connected the Eclipse saddlebags are solidly mounted on the motorcycle. They don’t flop or flex, jump or sag. They just sit there.
A main zipper wraps around the outer edge of the bags, actually a double zipper, so the outside panel flaps open for easy access. Another pocket on top of the saddlebags turns out to be an opening to a fanny pack that detaches from the saddlebag. When the saddlebags are removed, which only takes poking on four fasteners per bag, the two bags can be snapped together for carrying, or they include straps for carrying on a shoulder.
Inside the saddlebags is a fiberboard partition. On the side of the saddlebags is a narrow pouch for maps or the optional raincovers. The Cordura nylon fabric used for the Eclipse luggage is not waterproof. Almost, but not quite. It is coated with urethane and sewn with a cottoncovered polyester thread for better sealing, but the rain covers are still a good idea.
Shape of the Eclipse bags is sort of a flat box with one corner lopped off to clear a passenger’s heel. The main compartment is 17 in. long at the top, 12 in. long at the bottom, 11.5 in. high and 8 in. wide, but of course it is flexible so oddsize things like helmets can fit inside.. According to Eclipse the volume of the saddlebags is 1700 cu. in. and the weight is about 4 lb. per bag.
Available colors are black and gray, and list price is $199 for a pair of the bags with mounts. A pair of saddlebag rain covers adds another $25. This sounds expensive for soft luggage. That’s because the Eclipse saddlebags aren’t the, simple, lightweight, toss-over-the-seatand-ride canvas bags found at the Army surplus store. They are useful, very well made, durable and adaptable saddlebags. Their carrying capacity rivals that of some hard luggage, while their convenience in mounting or removing from motorcycles makes them especially appealing to riders who don’t want saddlebag hardware remaining on a motorcycle after the annual vacation is over. The other benefit of the one-size-fits-all luggage is that one set of saddlebags can fit any motorcycles a rider owns, or will own. The Eclipse bags look durable enough to make this practical.
In use we haven’t run into any shortcomings. These weren’t the first soft saddlebags available, and obviously some thought was given to the mounting system and the configuration of the bags. This time wasn’t wasted.
Like the other Eclipse luggage we’ve used, the Eclipse saddlebags earn their keep.
Eclipse accessories are available through dealers or from Eclipse Inc., P.0. Box 7370, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48107. Phone(313) 761-1170 EE
