Sportster
Fitting Motorcycle Saddlebags for your Harley Davidson Sportster 883 / 1200 motorcycle. Being a medium size bike with external shock absorber its best to choose a style saddlebag with a 45 degree angle at the front and limit the saddlebag length to 17inch / 43cm end to end or approx 20inch / 51cm very front to very back. Its important you choose a bag width of approx 6.5inch+-; whilst this doesn't give you the most storage capacity it does provide balance of looks and usability. If you go too wide the saddlebags end up looking like giant fridges strapped to the bike.
Relocating the indicators must be done for the sportster. Relocating to the number plate will allow you to fit medium size bags in various designs and provide an overall better look since the saddlebags will fit closer to the bike. Indicator relocation kits are available for most Sportsters, Iron / Nightster / 48 / 72 & the XL1200c.
Saddlebags that fit the above description for a medium cruiser that isn't too wide are as follows: 101, 110, 510L slim, 504 etc. The 108 medium should fit nicely aswell. The picture below showing 108L is our old model its size was inbetween 108 and 108XL. The 110 seems to look the overall best; it just fits in between the shock absorber and relocated indicator.
Fitting saddlebags can be done with Easy brackets, there are a few different bracket choices with mounting hardware to fit your specific sportster setup: no backrest, hardmount backrest or detachable backrest.
1. Standard easy bracket without a backrest will work with small saddlebags that fit between the shock absorber and indicator. If you have a detachable backrest, you can fit medium saddlebags.
2. Wide easy bracket has been designed for sportsters without a detachable backrest, it clears the shock absorber allowing you to fit medium saddlebags in various styles, this way the bag can be positioned infront of the shock absorber. It does push the bag out away from the bike. If you would prefer a closer fit, the standard bracket is available for the non detachable backrest setup, however only small to medium saddlebags will fit. Note: 110 just squeezes on with the standard bracket without detachable backrest.
