Extra Storage on an EN500?

[Uthor]

I'm looking to add some extra storage onto my '06 Vulcan 500 LTD, but I'm having a hard time finding something I could be happy with. I'm looking to store some emergency things like an expanded tool kit, a tire patch kit, and some rain gear.

I currently have a Tour Master TB-17 Nylon Tail Bag that I'm okay with, though I've had some problems with it (having it slide to the side after an hour or so of riding, busted zipper pull, another zipper coming un-sewed). One thing I like about it is that it's not permanent.

I would like to get some saddle bags, but I'm not sure what to do with mounting. Kawasaki sells their Saddlebag Supports, but they cost $103 for a couple pieces of bent tubing. I guess they need the extra money to chrome out a piece of metal that will be hidden once it's installed. Also, I don't like the idea of permanently mounted bags. Most of the time I don't need the extra space, I don't want to leave bags out in my apartment's parking lot, and I would like to take them inside with me for filling them up/emptying them.

That said, the Ghost Brackets seem like an ideal, if not cheap, solution. These sound like the Easy Brackets I've seen people talk about on here. However, I don't know if they can fit on my bike. The website says they are adjustable, but it doesn't mention the EN500 specifically as a supported bike. I e-mailed a rep a while ago and he said they could help me out if I gave him some basic measurements, but I never got back to him. Again, it's not a cheap solution at $155.

Another idea I've had was to get a rear luggage rack. That'll allow me to bungee some more things to the back of the bike. With that, my tail bag, and a back pack, I should be okay. However, again, the only place I see where to buy one would be through Kawasaki and $85 is really steap. If anyone knows of a cheaper bracket, I'd be all for it. It doesn't have to be fancy or covered in chrome or anything. A couple tubes welded together that'll fit the EN500 is all I need. I could live with a luggage rack even though I want to keep as naked a look on the bike as possible.

I'd appreciate any and all ideas.

[relli]

cheap.inexpensive.low cost. are words that you dont often use in the same sentence as motorcycle. 85 bucks not bad for a lugg rack. there are only so many options you can expect and sounds like you've explored most of em

[Uthor]

Yeah, but grossly over-priced from the dealer isn't something I like to spend my money on. I am hoping for information from people that have added this stuff to their bikes.

I randomly came accross this site from another thread that seems to have the Kawasaki factory parts for a fraction of the cost. They're even using Kawasaki's photos.

Saddlebag supports for $30 less than at Kawasaki.
Rear rack for $20 less than at Kawasaki.

I think those prices are doable. Now to decide what to get.

[BTQ]

Originally Posted by Uthor

I'm looking to add some extra storage onto my '06 Vulcan 500 LTD, but I'm having a hard time finding something I could be happy with. I'm looking to store some emergency things like an expanded tool kit, a tire patch kit, and some rain gear.

I currently have a Tour Master TB-17 Nylon Tail Bag that I'm okay with, though I've had some problems with it (having it slide to the side after an hour or so of riding, busted zipper pull, another zipper coming un-sewed). One thing I like about it is that it's not permanent.

I would like to get some saddle bags, but I'm not sure what to do with mounting. Kawasaki sells their Saddlebag Supports, but they cost $103 for a couple pieces of bent tubing. I guess they need the extra money to chrome out a piece of metal that will be hidden once it's installed. Also, I don't like the idea of permanently mounted bags. Most of the time I don't need the extra space, I don't want to leave bags out in my apartment's parking lot, and I would like to take them inside with me for filling them up/emptying them.

That said, the Ghost Brackets seem like an ideal, if not cheap, solution. These sound like the Easy Brackets I've seen people talk about on here. However, I don't know if they can fit on my bike. The website says they are adjustable, but it doesn't mention the EN500 specifically as a supported bike. I e-mailed a rep a while ago and he said they could help me out if I gave him some basic measurements, but I never got back to him. Again, it's not a cheap solution at $155.

Another idea I've had was to get a rear luggage rack. That'll allow me to bungee some more things to the back of the bike. With that, my tail bag, and a back pack, I should be okay. However, again, the only place I see where to buy one would be through Kawasaki and $85 is really steap. If anyone knows of a cheaper bracket, I'd be all for it. It doesn't have to be fancy or covered in chrome or anything. A couple tubes welded together that'll fit the EN500 is all I need. I could live with a luggage rack even though I want to keep as naked a look on the bike as possible.

I'd appreciate any and all ideas.

I have this month just accquired a Vulcan 500 (07) and have been researching this storage issue. While I haven't bought anything yet, I have found that the Fender support covers for the Vulcan 500 (07) and the Vulcan 800a (04) are the same Kawasaki part numbers, ie, they interchange it seems. The Ghost Brackets for the Vulcan 800a should work.

I will be trying this in July. Ghost Brackets with Saddlemen Large Slant bags.

I think it will fit, but if anyone knows I would like to hear also., or has a better solution.

[BTQ]

Well, after looking at the parts at Arctic Cat, Polaris,Suzuki,Kawasaki,Sea-doo,Can-Am dealer West Michigan Muskegon lowest prices, the part numbers they show 35011/35011a as the part number which led me to incorrectly think they were the same. But the part numbers are the same for the swing arms, etc, which are very different, soooooooooooo, back to square one. Oh well.

[Uthor]

Originally Posted by BTQ

Well, after looking at the parts at Arctic Cat, Polaris,Suzuki,Kawasaki,Sea-doo,Can-Am dealer West Michigan Muskegon lowest prices, the part numbers they show 35011/35011a as the part number which led me to incorrectly think they were the same. But the part numbers are the same for the swing arms, etc, which are very different, soooooooooooo, back to square one. Oh well.

Like I said, I e-mailed the guys at Ghost Brackets and they said with some measurements, they can probably find a solution that fits.

[BTQ]

I followed you example, and called ghost brackets, with the measurement between bolts and the bolt size (8 7/16 inches between bolts and the bolts are 8 x 50 MM ). They said that the bracket needed was the 106, with 8x65 bolts whiich they said they could put together, but was not a match with any other kit. The 106 bracket is 12.5 inches long and I don't know if that is a problem or not. (Do you think that the bracket at 12.5 is too large and would it require saddlebags that are too large? And 155 bucks?) I'm undecided, but it would be nice if it worked. I did find that scootworks has customized a 500 and you might look at that site for ideas also. (SCOOTWORKS Belt Drives, lowering kits, handlebar risers, motorcycle parts and accessories, chrome bolts)

[Uthor]

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

I've seen that Scooterworks bike before. It looks alright, but they went the "more chrome!" route, which I don't care for. I'd like to turn my EN500 into more of a standard than a down-low cruiser. I do like the custom seat/luggage rack.

[gizmo200118]

I have the Kawasaki Saddle bag supports and a set of Saddlemen Cruis'n Slant Bags. They were both very easy to install. Check ebay for supports I remember seeing some a wile ago for around $30 +shipping (not sure what shipping was sorry) Any way here are some pics. The bags are dirty because I just drove down a 17 mile gravel road.


My dirty bags



Front:




Side:

[cakmakli]

Looks very nice. Are those bags large or jumbo

[ROMAD]

Originally Posted by Uthor

I'm looking to add some extra storage onto my '06 Vulcan 500 LTD, but I'm having a hard time finding something I could be happy with. I'm looking to store some emergency things like an expanded tool kit, a tire patch kit, and some rain gear.

I currently have a Tour Master TB-17 Nylon Tail Bag that I'm okay with, though I've had some problems with it (having it slide to the side after an hour or so of riding, busted zipper pull, another zipper coming un-sewed). One thing I like about it is that it's not permanent.

I would like to get some saddle bags, but I'm not sure what to do with mounting. Kawasaki sells their Saddlebag Supports, but they cost $103 for a couple pieces of bent tubing. I guess they need the extra money to chrome out a piece of metal that will be hidden once it's installed. Also, I don't like the idea of permanently mounted bags. Most of the time I don't need the extra space, I don't want to leave bags out in my apartment's parking lot, and I would like to take them inside with me for filling them up/emptying them.

That said, the Ghost Brackets seem like an ideal, if not cheap, solution. These sound like the Easy Brackets I've seen people talk about on here. However, I don't know if they can fit on my bike. The website says they are adjustable, but it doesn't mention the EN500 specifically as a supported bike. I e-mailed a rep a while ago and he said they could help me out if I gave him some basic measurements, but I never got back to him. Again, it's not a cheap solution at $155.

Another idea I've had was to get a rear luggage rack. That'll allow me to bungee some more things to the back of the bike. With that, my tail bag, and a back pack, I should be okay. However, again, the only place I see where to buy one would be through Kawasaki and $85 is really steap. If anyone knows of a cheaper bracket, I'd be all for it. It doesn't have to be fancy or covered in chrome or anything. A couple tubes welded together that'll fit the EN500 is all I need. I could live with a luggage rack even though I want to keep as naked a look on the bike as possible.

I'd appreciate any and all ideas.

There are some hard bags on ebay for $115. A friend got them and they look good and DRY. I will be buying soon. Their "universal" mounting kit will fit anything with a little imagination.

[peterchech]

I put some old saddlebags on my 500. The tubing is really expensive, so I just went to home depot, spent $4 on steel tubing, and bent it myself. To protect the finish, I melted some heat-shrink tubing on the bent ends. I then looped them around the fender bolts on the side of the bike, between the fender and the railings. This has worked well for me so far. As far as saddlebag security, I live in an inner city on the outskirts of New York City, and in a year of riding have never had anything taken from my saddlebags. I usually cover the bike when I park it, and this has seemed to work well. The only times my bike has been messed with, I left it uncovered, and one time it was tipped, the other time they stole the back seat, both times on my Yamaha.

[gizmo200118]

Originally Posted by cakmakli

Looks very nice. Are those bags large or jumbo

they are the large

[Uthor]

gizmo, can you tell me more about your tailpipes? They look smaller than the stock ones, which is my biggest complaint about the stock ones. How much louder are they? I've got neighbors and ride at night, so volume is an important consideration for me.

I know it's off topic, but it's my thread, damn it!

On-topic:
I got the rear rack. It's kinda tiny, but it lets me bungee my small cooler or my sneakers to the back. I just now need to find some luggage I can fit back there so I can use it to haul things other than cold drinks or shoes.

[gizmo200118]

Originally Posted by Uthor

gizmo, can you tell me more about your tailpipes? They look smaller than the stock ones, which is my biggest complaint about the stock ones. How much louder are they? I've got neighbors and ride at night, so volume is an important consideration for me.

I know it's off topic, but it's my thread, damn it!

They are the DUNSTALL STYLE MEGAPHONE MUFFLER from JcWhitny DUNSTALL STYLE MEGAPHONE MUFFLER : JC Whitney: Motorcycle Parts & Accessories
That I repacked but they are still very loud. I will make a video this weekend to compare them for you. I am going to weld a baffle in them to quite them down a bit.

I like the way they look over the stock ones.

[vulcan500rider]

Cortech :: Luggage :: Sport Tail Bag

[Uthor]

Hey, an old thread of mine. I feel like updating. I bought the luggage rack for my bike, as I said above, and I like it fairly well. It is very convenient to have on there (though I don't like the extra chrome), but it has NO good place to hook or tie anything to. If you hook on the back, your cord will slide to the middle. If you hook to the side, your cord will slide to the front. SO, I took a drill to the luggage rack and put a couple holes in for my bungee cords to attach to. Ghetto, but works.

I also got a cheap motorcycle/ATV bungee net from Wal-Mart that is awesome. It seems small, but stretches a good bit and will hold my cooler, my shoes, or my duffel bag very securely.

Finally, I bought a boat bag (EXTREME) from the Bass Pro Shops for real cheap. I got the small for $20. Anything bigger and it'll overhang the luggage rack in the back a good amount, not to mention the sides. I finally got a good chance to use it this past weekend. I fit three days worth of clothes, a gallon of oil, misc lubes/oils for the rest of my bike, and some tools pretty comfortably. It's water resistant, but you wouldn't want to dunk it in water.

So, with the luggage rack, duffel bag, my old tail bag, and my back pack, I was packing extra stuff just to fill them out. The best part is they all come off and inside with me with little trouble (though untying the duffel takes some time), leaving almost nothing on the bike when I don't need it.

[ROMAD]

Uthor!! You don't like the extra chrome!!!! Horrors! Don't you know your Bible? "And on the eighth day God created Chrome" Gawd, mine looks like a traveling caliope! BUT it gets attention, which beats tire tracks across the tank!! Thanks for the mod notes and pix. Will post to the new site as soon as I get it designed. ("www.EN500.us") Real busy right now.

[Uthor]

My current plans for winter/spring are to black out the exhaust and maybe the handlebars. I also want to find some gaiters for the forks and blackout the lower parts. I'll see how that goes and maybe do some painting around the triple tee.

[BTQ]

I'm glad that you solved the storage issue. I have tried to work with the Ghost Bracket people for 2 months. I sent pictures, measurements, etc multiple times, multiple phone calls, and they were polite but as of this date the have done nothing. No results and despite saying that they woiuld get back to me in a few days, no calls , no email, despite repeated attempts to follow up on the project.

I guess they are really not intrested in doing this for the 500.