Fatty-Fatty-Fat-Fat

I spent a great deal of effort to get my new to me OEM luggage onto my VFR and I'm real glad I did but... the bike is so lardy now.  I never really concerned myself with the portliness of my Interceptor before the luggage, yeah it was on the heavy side but still fun to throw around and no sweat in parking lot type situations.  What a difference a couple of bags can make (and the metal frame).  I still really like riding the bike but not as much.  I know I can take the bags off but they are really, really handy.  Such a dilemma.

Never take mine off unless I need space in the garage. You get used to that big butt, I cannot lie.

I get what you're saying.  At least the bags are carried fairly low on the 6th gen.  I've seen some other bikes where the bags are pretty high, and I always think it must raise the center of gravity quite a bit.

I only use my OEM bags for overnight trips and tours.  It's great to have them, and I've gotten tons of use out of them over the last dozen years.  At first I was a little sad about the naked racks, as I thought the bike looked "clunky" with the bare metal racks, but I got used to the looks very quickly.  Soon I really appreciated them.  I frequently do long day rides, and carry an emergency pack with a few spares in it.  It gets strapped down to the rear seat and those racks are perfect to mount bungees and a cargo net.

I had a friend in college that used to say "The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin."  It worked for him.   Yeah, the bags ain't the most stylish, but if you're going to be gone for a week + on it they do come in handy. 

Unless I was riding for a day or more I rarely rode with the bags on it. But after a pickup truck knocked over my bike in a parking lot, and the bags took the brunt of the fall, I always ride with them on. 

So they serve as both a great way to carry stuff, and giant frame sliders. 

I don’t mind the width too much. I think the bags look okay. It’s the additional weight that I dislike. 

2 hours ago, slowbird

Unless I was riding for a day or more I rarely rode with the bags on it. But after a pickup truck knocked over my bike in a parking lot, and the bags took the brunt of the fall, I always ride with them on. 

So they serve as both a great way to carry stuff, and giant frame sliders. 

Several years ago I was on a tour, and had stopped in a parking lot to check my map.  The ground was slanted away from me a bit and I misjudged it getting back onto the bike.  Before I knew it, the bike and I had fallen over.  I was able to roll off the bike as it hit the ground on its right side.  Had the OEM bags not been mounted, my right leg might have been crunched between the bike and the ground.  

I have a set of R&G frame sliders installed, too.  Between the bags and the frame sliders, there was zero damage to the bike or its right side fairing.

I feel a bout of MBM beginning to form....

:goofy:

2 hours ago, Dutchy

I feel a bout of MBM beginning to form....

:goofy:

MBM!!??  Is that as bad as COVID-19?  :wacko:

I've always felt that hard bags make great frame sliders. (Blush.)