ST1100 Saddlebag Mounts

Joined
Sep 6, 2017
Messages
26
Location
Illinois
I'm the new owner of a '96 ST1100. The saddlebags seem loose on the bike. I can move each bag away from the rear fender about an inch. Each bag is installed correctly on the upper rail, and the front tab is engaged securely at the latch. Hardware securing the mounting brackets is tight.

Mounting bolts on the upper part of the brackets use rubber collars. The rubber allows the brackets (and bags) to move. Question is how much should the bags move?
 
Joined
Jul 28, 2007
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3,120
Location
finger lakes ny
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1999 ST1100
STOC #
7959
They are designed to move. Some people feel a need to eliminate this play, and do it by various means.
Mine move about 1/2 in. with never a problem.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
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Location
Northumberland UK
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VStrom 650
They all move Geoff. As long as they're hooked over the top rail and locked at the front they're going nowhere fast.
Once you load them up they'll sit in nicely against the rear mudguard.
HIH.
Upt'North.
 
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Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,029
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Bike
91 ST1100/06 ST1300
When I bought my 1991 two years ago, one of the many things I did was check for rattles. Both bags did just that, with nearly 1" of movement when mounted. I made some spacers from a section of fuel line and eliminated all the free play (still move against the spacers to absorb road shock). I'm much happier with the mounting.
 
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GeoffJ
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Sep 6, 2017
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26
Location
Illinois
When I bought my 1991 two years ago, one of the many things I did was check for rattles. Both bags did just that, with nearly 1" of movement when mounted. I made some spacers from a section of fuel line and eliminated all the free play (still move against the spacers to absorb road shock). I'm much happier with the mounting.
Where did you install spacers?
 

Gerhard

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Apr 1, 2012
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Ontario
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2012 R1200RT
I agree they move a little but that is the way they where designed to be. One thing that you may want to check is that piece of bent metal that the lock clamps seems to straighten over time resulting with a potentially lost bag as you are riding down the road. I never lost a bag but did have to bend the metal a couple of times over nearly 100,000 km so it stayed secure to the locking clamp.

Gerhard
 
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GeoffJ
Joined
Sep 6, 2017
Messages
26
Location
Illinois
Thanks for the replies.

I've owned over 30 bikes, mostly BMW and Harley. My ST1100 is my first Honda. The saddlebag mount is different. Many other bikes use a 3-point mount. Since the bags are supposed to move, I'll leave them alone and just make sure they're hooked over the top rail and locked.

I once had a bag fall off a BMW K1100RS. It was raining hard and in my haste, I didn't mount it correctly. The bag fell off my bike right in front the Speedway during the inaugural Indianapolis MotoGP in 2008. Fortunately, the car behind me stopped and blocked traffic until I retrieved it. How embarrassing!
 
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GeoffJ
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Sep 6, 2017
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Location
Illinois
I saw one partially fall off once. ONCE....A certain Admin on here that will remain nameless was out this way (CT) for an event and had taken a minor spill in a puddle the day before breaking the top rail. But he didn't know he had broken the top rail... and with his wife on the pillion he took a turn and that saddle bag swung out using the buckle as a hinge and the Mrs, reached over and caught it as though she did that every day! A few tie straps to stabilize it and he got back to Arizona with it loaded full no problem.
Reminds me of a K1100RS BMW I used to ride that fell over at a highway rest stop. The upper bag mount broke. I used my leather belt to secure it--a MacGyver moment. My pants sagged like a hip hop teen, but I made it home okay.
 
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
547
Location
Williamsport, PA
STOC #
4138
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I don't like anything flopping around so I secured the bags to the rear fender with this quick release hardware.
The tee handles are inside the bags and the shank is just long enough to go through the bag, the metal and rubber bits and the inner side of the lower plastic fender. No tools needed to get the bags off.
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2011
Messages
2,211
Location
West Michigan
Bike
'98 ST1100
STOC #
8470
DSC02216.jpg
I don't like anything flopping around so I secured the bags to the rear fender with this quick release hardware.
The tee handles are inside the bags and the shank is just long enough to go through the bag, the metal and rubber bits and the inner side of the lower plastic fender. No tools needed to get the bags off.
:plus1:

I had a cage driver pull in behind me at a gas station and tell me he was concerned my saddlebags were going to fall off because they were moving around so much. So I drilled a hole thru each of the back bottom "bumpers" and hooked a bungie cord between the two saddlebags ( it runs across the top of the rear fender). Honda had a bad design, IMHO. Those bags should have never had that much slop. Absolutely no reason to allow that.
EDIT : I adjusted the length of the bungie cord so it has just the correct amount of tension.
 
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Ashley

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Aug 16, 2009
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61
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Jacksonville, Florida USA
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04 ST1300 09 XR650L
STOC #
4906
There are some rubber bumpers on the lower inside rear of the bags. If they are missing they will appear to have more movement than they should. Mine lost one once.


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Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
5,046
Location
soCal
Bike
'97 ST1100
STOC #
687
I modified mine 20 years ago so I forgot the exact details but I think I removed the rubber grommets from the upper rail area and replaced them with something less flexible and it removed most of the slop. Agree with other claims that the factory slop was excessive, and have heard several theories over the years regarding the level of genius required to design it like that.
 
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