There are few motorcycle accessories which might be more essential than your motorcycle saddlebags, and essential let them have good care to make them last. Remember, your saddlebags are going to be holding some of your most important stuff, and considering they are usually from sight, out of mind, it is easy to ignore them when the time comes to look after your bike.
Remember the days before you decide to had motorcycle saddlebags? I certainly. That i used to wear a backpack which, when loaded, would counterbalance the balance and quite often create a scary ride. If I ever rode through wet weather, my gear within the backpack would usually get soaked. Remember that once i convince you it’s extremely hard to dehydrate a down sleeping bag by campfire on the cool spring evening!
For this reason we installed motorcycle saddlebags. It matters not whether are hard or soft bags, what is needed be treated to be last in order to keep gear inside safe and dry. Here’s a few suggestions to maintain bags in tip-top condition.
Leather Conditioner/Cleaners
Should you have leather saddlebags, apply a good leather cleaner and conditioner once weekly or two to hold the leather soft and pliable. Any further often than this and you are costing you time, and the cleaning product. In the event you ride under the sun, or your bike spends time parked out in sunshine, a cleaner/conditioner with UV (ultraviolet) protection is critical. Sunshine will wreak havoc on your leather saddlebags, drying them out all of which will turn them into brittle and useless scraps of leather.
With all the cleaning/conditioning product the very first time, wipe it on the small area within the underside, and look for any staining or discoloration before cleaning the whole bag. Some leather experts say to avoid products containing petroleum products. My principle is with something that others also have good results with – in spite of the ingredients.
I aim to consider leather products which penetrate deeply and provide good moisture protection. One great old standby is saddle soap. Saddle soap is really as old as leather (it appears), is cheap which is very gentle for the leather. Some say it’s old-fashioned, and compared to modern conditioning products, doesn’t offer enough defense against the next thunderstorm.
Sometimes these cleaning/conditioning products could have strong chemicals that can produce nasty fumes.Try to use them outdoors therefore you don’t inhale these fumes.
Water Protection
It is another crucial product to work with on your own leather saddlebags. In the event you ride, you’ll eventually ride in rain. What happens if you get caught in a very downpour, for you is going to be no bridges to park under. It’s times such as these that you’ll be thankful your leather saddlebags will probably be protected against water. Since leather is porous of course, it is extremely challenging to allow it to be water proof. Most treatments can make leather water-proof, and also the best are able to offer a lot of resistance.
But, these water treatment products should be applied on a regular basis to be effective. Lots of people are water-based, along with the chemicals can evaporate over time.
Just like the conditioner already stated, it is best to apply a water treatment gradually, starting in a i’m all over this the lower of a bag. Only then, if you don’t see any ill-effects, in case you treat the whole bag.