Insert the end of the bolt with components attached into the hole in the plastic cover removed earlier and screw it into the hole until at least a 1/2:" of thread is sticking through the cover.
Fit the edge of the cover closest to the tyre first, then wriggle it into place and screw the button head bolt into the 8mm T nut you fitted earlier. Screw this up until almost tight. Leave it loose enough so that the stabiliser bracket can rotate and tilt a little.
Here are the three brackets used to stabilise the bags at the rear.
The largest bracket, which I have called the extended right angle backet, is already mounted to the back of the rear hanger.
The shortest bracket, which I have called the top stabiliser bracket, should be mounted into the small plastic cover mounting hole at the rear of the under-guard area.
The third bracket with equal length arms and the large hole is the intermediate stabiliser bracket and will connect the other two stabiliser brackets together.
1) Take the intermediate stabiliser bracket and place it on top of the extended right angle bracket, placing the side with the large hole in contact with the large hole arm of the extended right angle bracket. These arms are horizontal.
The vertical arm of this bracket should now be pointing up, and adjacent to the down-pointing arm of the top stabiliser bracket recently fitted into the plastic cover.
Insert a 20mm round head bolt with a washer through the centre hole of each bracket, and tighten the nut by hand - this leaves some wriggle room to help connect to the uppermost stabiliser bracket.
2) Screw the 8mm button head bolt which holds the top stabiliser bracket into the plastic cover. Make it finger tight, using the short end of an allen key for leverage.
Check the hole alignment between the intermediate and top brackets, Some vertical misalignment, up to about 1/3 of a hole up or down, is OK.
Any more misalignment and you might need to add or remove a washer between the top stabiliser bracket and the 3/4" spacer. There is one in there now.
Horizontal misalignment will be taken care of by swivelling the intermediate and top brackets until their vertical arms come together. Insert a 20mm round head bolt and washer into the middle hole and tighten finger tight.
Note how each bracket has to pivot slightly around its mounting bolt for everything to line up properly.
3) Check the alignment of the three brackets and then gradually tighten the two bolts on the intermediate bracket. One is on the horizontal arm, one is on the vertical arm.
A small amount of tension between the three brackets will not be a problem, but if the saddlebag frame or any of the brackets start to tilt or distort there is something not right.
4) At the same time fully tighten the 8mm button head bolt which holds the top stabiliser bracket into the small plastic cover, and holds them both onto the frame of the bike.
It is important to use moderate force only to tighten this. The top stabiliser bracket should be firmly mounted, but if you insert the final washer the wrong way or use excessive force you could possibly cut a hole in the plastic cover, the size of the washer, so that the cover eventually drops down.
Push against the sadllebag frame to make sure it does not move inwards - there should be no slop or flex or movement on any component.
Take a bag and insert the recesses on the bottom into the two Y-shaped spacers on the bottom of the frame.
Push the top of the bag inwards towards the bike - there will be a loud, obvious click when the top mount is connected.
Insert the red key supplied and turn the lock a 1/2 turn with the bag handles up. (The lock slot will be at right angles to the bike.)
This locks the top attachment to the bags but allows you to open the bags at any time without the key. Once the bag is locked you can then lower the handles.
To lock the bags themselves, leave the handles all the way down when turning the key. This locks the handles, and the bags to the frame.
When you are satisfied that all is good, add the 5/16" plastic buttons to the holes in the mounting frames which you do not want to be visible, to hide the Meccano effect. ;-)
The buttons are easily dislodged if you brush against the back of them, but don't come out in normal use. To make them more secure just add a dab of RTV sealant (silicon gasket) material to the back of them before inserting.
Use saddlebag liners from Bestem for BMW R1100, K1200, model LGBM-K12GT-SDL
BMW oem liner bags and from most other suppliers have an extra pocket which sticks out on the inner side, designed to fit into a recess in the BMW oem cases. There is no such recess in the Mutazu, or any other bags that I know of.
Bestem bags do not have these extra pockets, and so will fit nicely.
The liners might look on the small side here, but when you fill them they will bulge out, and if you are not careful how you pack, make the lid hard to close.
However, they protect the inside of the saddlebag from inadverttent damage from sharp and hard items rattling around, and make it very easy to carry all your travel items in in two hands when you arrive.
You can also fit small, soft items in the gaps left when the filled liner bag is placed in the side case.
If you live in the Phoenix area or don't mind travelling I am happy to install your Mutazu bags.
The cost of the extra components is around $40. Install labour is $110, not including wiring of the lights.
Message me if interested.
If you are handy with assembly but lack the tools or skills or just aren't interested in doing the modifications yourself, I will modify your kit for $60, plus postage both ways.
If you also have an MBL rack fitted and don't like the way it bounces up and down on the road (or when you put any pressure on it at a standstill), here is a simple way to stabilise it.
The Mutazu mounting method I devised does not need the long support arms they supply for connecting the bags across the bike.
Instead, I fitted them as shown and the bouncing is completely eliminated. All that is needed is to drill two extra holes, one on each side of the rack, to make the connection.
Where previously it was most uncomfortable for me to ride pillion, because the bouncing of the rack meant that the back rest on the top case was constantly bouncing into my back, now it is still and I can even lean back in comfort.
Mutazu bags, at $299 shipped, represent the best value for money by far.
In addition to being stylish, they are quite large, and well built. We also (well, Patti my wife) found some very affordable inner liners that are a close fit and will do the job for us.
Their downfall has been their universal mounts - the frames supplied which the bags attach to are very robust and well thought out. The hanging brackets supplied to mount the frames to the bike are strong and pre-bent for an "average" installation, but to do the job properly takes time and thought. Well, it took me 2 1/2 weeks of mornings to nut it out and put it together, and so I share my work with you now. I reckon it would take 5 to 6 hours of not rushing to finish mounting them from scratch, not including electrical wiring.
It also takes a few additional parts, like spacers, T nuts and bolts (about $35 worth), in addition to the pretty good set that comes with the kit, plus an angle grinder with cut-off and finishing disks, a 10-12" adjustable wrench and a can of satin black touch up paint.
To me, mounting bags up high and angling them to match the grab handles is just not on. These are set straight, in line with the frame, not the grab handles, and are angled down ever so slightly. You probably could adjust the angle up or down by about a 1/2", measured at the rear of the bag.
In addition, the bags need additional support to stop them from sagging inwards at the bottom under load, just like any other saddlebags. That is where most of the time and thought went. Some people mount them without that, and it looks wacky and is unsafe.
Which model bags are those? I looked on their website, but couldn't find them.
Fantastic post Trevor! Very detailed and will prove helpful to those attempting the work. I went a different route. I didn't add any bracing across the back but I did put one at the front of each mount. The brackets attach under the seat. There is a small panel that is held in place by one screw. I made a small notch to accommodate the bracket. I had read that some people were having issues with the plastic piece from the bag that grabs the bracket breaking. I added a thin piece of aluminum inside the bag and used wing nuts to attach it to the mount. I have been using (and overloading) coming up on 3 years with no issues. Did over 6k miles last October with the Road Warrior Foundation and these bags were a welcome storage space.
I really wish that I could find a set of these bags for my F3 S.
Matazu's current website doesn't show this set of bags. Did they stop making them? Anybody have a part number or model name?
Any help locating some of these bags would be greatly appreciated.
I really wish that I could find a set of these bags for my F3 S.
Matazu's current website doesn't show this set of bags. Did they stop making them? Anybody have a part number or model name?
Any help locating some of these bags would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much, JimSTer
Replied to your PM JimSter. Mutazu still sells them via ebay, probably could buy from their webiste if you message them. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Mutaz...IAAOSwoydWq8jj I bought mine direct from the Manufacturer in China. The bags with LEDs cost me $100 and then $125 for DHL shipping. I ordered them as samples through Alibaba. You could probably try a search on Aliexpress.com
Fitting The Top Stabiliser Bracket
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Originally Posted by Raprider
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