Question for all the people unhappy with factory F3 saddle bags.

[griffontamer]

Hi all!

I have heard so many complaints about BRP bags that I am glad I did not bite the bullet and buy them with the bike.

BUT... is it only the bags themselves that are the problem? Are you guys happy with the mounting hardware, and how well the quick disconnect feature works? Has anyone had issues with those parts?

Does anyone have a picture of the factory mounting hardware before installation?

I am considering trying to get a hold of the brackets and hardware and making custom bags for it or modifying another brand of bags to fit it. If I can get the hardware by itself and for a reasonable price, that is (if you guys have ideas on where to get it, even better!

I think the Corbin bags are quite attractive but first, they are way out of my budget (would have financed factory bags with the bike, hardly raising my monthly payment, but decided not to). And second, I am not 100% happy with the design (I wish the back wasn't notched as far) or the fact that they don't have a quick disconnect like the factory bags do so I thought I'd try something different.

Thanks in advance!

[ARtraveler]

I had the BRP Givi bags on both my 2008 and 2009 GS/RS versions.

I had the dealer install them. I believe there had to be some adjustments to the turn signal light positions.

The bags came on/off, but in my opinion were not easy on/easy off. A cuss word or two would happen when I removed them for washing the

Also agree with your comments on Corbin. Nice, but to many $$$.

[speedbuggy]

I have the GIVI BRP bags on my 2008 SM5. I installed them myself with some very minor problems. I f I can install them, anyone can. The info supplied with the bags is good to an extent, but the rest of the best info I got is right here on Spyderlovers.
There are a lot of very experienced and knowledgeable people here and they supply pictures with their work.
That's what I used to install mine.

I bought mine on E-Bay and paid a lot less than the dealers cost.
I owe a lot to this website. It's the best

[Tazzel]

There are a lot of options out there about bags for the F3 turns out that its not that hard at all to mount just about anything you want to using the grab bar mounts. I am going to use this combination using viking bags and a universal mount with easy disconnect designed for the F3. This may be one reason Can Am is building the bags into the F3 to have the buyers pay for the option up front and not having the money going to other vendors


http://www.greatbikegear.com/index.p...er-f3-f3s.html



http://www.vikingbags.com/viking-sid...QueryId=284703

[CanAmChris]

Hi all!

I have heard so many complaints about BRP bags that I am glad I did not bite the bullet and buy them with the bike.

BUT... is it only the bags themselves that are the problem? Are you guys happy with the mounting hardware, and how well the quick disconnect feature works? Has anyone had issues with those parts?

For me it is only the bags. Having an opening on the top of the bag almost ensures some water will get in. Not to mention the rubber seals themselves are poorly installed. The locks are a pain but I have read that some graphite will help. I think the worst is that if they would have just made them a little bit bigger, I could fit my helmet in one. Oh well. They do look pretty once you get rid of the chrome.

Does anyone have a picture of the factory mounting hardware before installation?

I am considering trying to get a hold of the brackets and hardware and making custom bags for it or modifying another brand of bags to fit it. If I can get the hardware by itself and for a reasonable price, that is (if you guys have ideas on where to get it, even better!

There is not much to it. It looks like a piece of stamped 1/8" (if that) steel that is powder coated black. Someone might have a pic of the kit here but I could take a shot of the bracket on the bike and you would get the idea. Let me know if you want me to.

I think the Corbin bags are quite attractive but first, they are way out of my budget (would have financed factory bags with the bike, hardly raising my monthly payment, but decided not to). And second, I am not 100% happy with the design (I wish the back wasn't notched as far) or the fact that they don't have a quick disconnect like the factory bags do so I thought I'd try something different.

Thanks in advance!

The Corbin's are nice, but to my eye, they are to big. Again, in my eyes, the BRP bags compliment the bulk of the new front end by adding some balance to the thinner back of the bike. The Corbin's overpower the back and are distracting. To be honest, when I added them to the purchase, the quick disconnect was a huge selling point for me. Now that they are on I doubt I will ever take them off.

I have a neighbor who has seen my Spyder when they were not on tell me that he likes the look even more now. He said they fill out the back of the bike and keep the look while adding more substance when viewing it from a backside angle.

[Motorcycledave]

Can't speak about the F3 BRP bags but
I have the GIVI bags on my 2008 GS
I got them used in new condition right
here on this forum, I got everything mounting
hwd. and all for $500.00
The turn sig. light brackets that are with the
GIVI bags are
much better than the ones BRP had Givi make
for the ones with the BRP logo on them, much easier
to install
Dave

[griffontamer]

CanAmChris-I'd love to see a pic of the brackets on the bike. BRP advertises them as not noticeable when bags are removed. Would you agree?
Thanks!
Julia

[vondalyn]

CanAmChris-I'd love to see a pic of the brackets on the bike. BRP advertises them as not noticeable when bags are removed. Would you agree?
Thanks!
Julia

they are pretty invisible when they're off. The only things you see are the spacers on the handgrips -- which you wouldn't pay any attention to if you didn't know they were for saddlebags, and there is a bracket below the seat where the bags lock onto.

[CanAmChris]

CanAmChris-I'd love to see a pic of the brackets on the bike. BRP advertises them as not noticeable when bags are removed. Would you agree?
Thanks!
Julia

Julia, I totally agree.

Bags On:





Bags Off:




Connector you don't notice:




The bags themselves are not perfect, but you can put them on and remove them in less than a minute. I like mine and will modify them more to suit my needs. The large metal panel I talked about in my first post is connected to the bag, not the bike.

Hope this helps.

[Ben Burped]

The mounts are as sanitary and benign as anyone could ask for. The bags look good god, too. Thank you for sharing.

[Tazzel]

That is the first closeup of the BRP F3 removable saddlebags. The material looks better then i thought it would. My worry about these bags is that they are very expensive and they do not seem to lock on the Spyder which opens them up to theft. Do they lock on the Spyder?

[pauly1]

Yes, they are locked on via the cam mechanism that is accessible from the inside of the bag.

Wayne

[TommyBwell]

Your bags look great Chris!! If I go with the BRP bags I will definitely follow suit.

[TommyBwell]

http://www.greatbikegear.com/index.p...er-f3-f3s.html

I have never seen that bracket Taz. My last couple of bikes were adventure tourers and I like the panniers on them. I was thinking of going with something like this police Spyder.

[Retired 2012]

I agree, the black pannier boxes on the police edition looks great, I like the top box, too
Any idea on how to get them and mount them???

[MMMII]

Could the BRP bags be a little bigger? Sure.

Could the BRP bags be a little cheaper? Sure.

Do I like them despite the above? Absolutely.

[TommyBwell]

I agree, the black pannier boxes on the police edition looks great, I like the top box, too
Any idea on how to get them and mount them???

For a top box you could with the rack from MBL. There is a thread about it but here is a link.

http://www.mblinnovations.com/store/...e-Rack-17-.htm

For the bags I was thinking about the universal bracket Tazzel posted and then maybe fabricate something coming off the passenger pegs if needed.

[CanAmChris]

That is the first closeup of the BRP F3 removable saddlebags. The material looks better then i thought it would. My worry about these bags is that they are very expensive and they do not seem to lock on the Spyder which opens them up to theft. Do they lock on the Spyder?

Yes, they are locked on via the cam mechanism that is accessible from the inside of the bag.

Wayne

Here is a picture of the internal locking cam dial:

[CanAmChris]

Could the BRP bags be a little bigger? Sure.

Could the BRP bags be a little cheaper? Sure.

Do I like them despite the above? Absolutely.

I couldn't agree more. I don't think I will ever take them off.

[griffontamer]

Thanks for the pics, Chris. They actually look really good up close! I noticed you got rid of the chrome (awesome!) but did you also have them reupholstered or is that the factory finish?

[CanAmChris]

Thanks for the pics, Chris. They actually look really good up close! I noticed you got rid of the chrome (awesome!) but did you also have them reupholstered or is that the factory finish?

It is factory. The chrome part is the hinge. I disassembled the bags to get the hinge separate and shot it with white plasti-dip, then put it back together. Here is a link to the DIY: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?85698-F3-saddle-bag-hinge-remove-for-paint

[TommyBwell]

It is factory. The chrome part is the hinge. I disassembled the bags to get the hinge separate and shot it with white plasti-dip, then put it back together. Here is a link to the DIY: http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?85698-F3-saddle-bag-hinge-remove-for-paint

Thanks for the directions. How long did it take you and how do you rate your mechanical ability? This could sway me but I would most likely just screw them up.

[CanAmChris]

Thanks for the directions. How long did it take you and how do you rate your mechanical ability? This could sway me but I would most likely just screw them up.

Four or five hours total. The biggest time span was waiting for the coats of plasti-dip to dry before applying the next one. I put on four or five. The second bag was easier since I learned from the first one. I would say 10 minutes disassembly and 10 minutes re-assembly per bag. It would have been much faster but I went slow to make sure things lined up as perfectly as they could.

To play it safe, I let the hinges sit overnight for the plasti-dip to cure before re-assembly The great thing about plasti-dip is if you screw it up, you just pile it on thick, let it dry, peel it off and start all over. It won't hurt paint or chrome. One $7 can will do the hinges with no problem. I only painted the outside chromed section and didn't care if some overspray got on the rest. You can't see it anyway when the bag is back together.

I have a pretty good working knowledge of mechanical things (I can describe in detail how a four stroke engine works, from the valve covers down to the oil pan), but when it comes time to put it into practice, not so great. If I use hand tools there will be blood involved at some point. I am the only guy I know who can manage to cut a knuckle taking out two hex head bolts.

Hope this helps!

Edit: I also put all the bolts and screws back where I took them from, even if they were the same size, and I masked off the majority of the reflector. To remove the overspray on the reflector I used one of those wooden cuticle push back things you get at the drug store.

[Gordon]

I agree, the black pannier boxes on the police edition looks great, I like the top box, too
Any idea on how to get them and mount them???

Response from BRP:

In response to your request, the saddlebags from the 2016 F3-P will fit on a 2015 F3 as long as you use the required supports/brackets from the F3-P. We would suggest speaking with your local BRP dealer to order.

[stebrock]

What is the 2016 F3-P?