Hard saddlebags???

[Herman]

Has anyone tried any of these saddlebags on a 3rd generation Magna?  Specifically the GA or LN models.  http://www.mutazu.com/products.php?cat_id=7&menu=Hard%20Saddlebags&s=prod.php

[dan twomey]

A friend of mine recently installed the MU style bags on his 97 royal star.  I'm not a big fan of that particular style (the taillights are hideous), but I would assume the functionality and build quality of the bags are the same.

I can tell you the bags are sturdy and the locking mechanism works well.  Besides the taillights, the bags look good.  The two things I don't particularly like about the bags:

1.)  Looking from the back you can easily see the mounting hardware and the black metal they give you looks a little cheap.  If you have a bit of fabricating flare or are willing to spend a few hours with some bondo, sand paper and paint, I'm sure you can make them look great.

2.)  The MU bags came with LED taillights/brakelights that are impossible to see during the day and are dim at best at night.  He ended up taking the LED's out and replacing them with standard 1157 bulbs.

[Sledge Hammer]

They probably just shipped garden-variety circuit-board indicator LEDs. You can get high-brightness LEDs from www.digikey.com that will retrofit. They may not be as bright as the ones made by Luxeon and used in the lighting industry, but they are still blindingly bright and will not add to your electrical loading like the 1157 incandescents will.