Corbin Beattle Bags

[michael]

Corbin Saddlebags on a '98 VFR

Being a packrat and willing to ride rain or shine, the Corbin fiberglass saddlebags seemed like a great idea. Now that I have them on, they are great. They don't vibrate or bounce going down the roads. They can hold a lot more than you think they can. Even with the right one over the exhaust, things inside don't get too hot. And they are water proof enough to hold a half gallon of margarita mix on a 30 mile ride. ( I thought the cap was screwed on tight.) They do a good job of keeping water out too, both rain and direct spray from the hose.

When you order them, don't plan a trip right after what they say is the delivery date. Corbin told me around 6-7 weeks for delivery. Then 7-8. Then 8-9. Then 9-10. Then I left on a week road trip. 11 1/2 weeks later, the bags arrive, two days before I move to another state. Installation would have been easier if the instructions weren't a poor black and white copy of a color brochure with 1/4" of text cut off of the left side. Getting the mounting brackets lined up is a bit of trial and error. Despite what it says, you do need to go out and buy two bolts. The bolts in question are the ones that hold on the license plate light. Not a big deal, but a bit of a hassle in the middle of the project with your transportation in few more pieces than when you bought it.

[Mac]

Corbin....having trouble finding something good to say. So I just spew forth a litany of fustration:
Gunfighter & Lady seat, not to the specs I ordered, even after a correction to the order before production. They confirmed my order, with the wrong trim on the sides. I called, they corrected the mistake, reconfirmed the order, and shipped it wrong, just like they said they would in the first place. I may just learn to live with the overpriced seat.
Beetle Bags, paint doesn't match the bike, in their advertising they admit that this is beyond them (should have been a clue). The lining is wadded up and smeared with glue. My seven year old pays more attention to detail, with her play-doe. The bags are not mirror images by a long shot, the bottom of one rides nearly a full inch forward of its mate, and the other one came with a crack.
At present, I am involved with the run around you get from a company that doesn't have a customer relations department, or from what I can gather, full time employees. I think soon I will have talked to everyone.
This ain't over yet.........
Mac

A month and a half later..... I have a new set of bags. The lining is better, not $1700 good, but better. The fit to the bike is more even. The paint is as before. One lid would not latch, easily adjusted. I have called off the dogs from the credit card company, and will live with my mistake.
I DO NOT endorse Corbin, or their products. If you have a choice, my advise is to choose better than I did.
Mac

[flameface]

BMW bags fit. Quality is top notch. Mounting was a snap. Price about the same as Corbin.

[bcolins]

Originally Posted by flameface

BMW bags fit. Quality is top notch. Mounting was a snap. Price about the same as Corbin.

Did you mount BMW cases on your VFR?

[flameface]

yep,

K1200S bags. Check my bike photos. have advised two other members regarding fitment. It's not difficult, and the bags are fabulous quality, AND they're available and in stock.

Andrew

[bcolins]

Originally Posted by flameface

yep,

K1200S bags. Check my bike photos. have advised two other members regarding fitment. It's not difficult, and the bags are fabulous quality, AND they're available and in stock.

Andrew

Where can I see your pictures??

Brian

[bcolins]

so, you are talking about using new style bags like the current K1200S uses.....where can I see your pictures??

Brian

[bcolins]

Sorry, haven't had my coffee yet. I see your picture gallery link.

[bcolins]

Originally Posted by flameface

yep,

K1200S bags. Check my bike photos. have advised two other members regarding fitment. It's not difficult, and the bags are fabulous quality, AND they're available and in stock.

Andrew

Any chance of some pictures of the bike to bag mounting technique??

[flameface]

I adapted to standard GIVI rackmounts. Only modification is an adapter block that I fabricated from aluminum. I have a drawing of the adapter block I will give you. You could make it in a vice with a hacksaw and drill (functional) or you can knock one out on a milling machine (functional and pretty).

Send me an email and I'll scan the drawing for you.

abolduc@kingsburycorp.com

[dale-j]

Originally Posted by flameface

yep,

K1200S bags. Check my bike photos. have advised two other members regarding fitment. It's not difficult, and the bags are fabulous quality, AND they're available and in stock.

Andrew

Andrew, those look great. Do they lock on the bike and have the ability to secure gear etc inside like the givi's?

[flameface]

they lock on the bike. They also lock closed if you want to lock them. One key. All stainless hardware. They "accordion" out to be much larger than shown on the pictures in Photo Gallery. I can snap a few pictures expanded if you want. They also are designed to accordion anywhere in between "fully expanded" and "fully compacted". Come with liners but I never use them and I ride in the rain all the time.

[Mac]

I have been run around, stalled for more than a week. I finally wore out the sales staff, and was given a way to voice mail the owner, Tom Corbin. Note that I have not spoken to him, since "Mr. Corbin does not take calls." Or, from my experence, give a flip about his customers.
Voice mail to Tom Corbin will continue. Visa hopefully will become involved on my behalf. Carefully composed letters to the editors of the major motorcycle magazines will be issued. Also, informal meet and greets with everyone associated with two wheels that might listen, and care to evaluate with their own eyes, the junk his company passes as product.
A day at the Gap, talking my self horse may be in order.
Hind sight is 20/20.
I hope what is happening with me doesn't happen to any one on this forum.
Mac

See edit to original.
Mac

[dale-j]

Originally Posted by flameface

they lock on the bike. They also lock closed if you want to lock them. One key. All stainless hardware. They "accordion" out to be much larger than shown on the pictures in Photo Gallery. I can snap a few pictures expanded if you want. They also are designed to accordion anywhere in between "fully expanded" and "fully compacted". Come with liners but I never use them and I ride in the rain all the time.

Sounds like they really deliver, unlike my personal experience with Corbin's products.....they look good, too.

When they accordion out, will they hold a full face helmet?

[flameface]

They hold my medium Arai just right. The "accordion" feature is nice 'cause you can ratchet the clamshell shut just snug enough to keep stuff from shifting around (like a helmet). I usually put the helmet in a helmet bag to protect the shield and the paint.

[chesthing]

Originally Posted by flameface

BMW bags fit. Quality is top notch. Mounting was a snap. Price about the same as Corbin.

When you say the price is the same as Corbin, are you saying you paid $1699+ the price of the Givi racks or the old price of $1299 + the racks? either way that's a lot of money to pay for non color matching bags. I will say they match the lines of the 5th gen way better than anything I've seen yet except for the Corbins, but those sure are small (and worth way less than the price).
I've given up, I have a Givi topcase on the way.

[flameface]

Bags were $600 and change. givi bracket was eBay $60.

[chesthing]

Now that's reasonable. Could you provide a link to where you bought these?

[flameface]

I mail ordered the bags from Frank Hammersby BMW somewhere down near Virginia. Nice folks, nice deal, highly recommend them. I told Frank I was grafting them onto a VFR and he was all about it.

The GIVI brackets I bought off eBay.

[flameface]

Did I say Hammersby? It is HAMMERSLY BMW

[SLOVFR]

Jeezzz I forgot what I was reading about- wasnt this a post for beatle bags?