It is another one of the many decisions you need to make when purchasing a saddlebag, do you want a bolt on or a throw over saddlebag.  A lot of it is personal preference.  Both will have great features and solid construction if you purchase from a quality company and not just shop for price.

Bolt On

Most companies that sell saddlebags also carry the brackets to attach them to your bike.  Bolt on does not mean that your saddlebags are permanently attached to your bike.

Permanent attachment is what you don’t what, and rarely does anybody do that anymore.  You want the option to remove your bag with your stuff still inside and not have to transfer your stuff to another bag or carry it in your hands until you get to where you are going.  Permanent attachment of bags also makes it harder to keep that area of your bike clean, always having to work around the bags.

Bolt on means that your bags are attached to brackets that hold them securely to your bike but the brackets have a quick release feature on them so you can easily remove your bag when you want.  The brackets will remain on your bike.  If at any time you wanted to change style of saddlebags you can remove the current brackets easily if they do not fit your new bags.

Throw Over

Throw over bags are also attached to your bike at a certain point.  You will have leather straps over your bike where your bags are located, that are attached to your bike.  When you want to remove your bags you just unzip them from the holding straps.  The bags themselves will still be closed, keeping all your belongings contained; they are just removed from the main holding straps.

The difference really is your personal preference of what you want to put on your bike.

FAQ

What about water damage to my stuff if I ride in the rain? No problem, if you purchase from a reputable dealer.  If you do, you won’t have to worry about any of that.  Your bag will be constructed with anti-rot, nylon thread, rust proof rivets, secure straps with heavy duty buckles that hold the lid tightly in place and from heavy duty leather that naturally is weather proof, but might even have additional protection from the elements added to it.

I liked like to get a throw over saddlebag, but the bag is just held on by a zipper? Yes, and what a zipper it is.  It is heavy duty, industrial strength, built with the capabilities of holding your bag securely in place.

How long can a saddlebag last and look good? A lot of that is going to be up to you.  What type of care are you going to give it, it terms of leather conditioning and cleaning?  Is it always going to be exposed to the elements, whether you are riding or not?   If you clean and condition your bags they should last almost as long as your bike and look good the whole time.

The other thing to consider is sagging bag. This won’t effect how long the leather will hold up in your bag, but it does effect how well your bag retains it’s shape over time.  It is best to consider buying a leather lid insert soon after you get your saddlebags. This leather lid insert helps keep your bag looking good it’s whole life by forcing it to retain it’s original shape through additional re-enforcements.