If you know the style of saddlebag you want and are shopping for the best price, there are a few things to look out for.  If you are buying in person from a dealer you can see these things for yourself. If shopping over the Internet, you need to be aware of some wording to get the best bag possible for the price you want to pay.

Because your saddlebag is making a statement, along with your bike, you don’t want a cheap knockoff.  The best bags are made with double thick leather and shouldn’t need a liner or reinforcements like steel.  If you see an ad for a super thick leather bag that also has a liner and steel reinforcements you need to ask why.  It might be that the on-line seller’s interpretation of super thick is a little lame.

There isn’t anything wrong with liners, but they have their place and that place isn’t to keep the bag you spent a couple of hundred dollars on, in its proper shape.  Even double thick leather bags are going to succumb to sagging.  You can easily prevent a sagging bag by using a product called leather lid insert that provides the support a bag needs to retain it’s shape.

Another term is split leather.  Split leather and leather are two very different things.  Split leather is made from the flesh side of a hide and is much more delicate.  Suede is made from split leather.  Split leather can look good over a hard side, but you want to know what you are buying.

A bag can last as long as the bike, given the proper care.  To have it withstand the elements look for descriptions like rot proof stitching, nickel-plated, rust proof, brass rivets, heavy-duty buckles and leather straps.

Of course not every web site is out to deceive you.  Most are like this one, reputable, honest and will give you your money’s worth from the products that they sell. But it is important to know few terms when buying saddlebags online so you will get what you expect.