Saddlebag supports & Floorboards for 81XS1100SH

[81XS11LadyRider]

Saddlebag supports:
I would like to add saddlebags to my 1981 XS11 Special. I have been looking for new or even used saddlebag supports. The previsous owner added a rear luggage rack and sissybar with passenger backrest/small storage pocket, but I would like more storage options. Does anyone know where I can find saddlebag supports/brackets that will fit my bike? I have looked thru Dennis Kirk, JC whitney, JP Cycles, and bikebandit's websites and/or catalogs.

Driver's Floorboards:
I am also interested in taking the stock pegs (driver's pegs only) off of my bike and replacing them with floorboards.

Any tips for finding these parts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Cassandra

[chevy45412001]

floorboards

as you stated look in dennis k ,i think they have a very good selection of floor boards. but like most aftermarket parts not much is made theese days for a bike that is 25+ years old. So fabrication is ussaly the word of the day. If you don't know most of the people that ride anXS/XJ are pretty handy and resourceful group. And if all else fails get a bigger hamer...

[djrider]

I will be taking a set of floorboards off my 1980 XS1100. I could send you a pic if you want of them.

[xssiveone]

Hey Cassandra.. welcome to our world. Shoot, we're almost neighbours!!

Saddle bag supports might be hard to come by due to the age of our machines.
I've seen several "home-made" supports for leather bags, the nicest looking seem to be fabricated from stainless rod bent into the required shape.

[COOL TOM]

FLOORBOARDS

DJRIDER IF 81XS11LADYRIDER DOES NOT WANT THE FLOORBOARDS, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THEM TO PUT ON MY 82 XJ. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE REAR ONES ALSO.





82 XJ1100 AHAMAY DAILY RIDE

[Jerry]

Floorboards like those shown in the above photos are not easily found. Adding floorboards takes a bit of work. I adapted a set designed for HD bikes with male footpeg mounts, generally available on eBay for around $50.00.





Problem is clearance for the brake lever on the bike's right side. I made up a mount that has a slightly longer 'stem' for the right side so I didn't have to make any mods to the pedal.

I dropped the floorboards about an inch below the original footpeg height, which gives me a better leg angle (I'm 6' 1", 32 inch inseam) but it does reduce your cornering clearance a bit.

If interested I can supply more details.

[COOL TOM]

JERRY, YES SEND MORE DETAILS ON FLOORBOARD MOUNTS PLEASE.

[81XS11LadyRider]

I am definitely interested in DJRider's Floorboards!

I was hoping to find a set of floorboards that would fit my bike without any fabrication. I don't have the tools to fabricate brackets.

[81XS11LadyRider]

Originally posted by xssiveone
Hey Cassandra.. welcome to our world. Shoot, we're almost neighbours!!

Saddle bag supports might be hard to come by due to the age of our machines.
I've seen several "home-made" supports for leather bags, the nicest looking seem to be fabricated from stainless rod bent into the required shape.

Thanks for the welcome, xssiveone!

I did see a set of "home-made" saddlebag supports on eBay a couple of weeks ago. But, I didn't bid on them. Now that I am seeing how much of a needle in the haystack this search is becoming, I think I should have bid on them.

As far as the floorboards are concerned, I am a tall woman with long legs and long narrow feet (about 5' 10" with approx. 33" inseam), so I find the floorboards to be more comfortable.

I appreciate all of the responses. This site has been a big help to me! Thank you to everyone that has replied to my post.

Cassandra

[don07tncav]

xvfinishes is the e-bay member that makes the supports andd sells them there on e=bay. I saved this item but am not sure if the link works...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

[81XS11LadyRider]

don07tncav,

Thanks for the link. That's the ebayer that I was thinking of.


Jerry,

Now that I have found the floorboards, any information that you can supply regarding mounting them would be greatly appreciated.

Cassandra

[Jerry]

I'll put together a write-up on how I adapted the boards and post it a bit later.

Fitting the Markland boards from djrider should be a bolt-on operation, with the exception of removing the original footpegs. The OEM footpegs are held in place not with a bolt, but what amounts to a long rivit. To remove the peg you will need to grind a bit of the rivit from the bottom (underside) of the footpeg mount. On my XJ there appeared to be a small band around the rivit for extra strength; I used a Dremmel tool to cut this off (used a fiber cut-off wheel) and with a small punch was able to remove the rivit with no problems. If you want to replace the pegs later, just use a bolt the right length to replace the rivit.

Be advised there is a spring on the footpeg; this keeps the peg in the down position. Not much of a spring, but look for it when you remove the old peg and keep the parts together.

Another small issue you might address is the shift lever. In my case the boards dropped my foot a bit lower. I took the shift lever, which is on a splined shaft, and rotated it counter-clockwise 1 or 2 splines, which dropped the end of the lever closer to my foot. More convenient for shifting.

The only other issue may involve the bolts used to mount the floorboard brackets to the frame. Depending on your set-up, you may need to get longer bolts. Most hardware stores will have what you need, but consider going with stainless-steel bolts instead of the common zinc-coated ones to remove the probability of corrosion. I use a white lithium grease stick, available at most auto parts stores, to lub the threads before assembly.

One further note.....

Not all accessories interchange between XS models; there are some differences between frames, primarily related to the location of the rear footpeg mounts. Specials, Standards, and the XJ vary from each other in this area, even in the same model year. That is, an '81 Standard and an '81 Special will have different rear footpegs mounts. The XJ's rear footpegs are closer to the main footpegs than either the Standard or Special. If the floorboard brackets use the rear footpeg mount, switching between models may require some modification of the bracket.

Good luck!