What should I know about soft saddlebags?

I'm not sure what you mean by a tail bag? Don't think I've ever run across anything called that. Would that be the kind that straps to the rear fender? Across the rear of the seat? Something else? Basically I just need an insulated bag for lunch, plus room for a 32oz thermos, and if the bag easily detaches so I can carry it in to my office, that might work really well. Hmmm...

My set up, rear bags are 25+ yrs old, do touch shocks but never an issue. No framework behind them.
Fork bag was purchased in Sturgis on the 75th Anniv. So inexpensive had to buy it, easily carry lunch, detaches with 4 clip/socket type connections from mounting straps attached to fork with a D ring type(helmet) to the tubes.
Purchased new rear bags at same time ,haven't mounted them as it looks like they will require framework
I can carry enough for a week end, lunch would only require a fork bag, or as someone mentioned a tailbag
Check out a swap meet, usually several leather vendors, the strides in mounting and construction over the last decade or so is amazing shouldn't have any trouble finding what suits your need
EZ

I don't know why swap meets never occurred to me. I've been to some for my other hobbies, never even thought about there being swaps for motorcycles. *duh* I've just been looking on ebay for cheap stuff for now, will get me by until I figure out exactly what I want, and then maybe I'll invest in the leather. Gotta love quality gear!

So I found the tail bags... not sure my rear fender has enough room for that but it seems like it would fit across the seat just fine. Maybe grab a fork bag as well to stash my jacket in. The weather in Colorado is crazy, there's no heat retention in the soil so it's not unusual for it to be in the 50's when I go to work and upper 90's by the time I come home. It just means I absolutely have to plan on a way to keep a jacket or coat with me.

Thanks for all the info, guys, it's giving me some ideas to work with. Looks like rain for the next week but maybe I can get something ordered and have it by the time the weather clears up again. I really wanted to ride in to work today but just don't have anything around the house that I can easily strap to the bike (hmm I should have thought of bungee cords).

I got these at Walmart a year or 2 ago, work good. About 40$.

I was actually just there this morning. Didn't see anything like that, but I did finally find a small waterproof bag to keep my tools and registration in.

I'm wondering about using a pair of those round fork bags as small saddlebags. I have one on order anyway so I'll see if it can also fit beside the seat. Probably a bit TOO small, but considering they're only $10 it might work. I just have to figure out a different way to mount them since these have vertical slits to tie a strap around the forks, but nothing to hang them from.

Well I'm making progress. The seat bag came in this weekend, and it's actually pretty spacious. It would definitely hold my lunch plus an ice pack, but not quite enough room to also hold a thermos. I might be able to figure out another way to strap the bottle to the bike though. Still waiting on the fork bag to see if it will hold my rain coat. I think that ones going to be a bit smaller, but hopefully still large enough.

Have you considered using a bungee net to hold stuff on your seat?

www.denniskirk.com/emgo/bungee-net.p4052...ku?ad=81020270663298

I did, and it would work for the extras like the thermos, but usually I need to keep the food cold. Thanks for the idea though.

Still no updates on tracking the fork bag. I contacted the seller and they can't seem to find out if the package ever left the country. In the meantime I found a real leather bag that is slightly larger, and made here in the US. Got it ordered and that should be here by next Wednesday. I also had a bag I made years ago from the old bike, but it fits over a sissy bar. I think I might try to mock up the frame of a new seat for this bike to strap that bag to, which is easily large enough to carry both the thermos and my jacket. Eventually I'll have enough bags on this bike to carry what I need.

I have a universal luggage rack with large trunk mounted to it & I also use a Cortech 2.0 tail bag. I got both of them pretty cheap on eebbaayy, used but good condition. The trunk is pretty big & the tail bag holds a lot of stuff. It can be expanded to hold more stuff, but I've never used that feature; just unzip the side zippers & expand both sides. There are matching saddlebags, but I never got saddlebags as the turn signals are in the way.