86 shadow build, quick question.

[wastedyouth2542]

I bought a shadow the other day for $500. Decided it looked to old-manish (plus the seats were ripped, etc) So i started cutting stuff.. Here is where i'm at now.
Fender isn't mounted on the back yet, but i like how it's positioned. I have to re wire some of the bike, mount headlamp, and make a seat for it. Then tidy up the part of the frame where i cut the rails off and remove some not used brackets. The shocks are off of a sportster (shorter) and I have different bars for it on order. Question is, saddle bags. I'm taking a 5 day trip down south somewhere in april. I'm cheap and handy, so i'd like to use the military medic canvass bags, they are 12.5"x11"x3" and are about $16 each on ebay. I'd like to be able to remove them with little to no tools in a minute or two. (seat will also be able to be removed with no tools) I've never had a bike with saddle bags, or have I even looked at a bike with bags. I'll have a strap that goes under the seat, but how would i mount the bottoms of the bags? Is it as simple as some velcro loops to the frame/shock? Can I mount to the shock? I need some help. I can build bikes (even thought this is a cheap fast and easy build) but not sure how to safely mount soft bags... Any help appreciated! It's -13* here today, so i have some time to get this fingered out haha Thanks for the help!

[Hotel]

Soft bags normally tie togeather and just hang over the fender. If you dont have much of a fender its time to be creative. Ive seen guys mount their bags low on the frame, once you get it positioned where you want i wouldnt trust velcro. Someone may of had luck with it but it doesnt sound like a good idea to me. What you might could do is find something like hoodpins except a little smaller. That way you can punch holes in the bag, slide hood pins through holes and throw the clip through it all. Easy on easy off.

[21guns]

If your bars are big enough maybe sit em on the light and tie em to your bars?

[EVILBLACKSABRE]

I assume that what your saying is hanging the bags over the frame and under the seat (which seems like a good idea to me).

To secure the bags, I'd probably sew some leather straps with steel buckles, or some nylon web strap with plastic quick-release buckles to the back/bottoms of the bags, and connect them to whatever part of the bike is available in that area. Providing of course that the part doesn't get hot.

Whatever you come up with, post pics when you're done.

And the bikes looking good.

[Hotel]

I second evil. Quick release or buckles are a great idea.

[wastedyouth2542]

Thanks for the help guys. I just got my wiring harness thinned out and almost done, just have to wire in key switch, start switch, and fuse box. I ordered my bags today, yes i plan to run them over the frame under the seat, the bottom i'll figure out when i get here i guess. As far as mounting to the bars, that's where my tool box and bed roll will be. Thanks for the compliment! I REALLY can't wait for my bars to get here...

[Mocnyang]

You could use a few aircraft style camlocks.

Their used to lockdown access panels and the aircraft I work on can reach 170 knots so the should hold a bag down nicely. You'd have to fab up a plate with the slot to twist it into

http://m.skygeek.com/camloc-2700-5s-camloc.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_content=camloc-2700-5s-camloc&utm_campaign=froogle&gclid=Cj0KEQiA1NWnBRDchObfnYrbo78BEiQA-2jqBbmpJfYeTgNnHM9jjXfZJLLzrBaq8zhmvq6wexlovH4aAoq-8P8HAQ

[wastedyouth2542]

Those look pretty cool... thanks for the idea man I may have to buy some.

Here's the front end with out the huge fuse box.
I took no pics of anything else because the wiring needs to come back off to be wrapped up and the fan switch wire needs extended. I forgot to tie the kill switch wire to the ign wire so the initial start was pretty uneventfull, 2 min later after she was soldered up it fired right up and gave me 14.36V at idle. Then I cut my exhaust down and welded the tiny rear section that used to be clamped on to the head pipe (this is/was a jardine exhaust) I then installed lollipop baffles i made from a washer and nut/bolt. The exhaust needs wrapped, the wrap is soaking in a bucket but i forgot to get hose clamps.

Don't laugh, she's ugly right now

[wastedyouth2542]

new bars came, hate the stock reservoirs.


saddle bags came too! they're just sitting on there.


going out in a little to finish and tape up the wiring, mount the key and start switch, and probably pull off the carbs to wait for my jet kit and inspect the diaphragms.

[wastedyouth2542]

having a hell of a time making a seat pan... figured i'd draw something up, it would work out, i'd like it, then i'd cover it in camping mats and vinyl or leather. however... everything I come up with looks like shit. I threw the stock seat away because it was ripped and shitty, kicking my own ass for that. any tips or anything? it's a frame mounted seat. Not sure i have this idea of a sprung seat in my head and that's why nothing looks right, but at this point i'm about to roll up and bungee cord a towel to the frame so i can ride the damn thing until i figure it out.
I did mount the headlamp and snap a pic though, i need to extend the controls about 6" forward from where they are.

[21guns]

With mine i was gonna weld in a small cafe loop to the frame just the actual loop at the end and make a seat pan for that so it would all be a nice smolth curve and follow the lines of the bike.

[wastedyouth2542]

Well, i'm up to $720. Just needs a seat and the rear fender mounted to be a runner, then torn all apart to grind some brackets off and to paint it so it doesn't look like ass.
Totally completed wire harness

If anyone wants, i can probably draw up a schematic, i just looked at the stock wiring diagram and went off of that. I just happend to be a whiz at wiring, buddy paid me to drive 6 hours to completely rewire and entire car, relocate fuse boxes, hide all the wires, and install a megasquirt EFI system.
Here is where my key and start switch ended up, i can dig it!:

Here you can see my AWESOME seat... cardboard with a rotary engine t shirt my dog ate sitting on it

I also have to re route some cables and make something to operate the choke, forgot about that one!
here's a vid

[wastedyouth2542]

just realized i didn't put a before pic!

[wastedyouth2542]

I got my title, registration, and insurance yesterday. I got a ride with a lady that works with me, who ended up having to leave work early yesterday so I did too. I threw my plate on, aired up my tires, checked diff fluid (then filled diff fluid), and soldered my brake light wires on. Legal enough to ride .
Maiden voyage:
We still have about 2" of snow on the ground, it got up to 48* yesterday. It wasn't bad at all until I hit water spots with my fender-less bike.. Anyone have a front fender for sale for a 86-87 shadow vt700? My front is already half mounted on the rear, but not fully. My truck breaking down on me forced my to have to use this bike earlier than expected. The fender can be slightly dinged up or something.
After my 50 mile ride:

Notice the tape on the headlamp? Yeah, some dumbass forgot to tighten the bolts holding it on.. About 15 miles into the ride a bolt fell out and it was just kinda hanging there. I stopped at a guys house i knew but he literally had no tools at all so this had to work.

Still need to:
clean and jet carb (jets came yesterday)
Mount rear fender
Make something for the choke to work
reroute cables (anyone have a source for SS braided clutch/brake line?)
make a seat
buy and mount front fender
Tear bike all apart and paint it

You guys must not like my build haha!

[Westboundbiker]

Eh, at least what I've seen, a lack of comments is more just neutrality. Not being blown away by it to compliment, and not scared for your life enough to warn you. I think you should try to make your own seat. A number of guys on here have done it. Nothin' to it but to do it.