Securing some luggage... What am I looking for here?

[Jinkeez]

Okay, I definitely have other stuff to work on before I get around to worrying about what I'm going to be hauling around on my 650, but I caught myself daydreaming about commuting to work today, and that made me wonder how I'm going to secure anything to my GS.

I've got an '81 GS650G, with the mostly-flat stock seat and the pillion rider handle ( see part #2 here), and it occurs to me that it might be difficult to mount anything substantial--I'm kind of eyeballing some of the Rapid Transit gear, something like the Platoon, Division, or Battallion bags.

So my question is, what kind of hardware do I need to securely mount most stuff for transport..? Should I look into getting some kind of sissy bar or luggage rack or something, or can I work with what I've got? This is my first bike, so I'm kind of a dork/noob/bonehead about this stuff

[jimcor]

[Jinkeez]

LOL! Concerns allayed..! Thanks Jim

[bonanzadave]

I threw a couple duffel bags over the back seat and lost them on the freeway. They were run over 10 times before I wrote them off. After that I bought some Eclipse Bags. Easy on, easy off, weather proof and work great ! Im on my second set.

[cberkeley]

How about a pair of saddlebags?
Easy to put on and take of if necessary. I got my Saddlebags, Leather Jacket and a Full-face helmet for my daughter from these folk http://motodirectusa.com/ and I am very happy with their prices, response time and quality of their goods.
Hope this helps.

[Guest]

Scour Ebay until you find a K&G luggage rack for that size of bike, and fabricate a bracket. Some of the K&G racks come with a sissy bar, either fixed or adjustable. The rack will carry a lot. Good soft saddle bags can also work well. I took a 7500 miles trip on a GS650G that way. Not a hint of a problem.