Maintenance Guide: How to Clean Your Leather Saddlebags

The elements can take a toll on your leather saddlebags and taking proper care of them is imperative. If you don’t, harsh weather can destroy your saddlebags over time. On the other hand, regular maintenance will extend the life of your saddlebags saving you money and frustration. In this post, we will go over the simple and easy steps toward keeping your saddlebags clean and properly maintained.

Before we begin, a quick note; cleaning your saddlebags is important in and of itself but equally important is always using a motorcycle cover while your bike is parked. You should have no problem storing one in one of your saddlebags or a sissy bar bag while you are riding. A motorcycle cover will keep the sun from damaging the leather of your saddlebags and also keep them and your bike dry in the rain

The benefits of using a motorcycle cover are plenty, but in order to stay on track, let’s get into the steps to cleaning your saddlebags:

1. Two microfiber towels
2. Lukewarm water
3. Leather shampoo
4. Leather conditioner

Dampen your first towel with a little room temperature water. Then, pour a quarter-sized amount of leather cleaner shampoo on the soft cloth.

You’re ready to start the actual cleaning. Begin to rub the shampoo into the saddlebags while paying extra attention to areas with excessive dirt or stains. For a deeper clean, you may use a soft bristle brush. We give this advice tentatively because you don’t want use a brush with bristles hard enough to scratch the leather. Make sure your brush is soft. Use your best judgment and you should be alright.

Whether rinsing afterwards is required depends on the shampoo. Most leather cleaners require none but in this regard you should follow the instructions on the leather cleaner you’re using.

Apply a quarter-size amount of conditioner on to your second microfiber towel and apply it to your saddlebags with a smooth rubbing motion. As you work the conditioner into the leather it will start to look softer and more supple. After allowing the conditioner to penetrate the leather hide for a few minutes(conditioners always need time to set) you can apply another layer of conditioner if the leather still feels dry. Finally, buff off any excess with a dry section of your microfiber towel to return the leather to its original matte black color.

You should see a noticeable difference in the appearance of your saddlebags. If you follow these steps, there is no reason why you can’t take a dirty, neglected pair of saddlebags and make them look almost new again!