5 Holiday Gift Ideas That Don't Suck!

With the holidays upon us, there is always a last minute scramble to find the right gifts for those you love. Motorcycle riders are no different, except we generally wait until the last minute to make our purchases. If you’re shopping for your loved one, and they happen to ride a motorcycle, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 holiday gift ideas that we know riders will love.

If your motorcycle-loving friend is in need of a gift, and we’re not talking gift cards here, a solo bag is perfect. Solo bags in general are much much cheaper than full set of saddlebags. In addition to that, they’re also much easier to install and require practically no mechanical inclination. This is especially true for city riders. City riders often don’t like having saddlebags because a pair of bags tend to make the bike much wider than needed, specially while riding between cars in the city. Having a bike that can be easily maneuvered is ideal here and a solo bag will not only add storage space BUT will keep the bike’s profile small while doing it. Most solo bags you’ll find on the internet will be between the $100 to $200 price range. However, we have recently launched a line of solo bags that is priced right under $100 making it a inexpensive holiday gift. If the rider you’re buying for rides a Harley, you’ll be glad to know that we have Harley-Davidson specific solo bags too. For example, we have V-Rod, Sportster, Dyna, and Softail specific solo bags that will mount right up to the bike with no modifications. The Sportster, Dyna, and Softail each have multiple options to choose from including some in a brown leather that is sure to make the bike stand out.

Just like the solo bags, but specifically for the bike’s swing arm are….swing arm bags! Generally the same size as the solo bags, this full line of swing arm bags is also priced right under $100. Furthermore, these swing arm bags are available in black and brown leather to match the rest of the bike. The Harley-Davidson bags are also at play here as well with Dyna, Sportster, and Softail specific swing arm bags available as well. A great stocking stuffer, these swing arm bags are bound to make one lucky rider a very happy one.

Sissy bar bags are generally a lot bigger than either solo bags or swing arm bags but that doesn’t mean that a much bigger price tag will come in them. In fact, you’ll be please to find 12 sissy bar bags that are priced the same or cheaper as the solo bags or swing arm bags. Since they can pack a lot more of a punch, for relatively the same price, giving a sissy bar bag will be much more meaningful to a rider that likes to go on longer runs. We can easily pack for a weekend trip on most of the sissy bar bags available and if you’re a good packer, you can squeeze a whole week’s worth of items on some of the bigger sissy bar bags.

Traditional leather saddlebags look and work great for a run or two. Then they begin to sag and often the leather starts cracking if exposed to the elements long enough. Our traditional set of leather saddlebags won’t have this issue AND they’re often priced lower than the competition. Any set of leather saddlebags from Viking Bags will not crack, fade, or sag when empty. So what’s better than a pair of bags for your favorite rider? A pair of hard saddlebags perhaps, but that’s about it. With over 200 different designed priced in the sub $200 price range, there is a saddlebag for just about any motorcycle out there. Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Victory, Indian, Triumph, Hyosung, and more are all covered by different selections we have to offer.

The best of the best, hard saddlebags are the pinnacle of motorcycle luggage. Factory prices can start above $1000 for the pair so getting a bargain here is hard to come by. Thankfully, Viking Bags offers quite a large selection for most motorcycles for half the price you’ll find at the dealership, often even less than that. If fact, all of them are priced under $500 and most of them are around $400 or less. These hard saddlebags are designed around a fiberglass body and then either wrapped in leather or painted with a glossy black finish. Some designs even come with primered finish to allow for a paint job of your choice. Just a bit bigger than the average leather saddlebags, these are ideal for longer trips because they will store a lof of clothing and other essentials for the road. Note that hard saddlebags are all key-lockable, that is an option on the regular leather saddlebags. Just recently, Viking Bags launched a set of bagger-style hard saddlebags that are ideal for the touring Harley-Davidson models like Electra Glide, Road King, Road Glide, and Street Glide.

Get to shopping, and get to it early. Don't be like us and wait until the last minute. Your friends will appreciate you that much more, and who knows, maybe they'll finally let you go on a run with them next time.