Suzuki Accessories

Asking for opinions on Suzuki accessories. I recently purchased a C-50 and have only added a backrest. I bought the Suzuki Blvd. touring backrest with chrome mounting bracket. That cost me almost $500 bucks. I want to definitely get saddlebags for it and possibly a windshield. My question is, are the Suzuki accessories superior in quality to the aftermarket accessories or is that just a bunch of hype from my dealer? He'll order anything I want, but he claims the quality of the Suzuki accessories, chrome, etc. is superior to brands such as Cobra. Anybody have any opinions on the subject? PS We're talking around $500 more bucks for the saddle bags - I'm not even sure if that includes the mounting brackets. :(

Hello , i found a aftermarket dealer on the net that has good prices ( i wanted the suz. backrest also but couldnt swing the $500 so i found this place )--- Bikerhaven.net --- and put Cobra brand sissy bar and crash bar on mine for $350 and its better made than what i could tell of the dealers brand. Now for bags unless you just want the expensize leather ( $500 - $800 ) heres a link for what i think is the bestprices anywhere on helmets , leather , bags , etc..
-- leatherup.com -- its foreign made leather products but hey its 1/4 the price and heavy duty quality . Hope this helps.
zook

Thanks for the info Zook. I'll have to check out that site. The dealer claims that the quality of chrome on a lot of the after market stuff is inferior to Suzuki's. He claims he's had problems with customers bringing after market stuff back because it's rusted, crusty, or pitted in a matter of months. Don't know if he's trying to make more money or giving me some honest advice.

He's trying to make money. The aftermarket stuff is usually a pretty good quality. What it all boils down to is how well you take care of your bike. If its left outside year round make sure you cover it and carfully wax everything (the waxing goes for even if you have a garage to store it in.) Aside from that a japanese bike is made from japanese steel which rusts quicker than american steel if not cared for properly. I vote to save your money and get aftermarket however I recomend you buy from a place where you can see and touch the parts to know they are of sturdy construction Saddle bags, seats, the parts where there can be a noticable difference between brands. (If you have a friend who has catalog order parts ask to check theirs out before you buy.) I don't mean to spook you because most of the mail order stuff is still good, you just don't want to be surprised.

C50 - I have a new C90T that came with most everything. I added Suzuki brand engine guards, and they're really nice. They don't stick out as far as aftermarket guards, but I like them without looking like two wings added to the sides, so it's nice for me. I went to a Harley dealer and bought Kuryakin (sp) highway pegs and heel pads, which are top notch. But, I have almost $200 in just those two things. I'm planning on buying a backrest, but I'm getting it from Grasshopper, Ltd. There is a mail order company that specializes in Boulevard parts, but wow, are they high on their prices!!! The same backrest I can get from Grasshopper costs $96 from them, and the Boulevard place sells them for over $200. My dealer sells Suzuki parts for the same price as the catalogue, so buying from them means I don't have to pay freight.

TFee - Yea, I did buy a suzuki touring backrest and mounting bracket (for the passenger) - I believe it the one that actually comes on the touring package like yours. I've been happy with it and it seems to be of high quality, but the price was ridiculous. If my memory serves me I gave over $400 for it. :( I don't want to install junk on the bike because I want to keep it looking nice, but the prices of these accessories sure are steep.

C50, I thought maybe the dealer was ripping you off at the price he charged you - UNTIL I noticed that the installation kit was almost as expensive as the backrest. Boy, that doesn't make sense! And, because the backrest has a lot less chrome on it than the installation kit, I would think it would be cheaper than the kit! Geez, it is a rip-off! Well, I should add that it's less of a rip-off than what Harley gets for their OEM components.

Im riding with Cobra addons and they look great i put a Sissy bar ,mounting kit and Engine/Highway bar with mounting kit and hardware for $360 on my bike, i know alot of peolpe that use them and none of them have ever complained about the appearance , only comented on how much cheaper they were compaired to the factory addons , there are alot of places that sell addons id stick with well known companies . I read a post about someone who bought the dealer brand crash bars cause they didnt stick out very far thats why i went with the Cobra brand they stuck out to past the foot pegs i figured that way maybe save a legg in case something bad happened compared to just saving the engine.
thanks and hope this helps
zook

TFee - Yea, you'd swear these accessories were made out of gold and not chrome with the prices they're charging. I really need to get a set of saddlebags though. I'm tired of stuffing my pockets full of crap and trying to lash on a duffle bag. That's absolutely my next purchase! :D

C50 - I bought a magnetic bag for my tank, and then discovered my tank is plastic, and it won't stick. I finally put a piece of velcro on the tank, and now I can use it.

My saddle bags are so full of just plain junk that I had to buy another bag for my clothes. I went to a marine store and bought a seabag that's waterproof. It's bright yellow and ugly as sin, but it's going to keep my clothes dry. I'll still have to wrap my sleeping bag in a plastic bag, but that's ok. My friend asked me why I carry all that junk, but some time when we're riding together, and his Harley goes down, he won't be able to use my tools to fix it, because my bike is metric. It's going to be a golden opportunity to give him the old, "I told you so!" I can hardly wait! Of course, I'll also rub in the fact that he bought a Harley Softail rather than a C90T!!!!