2018 Honda Shadow Aero VT750CS | Viking Bags Upgrade | How Big of a Saddle Bag Can Fit On An Aero

This video discusses in depth the turn signal relocation process on a Honda Shadow Aero to accommodate larger saddlebags along with cutting and splicing wires to extend turn signals connections to the main wire harness.
***This is a lengthy detailed video for those who have not worked on this part of their bike before and goes step by step.
0:00 Intro
0:35 Size Comparison
5:30 Which bolts do I mount them on?
7:30 Quick Connect Bracket Comparison and mounting setup
9:18 What bolts sizes do I need?
13:41 Bracket Mount Test
15:00 Saddlebag Alignment for Marking and Mounting
18:23 Overview of Viking Hardware (The Nuts and Bolts)
24:55 Marking and Drilling Bracket Holes
32:07 Clean up and Final Mounting To Motorcycle
35:10 Final Thoughts
37:32 Final Result
Have questions?
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/ vtwinrtx

[@andrewhoward3264]

Looks great love them

[@vtwinrtx5670]

Such an amazing upgrade from the medium size. the signal relocation was well worth it.

[@jeffreygwinn5081]

Thanks for the video!! Are those bolts in the fender/syrut brace actually M10x1.25, or M10x1.0

[@vtwinrtx5670]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope it was helpful! The original OEM bolts are an M10 1.25 pitch. The original bolt lengths are 40mm on the front two and 28mm on the rear, so when I bought longer bolts I just made sure that there was a similar length comparatively and added spacers between the fender and notched washer that the quick connect slides into. I think if you have at most a 10mm difference in bolt length, you're good. With larger bags I did notice over time that the weight did affect the ease of removing them for maintenance so I installed a throw-over bracket from cobra and printed a lower distance support so that the quick connect bracket didn't bend with weight when loaded. Even close to a year, the bags are still an amazing upgrade and the quick connect is such a nice time saver.

[@PaulsMotoZen]

Looks like a lot of work, but is a really nice accessory.

[@vtwinrtx5670]

Yeah, the process of aligning and mounting is a little complicated. Much easier with the quick connect than hard mounting, but the biggest complication was the relocation of the turn signals. Good thing it only has to be done once.

[@CarlosRivera-wz7rm]

Which disconnect option is that from Viking?..they won’t give me an option for aero 750 only gone option it gives is Valkyrie. You say the black instead of the stainless metal. But which one is that?

[@vtwinrtx5670]

It looks like they recently updated their website because a lot of pages are dead links. Right now they’re showing the brackets with the silver sliders for Valkyrie and VTX, but I think they're both the same.
When I first ordered my medium bags I think they sent me the wrong quick connect that was meant for larger bikes. They had the silver (assuming steel or aluminum) sliders instead of the bracket being all black. With the stainless steel (larger) bracket, I was able to install it on the front two fender bolts, but with the one that was all black, it would only span the rear two bolts. I was concerned that the all-black bracket that came with the new bags was going to be too small to support the weight of the bag, but I think it was the one originally meant for the shadow and similar-sized bikes. I think it was a shipping error on Viking's part though I made it work with the medium bags I had. I might’ve been able to use the first brackets but they were a bit heavier. I think either bracket would work, but I would’ve still had to relocate the signals and install the bags on the last two bolts. I think that although they have different numbers, it’s only to keep track of inventory since they all look the same size and the bolt inserts are adjustable.