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I did the Road King thing....Springer bags are Wayyyyyyyyy more better.
You can find goods deals on ebay for the bags if you take your time. The best deals are from folks who don't know what they have or don't care. Search words should be "harley saddle bags", you will have to search hundreds of ads, but the good deals are not listed as Heritage Springer Saddlebags.
The bags are off of a 99-02 Heritage Springer. The fender strut bolt spacing for that bike is 9-1/4 inches. My bike and most other Softails is around 13-inches.
I have a detachable backrest for when Patti is riding or I have luggage strapped on, so this guide assumes using that hardware. All materials used were picked up at the home depot except the chrome hardware, that was picked up at a local hardware store here that carries all sorts of chrome hardware.
Photo 1
(this part does not apply to biles that have Deluxe style turn signals). Find some takeoff front turn signals. They have a flat spot on them that will mate up to the fender strut when installed in the rearward most hole on the strut. They have three wires, but only two are used and the wires are fed through the next forward hole.
With the fender strut bolts removed and the all thread installed, use a wooden wedge to make enough room to install the turn signal using a button head allen from the inside of the fender strut. I also had to cut down an allen wrench so it only had about a 1/4-inch leg. Use blue lock-tite.
Photo 2
Cut two pieces of 3/8-inch SS all thread 3-3/8 inches for the front and two 2-3/8 inches for the rear fender strut. These replace the bolts. Install them with blue lock-tite while you feel them flush up on the tire side of the fender strut.
Photo 3
I made two brackets from 1/8 by 1-inch steel. Cut these to length to span fender strut bolt to fender strut bolt. The front fender strut bolt location is used for the front hole in the bag. Drill a hole in the bracket back from that at the required center to center on the
bag.
Install a 1 1/2 inch by 3/8-inch bolt though the bracket for the rear hole in the bag.
Photo 4 and 5
To ensure that the back rest would clear the bag and to get the upper bracket parallel to the strut, I used a 1/4-inch spacer on the front and 1/8-inch on the rear.
Photo 7
You will need to install a longer bolt for the foot peg or in my case floor board mounting. I used one that protruded another 5/8-inch inside the swing arm and used a nylon locknut.
Photo 6
With this completed on both sides, install the bags at the top bracket. I used fender washers and acorn nuts. I used acorn nuts to prevent tearing of clothing etc.
Photo 8
With both bags installed at the top bracket, measure and brace the bag so that they are an even measurement from the fender or what suits your eye. You might find as I did that the lower brackets are not going to be the same offset or length from hole at frame and hole at lower bag bracket from side to side.
Photo 9
I took measurements with the bags braced for the lower brackets. I ground a radius on the end that bolts behind the swing arm to ensure that it doesn't restrict that action of the swing arm. I had the brackets bent to my measurements by a sub-contractor that I do business with. I could have done it in a vise, but they had the tools to get a tight bend. I had them bent only for offset (frame to lower bag bracket) and then cut them to length and drilled the holes.
Photo 10
I drilled another hole in the lower brackets to mount my inspection and city sticker plates.
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