The Viking Lamellar Stallion Hard Saddlebags complement the styling of my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and add extra storage capacity. (Photos by the author) In some states, my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic is just around the corner from being designated as “historical” or “vintage.” While my bike is still in great shape, the original saddlebags didn’t make it for the full ride. The Viking Lamellar Stallion Leather Covered Motorcycle Hard Saddlebags offered the function I was seeking – and gave my Softail a new look to boot. Capacity was my biggest concern when I was searching for new bags. My wife is my regular pillion companion, and when you’re two-up, having a place for your “stuff,” as comedian George Carlin put it, is important. Even if I’m out solo, riding where I live in Utah means lots of elevation change, so it’s nice to have enough room to store a heavier jacket when I don’t need it. At $424.99 for the pair, the Viking Lamellar Stallion Extra Large saddlebags are reasonably priced. They’re also capacious. The Viking bags provide 44 liters of capacity, which surpasses the 34 liters of my stock bags and, for comparison, is just shy of the 1.6 cubic feet (or 45.3 liters) of the saddlebags on the 2026 Heritage Classic. From a form standpoint, the Viking bags are cooler. The 2026 OEM bags are too boxy for my taste, but the Vikings complement the classic swoop of the rear fender. They enhance rather than detract from the lines of my Heritage Classic. The Viking bags can fit my XL Highway 21 Motordrome Jacket with its liner and shoulder and elbow armor…and still room to squeeze in my travel tumbler. Other features of the Viking Lamellar Stallion bags include key locking (a major plus), a tighter weather seal than previous Lamellar bags, an interior pocket organizer and foam liner to keep lose items from rattling, reflective side markers, and a keyless quick latch. I get nervous about those types of opening systems, as they can be one more mechanism to fail prematurely, but the Viking quick latch feels sturdy and well-constructed. My only concern is that the bags are “leather-covered,” and based on what I saw when I drilled through them for installation, the covering is not that thick. I may add a leather patch to protect the leading sides from stray rock damage. Viking rates installation as “medium” difficulty, but I found the process to be straightforward. The bags come with additional hardware for turnsignal relocation or if you want a 3-degree outward tilt, neither of which I needed. I was able to unbox and install the bags in under an hour. You have to be able to hold up the bags where you want them and then mark where you’re going to drill the holes for the mounting brackets. A second person is helpful here. (Pro tip: Put short bolts into the fender mounting holes and push the back side of the bag against the bolts to get an indentation mark on the leather.) See all of Rider’s luggage reviews here. Once installed, I was able to enjoy newer, larger, more stylish, and more versatile saddlebags on my soon-to-be classic Heritage Softail Classic. With the Viking Lamellar Stallion Extra Large Leather Covered Motorcycle Hard Saddlebags (whew, say that three times fast!) installed, my Harley gets both a cosmetic upgrade and a functional one. The bags are also available painted with a gloss black finish for $458.99 or with a matte black finish for $467.49. Shop for the Viking Lamellar Stallion Extra Large Leather Covered Motorcycle Hard Saddlebags The post Viking Lamellar Stallion Hard Saddlebags Review appeared first on Rider Magazine.