Are 2011 Vaquero bags the same as 1500/1600 Nomads?

[Monkeyman]

I can't tell from pics I've seen if they're the same or just similar. If they're the same, the doors could be a good swap for those wanting to eliminate the chrome strips. Looks like they're about $150/each. It would probably cost that much to fill in the slots where the strips were and have them repainted. I'm sure everyone knows the new Vaquero bags are side loading and smooth.

Just a thought if it works.

[waterman]

The bags are not the same exact match to the 1500/1600. The Vaquero bags tapper more to the back. As far as the doors, that I don't know.

[Monkeyman]

Complete bags are about $1500/pair so I guess it wouldn't do to replace the entire thing. Thanks for the reply, mate.

[ringadingh]

The Nomad bags are about $1100.00 each, that makes the Vaquero bags a bargain.

[Jared]

I'm going to say YES they are the same except for the removal of the lines on the doors. At Crescent City I looked very carefully over Teri's Vaquero while it was next to my bike. The bags are the same, but they are at a slight different angle. The Vaquero's bags are slightly angled up toward the front.

[dogleg]

The bags are the same except for the safety hook on the back. The hook on the vaquero is mounted lower than the one on the nomad. You can actually see in the photo where the hook used to mount.
The reason the vaquero bags tapper back is due to the angle of the mounting not the bags themselves. I was able to mount my vaquero bag on the nomad and vice versa.

[Jared]

Awesome! I thought they were the same. I didn't remove the bags, so I didn't notice the rear bracket, but I did go as far as to look under the bags and noticed that was the same. Thanks for the clarification!

[VulcanE]

At the national rally in Maggie Valley, I saw a guy walking around my bike taking pics of some of the different mods that I've done. We introduced ourselves (I don't remember his name) and he was with Kawasaki, and worked in their design & development department. We talked for a long time, and one of the subjects was the Vaquero bags. He said the bags are the same, except for the location of the safety hook on the back (as dogleg mentioned), and on the doors, there are no stripes, but there is now a reflector on the lower rear corner, and that the doors were interchangeable.

[waterman]

Originally Posted by dogleg

The bags are the same except for the safety hook on the back. The hook on the vaquero is mounted lower than the one on the nomad. You can actually see in the photo where the hook used to mount.
The reason the vaquero bags tapper back is due to the angle of the mounting not the bags themselves. I was able to mount my vaquero bag on the nomad and vice versa.

Thanks for the response. I talked with someone and they said that they weren't the same. You proved him wrong.

[rickyboy]

Not to confuse things here, but I read in one of the magazines that along with the different angle the bags were also smaller in capacity. I don't know for sure. I guess the design and development guy otta know.

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

The Nomad bags are about $1100.00 each, that makes the Vaquero bags a bargain.

Sorry, I meant the Vaquero bags (complete) are about $1500 for the pair according to BikeBandit.com (never dealt with them). Not worth 1500 bananas just to get smooth doors. Worth $300 tho as it would probably cost that much to fill in and paint the 1600 doors.

I wonder why Nomad bags are so much pricier if they're basically the same thing? A few grooves and some chrome strips can't cost that friggin' much.