Harley-Davidson makes its touring bags out of ABS (PPO/PA Plastic). Most after-market companies make theirs out of fiberglass and some out of carbon fiber.
John Shope, the boss of John Shope Sinister Industries (a company that has made the transition from Choppers to Baggers) states that he is the first on the market to make stretched bags out of the exact same stuff that Harley makes their stock bags. John released 4″ stretched ABS saddlebags with the matching extended rear fender (still laid fiberglass) and claims that his ABS bags require no body work, unlike fiberglass or carbon fiber, are both incredibly strong and very light. His bags accept the Harley lids, use the factory hardware and John Shope Sinister Industries can provide them if you build the bike from the ground up. A full line of custom parts for touring bikes, a couple being shown here, is being released at the same time. Call on my behalfSara or John at 623-465-5263 or jump to John Shope Sinister Industries.
Very good look for the touring models. I always thought the factory left the rear of the Hard Bag FLs looking unfinished, the stretched bags/fenders offer a much more refined appearance.
Is ABS repairable like fiberglass? My impression is that Harley uses ABS because it is less expensive than fiberglass, repairability is secondary. They would rather just sell the user a new part.
Yes, ABS is repairable. Many shops had to do it after bags were damaged in accidental drops, accidents.
26″ Front Wheel. Come on !
John’s stuff raises the hair on the back of my neck! very, very cool work. peace
Has anyone ever talked to this guy? I called to buy some parts but after 5 min hung up on him. I like his work but I only buy from shops with good customer service. Did I catch him on a bad day? What is your take on this guy? Please respond only if you have ever dealt with him. THANKS
Buzzy
What are they using to repair ABS?
I have a lower fairing (engine guard) that has a crack where it tightens to the bar.
Is it some thing that can be done in a home shop or do you need special equipment?
Any information will be greatly appreciated.
I bought a harbor frieght plastic welder and welded the back of my ABS body part on my Triumph Sprint. Worked good with just a little learning curve. I needed to grind a V into the crack on the back side and then melted the ABS plastic rod (comes with the plastic welder kit or buy separate) into the V. The plastic welder was around $70.
John is a no-nonsense guy, does not chit-chat, and is a perfectionist on his builds. peace
I do like the ABS idea over fiberglass. Seems like you may have to use a little flex additive in the paint or maybe they don’t flex at all?
If one is in a pinch they can use an electric soldering iron but can not be heavy handed, if ones not having access to a plastic welder, you can get abs filler materials/rods , etc. from most plastics suppliers and we used to use Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, but the government has made that harder or impossible to get and probably not for sale anymore as it was deemed a carcigen. It actually will dissolve the abs but can be used to weld if you will, we also used it to melt/dissolve abs and dip tools in it to color the tool handle to the color of the melted abs for quick color id of your personal tool. Before auto-cad and 3d software it was used in the model industry to weld together model componets. An old tinsmith could probably use an old heated iron tip as well. Lots of ways to skin a cat.
By the way before someone uses methylene chloride on their piece and cusses me because they used their wide swath 3″ brush, you use a syringe to apply it, no the syringes are not abs so they wouldn’t melt or used to not be, one can get from their local drug store or addict or we got them from feed stores. Also methylene chloride was used as a paint stripper so be careful around your other painted parts if you try this at home.
Joe Blow, from my experience in dealing with John he is a no nonsense guy. He tells it like it is and is straight forward with his customers. You may not like what he tells you but he isn’t the guy/shop that tries to pinch every penny out of his customers pockets. At first I felt the same way you felt but now after doing a lot of business with him I am thankful for his, at times, brutal honsty. John’s a man of his word and does what he says. There are too many builders these days that don’t even talk to their customers. I think John is the one who always answers the phone at the shop, so I’d imageine he gets some annoying callers/questions as well that may put him on edge.
I purchased a custom bagger through John Shope of Sinister Industries a little over one-year ago and couldn’t be happier! In addition to having one of the nicest baggers around, John and I have struck up a close friendship. Yes, John wears he emotions on his sleeves and can come off a little abrupt when you first get to know him, but as “Heritagelvr” put it, John is a no nonsense kind of guy (what you see, is what you get). That being said, he has one of the biggest hearts of any I know.
Since I purchasing a bike from Sinister Industries, I can tell you from my own personal experience that not only is John fair, but has exceeded my expectations when it has come to rectifying any services issues. Regardless about your opinions of John, he is extremely talented, and he parts are not only unique, but also quality!
You can rest assured you will be taken well care of…
Joe Blow, John Shope with sinister industries, is one of the most stand up guys i know. I have delt with him for years now, not only bought parts from him and been very satisfied but i have been a manufacturer for him for quite some time, and he has always carried a great business relationship with me. He may be a little rough around the edges, that’s just his style wich sets him appart from the rest. He has always had the very best customer service with the best quality product; exspecially with his style bikes. The guy can build some narly baggers. With that being said anybody that plans to purchase product from him or deal with him in the future; you will not be disatisfied.!!
Man this guy is a Hack . What are you guys talking about ? Buyer beware !!
Rockstar your a suck up .. I heard alot about you also !! Not good at all !!
health inspector… couldn’t agree more.
I have found John to be honest and straight foward in my dealings with him. The quality is better than Milwaukee Bagger and Yaffe parts that I have used. The parts are cutting edge and well thought out. John has been very easy to deal with and has even offered to custom make some parts to suit my specific needs on a build. I have had the misfotune to deal with guys like Perewitz in my area and I’ll take John any day!!