I'm pretty sure you need to buy the mounting brackets which keeps the bags away from the tires. I bought an 1100 vstar classic brand new I think 2003, or 2004 I put a little over 28,000 on it and decided to trade it in. Anyway I think it was a great bike just a little pricey maintenance wise. Now I have the Suzuki M50 it's only 800cc but really has all the power I need. I just took it on a 342 mile ride today and was really happy with the performance. Plus I got a great deal that includes an awesome service agreement. Good luck with your vstar I really do miss that bike!
