Yeah I think I'm leaning towards soft saddlebags, a large tail bag, and a tank bag now. It'd be much more affordable, and I probably won't roadtrip enough to justify investing in a rack setup with hard cases. The main reason I was interested in a proper rack was so I could ride +1 with room for storage, but that probably isn't a realistic scenario as we usually bring our dog along for any extended adventures, haha.
TKH, yeah that's what I'm now thinking. If the saddlebags swing under the tail or something I might be able to rig something up to hold it in place, I'll just have to play around with it.
JMC, how are you mounting your top case? I haven't had much luck finding mounting hardware for that either.
Also, what is your guys' opinion on Oxford Products? I've got a riding jacket of their's that I'm pleased with, and their bags look like good products as well. It looks like Givi is the standard though. Let me know what you think!