I have had the same problem with my 97 virago 535. I tried the universal brackets and they wouldn´t work either. I have only found 1 solution. Go to ebay, and pu in your bike size and make. there is a seller there(eagle1leather ?) who designed saddlebags that DO NOT NEED BRACKETS. He assured me that they would work on my bike. They are not permanently fixed . Look into it. I haven´t purchased them yet myself. They are under $100. I went to a yamaha dealer and he told me they do not /did not make backets for our bike. GOOD LUCK