Ever seen a bag failure like this?

[Jetpilot5]

I was out in the garage doing some cleaning and discovered a large crack on the inside of the left bag. It runs from under the handle to the forward edge on the half that attaches to the bike. I've never seen another post of this problem and am not sure why it occurred. I usually have the bags on the bike but the vast majority of the time they are empty. The most I've ever had in them was for a single over night trip, nothing more than a change of clothes and a pair of tennis shoes. They have never been over stuffed/overloaded in anyway. This bag does move slightly when mounted but is in no danger of coming off. The closing mechanism works smoothly too. There is no damage at all to the outside and it's never been dropped.

I'm at a loss as to why this would have happened. I don't see a practical was to repair it so I'll probably look for a used bag with a damaged lid that I can swap out. Pictures show the damage.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Do you have the Y.E.S. warranty? If so, I would see if they might warranty it

 

[canucklehead-biker]

Never seen one like that before... hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like a stress fracture. That's the front edge? ANy chance it got beaned by something as you were heading down the road?

 

[TomInPA]

That does not even seem to be a part of the bag that would be under stress, regardless of loading. Unlike you, I have crammed my saddlebags so full, I had to apply significant pressure to close and latch them, then ridden thousands of miles.

 

[Jetpilot5]

Do you have the Y.E.S. warranty? If so, I would see if they might warranty it

No Y.E.S. I bought the bike used last August.

 

[Jetpilot5]

That's the front edge? ANy chance it got beaned by something as you were heading down the road?

Yup, front edge of the left bag. I suppose it's possible it got hit by something while riding, but there's not a mark anywhere on the outside to indicate it.

 

[CCook82]

They do come available on this group and craig's and ebay. You might geta reasonable price on one with lid damage and swap your lids to the healthy black part.

 

[Geezer]

Well, since you bought the bike used you have no way of knowing what might have happened to that bag before it was yours.

My guess is the previous owner carried cinder blocks in there.

 

[Jetpilot5]

Do you suppose it's safe to go ahead and use it in this condition? There is no damage whatsoever to the outside and it mounts securely to the bike so I'm not concerned with the bag coming off. More worried about the bag opening while riding. The lid closes smoothly and everything seems real solid but I don't know how the interior latches are mounted to the bag shell. Would hate to have it break completely on the inside and have the bag come open while riding. Anyone ever see the guts of the latching mechanism, probably out of a ruined bag?

 

[HotRodZilla]

If only that one latch has the crack, I donno that I'd be too worried; beyond being pissed that the bag cracked.

Aren't there 4 locking tabs on each bag lid? I bet your fine.

 

[TomInPA]

Just a thought, lots of bags get damaged in a low-side. There are usually traces along the muffler and sometimes shifter or brake lever. A crack in the inner bag might not have been noticed, and the outer shell repaired. In the overall scheme of things, not a big deal, and it's not going to fall off or anything..

 

[Falko]

IF you're worried about it, v-edge the crack with a dremel, Drill a 1/16" hole every 1/2-3/4", then get some two part plastic epoxy and repair

 

[steve'o']

How hard is it to remove the inside black plastic liner from the shell? Has anyone attempted it yet?

 

[Jetpilot5]

I don't think it's previous crash damage. I'm picky as hell and went over everything with a fine tooth comb when I bought the bike and while it's not impossible, so far there is zero evidence this machine has ever been over. I was cleaning the edges of the saddlebags with a paint brush when I discovered the crack.

No way to get the inner plastic liner out of the bag that I'm aware of. Maybe drilling out all the rivet heads on the inside would do it but for now I still have a functional bag so I'm not getting that adventurous.

Looking it over closely with some extra light, I can look down the slots where the latches are and see that they don't move when I wiggle the cracked piece along the edge. It also appears that latching the lid actually pushes and holds the crack closed. At this point, I'm leaning toward stop drilling the crack at the top where it hasn't reached the edge yet and then riding with it a while and seeing how it does. If it doesn't change I'll probably just live with it. If it gets worse and the piece cracks the rest of the way to the top edge and breaks loose then it'll have to be repaired or replaced.

 

[RossKean]

I don't think it's previous crash damage. I'm picky as hell and went over everything with a fine tooth comb when I bought the bike and while it's not impossible, so far there is zero evidence this machine has ever been over. I was cleaning the edges of the saddlebags with a paint brush when I discovered the crack.

No way to get the inner plastic liner out of the bag that I'm aware of. Maybe drilling out all the rivet heads on the inside would do it but for now I still have a functional bag so I'm not getting that adventurous.

Looking it over closely with some extra light, I can look down the slots where the latches are and see that they don't move when I wiggle the cracked piece along the edge. It also appears that latching the lid actually pushes and holds the crack closed. At this point, I'm leaning toward stop drilling the crack at the top where it hasn't reached the edge yet and then riding with it a while and seeing how it does. If it doesn't change I'll probably just live with it. If it gets worse and the piece cracks the rest of the way to the top edge and breaks loose then it'll have to be repaired or replaced.

IF you can get the crack closed completely, you might try wicking some cyanoacrylate adhesive (i.e. Krazy Glue) into the crack. I expect it would give you a very good bond as long as there are no gaps - these depend upon a very close fit for maximum strength. An ABS-type of cement or something like JB Weld would likely do the trick as well but slower curing time and more difficult to get wicked in. For any of these glues, make sure to keep them off painted surfaces and (obviously) away from the locking mechanism.

 

[TomInPA]

I have used ABS cement for similar repairs. It actually fills and bonds very strongly, and is sandable when cured. I believe the saddlebags are an ABS molded form.

 

[mferriter]

Have you ever loaded the sidebag with beer and ice?

Thermal stress could also case a crack like that.

 

[bluesdog]

I've used methylene chloride to repair hairline cracks in ABS with some success. It acts on ABS similar to acetone, but flashes off quicker, and seems to create a tougher 'weld'

If the cracks are wide, you can create a filler by dissolving some ABS sawdust in either methylene chloride or acetone, then applying it much like putty to fill in the crack. The filled area won't be quite as strong as the original ABS.

On areas subject to stress, I have used a special two-part epoxy, called 'Plastic Welder,' which cures somewhat tougher than ABS, has similar flexibility, is sandable, and can be reinforced even more by incorporating some fiberglass cloth tape.

Use caution when working with any of the above. Methylene chloride in particular is rather toxic, and you should work with it in a well-ventilated area, avoid breathing any fumes or skin contact.

Good luck

 

[CrabbyJack]

+1 on the ABS glue idea. I used it to fix a Thule ski box that I left open when I drove the car into the garage. I was able to collect all the little bits and glue them back together again. On the inside, I used fiberglass cloth to reinforce it where I needed to. I just laid the cloth on and soaked it with the ABS glue right through the cloth. I got the cloth from a model airplane shop. From the outside, you can't tell it was broken. (from about 10 feet, anyway) You could spread the crack open a bit to get the glue on the edges and then just let it spring back. After it is cured, you can use a scraper to clean up the glue line.

CrabbyJack

PS I just remembered some photos somewhere in this forum that showed that the inside of the case is glued to the outside near the center. You won't be able to separate them easily.