Loose luggage (pannier, side box)

[chrisflock]

If you are worried about busting the fairing by wiggling or even yanking on the bags, they aren't on right.
If you look into the holes in the fairing, they are just holes. Further inside are slots in the rear subframe...

Here's a pic I just found online:

(thanks to whoever I'm stealing this from).

Chris - is that the first or second generation bike ?

Mine is the first generation. The 'holes' in the fairing are not a metal finish like those in the picture above. It is just a hole surrounded by hard, black plastic. When I put the two top hooks in (and sit the pannier on the mount) it will move from left to right (within the fairing holes). When I put the bottom clip up into the sub-frame - it will still move left and right, and will move slightly away from the bike too.

That pic is a 2nd gen, but here's a Pic I stole from the thread about fuel cells (which is what I was looking for originally) showing a 1st gen, and if you zoom in, you can see the aluminum inside the fairing holes. Keep in mind, you can see the 'surround' of the fairing, which is to protect the hole in the fairing from cracking, but further down inside, there is a 'slot' in the subframe which the 'tab' on the bag is supposed to sit IN. If you put your bag on, and it doesn't go 'in' that slot, but instead is sitting on top of the slot, either a little forward, little back, little in or out from the bike, when you lock the bag down, the locking tab can hold the bag UP so that it won't fall into the slot, and then it will be able to wiggle and really, the hooks on top will be hooked on the fairing and not the subframe. It is easy to do, and I've even gotten my bike back from the dealer with one or both bags sitting 'on' instead of locked into the subframe.

 

[barrymc]

I found the bags on my '09 loose enough to be a concern after only a few thousand miles. The top hooks did not fit snugly enough in their rectangular pockets and there was a bit of in-out play, but not much up-down play. I cut rectangles of bicycle innertube and glued them into the pockets with weatherstrip cement - on the outermost vertical face of each pocket (sorry, no pix - the digicam has crapped out and Santa didn't bring me a new one) The plastic hooks now fit snugly and the bags feel secure. I think I'm going to install the security pins anyway, just for peace of mind (I lost a bag from my ST1300 somewhere along a 100 mile stretch of US 6 in PA and never found it, so I'm a little paranoid about this)
pete :cold:

thats interesting. thanks for that. i was also thinking of doing something similar.

Barry, could you take a picture from behind your bike with both bags on and post it here, I would like to see the angle they are sitting at in relation to the bike?

Thanks,

Skippy

Thanks Skippy - sorry for the delay - i took a few pictures with my camera phone but they were no use - didn't get a chance to take a proper photo until just now:

having trouble uploading a photo

i've read the tutorial but still having a problem posting an image - the best i can manage is posting a link - as below.

 

[barrymc]

panniers

skippy - i think the link above is working now - that is the view of the panniers from behind the bike - bike on centre stand.

 

[barrymc]

chrisflock,

i dont seem to have those metal holes in the upper fairing for the pannier.

fairing hole (not metal)

this is the way teh dealer supplied the bike.....

 

[wfooshee]

The blue is plastic, the gray underneath is metal. We're trying to make sure the bag's hooks get all the way down into that metal part, and not hung up on the edge, hanging by their fingernails, so to speak, from the plastic edge.

On the pic from the rear, they are set at the correct angle, nothing missing or freaky there. I'd still like to know how far up the piece comes up when you close the handle.

 

[barrymc]

wfooshee,

yeah - i'm putting the pannier clips all the way down into those holes.

the clip at the bottom that comes up - well - one of the panniers is brand new (just replaced a smashed one) and it comes up the exact same amount as the other pannier thats on the bike. i've put my fingers on the bottom clip as it clips into the subframe and it does appear to go up....

 

[Geezer]

wfooshee,
yeah - i'm putting the pannier clips all the way down into those holes.

the clip at the bottom that comes up - well - one of the panniers is brand new (just replaced a smashed one) and it comes up the exact same amount as the other pannier thats on the bike. i've put my fingers on the bottom clip as it clips into the subframe and it does appear to go up....

Once you have the bags mounted and locked closed, wiggle them around and try to pull them off. Mine are loose enough to wiggle some, but I can't force them off.

 

[barrymc]

they wiggle like hell in every direction.....

and the fact that one of them came off recently is what has me worried. just spent 300 euros replacing it :angry2: