My Right Saddlebag Latch will not allow Lid to Open

Got a real problem and lucky it happened at Home -- my Right Saddle Bag will not open?

Seems the Latch will raise OK but interior Latch (Hook) is not releasing -- No way I can force it without damaging my Saddlebag. Looks like I will have to drill out the Rivets that hold the Hinges to get into it.

Has anyone else experienced this problem and how did you resolve it?

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

Norhtern Dancer

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

I haven't had the bag not open, but I have had to wiggle the bag a bit to get it to open occasionally. Usually when it's cold out.
The pawl that holds the bag closed sometimes doesn't disengage.

Perhaps a squirt of WD40 into the bag at the latch point would help?

I think the lock is sealed, and seperate from the latch mechanism...

Steve

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

Keep working with it, and the WD40 might help. The latch opens and closes via a post that slides through a guide rail with several changes of direction. Also try pushing the case further closed as you work it, and it will eventually come free. Once you get it open, it's time to disassemble the latches on both cases. It's a bit of a pain, but it all comes apart with a screwdriver. There are 2 ball bearings and little springs in each latch; be careful not to lose them. Clean the parts and maybe use some moly grease when you reassemble. I did both cases and they work like new.

Good luck!

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

I own an 02 Pan and both panniers are tricky to open but I found that pressing down with one hand on the top of the pannier behind the lock while turning the key with the other hand they both open and lock normally.Let us know if this works !

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

You do need to perform maintenance on the locks and mechanism every once in a while or you will have problems with them sticking. Use some penetrating oil inside the lock to hopefully loosen up the bind.

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

Hi Fellow Forum Members,

I am impressed with the fast feedback -- My St1300 is a Police Model and the Latch Unlocks OK with the Key and will open and close ordinarily with out the need to have the Key inserted.

Presently the Key does work allowing the Latch to raise normally but the Hooks that lock the Bag Lid closed do not release. I will try your suggestions and also bring the Bag inside my House where it is warmer and get back to you with my results.

Northern Dancer,

Warm Regards,

Ron

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

Oil should not be used on the locks for the keys, the tumblers are greased, and the oil will only dissolve this and make it worse. When your saddle bags starts not closing properly, often you will find that the acorn nuts that hold the lid to the body are loose allowing the lid to droop and not lift completely, this binds on not only the lock, but the hinges and everything. every so often you should take the lock panel off and grease the rod and pivot points, and check the acorn nuts for tightness.
Hope this helps.

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

tony durham said:

I own an 02 Pan and both panniers are tricky to open but I found that pressing down with one hand on the top of the pannier behind the lock while turning the key with the other hand they both open and lock normally.Let us know if this works !

Click to expand...

Same with my '03. Glad someone posted this topic. I'm currently experiencing the "rock back and forth to open" syndrome too.

Igofar said:

Oil should not be used on the locks for the keys, the tumblers are greased, and the oil will only dissolve this and make it worse. When your saddle bags starts not closing properly, often you will find that the acorn nuts that hold the lid to the body are loose allowing the lid to droop and not lift completely, this binds on not only the lock, but the hinges and everything. every so often you should take the lock panel off and grease the rod and pivot points, and check the acorn nuts for tightness.
Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Can't wait to try this.

Don't know if the police latches are different.
Pushing on the regular bags towards closed and a little up with your thigh to get the outer opening shell of the bag lined up with no pressure on the latching pawls might get them to retract. Hopefully there's nothing mechanically wrong.

If you get it open see if the pawls move with out sticking.
Dri-slide in the lock and in the pawls will help get them moving better.
If there is wd-40 in there flushing the chewing gum out with a plastic safe contact cleaner might get the mechanism to free up long enough to get it open.

Resolved!

Thanks everybody for all your help -- I feel much better now. Rather then lifting on the Saddlebag Lid or pushing it to either side, I put force by pressing down on top of solid part of Saddlebag above where the Latch Hook would be -- Voila the Lid released.

Seems that my Shop Manual and other contents were causing pressure against the Lid when I last closed the Bag and this put pressure on Lid causing it to bow slightly putting downward pressure on the Latch Hook and it would not release.

Thanks to your several tips I was able to get it to release and I once again have confidence in my ST1300 Saddlebags.

Norther Dancer,

Regards,

Ron

I was having trouble opening both of my saddle bags. The latch was not opening all the way. Took one side apart, looked it over, could not see anything wrong. Went up to Napa, bought a can of Dry Graphite Film Lubricant. Sprayed a good coating on the moving parts of the part that is called the Lock. World of difference. Saddle bags have never open so easy.

st1300r said:

Pushing on the regular bags towards closed and a little up with your thigh to get the outer opening shell of the bag lined up with no pressure on the latching pawls might get them to retract.

Click to expand...

I find myself doing this quite often. Especially when the bags are overly full..Maybe I need to service the mechanisms as described above.

Thanks for this post. Might save some of us some grief.

My current favorite is dri-slide a pro bicycle shop should have it. The moly doesn't cake up like graphite can in lock tumblers and binds a film to the metal that a Teflon loaded lube can't pull off. The latching pawls sometimes just get a shot of silicone if the dri-slide bottle isn't handy.

10-12-17 My saddlebag maintenance
Total time it took was about 1 ½ hours (maybe 2). Next time 1 hour?
Tools required:
8mm nut driver (no socket wrenches)
Phillips screwdriver
Flat blade screwdriver
Rubber bands (2)
Grease (no oil)
Q-Tips
Forceps (aka tweezers) to replace springs & ball bearings

Work on one unit until it is complete. Use a nut driver instead of sockets as you can feel the applied torque better as you reassemble the parts. The parts should be tight but remember, you're working with small threaded parts and plastic. I purposely did not address lock lubrication, as more knowledgeable members (e.g., Igofar) have commented on this.

Open the saddle bag
Unhook the strap connected to the two halves
Remove the 4 acorn nuts on the inside bottom of the saddlebag with an 8mm nut driver
Remove the two metal rectangular washers and two rubber rectangular washers. A flat-blade screwdriver helps with this.
Separate the two saddlebag halves. The non-handle half is a good place to store the hardware you just removed until re-assembly.
Turn the saddlebag half with the handle upside down. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the seven screws attaching the handle assembly to it. Note that the three long screws go into the holes along the straight edge of the saddlebag
Remove the 4 acorn nuts, 2 rectangular metal washers, and 2 rectangular rubber washers from the 2 studded parts
Before you separate the handle assembly, look at the two threaded stud units you removed the acorn nuts and washers from. These units rotate and have a groove in them. A spring-loaded bearing is part of the assembly. These pieces slide out of the assembly, and if you have the assembly tilted as you separate it, the ball bearing will fall out. Not a big deal if the spring and/or bearing falls out, just be prepared to have the assembly in or on something that will prevent it from disappearing onto the floor.
Separate the handle assembly from the saddlebag body. A flat-bladed screwdriver can help with this.
Separate the metal unit from the plastic unit
Apply grease to all parts that move against another. A Q-tip worked well for me when applying grease.
Use the rubber band to compress and hold in place the two studded units as you reassemble the metal and plastic parts. Once the units are back in place, cut and remove the rubber band before attaching the nuts and screws.
Attach the handle assembly to the saddlebag. Use the nut driver to tighten the acorn nuts. Similar to using the Phillips screwdriver, you will feel when the nuts are at their limit.
Attach the two saddlebag halves. Make sure the acorn nuts are tightened to their limit when re-attaching the two saddlebag halves. This is important, since a sloppy fit here will cause pretty much everything to bind.
Re-connect the strap connecting the two saddlebag halves
Hope this helps.

Yeah, I need to do this to the 2004#2. Both bags are acting up.

One thing, be careful when tightening up the little cap nuts in the four bolts. They are easy to break! DAMHIK! 4:

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

Grizzly said:

I cannot do this with my 2005 ST1300. The key will not come out when the bags are "unlocked". I've found it to be kind of annoying not to be able to unlock the bags and leave them unlocked....I will lock them from time to time, but I dont need them locked all the time.

Click to expand...

Trust me, I think you're better off having to lock them, otherwise you might find that you didn't close them tight enough and you'll be picking your belongings up off the road... if you find it open soon enough! 4:

Re: My Right Saddlebay Latch will not allow Lid to Open

EASt said:

Same with my '03. Glad someone posted this topic. I'm currently experiencing the "rock back and forth to open" syndrome too.



Can't wait to try this.

Click to expand...

Same with my 03 model. I used to struggle to lock the panniers until by accident discovered the downward pressure technique.

Good tips. I just squirted electrical contact cleaner into the mechanisms, worked the latches a tiny, then squirted some WD-40 into the latches and worked them and aded a squirt until the latches are popping open and shut now without any trouble..

Didn't need to do any disassembly at all.

-RP

RandyPalmer said:

Good tips. I just squirted electrical contact cleaner into the mechanisms, worked the latches a tiny, then squirted some WD-40 into the latches and worked them and aded a squirt until the latches are popping open and shut now without any trouble..

Didn't need to do any disassembly at all.

-RP

Click to expand...

Glad you sorted out the problem.
Welcome to the forum.

In my experience WD-40 will turn into a gummy mess when used as a lubricant. YMMV