Saddlebag Lockout

[ManWithAVision]

I had a unique opportunity yesterday morning. I took my 06 RSTD to work and upon my arrival I removed my riding boots and mesh jacket and stuffed them into the left (port) side saddlebag. I also had a sweatshirt in there which I laid on top of my jacket. I closed the lid then realized I left my pager in my jacket pocket so I pushed the lock / button to open the lid again. No luck. The button would not allow me to depress it. I checked the lock with my key to make sure the lock was okay and the key turned freely but there was no way it was going to allow me to depress it and release the lid latches inside.

 

One of my employees was nearby so the two of us pushed and pulled on the lid and the lock / release button to try and get it aligned better in case something was jammed. Still no luck and the button still wouldn't budge. I pryed off the plastic trim plate that surrounds the lock cylinder but that didn't give me access to anything. I had visions of getting the sawzall out of my employees truck and cutting the lid off. As one last attempt before resorting to such drastic measures, I got my assistant to pull up on the rear corner of the lid as hard as he could without breaking it to allow me to get a couple of fingers inside. I managed to grasp the edge of my sweatshirt and pull it out through the crack. The button then worked and the lid was open.

 

We took everything out and tried shutting the lid again and all worked fine, but when I tried locking the lock I had a dickens of a time to get the lock to unlock. Last night I dismantled the whole works and found that when we pushed the lock button down so hard we managed to bend the actuating arm that acts to lock the bag as well as actuating a paddle plate, which in turn pulls on a long rod that then actuates the latches. What a complex assembly for such a simple task!

 

All is straight and true and working properly now, but I would advise all RSTD and second gen riders to be very careful about what they put in those bags and make sure that nothing gets too close to those lid release levers. I also wonder if any of you have run into this problem on your bike before?

[mm482]

I jammed mine also and had to cut the roll pins in the hinge. I took a small dermal tool with a small cut-off wheel. I went between the two hinge parts and cut the roll pin into. The lid would then unlatch. I used a small pin punch to drive the old roll pins out. A local machine shop had a new roll pins.

I was three hundred miles away from home when this happen. I was sure glad I didn’t have to have what was in the bag.

Earl

86 VR

00 RSV

[Eck]

Hey BOO, sounds familar dont it...(Eureka SPrings rally 07) ...

except it was your shoes if I remember correctly....

[Sideoftheroad]

06RSTDRider,

By chance have pics of the pieces that were bent? I misaligned my lid a couple times recently. I was able to get the lid open each time after several minutes of trying. Now when it is unlocked if you push down the button, it stays down. If you lock it, the button moves up and down mostly freely.

 

Thanks.

[ManWithAVision]

06RSTDRider,

By chance have pics of the pieces that were bent? I misaligned my lid a couple times recently. I was able to get the lid open each time after several minutes of trying. Now when it is unlocked if you push down the button, it stays down. If you lock it, the button moves up and down mostly freely.

 

Thanks.

 

Sorry, no pics, but the part I found to be bent is a metal plate that screws onto the end of the lock cylinder. There is an arm that comes out from this plate with a ninety degree bend in it. This arm is what pushes on the paddle bar assembly when the lock is unlocked and it is depressed. When the lock is locked this arm rotates ninety degrees away from the point of contact on the paddle arm assembly, so the lock button still pushes down but there is nothing in its path. If you remove the plastic cover plate from the lid you will have access to the inner workings of the whole assembly. The lock mechanism slides into a plastic housing, which also holds the paddle plate assembly. This whole assembly can be removed by undoing two nuts from the threaded studs that protrude down from the lid. Remove the two circlips that hold the paddle assembly pins in place along with the two flat washers. Be careful that they don't take flight in the process like one of mine did.

 

Then you can pull out the two pins that hold the paddle plate in place. There is also a return spring at one end of this assembly. Note how it attaches before you pull everything apart. Now you need to unscrew the single Phillips head screw on the retaining arm that holds the lock cylinder in place. The other end of the arm slides into a slot in the plastic housing. There is a spring under this arm as well so hold onto the spring as you remove the arm. Now you should be able to slide the lock cylinder out and examine the actuation plate on the end of it. If the arm coming off this plate is not at right angles to the base you will need to remove the two screws that attach this plate to the lock cylinder. Be careful not to turn the lock cylinder over or the lock tumblers might fall out. Once I had the plate off I used a vise and a pair of pliers to bend the tab back to the ninety degree position.

 

This may sound like a lengthy process in writing but it took me less than thirty minutes to disassemble the lock, fix the actuation plate angle, reassembly the lock, and reinstall it on the saddlebag. Everything worked fine after that.

 

Good Luck!

[SaltyDawg]

Same exact thing happened to my first 99, I mean exactly the same thing. Do yourself a favor and put some graphite where the metal plate touches on the rods. Since doing that I never had a problem like that again.

[silverdeer0454]

Same exact thing happened to my first 99, I mean exactly the same thing. Do yourself a favor and put some graphite where the metal plate touches on the rods. Since doing that I never had a problem like that again.

 

Had the same problem with my 05 RSTD on the left side. The button took ALOT of force to press in. After pulling the plastic cover I used a small round file to sort of polish the area that comes in contact with the rods. Then as Salty recommended I used some graphite on that area, put it all back together and it's as smooth as silk now! Even tho I didn't have problems with the other side I took the time to do it as well.

 

 

[BOO]

Hey BOO, sounds familar dont it...(Eureka SPrings rally 07) ...

 

except it was your shoes if I remember correctly....

 

Exactly, tennis shoes I believe. I'll tell you one thing after that ordeal I make darn sure I pack things so as to not jam the lock system.

Buy guys I had to fight Eck off because he had a grinder in his trailer and was wanting to start grinding on my saddle bag. NO NO.

I think I still owe Eck a broom handle after that deal.

BOO