saddlebag won't open

[stevenolts]

I can't open the right side saddlebag. The left opens fine but the right is stuck.
Anyone have this happen?

Steve

[stevenolts]

I took the grab rail off (I did not want to do that / I hope I can get it back on).

I was able to release the button to open the saddlebag. It is real tight / What should I lube it with?

Steve

[photodiver]

Try some silicone spray, should do the trick.

[stevenolts]

I put the grab rail back on / the bolts went right in for the first time ever. It seems to be working for now???
I is 52 here in St Louis and I just got back from a 1 1/2 hour ride. It was great!!!
Steve

[shortleg0521]

I took the grab rail off (I did not want to do that / I hope I can get it back on).

I was able to release the button to open the saddlebag. It is real tight / What should I lube it with?

Steve

You might want to use a dry lube if you are going to do that.
The others will draw the dust and dirt to the cable.

[opas ride]

I put the grab rail back on / the bolts went right in for the first time ever. It seems to be working for now???
I is 52 here in St Louis and I just got back from a 1 1/2 hour ride. It was great!!!
Steve
I am aware of a few bikes with this issue and the grab rail bolts were way to tight causing the bag cable to bind up...Try a little silicone spray or WD-40 and re-install the grab rail, which you did, and all should be fine....Ride safe

[pdxstriper]

Hi,
I have battled this since I've owned my B. My right side would stick and I would bang on it, like one would with an old TV, and then it would work. Evidence was that the right side release pull had significantly more free play than the left side. So I decided to tear my bike apart.

If you remove the seat and rails, then the big square cover over the back half of the seat, you will see the release mechanism. There-in plain sight i would see the catch snag and not release as it should. I went to the dealer - 3 times - they couldn't recreate it, then I could but I was picking up the bike. next time they could not recreate it. Finally I talked to the service manager, who confessed this is very common problem with Goldwings. He said there are 3 different ways to adjust the lock/release mechanism. With the bike apart I couldn't see any. So the dealer fixed it - finally - last week. Seems to work but haven't had it on the road much.

Not much help I imagine, but at least you are not alone in your suffering...
Pete

[tiltingf6b]

Hi,
I have battled this since I've owned my B. My right side would stick and I would bang on it, like one would with an old TV, and then it would work. Evidence was that the right side release pull had significantly more free play than the left side. So I decided to tear my bike apart.

If you remove the seat and rails, then the big square cover over the back half of the seat, you will see the release mechanism. There-in plain sight i would see the catch snag and not release as it should. I went to the dealer - 3 times - they couldn't recreate it, then I could but I was picking up the bike. next time they could not recreate it. Finally I talked to the service manager, who confessed this is very common problem with Goldwings. He said there are 3 different ways to adjust the lock/release mechanism. With the bike apart I couldn't see any. So the dealer fixed it - finally - last week. Seems to work but haven't had it on the road much.

Not much help I imagine, but at least you are not alone in your suffering...
Pete

This is good to know ahead of time - thanks for posting.

[DMAGOLDRDR]

I didn't see any mention of this,,, does a bit of pressure against the lid help. I have gotten into the habit of leaning against the lid with my leg as I pull the release.

[seventwenty]

I didn't see any mention of this,,, does a bit of pressure against the lid help. I have gotten into the habit of leaning against the lid with my leg as I pull the release.

^^^This^^^

[opas ride]

I forgot to mention on my earlier post that slightly leaning against the saddlebag that you are about to open seems to really help and makes it easier...Don't know why one should have to do this, but it only takes a second and works just fine for me, although I have had no issues with opening the bags after I adjusted the tightness on the grab rails after installing my Mustang seat..Sometimes, rarely mostly, the bags don't close completely and a light lean against the side of the bag closes it just fine....Don't know why this helps or why it works, but only takes a second and to me is no big deal....Ride safe

[pdxstriper]

Here goes...
So the latch we pull on to open the saddle bags 'cup' over a pin.
The pin slides in a curved metal track.
When pulled its full length - about 1.5"-2.0" - the saddlebags open.
Half way down the travel of this track is a metal 'fork'. This fork is part of the lock mechanism. It blocks the pin when the saddlebags are locked, then swings open and parallel to the track when unlocked.

There is a tendency for the pin to snag where the fork rides against the track even when unlocked. However, properly adjusted latches pull the pins past this snag point.
And that's where my right saddlebag failed to open. On the right side, the pin in its rested position was a full 1/2" up the track as compared to the left side. This appeared, when the bike is together, to be excessive play in the latch on the right side. In practice, pulling the latch did not move the pin past this snag point where the lock fork swings in place. So the only way I could get the pin to free was to pound on the side of the saddlebag, which basically jarred the pin loose from the snag point.

If you have the bike apart this will all make sense. I lubed everything but don't believe this to be a viable long term solution. When I explained what I was seeing to the local service manager, he told me he had seen this many times and knows how to adjust the pins such that they align correctly. They did just this, under warranty, it everything appears to work fine.

Hope this helps.
Pete

[Brasco]

Steve . . . I was dealing with a similar problem in the spring and started a thread called 'Saddlebag handle cable adjustment.' If you search that thread go to the final post where I included a couple of photos that may be helpful to you.