Possible solution to the pannier latch issue

Bear

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Mar 21, 2011
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I showed the latch setup to my wife who does canvas work--suggesting a latch system that would involve "common sense fasteners" and nylon webbing. A fastener would be on the bike and another would be at the center top of the pannier. A piece of webbing would connect the two points.

Her suggestion was as follows: take the screws out that hold the latch and drill a hole that goes into the body of the pannier. Fabricate a backing plate, and secure the latch with bolts rather than screws. This should be done before there is a failure. Reinforcing the area with J B Weld (again before a failure) would insure a secure latch. She recommended NyLock Nuts.

I will make that mod on both sets of panniers. It looks quite simple to do and would be twice as strong as the Honda way.
 
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New Mexico
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I showed the latch setup to my wife who does canvas work--suggesting a latch system that would involve "common sense fasteners" and nylon webbing. A fastener would be on the bike and another would be at the center top of the pannier. A piece of webbing would connect the two points.

Her suggestion was as follows: take the screws out that hold the latch and drill a hole that goes into the body of the pannier. Fabricate a backing plate, and secure the latch with bolts rather than screws. This should be done before there is a failure. Reinforcing the area with J B Weld (again before a failure) would insure a secure latch. She recommended NyLock Nuts.


I will make that mod on both sets of panniers. It looks quite simple to do and would be twice as strong as the Honda way.
I would be very interested in seeing what you come up with.
 
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
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Pensacola, Florida
Now THAT sounds like a good idea! Unfortunately, though, I just took a look at mine and I don't think there is room under the plastic inside the panier for both nuts. There may be room for using a plate thick enough to tap though. The bolts could then be secured with thread locker. Even one bolt on each latch would be an improvement.

Bill
 
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I just made plates to reinforce the latches . . . and found out that there is only room to put a screw through on one of the screw-posts. Strangely, the two screws are at two different distances from the outer skin, and the one closest is too close to even use a threaded hole in a reinforcing plate. On those four holes I replaced the existing one cm screw with a longer one, so that will reinforce them somewhat. On the other holes (the ones farthest from the panier skin) I mounted plates about four inches long and shaped to fit. These plates were made from 100 mil stainless steel plate, and threaded 8/32. One thing to note is that the molded "posts" are not perpendicular to the bottom "shelf," but offset about ten degrees.

My procedure was to make the plates, take out the sheet-metal screw I was going to replace with a bolt, clamp my reinforcing plate to the bottom in the final position I wanted, and run a drill down the hole into the plate to mark it and ream out the hole for the 8/32 screw. Then I drilled and tapped the plate, estimating the angle and drilling by using a second drill under the plate to block up one end. When I bolted the plate on I used "red" threadlocker.

It's not as strong as I would have liked, but it must be stronger than it was.

Bill
 

Husker

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Apr 17, 2012
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Omaha Nebraska, United States
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I think if you used epoxy to put a stud where the screws are the studs would not expand the posts like the screws do. Saving the posts and the lid.I have yet to try this. Maybe this winter.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
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Wolf Point MT
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I broke mine in with some grease and some manual labor. Take your seat off and watch how your latches connect. They are probably a litte bent from overloading or pulling to hard when trying to get them open.

Since the lever pulls many wires that release 2 different latches, they don't dissingage at the exact same time. So if you pull on the latch they both won't open. The trick is to open the latch until you feel some pressure, meaning both latches have pressure, use your free hand to tap the side of the pannier inbetween the 2 latches. The small amount of force will allow both latches to "pop" at the same time. If they don't "pop" at the same time you can tap on the one hanging individually. Spend some time aligning them, since I did it a couple months ago, I have had no problems since. Except when I forget to put the key in:)
 

Phil Tarman

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Cottonpickin' blamed crummy pannier design! *&^@)!*)^*)+@$!!!!!

I had meeting this morning and left town at about 8:10 heading for Brighton, 60 miles away. It was 22F when I left, but I was nice and toasty. Then I got to Brighton and started getting ready to go into the meeting and got STEAMED!! I opened my right pannier and got something out then tried to close it and had a hard time. Then I got looking and the lip on the inside (the flat that the latch strikers are screwed to) was cracked for about 6-8" It's about to come off. I'm going to change lids and go back to my skinny lids for awhile whilst I try to figure a way to reinforce that whole area.

Any progress on the replacement latches?
 

DirtFlier

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Could the cracking be the result of dropping the bike on that side? In that regards, the wide lids are a lot more vulnerable.
 

Phil Tarman

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I guess it might be, but I think that when the lids are closed the whole circumference of the lid and the seal would take the impact. The impact on that "lip" of thin plastic comes when slamming the lid, and I have to confess that I have slammed it more often than not. When I figure out a fix, I'll try to avoid that.

Any progress on finding a good external latch and ways to attach it to the pannier, anybody?
 
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Cottonpickin' blamed crummy pannier design! *&^@)!*)^*)+@$!!!!!

I had meeting this morning and left town at about 8:10 heading for Brighton, 60 miles away. It was 22F when I left, but I was nice and toasty. Then I got to Brighton and started getting ready to go into the meeting and got STEAMED!! I opened my right pannier and got something out then tried to close it and had a hard time. Then I got looking and the lip on the inside (the flat that the latch strikers are screwed to) was cracked for about 6-8" It's about to come off. I'm going to change lids and go back to my skinny lids for awhile whilst I try to figure a way to reinforce that whole area.

Any progress on the replacement latches?
Phil this is an interesting post and sounds very similar to the post that an Australian member recently made. He was about to order the inner pannier cases that the internal latches affix to and I am pretty sure he was planning to reinforce the latch mount area on the replacement parts with JB weld or similar to try and prevent a recurrence of the problem.

He was, like you, quite frustrated about the weakness of the latching mechanism on the NT700. He, also like you, was very happy with the NT700 apart from this weakness.
 

Phil Tarman

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I saw that post, Seagrass. I'm thinking about some repair/reinforcement options, but the external latch idea has some real merit in my opinion.
 

Phil Tarman

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Charlie, did you ever get the latches you ordered? I have learned that David Silver Spares' US division can get a single new lid. But if you had an external latch solution, I wouldn't need a new lid.
 
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Huntington NY
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Like others, I've been having trouble with my latches recently. Right now my lids are off and I'm just using my top case for my commute. I too am really interested in the external latch option. Hope to hear about some brillant solution. I can be patient since I don't need the lids until next spring. I'm strictly in commute mode right now and the top box serves all my carrying needs.

Happy Thanksgiving. The kids and grand kids arrive soon.
 

DirtFlier

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Perhaps not true in all cases but I've noticed that when opening/closing becomes balky on my bike, it could mean the 4 screws holding the latch mechanism (either side) are loose or even missing. When this occurs, there is too much play to make the lid open/close properly. On the right side, I had to "rebuild" three of the four posts. I drilled and tapped the broken posts with a 5 mm tap, then used 5 mm all-thread rod which goes almost all the way to the base of the posts. They are epoxy'd in place, then I made up the missing height using alum spacers. They are topped with washers and self-locking nuts so they'll never come loose again!

It was actually a simple fix but time-consuming and tedious and most of the time was consumed trying to figure out how to do the fix. At least in my mind, it was far better than buying a new saddlebag inner unit since that would eventually crack the posts again.
 
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I have the external latches. Will be installing them next week. Will take pictures when done.
 

Phil Tarman

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Paul, the bungee buddies look good. I asked you in that thread, but I'll ask again: have you ever used them to tie anything to the top of the panniers?
 
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I'm still interested in the external latch possiblities, but I got my latch problem solved.... at least for the present and put my small lids back on. I have to admit that I too like the small lid look better, especially since my large lids are silver on Red Bike. Getting ready for the GAME... I grew up in Columbus OH. Go Bucks against "that school up North."
 
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