Improved Pannier Latches

Brillot2000 · Apr 27, 2021

Koops said:
Hi @Brillot2000 - great thread, I really appreciate all the resources you've shared. Sorry to resurrect the thread but I wanted to check if you're still satisfied with the latches, or if there's anything you'd change? I'm planning to order a set in the next day or two - haven't decided yet whether to buy 2 or 4.

I am quite satisfied with the latches that I installed. They have met my every need. I would not change anything about them.

Powdercoatguy · May 3, 2021

If i would have known that the dealer i bought my bike from had done an Epoxy repair on the plastic pieces the latches bolt to i would have left the bike sitting in his showroom. I thought i was buying a 9,000 mile pristine bike but after the epoxy failed on his repair ..... I have an non usable machine. I`m glad i didn`t sell my 750 Nighthawk . Going back to it and selling the NT700V .... AS IS ..... and cutting my losses . The Old 750 is a better bike.

Phil Tarman · May 3, 2021

Welcome to the NT-Owners Forum. Sorry about your disappointment. The panniers can be repaired fairly easily. Many have gone to external latches. I rode my 1st NT 139,000 miles. The latches were always fiddly and I had a set of external latches, but I had never gotten around to installing them. I've got 25K miles on my 2nd NT (I bought it at 22K miles) and it's been a great bike for me.

Powdercoatguy · May 3, 2021

When little crap like this go`s wrong with a bike at 9,000 miles it`s time to look for a better bike. Those external latches ruin the bikes looks. It`s not supposed to have them. I asked the dealer i bought it from to buy it back for what i owe on it because he failed to tell me the lids had been epoxy repaired before. If he doesn`t buy it back i`m going to quit making payments on the bike and let them repo it . The salesman deceived me telling me the bike was pristine with no defects.

TonyKZ1 · May 3, 2021

@Powdercoatguy Since you're obviously disappointed in the bike, have you just thought about selling it on Craigslist or Cycletrader for what you need out of it? And being sure the buyer knows about the repaired latches. It seems that would be a much better idea, then to possibly screwing up your credit/loan rating by letting them repossess the bike.
Just my $.02 for what it's worth.

mikesim · May 3, 2021

A repo will only hurt you, not them.....

Powdercoatguy · May 3, 2021

TonyKZ1 said:
@Powdercoatguy Since you're obviously disappointed in the bike, have you just thought about selling it on Craigslist or Cycletrader for what you need out of it? And being sure the buyer knows about the repaired latches. It seems that would be a much better idea, then to possibly screwing up your credit/loan rating by letting them repossess the bike.
Just my $.02 for what it's worth.

Latches have not been repaired, Sitting in garage with bag open , Parts broke and lost one mounting latch and the one remaining will not latch no matter how i try. It`s not functional and i`m not going to ride it taped shut. The defect has made it not ride able. And people just come out and haggle when they want to buy something on craigslist or Cycletrader . I have assaulted people on my property for haggling . That`s what they deserve !

TonyKZ1 · May 3, 2021

@Powdercoatguy Well, I'd take pictures and show it to the dealer, they might consider doing something to help out. Not saying it will make a difference, but It has been known to happen. Otherwise put those pictures in a ad on craigslist, cycle trader, or better yet an listing in our marketplace here. Sell the bike and keep enjoying riding your Nighthawk 750.

Woodaddict · May 3, 2021

got my first broke latch today on Red @ 51K. Silver had none @ 201,111 K

Phil Tarman · May 3, 2021

Woodaddict said:
got my first broke latch today on Red @ 51K. Silver had none @ 201,111 K

I'm not surprised. Those Red bikes just aren't as well-built. :rofl1:

Brillot2000 · May 3, 2021

Woodaddict said:
got my first broke latch today on Red @ 51K. Silver had none @ 201,111 K

There are 2 issues that were an issue for the get-go regarding the latch anchor points.

The type of plastic that Honda selected for Saddlebag Bodies was not the best plastic to be used.
The mounting boss thicknesses and structural support webbing were minimal at best.

This type of plastic is hard and oily from the start. As it dries out, it becomes brittle and loses much of its structural strength. The mounting bosses used to mount all the latching hardware were not off to a good start from the get-go. Add 10-11 years of aging to the plastic and you have a recipe for a disaster. It not a matter if it will break, more of when it will break. External latches are the only long-term solution to the issue.

Otherwise, you have yourself a...

Powdercoatguy · May 8, 2021

I repaired the front latch by drilling the holes through to the back side without eating into the outer lid. Then i mounted the broken pieces back into place with the longer screws and brought them back to the original position by tightening the screws and put a couple drops of super glue for plastics to hold the broken pieces together. It seems to be in the right position but when you close the bags .....they do not latch. The other side works great and when i close them slowly i can hear a spring stretching and the latch clicks closed at the handle when closed. The left side does not do that . I ordered the external latches for it .... But will not put them on if i can repair the stock ones. The longer screws work great. And i`ll JB weld it all to reinforce the new screws . If i can get the latches to work properly internally i would have this problem licked with a stock appearing bike. I think there is a spring missing in the latch mechanism somewhere on the left side. All the stuff that makes the bike nice to look at makes it harder to work on . Can`t observe the mechanism properly to diagnose the problem with it .

Update .... I have found a small spring disconnected . Will have to remove some plastics to see where it hooks.

Powdercoatguy · May 9, 2021

After taking the lid off i found where someone previously pop riveted the lid at the bottom . Removed the side bag and was not a big problem . (there is a screw in the other bag that must be removed before the left bag will come off ) Unhooked cables .

I removed the 4 screws that hold latch mechanism from the bag and upon removing it i found one return spring unhooked and one missing . I ordered 6 of these little suckers at $1.99 Each from cheapcycleparts.com and $10 shipping. I think by the time i do a little JB Weld repair and touch up the paint on the area i`ll be back to having a stock appearing bike with working latches. I ordered 4 of the latches mentioned in this post as something to have in case of another failure. Thanks to All for your advise ! Riding the 750 Nighthawk and my vintage pull start mini bike while i wait for springs to arrive.

Koops · May 25, 2021

I finally got my latches! I ended up going with the original SouthCo V7 latches (V7-20-111-20) that the OWACH latches are based on:

Draw Latch, Key Locking, Large Size, Zinc Alloy, Chrome Plated, Satin

shop.southco.com

https://files.southco.com/static/Literature/v7.en.pdf

I'm pretty sure the dimensions match exactly to the OWACH ones. Just trying to get up to speed on installing now - can I ask you a few questions @Brillot2000?

1. Using the template and measuring things out on the pannier lid, it looks like the front set of holes (closer to the lip, which use #6 sheet metal screws) fall very close to the ridge of plastic that runs around the lid. Is that right, and which side of that ridge will the screws actually go into?

2. Approx what dimensions were your aluminum backing plates?

3. I haven't worked with rivets before; I saw you used 1/8" steel rivets, do you know what length or does it matter? And any particular issue using aluminum vs steel rivets?

4. Do you have any photos of what the inside of the lid looks like, with the backing plates and screws+rivets? I saw some internal photos here but only of your older set of latches.

Thanks, I really appreciate all the info and guidance you've shared already!

Russ Foster · May 25, 2021

Please be advised that the latches discussed frequently ( Southco V7-200-10150 style) are made by Owach and are available in black, both keyed and non keyed. They can be purchased from Ebay for $21.60 pair delivered non keyed and $27.60 for keyed version.
I have received these and plan to install them maybe this week. If you order from Ebay they are shipped from Owach.

Russ Foster , Dallas

Brillot2000 · May 25, 2021

Koops said:
I finally got my latches! I ended up going with the original SouthCo V7 latches (V7-20-111-20) that the OWACH latches are based on:

Draw Latch, Key Locking, Large Size, Zinc Alloy, Chrome Plated, Satin

Draw Latch, Key Locking, Large Size, Zinc Alloy, Chrome Plated, Satin

shop.southco.com

https://files.southco.com/static/Literature/v7.en.pdf

I'm pretty sure the dimensions match exactly to the OWACH ones. Just trying to get up to speed on installing now - can I ask you a few questions @Brillot2000?

1. Using the template and measuring things out on the pannier lid, it looks like the front set of holes (closer to the lip, which use #6 sheet metal screws) fall very close to the ridge of plastic that runs around the lid. Is that right, and which side of that ridge will the screws actually go into?

2. Approx what dimensions were your aluminum backing plates?

3. I haven't worked with rivets before; I saw you used 1/8" steel rivets, do you know what length or does it matter? And any particular issue using aluminum vs steel rivets?

4. Do you have any photos of what the inside of the lid looks like, with the backing plates and screws+rivets? I saw some internal photos here but only of your older set of latches.

Thanks, I really appreciate all the info and guidance you've shared already!

1. I would not recommend using the screws. The pop rivets with a backing plate are plenty enough.

2. I recommend an overhang between 3/8 to 1/2" per side.

3. I used flat head countersink steel rivets as they were included in the rivet kit that I have. The length needs to be long enough to protrude at least 1/8" through the backing plate. In most cases, the drawbar end will plug the end. If you live in a humid climate I would recommend aluminum to prevent rust.

4. Will have to get you those images later on in a follow-up post.

Koops · May 26, 2021

Russ Foster said:
Please be advised that the latches discussed frequently (Southco V7-200-10150 style)

Hi Russ, I think you meant V7-20-101-50. For anyone else reviewing the latches, "V7-20" is the general category of large latches (the small ones are V7-10). The rest of the number is for locking (111) vs non-locking (101), and finish (bright chrome = 10, satin chrome = 20, and black powder-coat = 50).

Brillot2000 said:
1. I would not recommend using the screws. The pop rivets with a backing plate are plenty enough.

2. I recommend an overhang between 3/8 to 1/2" per side.

3. I used flat head countersink steel rivets as they were included in the rivet kit that I have. The length needs to be long enough to protrude at least 1/8" through the backing plate. In most cases, the drawbar end will plug the end. If you live in a humid climate I would recommend aluminum to prevent rust.

4. Will have to get you those images later on in a follow-up post.

Thanks @Brillot2000, that all makes sense! I've measured the lid thickness at 1/8", so with that and the 1/16" aluminum I'll need rivets with a grip range of 3/16".

Just to make sure, you're recommending only riveting the back two holes on the 4-hole latch side, and leaving the front two holes unused?

Brillot2000 · May 26, 2021

Koops said:
Thanks @Brillot2000, that all makes sense! I've measured the lid thickness at 1/8", so with that and the 1/16" aluminum I'll need rivets with a grip range of 3/16".

Just to make sure, you're recommending only riveting the back two holes on the 4-hole latch side, and leaving the front two holes unused?

The following images should address your remaining questions.

The latch portion needs be positioned to apply for the compression of the gasket when being fully latched. Tape the lids tightly closed when doing the back hole locations.

Robert · Jun 15, 2021

Brillot2000 said:
Here's the link to my consolidated on-line album that has both latch types that I installed on my bike. All these pictures should help you understand the process to install these. Brillot2000 - Pannier Latches Album

I installed a 1/16" think piece of aluminum behind pannier cases. I did the installation while the cases were still attached to the bike. The spacing is tight and will take some time to accomplish this task. Then I used 1/8" countersink rivets to sandwich everything together. This adds structural to the catch. The PDF in my previous post is an installation template and should help you with drilling the holes and approximate placement for the holes on the lid. Drill the holes on the cases first and then the lids. You will also need to remove the latches from the lids too.

I do not recommend that you drill all the holes using the template right away. Drill only one hole for the catch on the case side first. Then install the latch and the rivet into the drilled hole. Then line up the catch to check the alignment of holes between the catch and the template. If the holes do line up, then drill the second hole for the catch. Secure the catch into place before proceeding with the latch installation. Because the lid is curved the placement of the holes for the latch may not line up perfectly. I'd recommend that you place the latch on the lid fully compressed closed. Then check to see how the template holes line up the actual latch's hole and then mark them before drilling any holes for the latches.

Let me know if you any further questions on this matter.

Hi,
I still can't fathom how to get the backing plate onto the saddlebag side so I can apply the rivets. How did you do that? Thanks. I got it. Thanks to everyone. I used string knotted to beads to get the backing plate on the underside of the black plastic. It feels great! Thanks again.

Brillot2000 · Jun 15, 2021

Robert said:
Hi,
I still can't fathom how to get the backing plate onto the saddlebag side so I can apply the rivets. How did you do that? Thanks.

Drill the holes in the Pannier case first. Then place the aluminum plate behind the case through the space above the latch mechanism. Line up the plate to the holes and mark the holes. Take out the plate to see where the holes markings are at. You may have to do this several times to get the plate close to the center. Then drill one hole, place a rivet, and draw it up enough to keep the plate from falling. Drill the second hole and insert the rivet and draw tight until it pops. Then go draw up the first rivet until it pops.

You always fully remove the pannier cases from the bike to this operation. I am just saying...