Latches

[skiper]

No problems here after the clean and silicone the cables procedure. Open and close them gently and keep the latches and cables lubricated and do not over stuff and they work fine. I did fill the voids around the lid latch screw hole with a paste style epoxy to beef up that weak looking latch mount area.

Rocky - did you epoxy the inside or just what can be seen opening the bag ? The pictures that wee posted looked like the webs for the bolts could be filled in for strength, thats from inside. would a plate attached without disassembly give enough added strenght ? What did you do ?

 

[EX Winger]

True, but sometimes they tend to run togather

I had a little problem with my latches after the winter months last spring and mentioned the problems and cure that was posted by rick at that time about the sand and grit getting into them and needing diasembly, cleaning and relubricating. They did tha and it cured my minor problems. NOw any time I hapen by the dealership and park my bike near to the shop entrance door and walk in tha way my tech will grab a can of lube and ask me if it is ok for him to give them a shot,of course I tell him yes , key is where I normally keep it in tank bag pocket.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Slamming the lids and "bouncing the bike" off them on the ground are two different issues....

EXACTLY! That's why I'm going for a warranty repair on the latch system and have paid for all the lids.

 

[Rocky]

Rocky - did you epoxy the inside or just what can be seen opening the bag ? The pictures that wee posted looked like the webs for the bolts could be filled in for strength, thats from inside. would a plate attached without disassembly give enough added strenght ? What did you do ?

I just filled the voids or open spots above the screw holes and below the top rim of the pannier, invisable from outside, but I thought the ribs that the scewholes were in/near looked weak. I thought about a plate or bracket but that may move the latch somewhat so to not line up perfectly.

 

[vzshadow]

The latches to the panniers lids are the worst part of the design. Horrible. I've had problems several times. Very poor design.

 

[charlie b]

You are correct. Why they screwed up that portion of the bike is beyond me. No....come to think of it....sounds just like the Honda that I knew from my days in the automotive production business.

Their engineering staff is horribly managed. The engineers are really good but the management methods suck. They would rather keep a poor design than change it just because some senior person put their approval on it. To change it means that person was wrong, and that goes against their "code". Basically, once a design feature is complete, it remains until that model goes through redesign, eg, the change from the Deauville 650 to 700.

I still like their products, but know that I will have to live with some stupid design features along the way.

 

[SuperDave]

You are correct. it remains until that model goes through redesign, eg, the change from the Deauville 650 to 700.

Can any of the European members tell me/us if Honda uses the same latch system in Europe?

I would think that the issue would have been resolved earlier if there are so many more Deauville's than NT's.

SuperDave

 

[Columbus]

Close by pressing them shut (not slamming) and there isn't a problem. #1 on this.

Good to hear that you haven't had any issues, but that is an incorrect statement. I do not stuff the storage by any means and I, as well as a few others, continue to have issues with the left side.

 

[charlie b]

The larger lids (from Europe) have even less meat around the "hook" screws if I remember correctly. That's why I put the extra latches on mine.

 

[karl]

So for those of us who are still on the fence regarding purchasing an NT, do you guys and gals think this is enough of a problem to cause someone not to buy this bike. A touring bike with unusable panniers is kind of useless. Or is it not that big a deal? Opinions?
Thanks

Heck no. I use mine every day I ride the thing and they work fine , even with the big lids on them.
They just ask not to treat them like a 63 Chevy.

 

[Warren]

Maybe I have been lucky but I have had my NT for three years, commute with it every day and open the left lid multiple times a day and have had no problems. I do lube the cables and latch mechanism with ACF50 once a year.

 

[skiper]

I've concluded - even with below average mechanical skill , one can prevent or fix the bag latch problem. The Good side of this NT / Deauville is the mechanicals like engine , trans , shaft/rear and brakes/ shocks are very good. I'm thankful about that ,, as they are quite difficult to remedy. I still want my NTv and would testify about it anyday..

 

[vzshadow]

I was on a 6-day ride and the pannier latch on the right bag failed catastrophically. One of the posts on the lid sheared off. I was able to jury rig it with some epoxy, but the only way to open it was to take off the seat and open it from there. I hope lubrication will do the trick. I don't know if I should go with my "repaired" lid, the old scratched one, or buy a ST1300 or a Triumph Trophy. I know the cheapest solution but I'm not sure that's the best solution.

 

[vzshadow]

Heck no. I use mine every day I ride the thing and they work fine , even with the big lids on them.
They just ask not to treat them like a 63 Chevy.

That's exactly how I felt until 3 days ago.

 

[skiper]

Maybe - chill out until fixing it yourself again feels good, as it will need to be fixed even if you sell it. After a couple weeks of riding it again you might know if switching bikes is best - no - ?

 

[vzshadow]

Part of the motivation to potentially change to another bike comes from the wife's decision that she doesn't want to ride her own bike on long rides, i.e. multi-day rides. If she in fact wants to go on multi-day rides in the future, a bigger more powerful bike might be a good decision.

 

[karl]

The latch system is my least favorite feature of the bike. Why you need to clean out the factory lube and replace it with a dry lube is a mystery to me. Breaking off the mount takes quite a bit of force, something you can destroy any motorcycle luggage with.

The release mechanism still needs a clean and lube once a year or when you spend some dirty time on the bike. Sell the bike because of this? Not yet for me. Are there other bikes that are worth looking at, many.

 

[vzshadow]

I was tired when I was unpacking the bike. I didn't think I was applying that much force. In fact I was truly shocked to see that it sheared off. A real what the "heck" moment.
I really don't know how it happened. I was using canvas "grocery store" bags in the pannier and they weren't over loaded.

IF the bike goes, it will be to facilitate two-up riding with the wife for long distances.

 

[vzshadow]

..I just got the police report results and apparently they've found hacksaw blade bits and other "evidence" in your garage. This is beginning to sound a bit suspicious IMHO.

You'd want to include the 800GT, 1200RT, FJR and Norge on that list, if only for the sake of complete research (wouldn't you??)...

I'm not inclined to go with a Break My Wallet bike, though I thought about the F800GT. The FJR probably should be something I consider. The limited dealer network steers me away from Guzzi and BMW. It should probably steer me away from Triumph too, but I'm a Triumph homer. Actually, none of them make the perfect bike.

I'll probably have the NT for years to come.