Got up monday morn.....pulled the bike out, jacked her up...wash, wax and detail...put the saddlbags back on....an hour later I leave for a ride with the weather here in Northern Michigan nicer than its been in weeks, I get about 5 blocks from home and hear a terrible noise behind me.....I look back and see my right saddlebag sliding down the road .....needless to say the damage is significant...I pull over and place the bag back on the bike and home I go.....funny thing is I ALWAYS watch the pins contact the mounting spring as I turn the pin to mount the bags....I think my 5 year old was curious though...must have been messing with them as I was cleaning up the garage.....oh well...a little black spray paint and off I went....had a great ride even though the bag looked like sh*t....this ever happen to anyone???...I think I'm gonna mod my pins complete with small padlocks....just might make them "kid" proof. btw...anyone have a stock saddlebag latch (right side) that they would like to sell????

 

Bummer...

Like you, I always remove the bags to wash and wax. Upon reinstalling them, I make sure they're secure...I can see how one might think the pins are in place when they're really not.

Out of habit, I always lock them when they're closed...keeps little (and big) fingers out of there.

 

I had the pins come out on me once. Didn't have the bag fall out but, did get it abrased pretty good on the sides. I was able to buff it out. Since then, I put a piece of duct tape over them to halt any sliding of the pin outward and, off.

 

Suggest it may not be that the pins were loose, if you look closely, you might find them fatigued . By pure luck, I noticed mine fatigued after only a couple of months. Picked up 6 extras at dealer - they were 7 or 8 dollars each if my memory serves me right.....Replaced them and now I check them EVERY time I put the bags on.

 

That s*xs. Glad to hear that nothing really bad happened.

 

I had my right saddle bag race me to a stop at a stop lite. Since then. I removed the pin set up. I welded threaded nuts to the brackets that use to secure the clip. I replaced the pins with bolts and drilled shallow holes in 2 sides across from each other of the bolt heads to accommodate the ring clips. I also put the saddle bag guards back on,... just in case the bag decided to race me again.

RJ

 

Might want to consider replacing the rear pin on each bag with a 1/4 in. bolt and a lock nut. It won't take but a couple of min. extra to take off. a lot of bags have been stolen. all a thief has to do is put a long screwdriver on the clip and pop it off. With a lock nut you have to open the bag to get it off.

 

Those pins do get "sprung" over time, just take a pair of pliers to them and give them a squeez, they'll fit tighter next time.

 

Happened to my budy's RK. Stopped to air up the suspension (too much weight). Going down the highway with him leading and a car betwixt us, I looked down at this black thing spinning next to me at 70 mph. Finally realizing what it was, I pulled over. Yours needed a bit black paint, his needed a new bag. Clothes laying all over the interstate. Heck of a deal!

Not even one day into a planned two week excursion. Try to find one at a dealer on the weekend.

That's why the FLHTC....s are great! They have the saddlebag guards around the box to prevent damage to the outside...and to keep 'em on the bike, just in case.

 

+1 on locking them. I have the bag guards so I don't think they'd go anywhere even if they came unlocked.