Hi All,

I have a Switchback, about a year old and I've had a couple of of problems with the panniers, and I wonder if anyone else has had the same.

About 6 months ago, about 500km in to my ride for the day, my left pannier came flying off (at around 100kmh). It was fully loaded as I was on a mini tour. I thought in this it must have been me, and I hadn't attached it properly. Luckily no-one was hurt, only my pride as it was pretty beaten up, and I got it repaired, and my fender replaced as it had buckled.

However yesterday, riding with a couple of chapters, again my Switchback pannier fell off. This time it was the right one. It was unloaded, and I know for a fact it was locked as I had checked it around 1 hour before. Again speed was high, this time c120kmh. Falling off at this speed is not pretty, and again thankfully no one was hurt.

Has anyone else heard of this problem?

Yours, pretty peeved off.

 

Crap, haven't had one fall off the wifes Switchback. Have had the lids not closed properly even by the dealer when we picked it up, but now will worry about them.

 

5,000 miles on my FLD, no problems so far.

I do check all the latches often and make sure all is tight.

Think your the first I've heard that's had this issue?

Do post if you find the cause of problem.

 

the latches are positive lock, i am thinking they must not have been latched properly

 

That would be my guess too. I make it a point to double check the lock every time they go back on the bike.

 

there is only one lock, and I'm positive they were locked, I had checked 45 mins before, as I had the day before - once bitten twice shy. And being a positive lock given I had been riding over 600kms the day before on it, plus another 100km earlier that day I hadn't touched it, apart from looking to see it was locked earlier.

I've heard from another forum about a similar problem, that and also the lids opening while riding, which the guy behind me said he thought he saw.

Being a positive lock, and the pannier being empty then there would be nothing to knock it out, not least as you need to pull it out and lift and turn...

hmmm

 

cant say for sure what is going on with your locks other than check to see that the springs are still good,
since they are spring loaded if they dont retract by themselves when you let them go then your springs might be damaged
page 60 of your owners manual..

where the lids are concerned the secret is to hook the inner side first and pull up, if you cant pull it up you are hooked and can then latch the bag lids..

 

we had a young lady here have the same issue, she complained about it looking loose HD dealer said it was fine, fell off on way to daytona

 

I had a buddys right bag fall off his switchback.

Seems to be a common problem...