Detachable?????
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
look closely
I attached a pic of the front docking point. did they put a chrome spacer on there that they shouldn't have and then force the rack on? Shouldn't it be plastic to plastic?
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 362
Likes: 1
From: Corpus Christi, Tx
That looks wrong to me (but the older kits are metal groove-to-plastic insert). I would think the new kits would be plastic-to-plastic mounting points. That looks like it's riding on a chrome spacer. Improper assembly (wrong spacers) I think.
Somebody with an 09 detach may want to chime in here. But that looks wrong to me.
Somebody with an 09 detach may want to chime in here. But that looks wrong to me.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Well, changed all dat crap today and the only thing thats wrong with it is it needs to be bent to line up. I started to do it myself but after financing 2 friggin hrs of labor to install what probably took 45 mins,,, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT! I'd be ashamed to send something out the door like that. Especially if I was the one wrenchin on it. Where's the pride?
Road Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 882
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
1. Check for the correct spacers in the correct place.
2. There are two flat pieces that have a slight offset. Make sure each flat piece is in the correct place. After I did this my tour pak slips on and off with ease.
2. There are two flat pieces that have a slight offset. Make sure each flat piece is in the correct place. After I did this my tour pak slips on and off with ease.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 26
Gtad,
First, based on your photo, its installed correctly. The 09s ARE NOT THE SAME AS PREV YEARS. As stated, in prev years the mount point was plastic (sleeved), the rack metal. On the 09, the front mount point is metal, the rack has a plastic insert on the front point.
Second, when I put mine on (the dealer installed the mounts, I got the trunk and rack later) it was tight as hell. I tried mounting the rack to the mounts BEFORE I put the trunk on the rack, to make sure things fit ok, and could not get the thing on to save my butt.
Solution? about two seconds spend slightly spreading the rack outward a bit at the rear. Same thing I had to do on my 07 the first time around.
As your dealer told you, they ARE tight at first, and they WILL loosen up, and sometimes you DO Need to "spread" or "squeeze" the rack inward or outward a bit to get it to fit correctly the first time. After that, its usually no big deal.
First, based on your photo, its installed correctly. The 09s ARE NOT THE SAME AS PREV YEARS. As stated, in prev years the mount point was plastic (sleeved), the rack metal. On the 09, the front mount point is metal, the rack has a plastic insert on the front point.
Second, when I put mine on (the dealer installed the mounts, I got the trunk and rack later) it was tight as hell. I tried mounting the rack to the mounts BEFORE I put the trunk on the rack, to make sure things fit ok, and could not get the thing on to save my butt.
Solution? about two seconds spend slightly spreading the rack outward a bit at the rear. Same thing I had to do on my 07 the first time around.
As your dealer told you, they ARE tight at first, and they WILL loosen up, and sometimes you DO Need to "spread" or "squeeze" the rack inward or outward a bit to get it to fit correctly the first time. After that, its usually no big deal.
Last edited by flyingace; Nov 24, 2008 at 11:22 PM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 26
That looks wrong to me (but the older kits are metal groove-to-plastic insert). I would think the new kits would be plastic-to-plastic mounting points. That looks like it's riding on a chrome spacer. Improper assembly (wrong spacers) I think.
Somebody with an 09 detach may want to chime in here. But that looks wrong to me.
Somebody with an 09 detach may want to chime in here. But that looks wrong to me.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 362
Likes: 1
From: Corpus Christi, Tx
And that's why I said somebody with an 09 should chime in on this (but I'm glad my first post about simply bending the bracket was hopefully correct....spanning any year).
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 26
Have you ever had a quick detach trunk before? (dunno what your past rides may have been)
I think you will find 2 things:
1. They are just plain stiff for the first half dozen or so detach cycles.
2. If this is your first detach trunk, there IS a "knack" to mounting it (IMHO) that at first, you feel like an idiot, but once you "get the hang of it" and the cams loosen up a bit, it will get easier. The cams need to be positioned in the right place for them to go on smoothly.
Did you try spreading or squeezing (whichever is needed in your case) the rear part of the bracket a bit? Just a little tweak can make a BIG difference. If the cams are pressing against the side of the mounting point on either the inside (seems to be more common) or outside edge, it can make them VERY hard to rotate.
Also, another tip: when mounting or dismounting the trunk, open your saddlebag lids. That way if you slip, the bracket will go INSIDE the saddlebag, instead of digging a nice trench into the paint on the tops of your lids.
