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|  | Topic : Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! |  |
| | | MotorMac | | Jupiter |  |  | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,848 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 28 Jan 2014 - 02:00 Post title : Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! | | | BTW, first modification was removing those stupid "quick release" buckles that require both hands and are slower than using the real ones.
This meant matching and replacing lower straps holding chrome buckles, which I was only too happy to do (see last pic).
First attempt at fixing warped/sagging lids (and saving my $700US bags) was to try riveting a metal plate inside lids thru plastic liner and leather (left pic). Used round-head rivets matching Triumph's and punched/drilled 20 holes per lid. Helped some, but not much and not for long. The plastic liner warps when heated (melts like wax at relatively low temp), taking leather with it in waves. Miserable material, whatever that plastic is..... (Plus, I think some cow might've tried to sit on this one, which didn't help any - but THAT won't happen again ;-) Right pic shows new stainless plates almost finished, to be installed (below).
Only cure for sagging lid is to remove the distorted plastic liner, so I cut away majority of liner's flat area (staying clear of hinge/seam), and made another pair of stainless plates drilled to match my existing 20 holes.
Bent lip on length of outer edge and brackets on ends make it rigid; ends of plate tuck under remains of liner. With cut ends of liner trapped by brackets and flat space between reinforced with stainless steel, sags are now GONE and tops are flat.
I realize spikes aren't everybody's cup o'tea, but nothing sez 'don't sit here' quite as well. (Might even energize that plate with a little battery-powered gizmo known as a "tickle stick.") There's an endless variety of leather studs available in all shapes and sizes, these were chrome plated brass with 6-32 threads from eBay. Used stainless washers with 3/8" flat-head stainless allen screws. Honestly, these bags haven't looked this good since they were new and finally have their intended shape back. A little clean up and I think they'll be good for awhile longer.
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| | | PapaSmurfMC | | Chaac | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 03/10/2013 | | Posts | : | 871 | | Location | : | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| | Posted : 28 Jan 2014 - 05:11 Post title : Re: Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! (Re: MotorMac) | | | Nicely executed and documented, Mac! 
Those spikes are badass but wait'll you forget they're there and lean on them the first time. 
| 2013 Blue Marble Haze Thunderbird 1600 ABS
2009 Black Bonneville A1 ("Mag")
Buncha farkles
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| | | hellboy7 | | Set | | | Reg. Date | : | 01/01/2014 | | Posts | : | 9 | | Location | : | Canada |
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| | Posted : 29 Jan 2014 - 18:30 Post title : Re: Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! (Re: PapaSmurfMC) | | | Very ingenius way to fix the problem! Very helpful for a lot of people here. I actaully switched out from the factory saddlebags because f the ugly sag. If I loaded my bags, it would look really bad so I changed out to some semi rigid saddlebags from Link
Honestly, I like the style of the factory ones more but I already had sold it off 
| | Post edited by hellboy7 on 29 Jan 2014 - 18:31 |
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| | | Steve | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 24/03/2011 | | Posts | : | 480 | | Location | : | Chesham, United Kingdom |
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| | Posted : 29 Jan 2014 - 21:27 Post title : Re: Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! (Re: hellboy7) | | | It's not right that you have to go through all of this to put them right though. Even when they were perfect the water got in where they don't overlap on the top inside edge.
I discovered that if the plastic liner sits under the seam of the lid it stays rigid. However, after pushing it in there with lots of effort, it stays put for all of the time it takes the first slightly fatter bluebottle to land on it, or you opening the lid to put something in.
I'd thought that if there was some brackets holding the sides in the plastic liner might not escape and maybe hot glue the damn thing in to discourage it from moving.
I wasn't happy having to leave them on all the time either, so I got some easy brackets from Fast Eddy and figured out that I could use the existing top holes in the bags and have just enough space to avoid hitting the rear springs. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to fitting them I'd had the back dresser bars fitted and well... they didn't fit the space anymore.  
Faced with sorting out some way of stopping the sag on top and some sort of bracket to make them sit right. 
Easiest solution became to buy some hard cases and drill some holes in them.
These Triumph ones are badly designed though they're supposed to have improved the design. Anybody got a set that don't sag?
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| | | MotorMac | | Jupiter | | | | Reg. Date | : | 29/08/2010 | | Posts | : | 1,848 | | Location | : | Nor Cal, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Jan 2014 - 00:36 Post title : Re: Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! (Re: Steve) | | | Thanks, Papa! I carry a first aid kit, not to worry ;-)
Yeah Steve, I went thru all that, too. Used a 3M adhesive trying to keep liner under seam, heat, rivets, everything I could think of, but once that plastic liner warps there's no fix but to cut it out. And the factory mounts? Oooo, they hinge for better handling? What?! You can't lock the bags and can't remove 'em - but the factory sissy bar has quick-release and lock. Where's the sense in that???
Yup, Easy Brackets, I went thru the same trauma with those that you did. Sold the factory sissy bar/backrest and made my own using rear two fender mounts, so Easy brackets had to go on forward pair (sharing middle ones) which meant cutting/welding Easy brackets and getting 'em powder coated. So now the bags are removable and sissy bar is bolted on. Sheesh!
Really like the Coner hard bags Link but had to try to save these saggy suckers before pissing away another $700, so nothing to loose by taking a knife to 'em - and I really didn't expect it to turn out as well as it did. But whatta PITA!
Wouldn't take much to improve the design. Use a more stable liner and, uh, gosh, I dunno, maybe STITCH IT TO BOTH SIDES!!
Next time I'm at the dealer I'll have to take a close look at the new bags, see if they're any different (got me curious now).
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| | | Jango | | Set | |  | | Reg. Date | : | 22/02/2011 | | Posts | : | 196 | | Location | : | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
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| | Posted : 30 Jan 2014 - 22:58 Post title : Re: Factory saddlebag sag and pannier pooch SOLVED! (Re: Steve) | | |
Steve wrote:
It's not right that you have to go through all of this to put them right though. Even when they were perfect the water got in where they don't overlap on the top inside edge.
Easiest solution became to buy some hard cases and drill some holes in them.
These Triumph ones are badly designed though they're supposed to have improved the design. Anybody got a set that don't sag?
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Exactly right" It's not right" I solved my sag solution by putting better bags on. TBird bags are shit and not worthy saddled to a Thunderbird
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