Removing Saddlebag Handle Assembly...

[cheriann]

I started to put this in the 1700 section, but I found out from a friend that even his older Nomad had the same problem.....

Has anybody removed the saddlebag handle assembly before? It appears Kawasaki glued it in! Any tips, hints or help?????

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by cheriann

I started to put this in the 1700 section, but I found out from a friend that even his older Nomad had the same problem.....

Has anybody removed the saddlebag handle assembly before? It appears Kawasaki glued it in! Any tips, hints or help?????

I have to ask why you are taking apart the saddlebag latch on a brand new bike???

I never took one apart, but I know others here have.

[jestephens]

Originally Posted by cheriann

I started to put this in the 1700 section, but I found out from a friend that even his older Nomad had the same problem.....

Has anybody removed the saddlebag handle assembly before? It appears Kawasaki glued it in! Any tips, hints or help?????

I was thinking the exact same thing last night as I was taking off a few parts to be painted since the next week will be "uncomfortably hot". I didn't even attempt to take one off yet, but I'll watch this thread intently to see how involved it really is.

[Monkeyman]

I've found that a large crowbar works well. And it unbolts from the inside once you remove the cover (screwed to the inside of the door). Gadget has a write up on it.

[ringadingh]

I just removed the latches on my 1500, not that hard to take apart.
Remove the cover inside the door, remove the two small circlips on each end of the pin that holds the latch handle and slide the in out. Be careful to note where the bushings and two springs are located.

[Jared]

This comes off the Q&A section of my blog--

Q: When you painted your saddlebags, did you tear them down completely? If so, what is the secret? The inner liner is glued? Did you take the handle off and did you do that without taking the liner out? -Scott

A:The doors are a pain! On the first Nomad that I painted, I carefully taped everything off and it turned out ok.
On the second Nomad, I wanted the paint to be flawless (or as near to it as my ametuer abilities would allow), so taking the handles off and key tumbler out were musts.
Directly behind the handle is a small cover held with 5 or so small screws. Remove these screws and, with a small flat head screwdriver, pop that cover off. There are small tabs holding it on and while you're prying you'll see them and should be careful not to break them off.
Once that cover is off, you'll see the bar that the handle, two springs, and a few spacers all pivot on. Take a picture, so you can remember the order of everything. Remove the tension from the springs, then carefully remove the c-clip on one side and pull that pivot bar out. I was able to push it behind the large inner cover, but I have read where some had to drill a small hole to allow the bar enough space to pull all the way out.
Once the bar is out, the handle should be free. I'd immediately put everything back on the bar even while off the door, so that nothing gets lost.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

[cheriann]

Thank you everyone!
Thank you Jared for copying that over for me to read!!!!

Okay, okay.....are you all gonna make me 'fess up?!

I learned the REAL difference from my 900 to the 1700....
On my 900 the saddlebags opened from the TOP, which meant pressure was applied in a DOWNWARD fashion when using them. These bikes have saddlebags that open from the SIDE, which means pressure is applied on the SIDE when closing them.

My bike was parked on a small incline of grass, dirt and rocks. No excuse, I know....and I simply went into my saddlebag to put something away (it was NEVER a problem with my 900) and as I closed the door and turned the key....my bike started falling over!!!!!
I scratched up the handle and I'd like to replace it and have a pretty unscratched handle on my bike again!!!!

Here is the WORSE part....this was done in Lanconia in one of those dirt and rock areas in front of thousands of other bikers! It was at the "Broken Spoke Saloon" where half of them were already feeling no pain!!!!! No, I was NOT drinking. Chaz had just walked away to go get his bike. After it fell, I glanced over and saw Chaz running back faster than I have EVER seen him run!!!!!!!!!
He told me he ran that fast because when he looked over he saw my bike "T*ts up"!!!!!!

I was standing there humiliated and one guy wanted to show me the technique for lifting your bike back up, when all I wanted to do was get it up quickly and make everybody that was gwaking at me go away!!!!!! Thankfully, when Chaz got back over to me, he and some other guy lifted it back up quickly.

As if all this wasn't bad enough for my ego.....some other guy walks by, leans over to me and tells me that it will get easier as I ride more!!!!!!!
As if I was a "newbie" rider!!!!

[cactusjack]

You aren't the first person to drop a bike at a rally. Youtube is full of them. You didn't see anyone taking video, did you?

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

You aren't the first person to drop a bike at a rally. Youtube is full of them. You didn't see anyone taking video, did you?

HEY! That's an idea!!!! I'll have to go search!!!

I just felt so stupid...I wasn't even on the bike when I did it!!!!

[mobandy78]

It's because of the that new kickstand you put on there. If you would've left the old one on, it would've had more of a lean and you woud not have been able to push it over!

[cheriann]

Originally Posted by mobandy78

It's because of the that new kickstand you put on there. If you would've left the old one on, it would've had more of a lean and you woud not have been able to push it over!

HA! I knew someone would bring that up!
WRONG! The side of the bike with the kickstand is the side that went over. If I had the lower kickstand it would have gone over faster

[canedriver]

Here's some pictures from when I did it.

http://vulcanbagger.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22300

GL with it.

[carhag2000]

Originally Posted by cheriann

I was standing there humiliated and one guy wanted to show me the technique for lifting your bike back up, when all I wanted to do was get it up quickly and make everybody that was gwaking at me go away!!!!!! Thankfully, when Chaz got back over to me, he and some other guy lifted it back up quickly.

As if all this wasn't bad enough for my ego.....some other guy walks by, leans over to me and tells me that it will get easier as I ride more!!!!!!!
As if I was a "newbie" rider!!!!

My nickname is Kickstand on the VROC forum. I was on a trip up around Lake Superior and we stopped for breakfast one morning on the lake. Simply beautiful. We pulled into the parking lot and we were gazing out at the breakwater and lighthouse that was framed with the fog coming in.

I parked my bike and grabbed my camera out of my windhsield bag to go take some pictures. As I threw my leg over my Nomad and started walking over, I felt something. My Nomad was following me! I hadn't put the kickstand down! My shame/adrenalin redlined. I reached over and picked the bike up by the handlebars. Luckily my friends didnt have their cameras out yet although one of them did ask me to re-enact it to which I (im) politlely declined.

I've been kickstand ever since.

[cactusjack]

Now ask BD why people call him Mr. Poopypants.

[Bud2rat]

Originally Posted by carhag2000

My nickname is Kickstand on the VROC forum. I was on a trip up around Lake Superior and we stopped for breakfast one morning on the lake. Simply beautiful. We pulled into the parking lot and we were gazing out at the breakwater and lighthouse that was framed with the fog coming in.

I parked my bike and grabbed my camera out of my windhsield bag to go take some pictures. As I threw my leg over my Nomad and started walking over, I felt something. My Nomad was following me! I hadn't put the kickstand down! My shame/adrenalin redlined. I reached over and picked the bike up by the handlebars. Luckily my friends didnt have their cameras out yet although one of them did ask me to re-enact it to which I (im) politlely declined.

I've been kickstand ever since.

I, too, had a brain fart. 3 days after purchasing my bike, I pulled into the carport between my truck and the wife's car. I switched the bike off and simply stepped off the bike (not even thinking about the kickstand). As I stepped away, it fell over, missing my wife's car by 1/4".