View Full Version : Heads Up For Harley Owners
I lost a saddle bag between 75 and 80mph yesterday. I felt it go and caught a glimpse of it as it slid into the ditch. I was by myself coming back from a lunch ride with some buddies. Thank goodness I didn't ride back with the gang otherwise it might of caused an accident.
It appeared that the dzus pins came loose/backed out. I take the bags off when I detail clean the bike and to check tire pressures, but I make damned sure the dzus pins are fastened correctly.
I got online and found that apparently there have been problems with this happening. I was not aware of the issue, so wanted to pass it on.
It is enough of an issue that several folks are selling kits to replace the dzus fasteners. The kits run from 22 to 35 dollars from what I saw.
I said the heck with that and bought (2) 5/16 extruded 'u' nuts; (2) 5/16 bolts; 2 fender washers; and 2 lock washers from Ace Hardware. Cost me $6 and change.
Use a screw driver to remove the front dzus plate and install the 'u' nut, make sure the fender washer is large enough to cover the grommet on the bag. I just put an old 1/2 wrench in the HD tool in case I need to take them off on the road.
The rear dzus fasteners remain in place, although you could do all four.
Last winter I had a ding taken out of the front fender and had the fender repainted, that was almost 400.00 (learn to pinstripe, you'll be rich) this is much more gnarly, we'll see what it costs to fix this winter.
Don't let this happen to your bike.
I’ll check the Ultra tomorrow. I never take the bags off, but worth a look see. Thanks.
What model bike? There isn’t a dzus fastener anywhere on my Heritage Softail. Maybe accessory mounting has changed in the 15 years since I bought the thing?
ETA: never mind...the bags for my FLSTCI are rigidly mounted and have been the same model and non-dzus mounting hardware since 2000. They won't be flying off anytime soon.
ETA: never mind...the bags for my FLSTCI are rigidly mounted and have been the same model and non-dzus mounting hardware since 2000. They won't be flying off anytime soon.
Same here. I went and looked just to make sure.
What model bike? There isn’t a dzus fastener anywhere on my Heritage Softail. Maybe accessory mounting has changed in the 15 years since I bought the thing?
ETA: never mind...the bags for my FLSTCI are rigidly mounted and have been the same model and non-dzus mounting hardware since 2000. They won't be flying off anytime soon.
Mine is a FLHXS Street Glide Special, so it has the rigid fiberglass bags.
On a side note, if you guys are ever in the market for a newer Harley, test ride a Street Glide, you might like riding behind the fairing, I love it.
Mine is a FLHXS Street Glide Special, so it has the rigid fiberglass bags.
On a side note, if you guys are ever in the market for a newer Harley, test ride a Street Glide, you might like riding behind the fairing, I love it.
That's a nice bike but I'm pretty much a bugs-in-the-teeth kind of motorcyclist. I mostly even pull the windshield unless it's some kind of road trip.
http://ssequine.net/bike.jpg
Adrenaline_6
09-05-18, 12:20
That's weird. Dzus fasteners hold bodywork together on race bikes. Never saw or heard of a problem.
wildcard600
09-05-18, 13:32
That's weird. Dzus fasteners hold bodywork together on race bikes. Never saw or heard of a problem.
The entirety of the body work on a race/track bike probably weighs less than a single saddlebag though. Add in the fact that on a typical race bike there will be a dozen or more fasteners in various locations over a couple of square feet. Loads and stresses are much different as a result.
On my track bike I just have flimsy zip ties holding the bodywork on as do quite a few actual racers that I know. That way in a crash if the fairings try to leave the bike the zip tie will usually break, or just crack the panel and allow the tie to slip out instead of ripping a large chunk or hole out like with a typical fastener. I sure as hell wouldn't try to zip tie a saddlebag on though.
Adrenaline_6
09-05-18, 14:15
The entirety of the body work on a race/track bike probably weighs less than a single saddlebag though. Add in the fact that on a typical race bike there will be a dozen or more fasteners in various locations over a couple of square feet. Loads and stresses are much different as a result.
On my track bike I just have flimsy zip ties holding the bodywork on as do quite a few actual racers that I know. That way in a crash if the fairings try to leave the bike the zip tie will usually break, or just crack the panel and allow the tie to slip out instead of ripping a large chunk or hole out like with a typical fastener. I sure as hell wouldn't try to zip tie a saddlebag on though.
True, but the OP said they just backed out, not ripped out.
wildcard600
09-05-18, 14:38
True, but the OP said they just backed out, not ripped out.
I get that, I was just pointing out that a saddlebag is probably going to have much more weight/stress on it and be attached with 1/6th as many fasteners as a fairing will. Like I said, zip ties will hold bodywork on just fine as will dzus fasteners, doesn't necessarily make either suitable for attaching saddlebags however.
Averageman
09-05-18, 14:57
I have those fasteners on the saddle bags on my Road King and although I haven't lost a saddlebag, I have to check them often as they back out quite regularly.
Somewhere an engineer is working overtime to come up with stuff like this just to piss me off.
yea the old hardware on the hard bags sucks. The 17+ ratchet attachment is solid. If one of the bags fall off of my 18 Ultra Limited, I got MUCH bigger problems.
There was a recall on the 14-15 bag mounting hardware...
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2015/RCRIT-15V427-3947.pdf
yea the old hardware on the hard bags sucks. The 17+ ratchet attachment is solid. If one of the bags fall off of my 18 Ultra Limited, I got MUCH bigger problems.
There was a recall on the 14-15 bag mounting hardware...
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2015/RCRIT-15V427-3947.pdf
Mine is a 2016. The receptacle in figure 1 is configured differently on mine, the back section is wider (assuming the drawing is accurate).
I rode 461 miles yesterday (I know because it rained all day and I wanted to see how dumb I was) and the fix I outlined worked.
The dzus style fasteners are used on the real road bikes. Road Kings and Glides. I put 80k mile on a RK Classic in 5 years! The leather wrapped plastic bags couldn't be locked so I would remove them and bring into my room every night when traveling. Same with the tour pack. The engagement surfaces on the fasteners would stretch if they were not aligned when twisting them on. SS is pretty soft. I have squeezed them with pliers and adjusted them with a small hammer but was it enough of a problem that I carried spares. If you insert both pins and jiggle them before toggling them closed it will not be a problem. If you insert and toggle one pin closed and then the other it will be.
yea the old hardware on the hard bags sucks. The 17+ ratchet attachment is solid. If one of the bags fall off of my 18 Ultra Limited, I got MUCH bigger problems
That. I've got the '17 Ultra Ltd... Once I remembered that I had the new bag mount system, I knew I was GTG. I love this bike.
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