rusty1945
05-12-2006, 08:36 AM
Dropped the RT off for it’s 600 mile service Tues evening and picked it up Wed. The service tech asked me to remove the saddle bags so they would have more room to maneuver and I did. Put the bags in the back seat of the car.
The first thing I did when I went to pick up the bike was to re-mount the saddlebags – very easy to do on the new RT’s. So I go to open the bag, push the button and lift up on the latch and, and, the bag would not open. Tried the other side, same thing – WTF. I tried harder and no dice, both bags were stuck shut. Embarassed, I got a service tech out there and he couldn’t budge them either. So he took one inside the dealership to “work” on it. I stayed out a few minutes trying to get the other one open and then went inside to find him there with the open saddlebag! He said after trying a few minutes the bag finally opened with a loud whooooooooosh, pop. The sound similar to opening a vacuum packed coffee can.
It seems that somehow a pressure difference developed from the bags sitting in the car in the sun all day. When the bag was taken indoors in the a/c, it cooled enough to reduce the vacuum. I went outside and tugged a little harder on the other bag and whoooooooosh, pop, it opened.
So what have we learned grasshopper? The RT saddlebags are not only waterproof, but darn near air tight as well. What I don’t understand is why this has never happened with the bags on the bike; it only happened after they were sitting in the car for a day. I’m wondering if it’ll happen when we start getting temps in the 90’s around here.
The first thing I did when I went to pick up the bike was to re-mount the saddlebags – very easy to do on the new RT’s. So I go to open the bag, push the button and lift up on the latch and, and, the bag would not open. Tried the other side, same thing – WTF. I tried harder and no dice, both bags were stuck shut. Embarassed, I got a service tech out there and he couldn’t budge them either. So he took one inside the dealership to “work” on it. I stayed out a few minutes trying to get the other one open and then went inside to find him there with the open saddlebag! He said after trying a few minutes the bag finally opened with a loud whooooooooosh, pop. The sound similar to opening a vacuum packed coffee can.
It seems that somehow a pressure difference developed from the bags sitting in the car in the sun all day. When the bag was taken indoors in the a/c, it cooled enough to reduce the vacuum. I went outside and tugged a little harder on the other bag and whoooooooosh, pop, it opened.
So what have we learned grasshopper? The RT saddlebags are not only waterproof, but darn near air tight as well. What I don’t understand is why this has never happened with the bags on the bike; it only happened after they were sitting in the car for a day. I’m wondering if it’ll happen when we start getting temps in the 90’s around here.