Loose trunk
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- Stoogefan
- Streetster
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:01 pm
- 8
- Current bike(s): 1988 Kawasaki Voyager 1300
- Location: SW Ontario, Canada
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Loose trunk
Evening all. Question for ya's ...
The trunk guides on my `88 are pretty beat up and worn. It's getting to the point where the trunk seems so loose that my Mrs. isn't as comfy riding .... "I might fall off"
I've called 4 or 5 dealers in my area looking for replacements to find out that they all say the same thing ... discontinued.
Has anyone come up with a good way of tightening things up ?
Thanks ....
The trunk guides on my `88 are pretty beat up and worn. It's getting to the point where the trunk seems so loose that my Mrs. isn't as comfy riding .... "I might fall off"
I've called 4 or 5 dealers in my area looking for replacements to find out that they all say the same thing ... discontinued.
Has anyone come up with a good way of tightening things up ?
Thanks ....
"Stoogefan"
Jeff - SW Ontario, Canada
Jeff - SW Ontario, Canada
- Lucasind
- King of the Road
- Posts: 1790
- Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:44 pm
- 11
- Current bike(s): 2003 Voyager 1200
1988 Voyager 1200
1985 Voyager 1300
2008 Concourse 1400
1985 LTD 1100
1981 CSR 1000
1981 CSR 650
1979 KZ 650
1973 XL 350
1988 Eliminator
1975 CB 125
1965 S 65
and a bunch of parts ! - Location: Toledo, OH
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Re: Loose trunk
Jeff,Since no one has responded to your question .... You may have to be the leader on this one !
Verify what is causing your "loose" condition and maybe snap a couple pics of what ya find ?
After all... having the Mrs. fall off the back of the bike would likely be the end of the bike
Verify what is causing your "loose" condition and maybe snap a couple pics of what ya find ?
After all... having the Mrs. fall off the back of the bike would likely be the end of the bike
90% OF ANY JOB ...IS GETTING STARTED !
- Stoogefan
- Streetster
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:01 pm
- 8
- Current bike(s): 1988 Kawasaki Voyager 1300
- Location: SW Ontario, Canada
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Re: Loose trunk
Great idea. Once I figure out how to attach a photo to my post, I'll do that.Lucasind wrote:maybe snap a couple pics of what ya find ?
Thanks ....
"Stoogefan"
Jeff - SW Ontario, Canada
Jeff - SW Ontario, Canada
- Mr Jensee
- King of the Road
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Home Phone disconnected.
Previous bikes. Yamaha 180, Honda CM200T, Suzuki 1000LNKawasaki ZRX1100. - Location: Lafayette, La
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Re: Loose trunk
When I got my 1200 it was a low mileage pristine bike, but I also noticed the trunk was loose. I took it off the bike and figured out it was missing the nylon pieces that isolated the bolts from the track that allows the trunk to slide back and forth. I can only assume at one point the original owner had to remove the trunk and never put the nylon pieces back on. No amount of tightening would have have fixed that. I ordered the missing pieces and now everything is fine 20,000 miles later.
For Voyager XII Manuals click the link below.
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ao3K0Ai2gvglgS3l7J4pBJrjfBhc
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ao3K0Ai2gvglgS3l7J4pBJrjfBhc
- Me Again
- King of the Road
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- 16
- Current bike(s): 1988 1300 Voyager
- Location: Wisconsin
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Re: Loose trunk
The problem is there are a number of things that cause a loose trunk ,from loose screws to broken rails (which I find the most common )
On one of mine I had a jar of nails in the trunk and it bounced and blew the whole bottom out.
Yup. Pull the trunk and take a look ,then let us know.
On one of mine I had a jar of nails in the trunk and it bounced and blew the whole bottom out.
Yup. Pull the trunk and take a look ,then let us know.
- ekap1200
- Master Fabricator
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Re: Loose trunk
If it works as the 1200 's and has plastic sliders in the front and trapped guide in the rear, I make those front plastic one's out of delrin. Check it out and see what you need , I may be able to fabricate something for you .
Gene Kap.
Gene Kap.
- These users liked ekap1200's post:
- Kilarneyinfors (Tue Sep 06, 2022 2:24 pm)
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"Its not bad if you don't know something, but when you don't know you don't know; That's when your in trouble". Joe Place 1912-2008 (my grandfather)
- trikebldr
- Elite Tourer
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- 10
- Current bike(s): '82 Kawasaki KZ750 Spectre
'82 Kawasaki KZ1100D Spectre
'84 Kawasaki Voyager 1300 with
'79 Vetter Terraplane sidecar
'85 Kawasaki Voyager 1300
2001 Kawasaki ZG1200 Voyager XII - Location: Independence, MO.
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Re: Loose trunk
The 1300's trunk guides on two steel-cored delrin slides. Even brand new bikes had broken delrin molded around the steel cores. Even broken, the delrin still stays in place to do it's job, so you will NEVER find a non-broken guide for these trunks. Being broken is not the issue. And, once in a while you can find these guides on eBay. I just bought a used set (see pics) last week for my project to make a kennel mount for my dog. Although these show broken plastic around the steel base, this is how they also looked new from the factory! Strange thing is, they may crack badly, but none of that plastic ever falls off, so they work just as well (still loose!) as if they didn't crack.
The tubes these guides locate around are .755" diameter, and the point inside the guide where the tube rests, it's .835" wide. The worst part is that they are spaced too far apart, so slotting their screw holes and moving them closer together is the best solution. That will take care of most of the side-to-side twist, but nothing will remove the fore/aft rocking completely. Of course, some all new, redesigned guides could be made to be adjustable in all directions, but how far are you willing to go for that? It's just one of the idiosyncracies these bikes were born with!
Even when new these bikes had what seemed like loose trunks. The bottom of the trunk has a stamped steel plate inside to reinforce everything. You CAN slightly tighten up the guides if you use a Dremel and a drill and carefully slot the screw holes for these slides to move them about 1/8"-3/16" closer together. Just be very careful to move them equally inward or they will cause the locking/positioning mechanism to bind.
These guides also locate the trunk so the locking mechanism works properly. If you make a replacement from a block of delrin, it has to be the same dimensions as original or the locking/positioning mechanism will bind.
I've had three of these 1300's, and even my brand new '83 had a trunk as loose as my current 84 and '85 Voyagers.
The tubes these guides locate around are .755" diameter, and the point inside the guide where the tube rests, it's .835" wide. The worst part is that they are spaced too far apart, so slotting their screw holes and moving them closer together is the best solution. That will take care of most of the side-to-side twist, but nothing will remove the fore/aft rocking completely. Of course, some all new, redesigned guides could be made to be adjustable in all directions, but how far are you willing to go for that? It's just one of the idiosyncracies these bikes were born with!
Even when new these bikes had what seemed like loose trunks. The bottom of the trunk has a stamped steel plate inside to reinforce everything. You CAN slightly tighten up the guides if you use a Dremel and a drill and carefully slot the screw holes for these slides to move them about 1/8"-3/16" closer together. Just be very careful to move them equally inward or they will cause the locking/positioning mechanism to bind.
These guides also locate the trunk so the locking mechanism works properly. If you make a replacement from a block of delrin, it has to be the same dimensions as original or the locking/positioning mechanism will bind.
I've had three of these 1300's, and even my brand new '83 had a trunk as loose as my current 84 and '85 Voyagers.
- trikebldr
- Elite Tourer
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- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:34 pm
- 10
- Current bike(s): '82 Kawasaki KZ750 Spectre
'82 Kawasaki KZ1100D Spectre
'84 Kawasaki Voyager 1300 with
'79 Vetter Terraplane sidecar
'85 Kawasaki Voyager 1300
2001 Kawasaki ZG1200 Voyager XII - Location: Independence, MO.
- Has liked: 0
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Re: Loose trunk
BTW, I can assure you that your wife will not fall off the back! Even if all of the delrin fell off the steel bases, these guides would still hold the trunk in place safely. And, the whole bottom of the trunk would have to rip off before the rest would fall off. Not likely!
- trikebldr
- Elite Tourer
- Posts: 749
- Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:34 pm
- 10
- Current bike(s): '82 Kawasaki KZ750 Spectre
'82 Kawasaki KZ1100D Spectre
'84 Kawasaki Voyager 1300 with
'79 Vetter Terraplane sidecar
'85 Kawasaki Voyager 1300
2001 Kawasaki ZG1200 Voyager XII - Location: Independence, MO.
- Has liked: 0
- Been liked: 1 time
Re: Loose trunk
Just wanted to post some detail pics of the mounting system for the 1300's trunk while I was working on mine.
First pic shows the steel reinforcing plate inside the trunk.
2nd, 3rd and 4th pics show the mounts (slides) and latching mechanism under the trunk.
5th and 6th pics show the latch details and the frame tongue that it works with to give two positions for the rider, then allowing it to be removed.
7th and 8th pics just show the slides clamped in place, plus the latch in place over the frame tongue.
If you look at the 5th and 7th pics you can see the 1/8" thick band that keeps the latch in place around the tongue, even if the two slides were to fall off. That latch will not let the trunk fall off!
BTW, these pics are of my bike. Notice, those slides are all cracked just like the earlier pics I posted of some used slides. The last two pics are of the used slides and latch that I am using on my kennel base mount.
First pic shows the steel reinforcing plate inside the trunk.
2nd, 3rd and 4th pics show the mounts (slides) and latching mechanism under the trunk.
5th and 6th pics show the latch details and the frame tongue that it works with to give two positions for the rider, then allowing it to be removed.
7th and 8th pics just show the slides clamped in place, plus the latch in place over the frame tongue.
If you look at the 5th and 7th pics you can see the 1/8" thick band that keeps the latch in place around the tongue, even if the two slides were to fall off. That latch will not let the trunk fall off!
BTW, these pics are of my bike. Notice, those slides are all cracked just like the earlier pics I posted of some used slides. The last two pics are of the used slides and latch that I am using on my kennel base mount.