Bad luck became better luck.

[JohnT]

A friend is building a garage and has enlisted the help of some friends. On my way over I decide to take the long way and grab breakfast first, then I went over to Luke's. A few hours later I went to the bike for something and FREAKED. Cuss words were spewing and I was ranting and raving. The guys thought I had lost my mind.
My shifter side saddlebag cover was gone.
I figured I would retrace my steps to the diner and then to my house and back to the diner and back to Luke's to see things from both directions.
As I pull into the diner parking lot the cover was leaning against a utility pole. Thank God for a nice person. It was very nearly unnoticeable, unless you were looking for it.
This is twice now that I have dodged this bullet. The last time a guy cut me off and stopped in front of me, got out of his car, (now I am really paying attention as he opens his rear door) and gets my saddlebag cover out of the backseat. He actually stopped to pick it up and get it back to me.
Has anyone attached web straps to the inside of the cover and the bag? (Yeah, like HD does) I may want to do something as it seems I am losing my mind and keep forgetting to latch my bags.

[ekap1200]

Here is a little trick I use, I always leave the key in the lock when opening the bags. Just a reminder to lock them.....

[Lucasind]

This has been discussed here before , here is a link to one of those threads :

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8362&p=63404&hilit=tethers#p63404" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mr Jensee]

Very simple to make tethers for you lids. The lids cost over $400 if you can still get them from suppliers. I used some heavy gauge weed whacker line. On the ends I put #15 ring terminals (an electrical part) crimped them on tightly with a wire crimper and made them just under 12" long. I tethered both front and rear to the existing little acorn nuts on the inside of the latches. Make them just long enough so you can pull the lid and hang it on the side of the saddlebags. The rubber gasket in the lid will act as a protection for the paint when open. Takes maybe and hour to do this and will save you a mountain of grief later.

[JohnT]

Very simple to make tethers for you lids. The lids cost over $400 if you can still get them from suppliers. I used some heavy gauge weed whacker line. On the ends I put #15 ring terminals (an electrical part) crimped them on tightly with a wire crimper and made them just under 12" long. I tethered both front and rear to the existing little acorn nuts on the inside of the latches. Make them just long enough so you can pull the lid and hang it on the side of the saddlebags. The rubber gasket in the lid will act as a protection for the paint when open. Takes maybe and hour to do this and will save you a mountain of grief later.

Sweet. I was thinking web strap but had not come up with a good way to fasten it. I like your idea. I really need to make this idiot proof. (with me being the idiot in question)

[Jimvoyager01]

Hi Carthage---I used fishing leaders as lid tethers--they come with eyes already on---good luck

[kjsett]

I will look, but i used heavy duty Boot laces double strung with attachment points from Home Depot and clip them with a pair of small climbing clips (60 year old brain, what do they call those things??? ).
I will update with my info when i find them.
Ken
This was my Post from 2013:
Hi, I finally made tethers for my 03 XII and it is so much better. I don't have to worry about setting them down somewhere where they will fall off and get damaged. I would avoid getting into them because of this. Now I just have to make sure the small compartment is latched so stuff doesn't fall out.

I will find my pictures I took and add a post of what I did. But I did approach it from a what would happen if they got loose. I figured that there would be a shock factor and that there would also be flexing and such. I decided not to use terminal connectors because when flexed they will eventually crimp and break. After all they are only made of aluminum or some other soft metal. They are to conduct electricity not hold structurally. I went with heavy boot laces because they are designed to hold under stress and have a certain amount of shock factor. But I did want to be able to remove the lid, so used carabiners to allow that. I did drill 4 holes in the lid, but used the latch mount's bottom 2 bolts to mount a thing to. Right now can't remember what they are called, but they weren't expensive and found them at Home Depot. I also got metric nylon keeper nuts to replace out the stock nuts. I find the oem nuts on the latches keep loosening. I took several looks at the lid and made sure that everything would work before I drilled, even though the Stainless nuts with a rubberized washer will be on the back side.

[Me Again]

I will look, but i used heavy duty Boot laces double strung with attachment points from Home Depot and clip them with a pair of small climbing clips (60 year old brain, what do they call those things??? ).

I also used the heavy boot laces ,but I just used electrical connectors to hold them.
Never have to worry about scratching the bag or cutting the seals

[biker22]

I had an old wing 86 there was a cord going from the bag thru the lid then back into the bag. So when you opened the bag the cord was long enough so the lid would hand on the side of the saddle bag, I was able to do this to my Voyager also by drilling a hole thru the small latched compartment. in the lid. I just used a shoe lace. No more flying off lids. :-)

[823JIM]

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8362&p=63452&hilit= ... ose#p63452" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I found this elsewhere in this forum and copied it on mine. Very happy with how well this works.

[Thud300]

I will look, but i used heavy duty Boot laces double strung with attachment points from Home Depot and clip them with a pair of small climbing clips (60 year old brain, what do they call those things??? ).

"carabiners"