15 1200RT left side bag lid retaining strap not going back in

The right side bag works, opens so the lid is about horizontal and stops. The left side will open and drop so the lid almost hits the ground and the strap does not retract, must be some spring in there somewhere.
Is there an article/video showing how to take apart and re-assemble the small round thingy that the strap goes back into? Hope I have described the issue well enough.
If this is in the wrong forum, maybe the mods can put it into the correct one.

thanx... wolf h

wolfmax said:

The right side bag works, opens so the lid is about horizontal and stops. The left side will open and drop so the lid almost hits the ground and the strap does not retract, must be some spring in there somewhere.
Is there an article/video showing how to take apart and re-assemble the small round thingy that the strap goes back into? Hope I have described the issue well enough.
If this is in the wrong forum, maybe the mods can put it into the correct one.

thanx... wolf h

Click to expand...

It might just need the mechanism removed, rewound & tensioned then reinstalled (reminds me of a pull-start spring setup and I've had them "blow apart")
Shown by Factory Service DVD
(if it saves 1 visit to dealer @ $100+ labor rates it pays for itself!!)

Below is the instruction for installing it when new. If yours has no tension it might just need rewound but be careful as it appears to have no cover on the rear and could come apart with force.
<inserting legal disclaimer here >
I've never taken one apart as my bike has not yet been received LOL
Disassemble at your own risk

Dave
P.S.
Replacement part is 46 54 8529461 Cover holder, left $55.38

I removed my retractor once, and discovered that the spring is not contained.

It can be restored to function if you are patient. I managed to get mine rewound, and reinstalled. Later I found that it did not have enough tension to retract the cord all the way. The solution is to carefully remove it from the inside of the case, and apply one more turn of tension to the spring. The way the cord attaches, you can slip it out of its retainer, and pull the spring end around the outer circumference of the winding, and then re-attach the cord to the end-point. In my case, I found that I needed to do that twice to find the right amount of tension to reliably retract the cord when the case door is closed.

Cap

Wow, that's fast, awesome. "Retaining-strap mechanism", why couldn't I think of that?
I took it off the case, and yes, the spring went flying, now have to correctly wind it back up with the right tension and put it back, and Bob's my uncle.

This is very similar to putting a new starter rope on a Briggs-Stratton lawnmower.

thanx, wolf

A lot of fiddling around, you almost need 6 thumbs to hold the spring in place while you wind it up. I can see why there is part # 4, transport lock, made one up from a beer can, see pix.

It's done, Hi Bob.

Worth the $55 to just replace it. Mine had the same issue and no amount of rewinding and/or lack of 3 hands could help.

wolfmax said:

Wow, that's fast, awesome. "Retaining-strap mechanism", why couldn't I think of that?
I took it off the case, and yes, the spring went flying, now have to correctly wind it back up with the right tension and put it back, and Bob's my uncle.

This is very similar to putting a new starter rope on a Briggs-Stratton lawnmower.

thanx, wolf

Click to expand...

Don't say I didn't warn ya LOL

It happened to me too but with a twist. What happened was that the spring sprang out when I took it apart.
After six thumbing it together again, I understood that I had wound it the wrong way.
So six more thumbs later I had it rewound the right way. I guess pay attention if you take it apart or pay your dealer to do it.

Been through this a few times. The trick is to keep the spring from flying when removing and re-installing the retractor mechanism. Similar to wolfmax I use a piece of plastic cut from the lid of a kitchen container (image below). Loosen the two screws - slide the plastic in - remove the screws and pull the device out holding the spring in place with the plastic piece. Reverse for re-install. If the unit does come apart it can be a challenge to put back together but can be done with patience. It is important to rewind the spring in the correct direction (image below). Once that is done wind the spring as tightly as possible and then with the strap fully extended let the spring pull it back in. That will leave you with the spring at maximum tension. Images below are of the left side pannier mechanism.

Sometimes I wind a spring and secure the spring with nylon wire ties. Usually the ties are in the way for reinstalling the spring so I re-secure the spring with fishing line or the like and remove the ties. Once the spring is in place, the line is carefully snipped clear.
Not an exact science. Watch your fingers.
OM