Hole in my saddle bag!

[Dave77459]

I have a hole in the bottom of my left saddle bag. It is on the inside bottom edge, near the rear attachment point. (pics)

 

I rode about 250 miles on Friday, towing a trailer. The last 75 miles were in heavy rain.

 

Saturday night, I went to dinner and noticed a plastic piece on the garage floor.

 

When I took off the saddle bag to wash the bike today, I found where the plastic came from.

 

So, what can I use to reattach it? The break is quite jagged, with lots of connection surface. Maybe J-B Weld? Marine epoxy? Warranty?

 

Then, any ideas on what caused the hole? I notice that the place of the break is unusual in that there is road grime there. Maybe some hot oil heated it, and the rain cooled it, causing the break?

 

Help and ideas are appreciated.

 

Dave

[V7Goose]

No idea what caused the break. Highly unlikely that it would be replaced under warranty, but worth a try. Any pipe joint compound marked specifically for ABS will repair it perfectly and permanently.

Goose

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Road debris caused that.

 

[Flyinfool]

Possibly a rock kicked up off the tire?

Something loose and rolling around inside the bag?

Is there any damage or mark to indicate an impact from either inside or outside?

[Dave77459]

There is no visible impact spot. One of the more interesting clues is that the piece remained with the bike until it parked in the garage. I'd'a thought that if there was an impact wound, the piece would have fallen off entransit and been lost, or pushed into the saddle bag.

 

 

No idea what caused the break. Highly unlikely that it would be replaced under warranty, but worth a try. Any pipe joint compound marked specifically for ABS will repair it perfectly and permanently.

Goose

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Is this something to be found in a big box store?

 

Dave

[rumboogy]

You gotta wife?

 

Whenever something is MISSING or TORE UP around my bike (or computer room)...I go straight to my wife, who always intially says, "I don't know what you're talking about"...then proceeds to confess SOMETHING related to my questioning.

 

Yep...check the wife!!

[Guest tx2sturgis]

There is no visible impact spot. One of the more interesting clues is that the piece remained with the bike until it parked in the garage. I'd'a thought that if there was an impact wound, the piece would have fallen off entransit and been lost, or pushed into the saddle bag.

 

 

Dave

 

Don't you have the thin saddlebag floor cushion in there? The debris may have been kicked up by the tire or wheel, or bounced off the pavement after being kicked up by the front tire or another vehicle. Either way, once the plastic broke, the piece may have been 'wedged' between the jagged edge of the saddlebag, and the saddlebag floor cushion/mat. It could ride that way for miles...or days!

 

Just repair it and things are good again. I wouldnt put in an insurance or warranty claim for this. Just random bad luck.

 

[Dave77459]

You gotta wife?

 

Whenever something is MISSING or TORE UP around my bike (or computer room)...I go straight to my wife, who always intially says, "I don't know what you're talking about"...then proceeds to confess SOMETHING related to my questioning.

 

Yep...check the wife!!

 

Come to think of it, she was riding with me! I'll get the truth out of her!

 

Don't you have the thin saddlebag floor cushion in there? The debris may have been kicked up by the tire or wheel, or bounced off the pavement after being kicked up by the front tire or another vehicle. Either way, once the plastic broke, the piece may have been 'wedged' between the jagged edge of the saddlebag, and the saddlebag floor cushion/mat. It could ride that way for miles...or days!

 

Just repair it and things are good again. I wouldnt put in an insurance or warranty claim for this. Just random bad luck.

 

I do have that thing foam cushion. Maybe the broken piece rode along until I opened the saddle bag when I got home, and flexed the bag somewhat. Or broke an air seal.

 

I'll see if I can scare up some ABS pipe joint compound and call it good.

 

Dave

[Rick Butler]

Dave,

 

Go to the plumbing section of Home Depot or Lowes and you will find it with the PVC glue. What you are looking for is a small red Oatley can that is general purpose joint compound for PVC/CPVC/ABS. You will also see a small yellow can of cleaner that works well to clean the connection and help soften up the ABS. Just clean both pieces, put glue sparingly on the broken piece and put it back together and hold it for a minute or so. Wipe off the excess and you are good to go.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[RandyR]

I've got one I need to glue up too.

 

What about using a piece of fiber glass cloth inside to strengthen it up a bit?

[davecb]

Is it possible the saddlebag was put on without the spacer in it, and tightened down? This will make that occur...

[Dave77459]

Dave,

 

Go to the plumbing section of Home Depot or Lowes and you will find it with the PVC glue. What you are looking for is a small red Oatley can that is general purpose joint compound for PVC/CPVC/ABS. You will also see a small yellow can of cleaner that works well to clean the connection and help soften up the ABS. Just clean both pieces, put glue sparingly on the broken piece and put it back together and hold it for a minute or so. Wipe off the excess and you are good to go.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

 

Rick, I did just that. Ended up with black plastic finger tips, LOL. It's now curing for the next day or so. I set it upside down, and went to look for something in it this morning. When I opened it, I got a strong whiff of the cement. So now it is laying on it's side with the door open. I've heard that if you can still smell it, it is still hardening.

 

It was a perfect fit, BTW.

 

I've got one I need to glue up too.

 

What about using a piece of fiber glass cloth inside to strengthen it up a bit?

 

That is one of my fallback plans. I hope the cement works.

 

Is it possible the saddlebag was put on without the spacer in it, and tightened down? This will make that occur...

 

Actually, that did happen. Not tightened, but I was without the spacer a month or two ago for a few weeks. Amazing to think that it could have been hanging there for a month, and happened to fall out in the garage!

 

Dave