Left saddlebag lid stuck

[Curley61]

I know how to open everything including the emergency release. However, the left saddlebag does not have the locking bar and the front latch is off. The back latch is attached. Not knowing for certain how it worked, I didn’t realize the problem I’d have getting that back latch unlatched and closed the bag lid. The emergency tab is in the down position and loose. I can pull it up and push it down. It’s obviously not connected to anything. Any ideas how to get that bag open?

This is on a 1994 GL1500 Interstate.

TIA

[WingAdmin]

I know how to open everything including the emergency release. However, the left saddlebag does not have the locking bar and the front latch is off. The back latch is attached. Not knowing for certain how it worked, I didn’t realize the problem I’d have getting that back latch unlatched and closed the bag lid. The emergency tab is in the down position and loose. I can pull it up and push it down. It’s obviously not connected to anything. Any ideas how to get that bag open?

This is on a 1994 GL1500 Interstate.

TIA

There is a round cutout on the side intended to give access to the brake bleeder. It's possible you could use that to access the interior and operate the latch from inside? I'd probably use an endoscopic "camera on a stick" device to help.

[Curley61]

I know how to open everything including the emergency release. However, the left saddlebag does not have the locking bar and the front latch is off. The back latch is attached. Not knowing for certain how it worked, I didn’t realize the problem I’d have getting that back latch unlatched and closed the bag lid. The emergency tab is in the down position and loose. I can pull it up and push it down. It’s obviously not connected to anything. Any ideas how to get that bag open?

This is on a 1994 GL1500 Interstate.

TIA

There is a round cutout on the side intended to give access to the brake bleeder. It's possible you could use that to access the interior and operate the latch from inside? I'd probably use an endoscopic "camera on a stick" device to help.

The problem is that the bar is disconnected and so is the latching mechanism at the front of the bag. The only thing connected and holding is the rear latch. I can’t see anything that would let me grab hold with a coat hanger. I’ve been fishing around inside for almost an hour with a coat hanger. Lol

Did you knows there is an unlimited number of ways and configurations to bend a coat hanger? Lol

[WingAdmin]

I know how to open everything including the emergency release. However, the left saddlebag does not have the locking bar and the front latch is off. The back latch is attached. Not knowing for certain how it worked, I didn’t realize the problem I’d have getting that back latch unlatched and closed the bag lid. The emergency tab is in the down position and loose. I can pull it up and push it down. It’s obviously not connected to anything. Any ideas how to get that bag open?

This is on a 1994 GL1500 Interstate.

TIA

There is a round cutout on the side intended to give access to the brake bleeder. It's possible you could use that to access the interior and operate the latch from inside? I'd probably use an endoscopic "camera on a stick" device to help.

The problem is that the bar is disconnected and so is the latching mechanism at the front of the bag. The only thing connected and holding is the rear latch. I can’t see anything that would let me grab hold with a coat hanger. I’ve been fishing around inside for almost an hour with a coat hanger. Lol

Did you knows there is an unlimited number of ways and configurations to bend a coat hanger? Lol

I think my approach would be to try to either shim it with a small thin piece of metal, or get to the screws holding the latch bar into the lid - unscrew those, and the lid becomes disconnected from the latch.

[Curley61]

The shimming didn’t work. I finally had to cut the connector between the two nuts holding the latch bracket. Once I did that I was able to remove the nuts and drop the latch. It took me awhile to get all the latch pieces back together correctly. It opens and closes the way it should. I also reconnected the emergency release.

Thanks