V7 hepco becker hard luggage

[ilikepugs]

I bought a '13 V7 Special last year, and this year added the 20L hard luggage rack and saddle bags -- the discontinued ones. These guys:



It was an arduous process to get them.  When I first bought my bike, my dealer recommended I hold off buying them, because he was expecting a generic version of the identical hard bags to come out in a few months, without the Moto Guzzi logo, but for much, much cheaper.  This never happened, and after inquiring a few times I learned that they'd been discontinued.  My dealer had four sets left in stock, but they had been shipped to them with wrong mounting hardware, and he couldn't sell them until they got the right hardware, which I found out they finally did this month.  I ended up buying the last set he had in stock.  My dealer told me that they were probably the last set in the entire country.

After getting them mounted, I found that when I unlock the left bag from the mounting frame, I am unable to remove the key from the lock unless I turn the key back to the locked position.  With the right bag, and four of the locks to open the bags, the key can be inserted/removed from either the locked or unlocked position.  I can't understand why one of the locks functions differently from the others.

I asked my dealer about this, and they just kinda shrugged, and acknowledged that there was a difference with the one lock, but didn't think there was anything that could be done about it.  

It's a mild annoyance, but it does bother me.  I'd really like all of the locks to function the same way, and it's a bit of a pain not being able to remove the key from the lock when it's in the unlocked position.  For what I paid for them, I feel like they should be perfect, but considering that they're discontinued, how likely is it that I can get any satisfaction through the manufacturer?  

Failing that, would it be possible to have a locksmith take it apart and look at it and determine why the key won't come out, and possibly adjust something or de-burr something to make it work correctly?

[pyoungbl]

FWIW, on my HB bags the four locks that secure the bag opening don't have to be locked.  The two that secure the bags to the rack do have to be in the locked position in order to extract the key.
Peter Y.

[Kev m]

Couple of quick answers.

Never heard of 20L HB's.... But I've had the 30's and 40's.

The lock cylinders should all match, and you should only have to lock/unlock the rear one to mount/dismount.

You can replace the lock cylinders. Can't say if they can be disassembled also.

The HB's have always been available direct from HB for about the same money as from MG, but just with the HB Rhinoceros badge instead of the MG badge.

But yes, I think they've been discontinued as an OEM badged bag.

I think one of your lock cylinders is broken and it should be warrantied, as they aren't really discontinued.

[sib]

Couple of quick answers.

Never heard of 20L HB's.... But I've had the 30's and 40's.

The lock cylinders should all match, and you should only have to lock/unlock the rear one to mount/dismount.

You can replace the lock cylinders. Can't say if they can be disassembled also.

The HB's have always been available direct from HB for about the same money as from MG, but just with the HB Rhinoceros badge instead of the MG badge.

But yes, I think they've been discontinued as an OEM badged bag.

I think one of your lock cylinders is broken and it should be warrantied, as they aren't really discontinued.

I'll second all of Kev m's comments.  In addition to H&B 30-L side cases, I have a 45-L top case, which HAS been discontinued.  As far as I know, only 40-L and 50-L top cases are currently available.  The 45-L one is nice because it can contain a Shoei Neotec helmet.  I got my cases used from several sources.  It was reasonably inexpensive to get a matching set of locks from the US distributor, Moto Machines, so I need to carry only one key.  Also, both the H&B Rhino badge and the MG badge are available if you look around, so you can badge your cases any way you want.

[jas67]

I'll second all of Kev m's comments.  In addition to H&B 30-L side cases, I have a 45-L top case, which HAS been discontinued.  As far as I know, only 40-L and 50-L top cases are currently available.  The 45-L one is nice because it can contain a Shoei Neotec helmet.  I got my cases used from several sources.  It was reasonably inexpensive to get a matching set of locks from the US distributor, Moto Machines, so I need to carry only one key.  Also, both the H&B Rhino badge and the MG badge are available if you look around, so you can badge your cases any way you want.

Actually H&B make sell the 40L and 55L Junior top case.

I have a 45L Junior top case available, I'll take $150 for it -- PM me.

[Cam3512]

I can't remove the key from my HB topcase without returning it to the "locked" position.  Same for the GIVI case I had.  Must be a safety feature for the locks that secure the cases to the bike.

[jas67]

I can't remove the key from my topcase without returning it to the "locked" position.  Same for the GIVI case I had.  Must be a safety feature for the locks that secure the cases to the bike.

Which top case do you have?

It seems that most top cases are this way, except the H&B Junior.   I had a 50L H&B Journey.   It was that way.   I hated that.   That is why I sold it, and bought the 55L Junior.

With the Junior, I like that I don't have to fish the key out of my pocket when I get to work to get my stuff out.

[Cam3512]

Which top case do you have?

It seems that most top cases are this way, except the H&B Junior.   I had a 50L H&B Journey.   It was that way.   I hated that.   That is why I sold it, and bought the 55L Junior.

With the Junior, I like that I don't have to fish the key out of my pocket when I get to work to get my stuff out.

It's a HB, Journey I think.  Not a big deal for me, I only use the topcase for traveling.  More important is the fact that I can pop it on and off to carry into the tent or hotel.  Made a great 12 pack beer cooler last weekend!

[jas67]

It's a HB, Journey I think.  Not a big deal for me, I only use the topcase for traveling.  More important is the fact that I can pop it on and off to carry into the tent or hotel.  Made a great 12 pack beer cooler last weekend!

I did that with my Journey TC50 at the national in Buena Vista a few years back.   :BEER:

[sib]

My H&B 30-L side cases retain the key when the mounting latches are unlocked.  My 45-L top case doesn't.  I think it's an earlier production run, before H&B thought of using key-retaining mounting latches.  None of the cases retain the key when the compartment latches are unlocked.  I consider the key-retaining mounting latches to be a safety feature.  I wouldn't want to be going down the road, hit a bump, and suddenly have an unlocked mounting latch become unlatched.

[zokn]

My H&B side cases and top case, bought in the spring of 2014, require the mounting latches to be in the lock position to remove the key. This insures that they are correctly latched onto the brackets.

The latches that close the cases allow the key to be removed without being in the lock position, but I ride with them locked for safety.

[Kev m]

My H&B side cases and top case, bought in the spring of 2014, require the mounting latches to be in the lock position to remove the key. This insures that they are correctly latched onto the brackets.

The latches that close the cases allow the key to be removed without being in the lock position, but I ride with them locked for safety.

Maybe that's a running change they made over the years, cause most/all of my HB Juniors aren't like that... Except MAYBE the newest topcase, whose mounting latch lock cylinder, come to think if it, I always thought was a little screwed up.