You crashed your motorcycle and broke the locking rear latch off your Hepco & Becker sidecase? Don’t worry...we guarantee you’re not alone.
If this happens in the middle of your adventure ride somewhere, locating and coordinating the purchase of a replacement latch & parts sure can be difficult, especially if you’re outside the U.S. and Europe. (If you have the time for shipping, a good source for Hepco & Becker replacement parts is Eurotech Motorsports.) The boxes themselves are extremely durable though, and it’s likely that the broken latch will still be attached the box such that re-securing the sidecase to your motorcycle is really quite easy.
1) If you haven’t damaged the frame assembly on the side of the motorcycle, the sidecase should still slide into position without problems just as it would have before you popped it off.
2) Use about an 8 to 10 inch section of chain to wrap around the latch as it remains in the “open” position.
3) With a small key or padlock available from any corner store, lock the chain as tightly as possible around the frame assembly on the motorcycle and you’ll be right back where you started with a locked sidecase.
IMPORTANT: Because the rear latch will not be closed and clamping the sidecase tightly to the frame, the entire case is susceptible to falling off. One fix to prevent this is to run a simple winch or clamp strap around the sidecase and frame assembly. Without this or some other extra support, the front hook will not be kept in place and the case is sure to fall off while you’re riding.
This quick fix will get you riding again with the sidecase still safely locked to your motorcycle, but don’t crash again though and rip the entire chain latch off the box. Aside from having to explain another crash to your friends, fixing the sidecase will be much more difficult the 2nd time around!
Looking for a way to manage your water needs during a motorcycle adventure? Consider this plan and combination of travel gear to make clean water easy, low-cost, and always available to you.
Product Review: Klim Valdez Parka & Adventure Rally Pants
With the release of Yamaha's 1200 Super Tenere some time ago, and now Triumph's new Tiger 800 XC, it's quite clear that manufacturers are noticing the rising trend in dual-sport adventure riding taking place everywhere. Looks like we all have one more horse to adorn our stable with, soon.
Having just finished 7 weeks of motorcycle tours in Peru, here are some thoughts about why this fantastic country should not be overlooked when considering where to have your motorcycle trip:
Another famous point of interest for motorcycle riders riding through Peru is the Lineas de Nazca (Nazca Lines) just a few minutes north of the town of Nazca itself.
Created by the Nazca people between 400 and 650 AD, the lines were created by carving away red pebbles inherent to the land to reveal the white stone underneath. Most of these carvings are of birds, mammals, fish, and human figures, and can be over 600 feet wide. Because they are on flat ground and so large, viewing of the Nazca lines is best done from airplane overhead.
