XS Saddlebags with XJ Air Shocks

[3Phase]

I've hit a snag putting the saddlebags on my XS with the XJ air shocks.

The air crossover line male connector needs to be replaced with a 45° elbow because the air shock crossover line is too close to the saddlebag mounting bracket.


If I hit a bump it's going to snap the connector or, more likely, break the fitting out of the top of the aluminum shock.

Here's the current connector. I believe it is a JIS 3/8" - 19 with 60° cone x 5/16" -19 BSPT with o-ring face.



I may have located a replacement I can make work but it's 3/8" -19 x 3/8" - 19 with no o-ring so I'd have to drill and tap the top of the air shock and fit an o-ring to the elbow:

Parker 6V3P4
45° Male Elbow
60° Cone / BSPT


If I removed the helmet lock and ground off it's mounting tab I could put the shocks on without the 45° elbow BUT that would put the Schrader valve behind the saddlebag. It would be almost impossible to put air in the shocks.

I could put Schrader valves on both shocks and eliminate the crossover line but that would be almost as annoying as removing the saddlebag to fill the shocks.

So, today I'm waiting for an email reply from the good people at the Parker Hannifin Corporation in Columbus, Ohio to see if they have a fitting I can use.

Onward and upward!


Regards,

Scott

[Hepcat]

What about grinding a notch/hammering an indentation in the saddlebag mount bracket? Maybe not the ideal answer, but it would be easy to do. If you can find the 45 degree fitting, go for it! If not, break out the ball peen hammer!

[3Phase]

What about grinding a notch/hammering an indentation in the saddlebag mount bracket? Maybe not the ideal answer, but it would be easy to do. If you can find the 45 degree fitting, go for it! If not, break out the ball peen hammer!

That's close, Hepcat.

There isn't enough material to cut or grind anything off, it's a major part of the front of the saddle bag mount bracket support.

I had no luck finding an elbow. Take care of all your air shock fittings, folks, because they'll probably have to be drilled and tapped to something more modern and avaialble in the US if you break the hose or any of the hardware.

Here is the XJ air shock hardware clearance with the saddlebag mount bracket after a slight modification with a wooden dowel and a hammer.





The rough edges in the second picture are the paint cracking off, not the aluminum. I'm afraid the paint needs a little touching up but the clearance is okay now. I'll have to keep an eye on it after riding for a while to see if it shifts and starts to get too close again!


Regards,

Scott

[bikerphil]

Scott, couldn't you use some of those plastic lines, you know, the modern type air shock lines and their smaller fittings? JAT

[GARTHXS]

2001 space odyssey?

Did you get out some of that monkey rage?

[3Phase]

Scott, couldn't you use some of those plastic lines, you know, the modern type air shock lines and their smaller fittings? JAT

Yep, that'd be the next step, Phil. I don't have any metric thread gauges and I was kind of hoping someone here had replaced the fittings before. A web search for the Yamaha air line part number turned up nothing and the guy at the hydraulic shop put that goofy fitting into every threaded hole checker he had and it didn't fit any of them, either. The end with the Japanese 60 degree cone threaded okay and he had fittings for it but not the ends with the o-rings.

It's possible to drill and tap for new fittings and air line but I'd rather not buy new hardware, take off the bags and shocks, drain the shocks, drill, tap, then refill the shocks and fit the new line and hardware and assemble it all again.

It's more than I want to do since nothing is actually broken at the moment and it's mostly about preventing trouble down the road.

Did you get out some of that monkey rage?

Oh yeah! The shocks don't actually move that much from rest to full travel so I'll repaint the bracket tomorrow after I torture-test the suspension some more and do some hard riding to see if it's going to hold up.


Regards,

Scott

[Jerry]

Scott:

What saddlebags are you using? On my XJ with Vetter bags I have no problems putting air in the shocks as the Scrader valve (On the left-hand shock) points slightly forward. I don't have to remove the bag to put air in the system. Just curious.

[3Phase]

Scott:

What saddlebags are you using? On my XJ with Vetter bags I have no problems putting air in the shocks as the Scrader valve (On the left-hand shock) points slightly forward. I don't have to remove the bag to put air in the system. Just curious.

That's a very good question Jerry. Your shocks have the Schrader valve on the left?

I have no idea whose saddlebags these are and I have assumed I had XJ air shocks but the Schrader valve is on the right-hand side pointing forward with the warning label out and damper adjuster wheel accessible, not on the left-hand side.

If I flipped the shock around to the left-hand side of the bike and kept the warning label out and the damper adjuster wheel accessible then the Schrader valve would be pointing toward the rear of the bike behind the front corner of the left-hand bag.


Here are some new pictures:

The unknown-to-me brand of XS1100 saddlebag that looks like it should have either a surfboard and extra luggage or Daisy Moses with her shotgun and rocking chair mounted on it...




The Schrader valve pointing toward the front of the bike and the warning label are visible on the right-hand-mounted air shock along with a chicken strip on the tire.




Here's the modified left-hand saddlebag mounting bracket clearance for the air shock and its crossover air line. The bracket is not actually touching the shock eye. The helmet lock with its mounting tab would have to be removed if the shocks were flipped around to put the air crossover line on the front of the shocks and you can see a rearward-facing Schrader valve would be behind the front corner of the saddlebag.





Regards,

Scot

[Jerry]

I'll take some photos tonight, but I am sure my XJ's rear air shock schrader valve is on the left as you are sitting on the bike, decal is to the inside, and valve points slightly forward. I can remove the knurled valve cover cap and add air without taking the Vetter bag off its frame. Will double-check tonight when I get home.

Its snowing at the moment, so I had to drive the cage to work.

[trbig]

Jerry, did you or someone else maybe turn that shock around for better access under the bags? On all my XJs, that valve is on the left shock, facing the rear, with the stickers and dampening adjuster to the outside.


Tod

[Schming]

Jat...

Would it make any sense to flip the shocks as stated to have clearance for the crossover line and extend the air inlet with a stainless one like dually's use for accessability?

[3Phase]

Thank you Jerry and Tod!

Schming, that could work... <tapping teef> I really don't want to grind off the helmet lock but I might have to do something like that if Plan A doesn't work. Maybe Plan 9 from Outer Space.


I went for a ride today with no air in the shocks so they'd tend to put the fitting into the bracket if there wasn't enough clearance. There's no problem so far.

While I was up and running around I stopped by the local locksmith shop and got the bad news about keys for the saddlebag locks: no keys or replacement locks.

To console myself I boiled the rubber seal strips from the tops of both bags and the one lid in hot water to clean them and hopefully get them into better shape. The rubber cleaned up nicely, all of the old adhesive came out easily and their shape returned to almost like new. I applied fresh adhesive and tacked one seal into place on the right-hand bag. It's clamped in place and I'll check it tomorrow to see if it's going to hold while I think about what to do about the locks.

Regards,

Scott

[Jerry]

Trbig has it right...valve is on the left shock but points back a bit, not forward as I had thought. Decal is on front side, as is the damping adjuster. I can remove the knurled cover to adjust air pressure without removing the Vetter bag.

I double-checked the microfiche and owner's manual; mine is the stock set-up for an XJ.

Looks to me like either Scott's shocks are not stockers form an XJ, or they have been 'twisted' to mount them on opposite sides from what they should be. Correct for an XJ is shock with Schrader valve on left shock, valve pointing out and to rear of the bike, decal out, damping adjuster is adjustable from left side of bike just as Tod indicated.

[3Phase]

Thank you, Jerry!

I'm going for a ride in a couple of hours to meet up with GarthXS and Planedick so I'll put some air in the shocks, scratch my head for a while then bungee the one lid onto the bag and skedaddle.


Regards,

Scott

[Schming]

Hi Scott, As i read Your entry about the keys and locks a burned out light bulb reconnected its filament for a millisecond and got me down to the mancave to check my bags for You guessed it NO KEYS The locks look similar to the locks on my truck cap so i figured what the he!! give it a shot and it worked These are simple locks that sometimes with a little bit of wigglin' the key , as long as it has the proper configuration to fit in the key slot wil open. HTH