2012 VICTORY CROSS COUNTRY Structurebody Problems

VICTORY MOTORCYCLES HAVE A DEFECTIVE LATCH ON THEIR RIGHT ?SADDLEBAGS? THAT RENDERS THE RIGHT STORAGE COMPARTMENT USELESS. THE FAULTY LOCKING MECHANISM HAS APPEARED SINCE 2010 ON SEVERAL VICTORY MODELS. MY RIGHT BAG WILL POP OPEN FROM TIME TO TIME. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN THE LID POPS OPEN AT VERY HIGH SPEEDS WHEN LEANED OVER IN GUSTY CONDITIONS. APPARENTLY THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS FAULTY AND CAUSING MY RIGHT SADDLEBAG LID TO FLY OPEN ON THE ROAD, POSING A HAZARD TO ME, THE RIDER, AND OTHER DRIVERS. WHEN IT ?THE SADDLEBAG? POPS OPEN THERE IS A SENSATION OF REAR STEER. *DT

THERE IS A MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE RIGHT SIDE SADDLEBAG LATCH MECHANISM AND THE HOOP THAT IT CAPTURES WHEN THE LID IS CLOSED. THERE IS NO ADJUSTABILITY BUILT INTO THE DESIGN SO THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE RESULTING PROBLEM IS THAT THE SOFTER METAL OF THE LATCH MECHANISM IS WORN AWAY BY THE HARDER METAL OF THE HOOP, EVENTUALLY RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE LATCH. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE LID BLOWING OPEN AND THE CONTENTS OF THE SADDLE BAG BEING BLOWN OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AS FOLLOWING MOTORISTS WERE EITHER STRUCK BY THE CONTENTS OR SWERVED TO AVOID THEM. THIS ISSUE IS SHARED TO VARYING DEGREES BY A MAJORITY OF OWNERS OF THIS MODEL, SPANNING ALL 5 YEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION. *TR

SADDLEBAG FLEW OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY, LOST MY RAINGEAR, AND SEVERAL OTHER ITEMS ADDING TO ABOUT $200.00. PULLED OVER AND STOPPED AND NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH LOOKED SEVERELY WORN.. THEN CHECKED THE LEFT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH AND LOOKED LIKE NEW. AFTER DOING SOME COMPARES WITH OTHER OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, IT APPEARS THIS RIGHT HAND SADDLEBAG LATCH ISSUE AFFECTS ALL VICTORY MOTORCYCLE CROSS MODELS WITH HARD BAGS INCLUDING CROSS COUNTRY, CROSS ROADS, AND HARDBALL. HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH POLARIS THE PARENT COMPANY OF VICTORY MOTORCYCLES AND GOT A CASE NUMBER FROM THEM AND NOTIFIED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AS WELL. SO FAR HAVE NO RESULTS OR ANY CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

THERE IS NOTICEABLE WEAR ON A LATCH ON MY RIGHT SIDE (THROTTLE SIDE) SADDLEBAG. THE LATCH THAT KEEPS THE BAG CLOSED IS WEARING OUT FROM AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED LATCH CATCH. WHAT I CAN TELL IS THAT POLARIS INDUSTRIES (VICTORY MOTORCYCLE DIVISION) IS USING THE EXACT SAME LATCH FOR THE RIGHT SIDE SADDLE BAG AND LEFT SIDE SADDLE BAG. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS ONLY WEAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE LATCH BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED FOR THE LEFT SADDLE BAG ONLY. POLARIS IS NOT CONSIDERING THIS A DEFECT OR A PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF DOING A RECALL, THEY ARE SUGGESTING THAT THE CONSUMER FOLLOWS A YOUTUBE VIDEO FROM A AFTER MARKET VENDOR TO MODIFY THE HOLES ON THE LATCH CATCH TO MOVE IT BACK ABOUT 5/16". ONCE YOU DO THAT, THE WEAR IS SLOWED DOWN CONSIDERABLY. THERE ARE SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE CROSS COUNTRY BIKES WHO HAVE THIS WEAR. CHECK...

THE LATCHING MECHANISM ON THE RIGHT SIDE HARD SADDLEBAG IS WEARING THROUGH, AS A RESULT OF (NON-ADJUSTABLE) MISALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE LATCH ON THE SADDLEBAG'S LID AND THE KEEPER BAR ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SADDLEBAG. IF THE PORTION OF THE LATCH THAT IS WEARING THROUGH FAILS, THE LID OF THE SADDLEBAG CAN OPEN WHILE THE MOTORCYCLE IS IN MOTION; IF THIS OCCURS, THE CONTENTS OF THE SADDLEBAG MAY FALL OUT, AND SUCH CONTENTS CAN JAM THE REAR WHEEL -- RESULTING IN A CRASH OF THE MOTORCYCLE -- OR CAN FLY ONTO OR IN FRONT OF OTHER VEHICLES (ALSO RESULTING IN A CRASH). *TR