Norge IQ test - remove pannier then remove side panel

[Saint Nut]

OK, I admit it. I failed my first Norge IQ test. Got the bike last Saturday. Today I wanted to adjust the shock preload. The shock preload knob is hidden behind a black side body panel with no obvious way to remove it. Searched this forum and two other forums for a "how to" on removing that panel. Nothing. Searched Owner's Manual. It says remove the pannier and then remove screw "4" but doesn't tell me where screw "4" is located or how to get at it. Spent two hours out in the garage trying be Algernon looking for the cheese. Fail. So I give up. Somebody has to tell me the trick.

As far as I can tell, when you remove the visible retaining screw for that panel, it seems to have two more retainers of some sort in hidden locations at the bottom left and bottom center. To get back there, it looks like the pannier has to come off. But there seems to be no way to remove the pannier. There's a threaded pin at the front mounting point that looks like it should do something but when you remove the nut nothing happens. Pannier is still solidly mounted. There's also a spring clip that moves up and down but doesn't seem to have any function either. Nothing in the Owners Manual about how to remove the panniers.

I saw one post in here where one guy says he takes his panniers off every night and takes them to his hotel room for the night. So there must be a trick that lets you remove the pannier fairly easily. In fact, it seems to me that the panniers should come off without tools. But I'll be damned if I can see how.

So I'm giving up for today and hopefully by tomorrow somebody will explain the trick to me.

 

[motobob]

Your pannier key turns both ways. One to undo lock to open the door and the other way you push down on the key then you turn it and pull backwards on the pannier. You have already found the safety latch up front so make sure it is upright before trying to remove you hard bag. I also needed to be instructed the first time.
Bob

 

[bobra]

There's also a spring clip that moves up and down but doesn't seem to have any function either. Nothing in the Owners Manual about how to remove the panniers.

Italian trickery! Similarly, the spring clips on my panniers (so called "safety catch") does nothing - it's meant to hook over a post on the frame but it is no where near the post when flipped down. Like most, I ignore it. Even if it worked, it is difficult to reach.

I didn't have any problem removing the panniers so it must be documented somewhere - I just can't remember where.

Regards

 

[Saint Nut]

Thanks, guys!

Pannier now off. At once I discovered that the nut on the threaded pins holds the adjustable metal connector in place. Connector fell off as soon as I removed the pannier. Just as well--looks like it needs to be adjusted anyway.

Found screw "4", removed it, and plastic panel slid out. The forward retainer is just a slotted tab. Checked the spring and I've got the larger one (good!). Adjusted shock. 58 preload clicks on mine from full off to full on. I'm going to try 40 clicks (stiff) with 10 clicks on the rebound damping.

One other question if anyone should happen to get this far in the thread. Under the seat near the small fuse box is a white electrical connector that's not plugged into anything and a black plastic connector that's capped. Are these diagnostic plugs?

 

[john zibell]

One other question if anyone should happen to get this far in the thread. Under the seat near the small fuse box is a white electrical connector that's not plugged into anything and a black plastic connector that's capped. Are these diagnostic plugs?

The white connector is for doing dash updates (Axone or Navigator only, but I've never heard of any dash updates), the black connector is the diagnostic plug for the ECU. This connector is used by Axone, Navigator, and VDSTS.

 

[azccj]

If I remember correctly, and I haven't done it in awhile, there is no need to remove anything from the Norge to adjust the preload. I just stuck my arm behind the left bag and turned the preload knob. But only do this when the exhaust pipe is cold.



"Italian trickery! Similarly, the spring clips on my panniers (so called "safety catch") does nothing - it's meant to hook over a post on the frame but it is no where near the post when flipped down. Like most, I ignore it. Even if it worked, it is difficult to reach."
On my bike the little safety wires for the hard bags do work. The wires have an up position and a down position. When they are down they will catch on the little metal nubs and prevent the bags from coming off.

 

[Cat City Rider]

"On my bike the little safety wires for the hard bags do work. The wires have an up position and a down position. When they are down they will catch on the little metal nubs and prevent the bags from coming off."

Thats the way it should work and in my case it does for one bag. However the bail thingie on the other side does not get anywhere near the post and I don't see any way adjusting the post will make it any closer. The bags work just fine as is and I choose to leave well enough alone.

 

[Saint Nut]

Brian, the nut on the bottom of the vertical threaded pin holds the metal mounting point in place, and this mounting point adjusts forward and backward. If you loosen the nut, then slide the metal mounting point forward, your pannier will then click into place in a more forward position and should allow the bail thingy to reach far enough to drop over the safety nub.

I just learned his today. Yay!

Now working on my GPS mount and will post up pics in a new thread when I'm finished. (Something different from others I've seen in this forum. Not Ram. Not Techmount.)

 

[Cat City Rider]

Many thanks for the info. The bike is in the shop just now and if I ever see it again ( a never ending saga) I'll look again. I thought the post just adjusted up and down.