Tail lock problem

[Plunk]

Well I just pulled a smooth one. I put the tail hump back on before I got the lock cable reattached. I had just removed my reflectors and cleaned it up. I've had it back on for a day or two when I tried to pop the trunk and nothing happened. Given the way the key feels, I'm pretty sure that I forgot to reconnect the lock cable.

Anybody got any suggestions about how to get it back off. I'm in the process of taking things apart right now. At least two screws are under the hump that are required to remove the tail fairing. This is not going to be easy.

My thought right now is to go from under the front seat and try to unbolt the hump from the lock pins. That's not going to be easy. I'm open to any bright ideas. I'll be in the garage and check back here later Man I feel dumb.

 

[Plunk]

Well screw it... I'm planning on puttin in a top gun in the immediate future anyway. I actually emailed Silvio a couple days ago for price quotes. I guess I'll be cutting the undertail anyway, so I might as well drill a hole big enough to stick my finger in there and pop the latch. From the pics I've seen, the "hole" would be covered by the new undertail anyway right?

 

[flyboy]

Ouch! Great excuse to get a new undertail.

 

[fstbusa]

yeah I have never taken the cable loose on my tail yet. I have had the tail section off many times.

I just unscrew the two screws holding the bracket on. That way I can never get the hump to latch without the cable being hooked up.

 

[CorrodedAlien]

Used to get stuff stuck uder the seat of old bike. It sucks.

 

[pure_ego]

Man .. that sucks..

 

[justintime2]

OUCH!

 

[Plunk]

Oh well, that's the way it rolls. The Top Gun is on the way anyway I'll just do a little secret cutting and epoxying to get in there and NEVER make this mistake again

 

[LCW]

Funny, I just did this last week. Guys on sh.org were saying you can lift up on the hump enough to get a coat hanger in to actuate the release, but I couldn't get that to work. I took the taillight lense off, bulbs out, rotated the sockets (pull gently with needlenose while twisting) so they could be pushed back thru, then used my tank prop rod (which I happened to have out) to fish around thru the left taillight socket. It may have been luck, but I hit the actuator within about 2 minutes of fishing around, hump popped off...

 

[Plunk]

Well I solved my problem the "Redneck Way". I just grabbed some power tools and went to town. I cut a small flap just big enough to get my hand through in the base of the undertail. I got my fingers in there and tripped the latch that way. Then being the smooth redneck that I am, I shoved the flap back smooth and then duck taped it. Ordinarilly I'd be really anal and try to melt it and smooth it all back out, but I've got a Top Gun on the way so I'm just going to live with some stealthy duck tape and go on about my business this week. My motto is that if it can't be fixed with duck tape and bailing wire then it didn't need to be fixed.