Losing loads supposedly secured while riding

[boomerA]

Today, while riding home from work (I'm a Postal worker at a distribution facility), on my second bike (2015 XVS1300CT), I lost my backpack that I THOUGHT I had secured to the luggage rack behind the passenger's backrest. I had fastened it, as usual on this bike with a adjustable bungee cord and a bungee net. Along the way, I stopped for fuel, and I'm almost POSITIVE the backpack was still secured. However, @ 5 miles later, after I had pulled into the garage, I discovered that I still had the bungees, but no backpack...somehow, the lower hooks has come undone! Besides the value of the backpack (a nice one w/ steel cable reinforced carrying handle)I lost my work I.D. , and various other items fairly easy to replace, but I'd been using that backpack for years, and I really don't remember what all I had in it. Since the last time I 'lost a load' was back in the early '80's, I was a bit upset. This got me to wondering what other members of this forum have experienced in 'lost loads'. Would any of you like to comment/explain/rant, etc.?

[LDofDC]

I rode a ways with saddlebag open, but didn’t lose anything. I bought some rok straps and recommend those for strapping things to the back. Many miles of testing and nothing lost....yet!
https://rokstraps.com

[2time]

rokstraps rock...absolutely the best...bungee chords should be illegal!

[roadiemort]

Maybe someone tried to pinch it and you showed up.

[Bikerron]

You backtrack and look for it? Most of the time shit slides off the road beyond the shoulder.

[boomerA]

Yes, I backtracked all the way to work and back. With the much lighter traffic during this isolation -in-place, you'd think it would have been easy to find, since it was @ 0800. Of the six hooks on the bungee net, all three of the lower ones were disconnected.

[davej]

sounds like someone stole your shit.

[Shores]

I lost a nice leather jacket I had found from the back of my 72 450 Honda chopper in the mid 70s. I lost my virginity before that in high school.

[Tropicalrs]

Which do you regret loosing the most??

[ChuggerRider]

Sorry for the loss of your things. Bumper for sure. I've done a lot of touring even before I had saddle bags. I did loose a bota bag (I swear it was only used for water) somewhere in Nebraska, on a coast to coast trip back in 1980. Since then, I always double up on bungee cords. I still use a luggage rack, but I wrap the bungees around a mounting bar, such as the backrest. All in all, packing and losing stuff's a part of biking, but don't we love it just the same?

[Father Pobasturd]

I have a friend who bungee netted a small cat to the bitch pad of his hardtail H-D, then took a 30 mile ride to deliver it. It wasn't there when he arrived.

[Doc_V]

With me it's mostly nuts, bolts, screws and parts. I really need to buy more blue thread locker.

[Doc_V]

Oh yah, and I always pass the bungee cord through a handle or strap, etc., on what ever I'm tying down just in case.

[davej]

LOL both good ideas

[davej]

consider these instead of bungee cords.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...gQIDBBL&adurl=

[MikeyC]

I will never use bungee cords. Little bastards always break, come loose what ever, had a couple get caught in the wheel years ago. I tie stuff on with cord. That said, I didn't tie a jacket on very well couple of years ago and lost a really nice jacket. State cop found it and was able to track us down using the cell phone in the jacket to get a name, etc. We had gone back and looked for it and had given it up for lost when late the next day got a call from the officer. Got everything back. Nice.

[Brad_G]

Damn..that was some good fortune!

[davej]

I knew a guy years ago that tied a jacket down and when part of the jacket come loose and got tangled in the chain and rear wheel he went down and almost died from the 60+ mph crash.

[MikeyC]

Yeppers, that's what I'm talkin about.

[Pauli466]

I have a friend who bungee netted a small cat to the bitch pad of his hardtail H-D, then took a 30 mile ride to deliver it. It wasn't there when he arrived.

Animal cruelty is a crime

[Pauli466]

Any type load binder needs checking often, no binder made is set it and forget it. My self i use mini ratchet straps over a bungee in case the bungee snaps, sometimes i got a 40 lb box or bucket of cat litter on the passenger seat

[Shores]

An entire roll of duct tape always works for me!

[brianmac]

yes, at daytone a few years back, a guy had one of those "i chopped of my rear fender and half the seat" leaving the rotating tire near riders pressure points. sitting on top his leather , it got in there and locked up the rear wheel, and he went skidding down the road, had to loosen rear wheel to get it out. alive tho.

[boomerA]

Against all odds, I got my backpack returned. According to the people I picked it up from, a postal worker from another facility found it, and, finding my work I.D., turned it in! Outside of a little scuffing from when it fell off my bike, everything was intact, including a can of diet Dr. Pepper! I am definitely going to look into getting some of those ratcheting straps!.

[Bikerron]

Wow!

[roadiemort]

That's great man, still some folks that care out there.

[Doc_V]

Way to go.

[Herrindude]

That is why i installed an Adams rack and the large Harley type rear box that i can store 2 full-faced helmets and other things, have never regretted it, i love that box. I did leave saddlebag unlatched and my bike cover blew out on a bridge coming back from mobile al one time, it almost got stuck on a cars windshield, God was definitely looking out for me and that car that day.