saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

Does this combination work? And if so what did you do? (spacers, etc.)

I have the (i guess) XL riders essential kit Part number 96366-08
which is a detachable backrest/sissybar.
Will it work with H-D saddlebag supports for soft bags?

Thanks

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

I went by my dealer last Thursday to find that out. I took off my rigid plates and backrest for a solo seat setup and wanted to do the detachable for my Sundowner. The detachable hardware doesn't work with the bag supports.

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

I made it work on my 05 wit a little tweaking of the supports and hand picked bolts and a little perserverance. It probably would not have made the "can do" list from the dealer, but I did. Don't know about an 03 set up though.

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

The short answer is "no". But like Jackofhearts says, it CAN be made to work. My dealer's service department can make it work, but it requires fabrication and machining, and like any stealer worthy of the name, they charge accordingly. I believe Easy Brackets work with the soft bags if you make your own hard bracket to fit insideyour existingsoft bags to bolt on the hardware. Easy Brackets come with hardware only; no bags. LeatherPros bags come with a great setup for their leather wrapped hard bags that fit really well, and everything you need comes with it. No drilling required, simple and easy installation. But the bags and hardware run around $700. That's probably more than you want to spend. I'm getting kinda tired of my Tourmaster throwover bags setup with no supports, so I'm seriously considering the LeatherPros. Both Easy Brackets and LeatherPros have detachable hardware for quick and easy on/off. HD's don't.

Teek

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

i have harley detachable sissy bar and rack and all that ****
but this is what i run with,like it or not

[IMG]local://upfiles/14924/D94BB86038E848D28FA19DCA58B34ABC.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/14924/9F5764C9C59949CE873370F581F9B75A.jpg[/IMG]

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

Yeah, I already have those rediculously expensive hard bags from harley. They look nice but they also weigh ALOT! I took them off mainly just to clean everything and see how the bike looked without them and that's when i found out how heavy they were! I could easily tell a difference riding around without them on.
I
also wanted something that is easy on easy off and I always liked soft bags.

I went and got some longer bolts today and the mounts will fit, albeit they're torqued slightly...can i expect any problems with that?

RatRod...I've seen those and they look nice but i've only seen them for $70.
I already have the H-D mounts that i got for 30.

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

Word of caution on the H-D salddlebag supports: if you put those on you're going to have a hell of a time adjusting your shock preload. The saddlebag supports are in just the right place to make it all but impossible to get the adjuster tool in there. At least that was my experience with the stock H-D shox on my XL1200C. I went with the EZ brackets, no more problem.

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

You shouldn't have any problems if the mounts themselves are torqued slightly, if you can get the bolts in without cross-threading them. Check to see if the shocks can go through their normal range of motion without rubbing or catching on the brackets, too. Preload? That's a good point, and one I haven't thought about. My Progressives are set to 3 and that seems to be pretty good for whatever I do. I guess if you can find an all-round setting you're happy with, you don't need to change the settings. Sometimes being able to change settings is handy, though.

The LeatherPros I'm considering are pretty much identical to HD in constuction and materials, so thanks for the comment about the weight of the things! I still think I'll go with them, but that's not on my priority list of things to get next, at least not right now. So, weight and bulk aside, how do you like the capacity of your hard bags?

EZ Brackets might be your best bet for easy on/off from what you want to do. That way you could get whatever bags you wanted and take them off anytime you wanted.

Just curious...where did you get the longer bolts, and what size were they, length and thread? Are the heads allen, torx, philips, or hex? I still haven't ruled out mounting brackets for my existing bags and shooting the chrome with some black paint. But I'm looking for bags with a little more room than what I have now.

Teek

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

They're pretty good for capacity but hold a lot less than they look because they actually come inwards on the part you don't see (towards the bike). But the lock comes in handy, however they don't open very wide. Pretty water proof too.
I'll try to get some photos up of what i'm talking about.

The bolts I picked up from Ace Hardware, I can't remember the thread right now i think it was 5/16th and it has a hex-wrench head (1/2"). I went by the dealership today to see if they had a longer bolt in crome but they didn't, a guy in the service told me there is someplace in orlando that i could probably find the right size in crome, he couldn't remember the name.

I have the stock shocks on right now and set in the heaviest load since i'll ride 2 up fairly often and when i'm not i've never felt any reason to adjust it, so there's no problem there...If i really wanted to adjust it, it'll take 5 minutes to remove the bolts.

RE: saddlebag support and backrest...do-able?
 

I wanted to get those brackets off easily and looked for ez off brackets but could not find an set that did not require different turn signal configs and a lot of hassle. I took two sets of those crome bar brackets ($9.95 set)that are about 1 1/2 inches, re drilled to go on where the brackets did, stood on the bag brackets some more on a piece of carpet, and it all came together with an easy on easy off for the original HD brackets.Four half inch bolts and the brackets are on or off, the throw over bags on top ofthat. It looks outstanding without the brackets and like one minute on or off. What stays on is just four 1 1/2 chrome bar brackets that are hardly noticible, and function as bungiepoints if you want.