Most of you guys don't know me. I have stayed away for a LONG time. If you read some of my older posts, you will see that I started with a new 2005 Superglide, and have done quite a bit to make her unique.

I considered (again) trading in my bike on a new bagger. After dealing with the reality of what NADA says my bike is worth, and the cost of a new bagger, I have set out to put some bags on my bike. I didn't want to just put some throw over leather bags on her. Not my style......I like custom stuff. So....after reading what others have done on here, I decided it was time to make the leap and do what seems natural.

Shovelhead bags (1977-1984) from an FLH onto my bike~!

I mean, think of the savings! I can make them look trick as hell, it will be custom, and will serve the purpose of giving me room for a couple pairs of underwear, and my shaving kit, toothbrush etc. I am retiring from the service in a few years, and I am going to live on the road! I wanted to get a bagger to do it, but I figured, that I can REALLY get what I wanted by making my bike (my love) fit my desire to move forward for the years I have left to live.

so, enough of the rambling....here is the project:

1. Easy Brackets onto the factory struts.
2. FLH bags on to the easy brackets
3. Move tailight and turn signals back on to the fender
4. keep the bike slammed in the rear, so ....new pipes.

First move was to buy a Tombstone tailight. I have seen the ones with the mini turn signals on them in the magazines, so I decided that was the way to go! Well, it is in my hands, and I can tell you it is SWEET! the whole unit is no wider than the fender itself! it's gonna be nice!

Second, brackets. Have to be removable. Decided to go with the Easy brackets, as I am going to set the bags where I want, but want to be able to remove them for maintenance, and cleaning. I like my ride CLEAN, and I do my own wrenching.

I love my pipes....seriously, I do. But, with my tail slammed with 11" Progressive shocks, something has to give. I made the leap, when I found a brand new set of Vance and Hines Short Shots on eBay for $282 shipped! They are in the garage as we speak!

So....I started on the tailight transfer...and today my bags and pipes arrived, so the only part I am missing is the license plate rear plate I ordered, which is chrome plated with 10 louvers.

No pics as of yet. I will post some this weekend when I get on task.

Hope these posts are worth your time,

~joe

 

whew man that was alot welcome back

 

U still in the sand box? Welcome back

 

I've been back since December....getting restless.....ready to go back.

~Joe

 

Welcome back in both senses. Sounds like a great project and look forward to seeing the removable hard bags as I considered going the same route.

 

thanks!

 

I've looked ant the same set up myself. The only weakness I see from a design stand point is that there is little support for the lower part of the bags with the easy brackets. I like the way they mount but it seems that if there is no lower support the brackets or the bags may be stressed at their mounting points.

 

Good to see you back. I've read a lot of your old posts, everytime I search for rake+dyna, your bike comes up. Are you still running the raked cups? Hard to tell from your sig pic.

 

Good to see you pop up over here again Joe. Looking forward to seeing this project come together.

 

Yes, I am still running the 3 degree bearing cups and the 3 degree Rick Doss softail style forks with standard length tubes. I am at 34 degrees total rake....same as an old generation Wide Glide. As you have probably read in the old posts, this requires some custom machining of the stem in the triple trees to get it to work....nothing major, but needs to be mentioned. Tracks straight and true, and no wobble.....have had it over 100 a few times, and no wobble, so the trail is fine.

As far as the bags:


To keep the bags "de-stressed"....what you do is make a steel plate that goes inside the bag where the mounting points are. Since you have a metal plate on the inside and the outside, it "sandwiches" the fiberglass between them, and it makes it VERY sturdy, and keeps stress cracks from happening. Without the plate on the inside, the bags would certainly crack.

Thanks for the welcome back.

~Joe