Removing the sissy bar on a 2011 Wide Glide
 

May be a ho-hum moment for a lot of you guys but I have seen a lot asking how to do it and was wondering myself so I attacked it tonight. It is a bit time consuming but not difficult at all once you dig in. A lift is a must-have to drop the tire so you can get at the wiring and remove the fender bracket.

1. Remove the seat.
2. Remove the directionals by removing the bolt from the inside of the fender. Disconnect the wires at the battery box (note they are color coded black and white) and snake them back. While you're in the battery box, remove the license plate wire also to remove the fender.
3. Remove the fender support cover bolts.
4. Remove the shocks and fender support covers.
5. Slide out the fender brackets from the inside and out comes the fender with attached sissy bar.
6. Slide some cardboard down between the fender and sissy bar so you don't scratch the fender paint when removing the bar. Remove the 4 pop fasteners that attach the bar from the inside of the fender and slide the sissy bar off the fender.

Done!!!

While there are already two spacers on the front bar mount, additonal spacers should be used on all four corners to replace the gap left by the sissy bar. I'm using 1/2" galvy lock washers but you might want to find something else that won't damage the paint... Otherwise, things will go a lot quicker if you have some 243 thread lock on hand when reinstalling. I'll reinstall everything tomorrow after I pick some up...:icon_dunce: If nothing else, I've learned a lot about my bike today.

Pics below are pretty much where you end up once you can get to the point of bar removal. Can't wait to get it back together!!!:icon_dance-twist:

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/8052/001gqm.jpg

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/3773/010ao0.jpg

Hope this helps another noob down the road. I'll post pics when I get it back together.

I thought just undoing 2 bolts on each strut would do it, sissy bar support went all the way behing shocks?

Bolted at the fender bracket bolts and directionals plus the push pins holding it to the fender. You need to unbolt the shocks to drop the wheel so it's was easier just to pull the fender.

I didn't have to remove any shocks when I did mine...

Hindsight, I could have just pulled the lower bolts. How were you able get under the fender without at least doing that?

Sorry to change the subject, but is that a C&C seat, O.F.? How do you like it?

Yes and it's the best thing I've done to my bike. Ride for hours and no back/butt fatigue whatsoever.

Thanks for the feedback; it's the same as everyone else I've asked with one. I'm about to pull the trigger on a Fastback, just gotta decide the details.

Much better.

http://img602.imageshack.us/img602/2088/012qko.jpg

The sissy bar doesn't bother me, but that is a much cleaner look without it.
(even with the reflectors:icon_smash: )