Sissy bar install question???
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Kansas
Sissy bar install question???
I am wanting to get a 16" bar from Bowman Welding off of ebay. The stock sissy bar was removed from my bike when I bought it and there are no spacers between the strut and the fender. Will I need to install spacers on the front/back/both between the the sideplates and fender during install??
Also, has anyone notched the Bowman sissy bars?
Thanks for the help.
Also, has anyone notched the Bowman sissy bars?
Thanks for the help.
Road Master
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From: ohio
I have a bowman bar on my bob, nice piece. are the spacers you're talking about the ones on that strip that mount from inside the fender? but yea you'll need them thats what ties the struts,fender an bar all together, the rear actually needs to e longer with the sissy bar
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The side plates are what you need. The go between the fender and the strut if you want the solid mount version. No spacers necessary. If you want quick detach you need the quick detach mounting points and different side plates.
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Intermediate
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From: Kansas
The spacers or washers I am thinking about are going to go between the rigid sideplate of the bowman sissy bar and the fender. I only think I may need them so the side plate doesn't sit directly against the fender and scratch the crap out of it. Thought maybe I needed to put a plastic washer or something in there.
The bowman bar goes just like the oem bar did no spacers if your bike did not have them I lined my bowman bar with felt like material to go against the fender , 
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Kansas
Got the bar put on. It was kind of a pain in the ***. Removed lower shock bolts and jacked the bike up. Had to jerry rig a lift system. Secured front end with straps to garage ceiling and then jacked the bike up with a Ford Expedition wheel jack. It actually fit under the bike well and worked perfect. The bolts came out easy after that.
I did put a piece of pad on the bar to go between it and the fender. Hope it keeps it from scratching. I didn't want to notch the entire back bolt hole, so I just cut out a small section to slip over the tail light wiring so I wouldn't have to mess with the wiring.
I have a custom license plate bracket the attaches to the rear strut bolt also, and after adding the sissy bar the bolts were to short to catch the tail light. Had to go buy some 3" bolts and cut about 1/4" off of them to make it work.
Another issue I had was that the bar was welded onto the side plate slightly lower than it probably should be. The bar sat directly on top of the the strut cover and put downward pressure on it. That caused the rear strut cover bolt hole to be slightly misaligned with the strut hole. The little tab on the front of the tail light did not want to stay in the hole because the cover and strut didn't line up.
I should have taken some pics of it but I forgot. Not a big deal, the tail light just doesn't sit quite as flush as it did before.
I did put a piece of pad on the bar to go between it and the fender. Hope it keeps it from scratching. I didn't want to notch the entire back bolt hole, so I just cut out a small section to slip over the tail light wiring so I wouldn't have to mess with the wiring.
I have a custom license plate bracket the attaches to the rear strut bolt also, and after adding the sissy bar the bolts were to short to catch the tail light. Had to go buy some 3" bolts and cut about 1/4" off of them to make it work.
Another issue I had was that the bar was welded onto the side plate slightly lower than it probably should be. The bar sat directly on top of the the strut cover and put downward pressure on it. That caused the rear strut cover bolt hole to be slightly misaligned with the strut hole. The little tab on the front of the tail light did not want to stay in the hole because the cover and strut didn't line up.
I should have taken some pics of it but I forgot. Not a big deal, the tail light just doesn't sit quite as flush as it did before.
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