Hey everyone, I am new to this site. I ride a 98 RKC that the previous owner took off leather bags for cheap ABS aftermarket. I am trying to give it back the classic look but am having trouble with the fitment of the classic leather bags I picked up. They supposedly cane off a 2008 RK but do not line up on brackets and bottom support bar. The brackets are loosened to lowest position and still the bags do not reach the bottom support by over an inch. My question is: how to determine between the different versions of these bags that were released for the different year groups? And has anyone else run into this?
Thanks for any help
M Evans

 

Look on back of saddlebag for part number confirmation.
1995 to about 2013 should fit.
Are you positive that bag is sitting with bottom rubber piece mounted on rail.

 

Yeah, I did that. The only numbers I could find were manufacturer part numbers (07395, 07396). I was told by a Harley patrs guy that those aren't hd part numbers. He also said that the bags changed in 09. When I attach the top mount at the rear of bike, I cannot get the bags to sit on the rail even with top bracket at lowest adjustment. So I am wondering if I have a set of bags for different model years? I can't seem to determine otherwise.

 

Way down below is a link for a harley parts website.
Using a real computer.
Look under year and model.
You can review numerous years for those saddlebags.
The earlier and later units look very much the same and should mount without issue if they are Road King classic saddlebags.
Also review if Bottom rail and the Two top mounting brackets are factory.
The first things to do is to lay down on the floor and confirm that saddle bag rubber support is clipped on rail.
Unless you have bike on a very high lift or use a big mirror then laying on floor will be a requirement.
The rail will need to be INSIDE the groove of rubber support bracket on bottom of saddle bag.
Rail will be flush with rubber support.
People sometimes do stuff to make bags look lower, closer to bike or to make bike look a certain way and that alters a lot of things.
Regarding mounting points..
In general the top brackets should have some spacers between bracket and frame if somebody ever had a backrest.
Either way, without the spacers the inside edge of leather saddlebags gets scratch at two points when opening.
If you look online you will notice numerous used bags with the same two nip/chip/small cut at inside/hinge side edge because that situation was ignored.
In reality you need the spacers plus two additional washers if you do not want leather bags to get damaged at inside edge from when you open them.
Keep in mind that each top frame mounting bracket can be lowered or rotated on bolt about 0.5 inches AND the saddle bag factory zeus/or after market bolt part at bracket will also permit about 0.25 inch of movement in all directions. So you have a lot of play.
Some people mount them too far back and burn leather bags against turn signals..you can notice it online.
For some reason people forget that brackets do not need to be mounted just up/down. They can be angled.
The rear outside plastic mold of older bags versus newer is just a little different visually..The newer have an upside down V or J looking thing just in front of forward mount hole.
Does not really make a difference.
There is a clock looking thing stamped on rear of bag too....kinda/sorta date of manufacture
Review the rubber part at bottom of saddle bag too.
The older ones had a long (10 inch?) one piece rectangle rubber part with a grove for rail on each bag.
The newer ones have two smaller (4 inch?) rectangle rubber parts on each bag.
If somebody replaced the bottom rubber part with a non-factory piece of a different thickness things could be way off.
There is also the possibility that rear mounting point of rail on motorcycle is broken or bent down if somebody removed the chrome tube rear fender support just behind seat.
The part that holds license plate.. Some people do that to make fender more visible and then mount license plate down at bottom of fender near road surface.
Others remove the support under rear bottom of fender by rear fender tip and this causes a loss of support too..
Others cut off the support guard rails just in front of bags for looks and create another leverage point too for rail to bend.
All three choices compromise saddlebag bag weight support on bottom rail and the rail can bend down.
I have seen folks do all three and other times just one..but they all compromise the rail.
Here is the link for parts viewing.
https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche....asp?make=hdmc

 

This is a cut/paste for your year and model.
Common stuff.
Print and store on bike and take a picture or when you need it then it will not be available.
It will come in handy one day.1-COMMON...Two fuel hoses under tank leak after 10 years. Harley $$$$$$$, Goodridge HDFL005 about $160 USA dollars or LESS total for BOTH if you check google .

The Goodridge lines are less than the price of the Harley parts and are of good quality.

2-COMMON..speedometer LCD (odometer screen bleed). requires replacement when unable to read miles ridden. NOT PLUG AND PLAY LIKE NEWER ONES. You can get a sub-harness wire assembly from J & P cycle catalog and then use a 1999 speedometer plug and play speedometer.

Easy changeover with no splicing of wires required. Old speedometer is a different manufacturer from the newer ones.

Note that mileage is stored in speedometer itself not in ECM.

Some folks send old speedometer out to specialty shops in order to change-out the LCD.
There was a report of someone acquiring LCD online from someplace in europe but no further information available.

3-COMMON..Cam position sensor...very difficult starting, lots of cranking but does not catch. A lot of cranking and no start then you wait a second and a quick tap to start button and it starts with very little cranking…look for visible goo (beige) leak under timer cone (right foot) at black wire exit from bottom of cone…You will have plenty of warning…dozens and dozens of difficult starts.

4-CRANK position sensor by oil filter (RARE) but if you use a power commander the signal must be 100%..This is very rare. But sometimes some individuals have damaged it during an oil change since it is right by oil filter...some people were spending money to replace sensor when the wire connector about 3 feet away was loose..see "IMPORTANT" way down below.

5-(MEDIUM COMMON)Tank liner releases at middle section near fuel pump..blocks flow of fuel..loss of power, slow down and piece moves from fuel inlet so bike is OK but then becomes trapped again so cycle repeats.. FREE REPAIR..open gas tank access lid, drain fuel and clean piece out..I would carry the little bit required to remove screw..The book says you need to replace the one time use screws but if you are careful and replace in the same location it will be re-usable at least one time..

6- VERY COMMON...ENGINE TEMPERATURE SENSOR...very common, general rough riding as bike bucks from cold to hot rapidly..$100 part…Major swing of throttle..As an emergency by-pass just disconnect the idle control behind air filter when bike is off/at rest..You will need to hold throttle when disconnected.

7- Bikes that are pressure washed or in snow conditions with salt roads or people that added a power commander and destroyed the rubber boot at ECM..GROUNDING PIN ON ECM becomes corroded and requires cleaning.
8-The little chrome cover cap thing with the allen bolt on the starter end will get loose one time and you will chase the rattle a long time until you figure out that under the cover is two 0.15 cent nuts and one is lost.
***-The shift linkage ends SUCK on all harleys and you need to change those yesterday to heim joints look on ebay if on a budget for: Heim Joint Rod End 5/16" with bolts for Harley Davidson as they should be about $10-$15 delivered for both.
****VERY IMPORTANT...THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR USES AN INSERT TWIST AND LOCK CONNECTION. MAKE 100% sure it is tight, zip tied and secure and then tie it one more time.. Located at throttle side of frame behind the PAINTED plastic side cover by seat (remove cover) and hidden by the triangle portion of frame..connector is black and about 2 or 3 inches long and the thickness of a fat pencil.
That thing had me scratching my head for a long time trying to chase an intermittant cut-off over bumps. Side of the road frustration thing..Many shops are unable to identify the simple problem while others waste your money by replacing it when it was only a loose connector.

I would imagine you have the service book or will get the service book for this bike from Harley for 99483-98 . Finally get the book read chapter 9. You can review check engine codes with no tools by following a simple sequence. In my opinion, few people or techs will read the one chapter.

I would review the fuel lines. If you do NOT have the goodridge lines HDFL005 then I would consider carrying some in your saddle bag. Rarely does a dealer stock the Harley ones.

Additional notes:

Consider using regular Dyno oil as the synthetics are too good at locating leaks.

Check the allen bolt at the transmission shift lever. The shift lever that attaches to the transmission spline/shaft. People forget to check that allen/hex bolt and then the splines on the lever get chewed.

Shaft is harder than lever so the lever will strip. Major labor to remove the outer primary, inner primary, and clutch hub just to replace the lever on that year of bike just because someone did not inspect that allen/hex bolt.

The throttle PULL cable might eventually give-up the throttle cable end ball. My cable had a few strands broken off at the little ball inside throttle clamp. It eventually snapped while on a road trip. Required switching return for pull cable in a parking lot. I would review and consider changing Throttle, Brake and Clutch cable while you are home if they are original.

There is a bracket 65619-98 called something like exhaust bracket tab located right at top of starter. Supports rear cylinder exhaust pipe right at starter. It sometimes breaks after 20 years right at the “L”..right at the clamp . Most people fail to look at it until further more costly problems develop instead of addressing the under $10 USA dollar part and saving future headaches and cost..
A lot cheaper to replace an easy to install $10 part than trying to locate an exhaust pipe that is not broken and then dealing with all the take-off and put back-on of exhaust.

That bike era does not due well with rear swingarm lowering blocks. Check for and consider removal of rear lowering blocks if someone used them. They increase probability of rear swing arm crack on belt side near axle since they alter shock angle. Blocks change shock position at bottom and that appears to stress swingarm in my opinion.

 

That is some great information. Thank you! I am going to use this info and hopefully get to the bottom of this. Again, thanks it's really appreciated!

 

Another thing.
Take a look at bracket to frame.
front bolts up like a U.
back points down with Zeus way below bolt.

 

Does the leather saddlebags have the

rubber mounts on them? They press into the Bott of the bags a ride on the support tubes.

 

yes, they look somewhat different but they are attached at the bottom of the bags