Adding Hardbags to an FLS - 2014 Softail Slim
 

Ok folks, Im adding hard bags to a 2014 Softail slim. Ive been looking for info in so many different places my head almost spun off. Theres only ONE slim that ive seen with a full hard bag set up and I couldnt get any info on the actual install besides a couple of pictures. So heres my detailed install with pictures and an explanation including what parts I used and where I bought them. <br><br> First, lets start with the ride: 2014 Softail Slim (FLS) <br>Attachment 622435<br>These are the bags Im looking to fit :<br> Attachment 622436<br> <br> Not a lot of examples to review or even pictures to check out, trying to do this type of thing. <br><br> First things first. How do Hardbags actually mount on a softail? <br> With a conversion kit, thats how. <br>Attachment 622437<br> Now I bought this on ebay for about $80 with shipping. There was just one problem with it. The tabs are spaced out for install on a softail deluxe type bike. Time to find a welder that can alter this. No big deal, a couple bucks (read: $100) and a few days later; voila!<br>Attachment 622438<br>Attachment 622439<br><br>

Once the brackets were finished and i made sure that everything lined up, i decided to tackle the problem of my taillights. The bags wont fit with the stock setup left in place so they either need to be moved with a relocation kit, or replaced with a new pair. <br><br>I choose to replace them with a new pair.<br><br>Attachment 622432 <br> These are the Alloy Art Fender Strut LED Marker Lights For Harley Softail 2011-2015 I got from Revzilla. (great company, I buy most of my parts/gear/etc from them and couldnt say enough great things about their customer service)<br>Only Problem with these is that they are SINGLE FUNCTION. A lot of the LED setups I found to replace the stock tail light pair had this issue. Now the wiring from the bike is 3 wire, RUN/BRAKE/TURN, these and most LEDs are 2 wire. <br><br> Solution? Well, theres two options, either wire in a resistor and a couple of diodes or i could try and find something pre-made. I DID find out that newer HDs do not require a load equalizer. I was directed to www.customdynamics.com (scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see the Dual Converter or TFC 1) I bought two, one for each light.<br><br>Attachment 622433<br>This is what the piece is supposed to look like, theres no pictures on the CustomDynamics website, I took this from the Dennis Kirk website.<br><br> Now I didnt take pictures of taking the rear fender apart but its pretty straight forward:<br>remove the seat<br>Remove two fender strut bolts on each side<br>pull up the small computer and black panel directly under the seat pan<br>remove the two bolts accessible through this new gap<br>remove the metal bracket underneath the fender<br>now remove the fender<br><br>Now you can remove the tail lights. There is a bolt on the inside of the strut, One for each light. Carefully remove this and the light itself comes free but the wiring WILL NOT fit through the hole in the strut. You will have to completely disassemble the light or cut the wires.<br>Attachment 622434

Ok I'm saving this space to show the wiring - Dual converter hasnt shown up yet :(

**Edit -- So its sunday night and the wiring converter did not show up but I was going stir crazy having not ridden all weekend. I decided to just mount the brackets and the bags, and get all the wiring run etc sans the connection. Im going to add the pictures and details at the end of the post instead of here though.

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Interested. My wife is bugging me to put bags on her Slim.

thank god I read that again.. please tell me that was welded before you paied for it to be welded. IF NOT you mean to tell me you paid someone for that weld ? and $100 bucks at that. that looks like hammered ass id ask for my money back. (I can weld though and would have done it myself). but seriously I know boilermakers who weld better, I'm not trying to get down on your project its great and all. but they make kits for this and after what you have already spent I believe you could have bought something quality. I just hope for your sake that weld don't crack anytime soon but I think it will. reason I say that since you asked. you cant see any real penetration in the weld it looks like it is just laying there. there are undercuts out the ass in it. you can see it was welded at the wrong amps. the person who welded it went way to fast that is why you see no puddles formed. id hate to see the underside that is thin metal and if someone miged that they need to go back to what ever school they went to and try again. a monkey can weld better then that.

Again I'm not getting down on you I just hate when people pay for crappy work. it took them maybe 15 min to do that. seriously id either have them reweld it or get my money back. I guess it will hold but, honestly they did a really bad job man I'm sorry to tell you

Tell me how you really feel... It is what it is. I hope it holds. I paid a guy at the local welding supply company to do it. We'll have to wait and see. <br>Also they do NOT make a kit for this. The slim was not meant to have bags so all of this has to be done custom. No company offers a quality bracket to add hard bags, most throw over brackets are garbage too.

I'm no expert on the welding thing so I can't really say much about it. If it holds, no worries. If it doesn't, you find a different shop. Kinda hard once you drop it off to get done. No real option but to pay and go on your way. Not a huge deal, so don't let anyone get you down about it.

Now that that is out of the way.....

Looks like a cool little project. I've got a brother who went with throw overs but I don't recall if he has brackets or not.
I have never seen hard bags on a slim yet, but I will now!

You should richen up that tune a little too.

:icon_jammin: