I just bought the studded leather tank panel for my Heritage and it seems like it’s too thick. When I pulled up the console and tuck the panel under there, the panel won’t seat back down on the bike and is about a 16th of an inch up from the tank.



I did a search on the forums and only found one other person with a problem like this, am I missing something? I’m assuming since they sell it and other have put it on their Heritage that I’m doing something wrong, but it seems like a rather straight-forward install. Anyone else?

 

I have that same panel on mine and it fits fine. I hooked it up under the tank and then under the seat. If anything at first mine seemed a little long, but it turned out not to be. I don't know why this would happen.

Lynn

 

Same deal here - My panel is the one with a pouch. At first I thought I was putting the dash back on wrong & kept trying to re-adjust it. It's a pain in the neck to keep the gasket on the dash. Still can't get it to seal back down on the tank. Just seems the dang leather panel is to thick, period. Other guy who responded to my post trimmed his thinner & said it looks & works good. I think I'm gonna take it down to the dealer I bought it from and tell them to show me how to do it... I'll make 'em an offer... If you can find something I did wrong on the install than I'll pay for the labor to fix it and a $20 tip. If you can't find something I did wrong - then you fix it and tell me how to get this H-D part to fit properly.

Wonder if they'll go for it?

Dave from Georgia.

 

For my 03 Heritage and 04 Softail I did the following.

Remove seat and console

Remove factory plastic piece of cr@p panel.

Loosly start screw at base of new tank panel.

Mark where to attach clips at top of tank panel (get it centered and up tight)

Attach clips (clean the tank first with alcohol)

Bend the new panel into the curve needed.

Hook onto clips and use the screw to pull the panel down and tight.

Replace console.

Hope this gives some insight. The key seemed to be preforming the new panel and putting the clips up just high enough so that when you tighten the screw it pulls the panel down snug.

 

The dash panel is too thick to fit under the gauge panel. Put it in place, set the gauge panel in place. mark the dash panel with a pencil, then take it off and trim the upper layer of leather off. Then it will fit under the gauge panel, the gauge panel seals will seal, and you will be happy. I think this dash panel is a Harley goof.

 

Thanks for the tips all...after wrestling with it for a bit, there is just no possible way for this panel to fit. I wonder if they had multiple runs of the panel and some of them ended up too thick while others were ok. I think I'm going to take Tommy's idea and trim it down. Dave, if you do what you plan on doing, let me know what the outcome is. As for me....trim trim trim.

Thanks all, take it easy.

 

Just what Tommy said. I had to trim the ends of the thicker piece of leather that runs along the top of the new panel. Its the piece that holds the panel in place under the guage panel. It was not clearing the sides of the guage panel and thus would not let the guage panel seat itself back in place. Used and exacto knife to trim back about 1/4 inch of the offending leather strip and all was fine.

 

Sounds good Pat, got the exacto out and I'm starting to slice here in a bit. Thanks.

 

Just be careful just what you slice

 

It's all right so long as it's not my thumb...hard to hold on without a thumb.