This may be a dumb question but just got into the riding scene. I'm trying to remove the two rods that come out of the side plate that hold the saddlebags. They seem wielded onto the side plate, do I have to buy new side plates and then a quick detached kit for the saddlebags to fix this?

 

The "side plates" are called fender rails. The "rods" are specialized bolts that screw into a metal bracket on the inside of the fender. Someone probably screwed them in with red loctite.

I would heat the bolt to see if you can loosen it enough to unscrew it with a ratchet and socket. People have tried heating it with a soldering iron. If that doesn't work, try a blow torch but don't heat it so much it affects the chrome on the fender rail.

It is a standard right hand thread and loosens counter-clockwise. After you remove it, clean the threads on the bolt and bracket and use blue loctite when reinserting the bolts.

 

Thanks for the knowledge!