I know something similar has been asked several times in the forums, but I can not seem to find the answer to my question. The ones that were similar haven't been commented on in 10-13 years, so the responses aren't relevant to my situation.

Backstory: I just bought a 2005 Fatboy in May. I have been making adjustments on the bike since then, I have replaced the breather with a K&N Aircharger, I swapped the V&H Long Shot Duals over to a set of LAF 2" pipes, swapped all bulbs to LED, added an engine guard and highway pegs, and have a seat on order. I also installed a Power Vision and the Auto Tune wide band O2 sensors. The bike has a Memphis Shades type windshield with quick detach hardware, and the front turn signals were relocated to the upper fork covers. They share the lower mounting point with the quick detach windshield mounting hardware.

I ordered a windshield to replace the cracked, scratched, discolored one that was on the bike. I didn't know there are two different styles of windshield hardware. "H" brackets, and "U" or horseshoe or Heritage brackets. I got a deal on a shield and ordered it, not realizing that I ordered the wrong style. Here is where the comedy of errors started.

It was my fault. I own it. I didn't want to hassle with the seller that I bought it from, so I started searching for the windshield hardware. I finally found someone on eBay with the "U" hardware, and bought it from him. I installed the hardware and was excited to finally see the shield on the bike! Only to be disappointed, because again, I assumed that it would mount to the same quick detach hardware on the forks. Learned a new lesson, the mounting points are not the same for the two different styles of windshields. The search continues.

Utah Harley was one of three dealerships in the Country that had the hardware in stock. So I ordered the quick detach mounting hardware for the forks and waited for the kit to arrive. Once it arrived I was excited to swap it out, mount the shield, and put this nightmare behind me. Today is 10/26/20, and the new shield is still not on my bike.

I have searched this forum, YouTube, Google, and for the life of me, I can not find anything that shows how to take the turn signals off of the forks without messing them up. The top mounting point has a nut built into it, a simple turn of a wrench should begin removing it. The lower mounting point is also holding the turn signal. There is not a visible nut built onto it. There isn't any loose wire for me to turn the turn signal around to see if it spins off of a mounting post or if it is hiding a built on nut.

I have been searching for almost 3 months before I decided to create this thread asking for help. I'm anxious to close this chapter and move on to better things, like planning a cam chest, oil pump, cam, hydraulic chain tensioner upgrade.

Anyone know how this works? Anyone run into this before? I do not have a Service Manual, but I don't think it would have an answer for me in this instance, since this is not a factory turn signal solution. Desperately needing help!

Thanks in advance!

 

Post up a picture of the light in question please.

 

Many times a deal is not a deal. looking for cheap often ends in a mess. Sorry but hat is how it works return it sell it and get the right one. Two minutes at HD you would have had the right one and been long sense done.

 

These are pics of the bike as it was when I bought it.

 

You have a 2005 Fatboy... it came with a windshield (you mentioned Memphis shades, so unclear if it's an aftermarket or OEM windshield), and non-OEM mounted turn signals...

You eventually ended up with non-Fatboy windshield mounts, and a non-Fatboy windshield that won't clear your non-Fatboy turn signals.....

When you are working with parts, not designed for your bike.... it's going to be on you to figure out/modify/reject what does and doesn't work...

But that's all water under the bridge, and hopefully a learning experience...

For now, I would still get a service manual... Look up how to remove the turn signals from a model with the turn signals mounted where you have them now... Also look at how the brackets and nacelle on your model comes off... The signals were mounted there, so they obviously will come off... you're just missing the specific mount info... Something in the service manual might hint what to look for, or better, show exactly how it's mounted on a similar model.... It's right before your eyes, you just need to make sense of it..

I know some turn signals mount from a bolt/nut, inside the turn signal housing... The wire goes through the hollow bolt/nut, so you need a socket/wrench with a gap for the wire to fit through, so the tool fits on the nut.. I had to make one for the turn signals my '12 bagger... I'm not saying that's what you have.. just something to look for...


I'll share lessons I've learned from similar experiences...

I've "jumped the gun" over the years to get a part I wanted, without verifying fitment. That's why I have a shelf with some new parts that don't fit any of the bikes I've owned over the years... I didn't use them, but didn't throw them out either.... maybe some day they'll fit something...

After a few "wrong" purchases, I decided not to allow that to happen again. I started purchasing HD Factory Parts Manuals, as well as HD Factory Service Manuals, for any bike I buy...

The parts manual has helped me in two important ways...

One... I consult it, when looking for any parts/accessories that I want to be "plug & play" with my bike, before I make the purchase…. I have had Dealer parts guys and online "fitment" charts be wrong before... This way I go into it looking for a part number I have verified myself... I'm usually spot on, unless a part has been updated... then the online parts sites can verify an updated part number...

Two.... They have exploded diagrams of all the systems/accessories on the bike. I'm a visual person and I can often glean more from an exploded diagram, than I can from a paragraph explaining how something goes together...

Good luck with your fix... hope you don't have to get too creative.... custom fit parts can be a pain in the butt to figure out...

 

Hattitude is right; the turn signals are mounted on the handlebar control housings from the factory. I had a similar situation with a 2005 CVO Fat Boy that had an aftermarket batwing fairing and no front signals.

The only thing I can suggest is to remove the lenses and see if there is a nut holding the t/s housing to a stud, and go from there. Only the installer really knows. LOL. Good luck!

 

If I'm not misunderstanding you , You wanna move the turn signals with out cutting & splicing wires? You'll have to lift fuel tank -unplug 6 pin socket - pull pins unbolt signals & pull wires through (real pain but better than cut & splice)
Matching manual & parts catalog are Priceless

 

This is the original front turn signal on a 2005 Fat Boy.
The wire didn't feed through the original mounting (part 12 RHS & part 13 LHS), which seems to agree with your photos.

 

Nah. I'm trying to remove the turn signal momentarily so that I can remove the quick detach windshield mount currently on the bike, and replace it with the new quick detach windshield mount (bought from HD specifically for this style windshield for this bike, correct part number and all). Then I will reattach the turn signal on the new mounting hardware.

 

The wire doesn't go through the stud. In one of the above photos, you can see the wire goes into the nacelle behind the turn signal.