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Has anyone converted/used the camlock style mounts that clamp to your fork tube to mount a windshield setup like this one?
I got this from a friend, its genuine HD but was on his fatboy, I'm putting it on my '99 softail. I can get the top mounts to work, but the lower are wider than my forks, It looks like the clamp style will line up, just want to see if anyone has done it before I order parts
A photo of the fitting problem would help.
if the lower mounts are to narrow on the fork tree you con use longer bolts and spacers to hold the windshield mounts...
can post photos of the in coupe of Days if you want.
What Softail do you have? If it's a Softail Custom or like, then the front end will be narrower. So you may have to rig up longer bolts and spacers like Ado mentioned.
Softail custom, yes the front end is narrower, main problem is that the lower mounts don't line up with the tree at all that's why I'm thinking of getting the fork tube clamp style then putting the grommet mount on the clamp for the lower mount, just wanted to see if anyone has done this before
I guess the first thing I would ask myself is whether or not I wanted this to be a permanent installation or if I anticipated removing it regularly. I have a Fatboy with the aux light bar, and I fight getting the windshield on and off so much that I have come up with my own technique that takes all the work out of it. I remove the top bolts every time, and then it just sets on or lifts off effortlessly. It takes less time than it does trying to get everything lined up just right and then forcing things. I regularly swap between a windscreen, a batwing fairing, and or just naked, so it is important to me that it is a 3 minute job to change.
If I was going to leave one on forever, I would do away with the quick mounts altogether, and just bolt it on. In your case, I would bite the bullet and purchase something made specifically for the bike rather than trying to make something work. I will say that if you have the skills and the tools, you can make just about anything work, but sometimes it is just easier to take the straighter path.
You may end up throwing more money at it than you care too. Unless he gave that windshield. Look into a new one or find a decent one on the Fleabay. Most likely your best bet.
Originally Posted by Mountain_man
Softail custom, yes the front end is narrower, main problem is that the lower mounts don't line up with the tree at all that's why I'm thinking of getting the fork tube clamp style then putting the grommet mount on the clamp for the lower mount, just wanted to see if anyone has done this before
A photo of the fitting problem would help.
if the lower mounts are to narrow on the fork tree you con use longer bolts and spacers to hold the windshield mounts...
can post photos of the in coupe of Days if you want.
I think I can grind down the signal light mounts and put the mounting grommets on them for the lowers, but it wont be tight to the forks, Im wondering how stable itd be?
These are the mount's I Spoke of. The mount set for deluxe or fatboy. The fatboy uses the spacers under the black grommet and the deluxe uses the grommet straight on the passing light mount points. This is a slim with a custom mount set-up where passing lights have been cut and widened to allow a winscreen i already had to mount under the passing lights.
I wouldn't recommend any grinding...
If you need to ask I would recommend you purchase mounts that suit or sell the windscreen and buy the correct one.
I am old with a lathe and experience. It makes a difference.
Hope that helps!
This is a slim with a custom mount set-up where passing lights have been cut and widened to allow a winscreen i already had to mount under the passing lights.
I wouldn't recommend any grinding...
If you need to ask I would recommend you purchase mounts that suit or sell the windscreen and buy the correct one.
I am old with a lathe and experience. It makes a difference.
Hope that helps![/QUOTE]
This helps, thanks. I just wanted to see the spacing on how the mounts work with the softail front end opposed to the fatboy.
What I meant by "Grinding" is that I'd just make the signal light mounts a bit narrower since as you may be able to see in the pics, they're just a bit wider than the lower mounts on the windshield, the grommets would hide any modification when installed. I don't have my lathe operational yet, or I'd just chuck em in and turn them down.
After 20+ years of wrenching, I'm pretty sure I can figure this out, but always like to see what others have done to save time, or find a better way., so even though I don't NEED to ask, sometimes I still do. Hope that makes sense.
No way I'm selling a genuine HD windshield I got for what I paid and putting more out for another one that'll be lower quality, sorry.
I don't like loading up the parts cannon like some do, I'd rather make what I have work, but to each their own.
Thanks for the reply
Last edited by Mountain_man; Jul 11, 2023 at 12:32 PM.
I guess the first thing I would ask myself is whether or not I wanted this to be a permanent installation or if I anticipated removing it regularly. I have a Fatboy with the aux light bar, and I fight getting the windshield on and off so much that I have come up with my own technique that takes all the work out of it. I remove the top bolts every time, and then it just sets on or lifts off effortlessly. It takes less time than it does trying to get everything lined up just right and then forcing things. I regularly swap between a windscreen, a batwing fairing, and or just naked, so it is important to me that it is a 3 minute job to change.
If I was going to leave one on forever, I would do away with the quick mounts altogether, and just bolt it on. In your case, I would bite the bullet and purchase something made specifically for the bike rather than trying to make something work. I will say that if you have the skills and the tools, you can make just about anything work, but sometimes it is just easier to take the straighter path.
I don't want a permanent installation. To remove/install this windshield wouldn't take anywhere near 3 min. As my original post stated, I'm trying to find out if anyone has used the fork tube clamps to mount this style of windshield.
With the switchblade system, there's no need to ever remove the top bolts once they're holding the grommet, which I've already got installed and work fine with my fork. Since the lower mount doesn't line up with the triple clamp on my bike, there's nothing to hold the lower on. I'm using the signal light mount for lower windshield mount. It's really not that complicated to make this windshield work on my bike. It would be quicker/easier with the lower tube clamp, but I don't know what the offset is on that style of clamp and I don't have one to measure, so thought I'd see if anyone here has used that system
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Quick change windshield mounts
