thanks Mcpastor for the excellent info on the bags.if i do the quick detach ill go boss because like you said nothing needs changin and thats important to me.What a awesome lookin heritage you have,makes me want mine even more.what do you think of the mustache engine guard compared to the std one??? any suggestions on floorboard kits??? Daryl

 

you've made a fine choice, still to this date (mostly because i have only had my xbones for 1 week) my 2000 heritage was my most favorite bike....with that said, there are a ton of accesories you can add to make yours unique...have fun and ride man ride....welcome to the softail family

 

[quote]ORIGINAL: mcpastor

Gonna be nice! Can't wait to see the pics.

You don't have to change bags to make them detachable. Most people keep the same ones from what I can tell. Do a search on quick release on this forum, or names like Bubba's or Ghost Brackets or EZ Brackets. These mount to your original bags easily. I have Boss Bags quick disconnect. I've not found too many others that do. The reason I went with them is that the spacing of the bags when installed is completely faithful to the stock spacing. Plus, they are a breeze to remove. They're like air chucks. One pull and they're off. The hardware in the kit combines with the quick detach backrest hardware you already ordered. You can do it yourself. Also, you don't have to buy additional HD relocating hardware for your bags, footpegs or floor boards. Mine have worked with all, including leaving room for the tool kit. You can see the rubber stopper that the bag support rod presses on in one of my pics. Now the downsides: They don't come with a lock (but you can get a lock for the bag lid), the hardware on the bike sticks out more than some others (but you can buy bullet tip covers). This is why I think more people don't have these. But, for me, I keep the bags on mainly, even when I remove the passenger pillon. I like that the bags remove so easily for cleaning the bike and for the occasional stripped down cruise. Boss Bags does make their own, IMO higher quality bags than HD with the Heritage Classic look. But, I wanted the bags to look stock.

Here's the bracket they send... you have to remove the original and drill the holes of the plastic bag backing larger, then attach the new bracket:


Inside the bag you can see the air chuck design. Sticks out a little, but the leather bag flexes so I dont' have any trouble getting a half shell helmet inside or packing the bag full. The good thing is, one pull and it's off. They snap on, too:


Here's the pad where the bag support arm contacts (the black rubber stopper just to the right of the footpeg):


With the bags off, the posts stick out some. I wouldn't have done this if I were entering any shows, but it isn't so noticeable on the road. Here you see the bullet tips they sell:




Here are some pics of how I modified the seat pillon to be quick disconnect. It works well and is solid for the rider. To protect the fender, I just use 2 black mousepads, rubber side down. Harley used to make (do they still?) a quick disconnect for the pillon. I bought one and installed per directions and there was dangerous play, I mean dangerous. I wouldn't ride it or let my wife ride it. This solution is snug:
[IMG]http://img.forministry.com/F/F7/F

 

Thanks for the compliment. I think you'll really enjoy yours.

Regarding the mustache engine guard, I put that under the "live and learn" category. Looks great on the HD website (the pic below is of a 2006 Heritage Classic from the '06 website) but IMO not too good on my bike. HD must have picked the absolute best angle for the picture. Plus, the built in rubber grips on top are very high and close together--extremely uncomfortable as a second riding position, and funny looking too, so I never used it. To make matters worse, there is very little room to mount highway pegs, but I did it. It didn't look good and they tended to trip me up when I wanted to put my feet down or use the brake. I'm so much happier with the standard engine guard. Looks old school like the bike should IMO and it also allows plenty of room to get your highway pegs just to your liking.

PS - I think your tour pak will look great as in the pic.

For passengers' feet I finally went with Harley floorboards. They fit good and are very solid. My wife loves 'em. She didn't think she needed them until she tried them. Now she's spoiled and loves them comparedto pegs. Mine are the concho kind like the pic below. I had earlier tried some nice chrome footpegs from HD, but wifey says the floorboards are the bomb 'cuz she can support herself so much better, especially when I brake hard or swerve to avoid obstacles,and they offer more leg positions. Makes long trips much more enjoyable for her, and therefore for me too. So, I moved the chrome pegs to the engine guard for my highway pegs.



Here's another shot of floorboards (Nostalgic Inserts, Concho covers):

 

I'm glad my post was helpful. I had to learn a lot of it on my own and some of it the hard way.

In answer to your question, if you have Heritage Classic bags already, all you need to buy is the brackets from Boss Bags or any of the other brands I mentioned. If you're looking for a great set of bags, check out www.bossbags.com. They come in a quick detach version so you don't need to buy the kit separately. I thought about buying a set of Boss Bags and selling my original HD's on eBay, 'cuz Boss Bags have stiff panels built in, are larger capacity, and have the quick detach built in already. But, all in all, I kept my OEM's so my bike looks like a Harley, not like one of the many wannabe's.

 

Thanks again mcpastor,you are the man when it comes to the heritage.feel a whole lot better about my picks now.ride hard and ride free. Daryl