DIY Cheap Mods
You pretty much have to ride to Tripler or you'll be walking a mile. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,612
Likes: 32
From: usa
My last bike was a 2005 dyna superglide custom. By the time I sold her I turned it into a bobber and all I ever used was Harley dealer accessories or kuryakyn parts.
My 2013 Softail Slim has been pretty much a plan opposite. 90% of my mods have been DIY using largely household hardware and accessories.
My 2013 Softail Slim has been pretty much a plan opposite. 90% of my mods have been DIY using largely household hardware and accessories.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 105
Likes: 7
From: oswego, illinois
It's a brass curved friction window slide. Their made in right and left.i drilled the top river out large enough to accept the bolt for the side plate of the tree. Than bolted bottom directly through the sides of the bag. <br/><br/>You may be able to find other finishes as well.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,612
Likes: 32
From: usa
It's a brass curved friction window slide. Their made in right and left.i drilled the top river out large enough to accept the bolt for the side plate of the tree. Than bolted bottom directly through the sides of the bag. <br/><br/>You may be able to find other finishes as well.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 120
Likes: 33
From: Elkhorn, NE
3/8 OD (I'm assuming outside diameter) I would pick em up at a big box like Home Depot or Menards so you can get a couple bags of 25. There are slight variations found in the bags so pick and choose to your liking. Also you'll be surprised where else the work.
Some have added the push in chrome or stainless tips but the get costly quick and I didn't find them necessary.
Some have added the push in chrome or stainless tips but the get costly quick and I didn't find them necessary.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 256
Likes: 7
From: England
like the turn signal mod. what is the bulb you have in your headlight?
Down and dirty bright stealth front turn signals. cheap and effective.
I decided to mess around with creating "stealth" mini front turn signals using the newest type of ultra bright T10 LED bulbs found on amazon. I had an extra pair since I bought 4 of them for my Nissan Frontier.
Anyway, this took me a whole whopping 20 minutes to install (I had already removed the stock turn signals and tucked the wires back into the handlebars).
Parts needed: solder, 26 gauge wire scrap (about 16"), heat shrink, 3M automotive trim double stick tape, acrylic conformal coating. If you are removing your stock turn signals you'll need new bolts to hold the mirrors.
LED Bulbs used (comes as a pair for $11): www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RYT02WQ
Acrylic Conformal Coating (use this to waterproof any electronics- seriously excellent stuff with many uses, $11): MG Chemicals 419C Acrylic Lacquer Conformal Coating, 55 ml Bottle, Clear: Epoxy Adhesives: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
The process is pretty easy. I first dipped the bulbs into the conformal coating and let them dry (using an alligator clip on a wire). I dip all of my led auto bulbs into that stuff and they never fail from moisture. this stuff makes them completely water proof. You dip the entire bulb, LEDs and all- the coating is clear and does not affect light output. hang the dipped bulbs and let them dry for a few hours.
Next, solder some thin wire scrap onto the left and right pads of the LED bulbs - make sure to scrape off any of the coating first if its on the pin pads- each piece of wire should be about 4" long. thin flexible 24/26 ga silicon wire is best like the kind used on RC quadcopters. You can use all black wires because these bulbs can be hooked up any direction, there is no set + and - direction. You'll connect the wires from the bulbs to the black and purple stock wires, solder, use heat shrink to cover the connection, then tuck the wires back into the wire channels under the handlebar controls. It is very self explanatory once you look at it. Use 3M body trim tape to stick the bulbs up under the handlebar controls. done.
Summary: $22 in parts if you also buy the coating dip, and 30 mins to 1hr to complete.
These LEDs are extremely bright and highly visible even in full sun- they will shine forward and directly downward once mounted.
From normal distance the led turn signal bulbs are pretty invisible:
Closer shot of the mounting locations- they just stick underneath on the flat areas of the handlebar controls and these locations are adjacent to the wiring outlet channels
Brightness of turn signal in daytime- sorry my headlight is washing out the photo- I have an 80w LED bulb retrofitted into the stock housing and it is stupid bright.
I decided to mess around with creating "stealth" mini front turn signals using the newest type of ultra bright T10 LED bulbs found on amazon. I had an extra pair since I bought 4 of them for my Nissan Frontier.
Anyway, this took me a whole whopping 20 minutes to install (I had already removed the stock turn signals and tucked the wires back into the handlebars).
Parts needed: solder, 26 gauge wire scrap (about 16"), heat shrink, 3M automotive trim double stick tape, acrylic conformal coating. If you are removing your stock turn signals you'll need new bolts to hold the mirrors.
LED Bulbs used (comes as a pair for $11): www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RYT02WQ
Acrylic Conformal Coating (use this to waterproof any electronics- seriously excellent stuff with many uses, $11): MG Chemicals 419C Acrylic Lacquer Conformal Coating, 55 ml Bottle, Clear: Epoxy Adhesives: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
The process is pretty easy. I first dipped the bulbs into the conformal coating and let them dry (using an alligator clip on a wire). I dip all of my led auto bulbs into that stuff and they never fail from moisture. this stuff makes them completely water proof. You dip the entire bulb, LEDs and all- the coating is clear and does not affect light output. hang the dipped bulbs and let them dry for a few hours.
Next, solder some thin wire scrap onto the left and right pads of the LED bulbs - make sure to scrape off any of the coating first if its on the pin pads- each piece of wire should be about 4" long. thin flexible 24/26 ga silicon wire is best like the kind used on RC quadcopters. You can use all black wires because these bulbs can be hooked up any direction, there is no set + and - direction. You'll connect the wires from the bulbs to the black and purple stock wires, solder, use heat shrink to cover the connection, then tuck the wires back into the wire channels under the handlebar controls. It is very self explanatory once you look at it. Use 3M body trim tape to stick the bulbs up under the handlebar controls. done.
Summary: $22 in parts if you also buy the coating dip, and 30 mins to 1hr to complete.
These LEDs are extremely bright and highly visible even in full sun- they will shine forward and directly downward once mounted.
From normal distance the led turn signal bulbs are pretty invisible:
Closer shot of the mounting locations- they just stick underneath on the flat areas of the handlebar controls and these locations are adjacent to the wiring outlet channels
Brightness of turn signal in daytime- sorry my headlight is washing out the photo- I have an 80w LED bulb retrofitted into the stock housing and it is stupid bright.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 124
Likes: 7
From: Louisville, KY
scaryonly - I'm sure it would work. I have painted whole bikes with rattle cans before. If you are going with a flat color, you're golden. However, gloss NEVER comes out of a rattle can like it does a spray gun, and you will never get a mirror gloss finish. The paint just isn't mixed the same. Hope that helps.
Turned out nearly perfect.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
Rattle can paint can be shiny if you clear coat. I did a base coat of the main color, masked off areas and added an accent color, then wet sanded a little. Then rattle canned the clear coat. I did about 3 coats, wet sanded, 3 more coats, and a final wet sand and buffed it out.
Turned out nearly perfect.
Turned out nearly perfect.
Very true I've done some professional looking paint jobs from rattle cans with a lot of wet sanding and buffing in the final stages, but the only downside to this is that rattle can't paints don't have **** for UV protection. So if its in the sun a lot it's going to fade and eventually start to crack/peel no matter how perfect you get it looking.