DIY Cheap Mods
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May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
OK, I'm after a cheap mod. I want to bend my handle bars a little. I have a stock Heritage. I pushed the bars up to give it a little cooler look, but they angle up funny. Can I bend them down a little? Or, what are the tallest apey-est bars I could put on a stock FLSTC w/o rewiring the bars?
Do-it-yourselfing Rocks!!
Do-it-yourselfing Rocks!!
Its not a quick and easy job, but it can be done and the first thing you need to do is pull off the grips and controls.
Then tightly pack the bars with kiddy sand, the kind used in sandbox's, putting tape on the ends to to keep it tightly packed inside and get a 1" ID piece of pipe about 3 or 4 feet long and slip it over the end.
You can then use the leverage of the pipe's length to gently bend the bars without putting a kink in them.
You may need a friend or two to hang on to the front end to hold it still or see if you can jam a padded screwdriver (a big one) or a crowbar in between the triple tree's and frame to stop it from moving while your applying pressure to the bars. If your just trying to make the ends bend down a little you probably won't need to go that far.
But having a friend around to steady the bike and hang on to the other end to keep the bars from slipping in the riser clamps or having the whole bike tip over on you might not be a bad idea.
Once you get them angled the way you want you can use a shop vac to suck out all the sand, reinstall the controls and your good to go.
Just try to bend them as little as possible to keep the chrome plating from pealing off on you.
Good Luck and let us know how you make out.
Last edited by In Memoriam Citoriplus; Aug 19, 2009 at 09:58 PM.
Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: everywhere
My second contribution...
I know this has been done several different ways, but here is My take on it.
I don't have a wide variety of tools, so there is probably easier ways to do it.
~ I started off using a old pc case, it wasn't strong enough so I figured it would be a good template if nothing else...
~ I eventually went to Home depot and bought a 6" X 18" (16g) piece of metal for about $7 after Tax.
~ Took it home and went to work on it the same way I did on the PC case.
~ Shaped it using a jig saw and belt sander to finish up the edges, test fit it, mounted it, took it off and primed/painted it, and remounted it...
~ Also decided to hack off the large plastic piece that use to hold the tag.
~ used my table saw to take off the largest piece and belt sander did the rest
~ Mounted it to the upper belt guard bolt...
It is real easy to make, simple in design, and most of all Cheap
here are some pics...
the downer Pc case
The Template
The actual Tag Mount Bracket
the plastic piece hack off
and the end result
Hope you like and maybe even help someone out.
chris
I don't have a wide variety of tools, so there is probably easier ways to do it.
~ I started off using a old pc case, it wasn't strong enough so I figured it would be a good template if nothing else...
~ I eventually went to Home depot and bought a 6" X 18" (16g) piece of metal for about $7 after Tax.
~ Took it home and went to work on it the same way I did on the PC case.
~ Shaped it using a jig saw and belt sander to finish up the edges, test fit it, mounted it, took it off and primed/painted it, and remounted it...
~ Also decided to hack off the large plastic piece that use to hold the tag.
~ used my table saw to take off the largest piece and belt sander did the rest
~ Mounted it to the upper belt guard bolt...
It is real easy to make, simple in design, and most of all Cheap
here are some pics...
the downer Pc case
The Template
The actual Tag Mount Bracket
the plastic piece hack off
and the end result
Hope you like and maybe even help someone out.
chris
Last edited by 09_NightRider; Aug 22, 2009 at 07:23 PM.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
From: Ft Leonard Wood
Sharp!!
Nice job on the fabrication....I'm guessing that you would be able to do the same for a tank lift? Or would 14 ga or stronger be better for that? It has been forever since I've worked sheet metal and not sure if I should build a tank lift with 16 or 14 ga. Any thoughts?
Tourer
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: everywhere
thanks for comment.
16 is thinner than the tabs & washers used on the tank...
My guess would be 12g, or 14g if that is all you can get easily
It would be real easy to make, Heck I have been eyeballing a wrench from my broke router...
I could easily get both parts out of it, and it is thick(at least 12g)...
I am cheap, and like to re-use stuff if possible...
chris
16 is thinner than the tabs & washers used on the tank...
My guess would be 12g, or 14g if that is all you can get easily
It would be real easy to make, Heck I have been eyeballing a wrench from my broke router...
I could easily get both parts out of it, and it is thick(at least 12g)...
I am cheap, and like to re-use stuff if possible...
chris
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 726
Likes: 3
From: Pacific Northwest
Another cheapo side mount
New (used) Deluxe owner here and like others, I don't care for the license plate mount. I like the Soft Brake kit, but who has $175 for the housing, plate, and frame? Also started to "hot rod" up my bike. Took off the windshield, bags, seats, and rack and felt a side mount plate was in order. Picked up a 8" metal bar with holes pre-drilled in the gate hardware section of my local hardware store for $2.09. Stuck it in a vise and beat on it with my hammer to bend a tab at the end. The rest is shown below. It ain't pretty, but will have to do for now.
The bar was supposed to be long enough to span both the holes in the license plate, but as usual, **** poor planning forced me to stick it to the backside of my license plate frame with double stick tape.
Notched the back of the license plate frame with my grinder (don't forget your safety glasses!).
Got these off Ebay for pretty cheap. I think LEDs are normally 3 volts. These came pre-wired with something (that hump in the heat shrink) that makes it work with 12 volts.
Hot glued two LEDs in the bottom of the frame. Stuck my license plate in the frame, followed by the plastic cover and the top of the frame and .....
Haven't wired it yet, I think it connects to the purple and the orange with white stripe.
Oh yeah, it's attached to the front belt guard bolt. I wanted to put it on the rear belt guard bolt, but the bolt was too short and it also had a rubber grommet. I think I'm in to it for under $10, for the bar, the wire, and the heat shrink tubing. Already had the other items.
Nothing fancy, but it works for me for now. Next.....what to do about that tab on the top of my tail light.
The bar was supposed to be long enough to span both the holes in the license plate, but as usual, **** poor planning forced me to stick it to the backside of my license plate frame with double stick tape.
Notched the back of the license plate frame with my grinder (don't forget your safety glasses!).
Got these off Ebay for pretty cheap. I think LEDs are normally 3 volts. These came pre-wired with something (that hump in the heat shrink) that makes it work with 12 volts.
Hot glued two LEDs in the bottom of the frame. Stuck my license plate in the frame, followed by the plastic cover and the top of the frame and .....
Haven't wired it yet, I think it connects to the purple and the orange with white stripe.
Oh yeah, it's attached to the front belt guard bolt. I wanted to put it on the rear belt guard bolt, but the bolt was too short and it also had a rubber grommet. I think I'm in to it for under $10, for the bar, the wire, and the heat shrink tubing. Already had the other items.
Nothing fancy, but it works for me for now. Next.....what to do about that tab on the top of my tail light.
Last edited by gforrest2; Aug 24, 2009 at 01:33 AM. Reason: Don't know why, but everyone else does it - removed license plate number
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
From: Ewa Beach, Oahu
Here is one...
Total $= 41.87. Should be less if you have anything laying around the garage that I bought.
custom solo seat:
1 stapler
1 set of 5/16 staples
1 can of 3M adhesive
1 really sharp disposeable razor knife
and 1 Twelve pack of Bud heavy.
After two hours and some wincing while taking the razor to the factory leather:
custom solo seat:
1 stapler
1 set of 5/16 staples
1 can of 3M adhesive
1 really sharp disposeable razor knife
and 1 Twelve pack of Bud heavy.
After two hours and some wincing while taking the razor to the factory leather:
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
From: Ewa Beach, Oahu
Thanks man.
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Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: SE Colorado
Turn signal relocate on springer so I could use the detach. windshield when I needed. total cost 6 BUCKS!!!
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...-ya-think.html
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...-ya-think.html
Had the primer and gloss paint
2 star washers
2 5/16 x 3/4 fine thread bolts
since the last set of pics I redid the design and brought the signals up a little closer to the head lamp for a cleaner look. I will get some pics up.