How close is too close?
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 741
Likes: 1
From: New England
How close is too close?
I've put about 400 miles on the bike since it came off the jack this winter.
I'm planning on heading to Sturgis in a week. That means 5,000+ miles of hot highway miles.
I was looking at the situation on Saturday and decided those bolt heads were just too close to the side wall (1/8" side cleanance). I took the entire back end off, put a heavy clamp where the sissybar attaches to the swing arm, and then pushed the sissy bar wider at the fender with a hydraulic bottle jack. Now I just have to put it back together tonight. Only problem is that now the top clearance to the tire will be closer. Hope it works.
I'm planning on heading to Sturgis in a week. That means 5,000+ miles of hot highway miles.
I was looking at the situation on Saturday and decided those bolt heads were just too close to the side wall (1/8" side cleanance). I took the entire back end off, put a heavy clamp where the sissybar attaches to the swing arm, and then pushed the sissy bar wider at the fender with a hydraulic bottle jack. Now I just have to put it back together tonight. Only problem is that now the top clearance to the tire will be closer. Hope it works.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 741
Likes: 1
From: New England
Like everything I have done to my bike, there were issuse...........
The fender was close on the sides. So I spread the sissybar and fender. That made the fender ride on the tire on top (it shrunk the fender radius).
To solve that problem I extended the "legs" of the sissy bar.
I welded-on tabs that made the sissybar 1/2" taller. But that screwed-up the geometry of the luggage rack. So I had to weld-on tabs to the luggage rack to make it long enough.
The bottom line is that everything is working. I need to cut the u-bolts to size, but its ready to ride again without worrying about the fender clearance.
The fender was close on the sides. So I spread the sissybar and fender. That made the fender ride on the tire on top (it shrunk the fender radius).
To solve that problem I extended the "legs" of the sissy bar.
I welded-on tabs that made the sissybar 1/2" taller. But that screwed-up the geometry of the luggage rack. So I had to weld-on tabs to the luggage rack to make it long enough.
The bottom line is that everything is working. I need to cut the u-bolts to size, but its ready to ride again without worrying about the fender clearance.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,052
Likes: 12
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Tourer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 390
Likes: 1
From: Dark Side of the Moon
The seat won't be an issue... I have put almost 5K on my Original Solo Seat this summer and love it. By the time you need to fuel it is time to get off the seat for a few minutes anyway. 600 miles a day were no problem!
How you doin with the jockey shift. I picked mine up quickly but still occasionally kill it on starts from red lights.
How you doin with the jockey shift. I picked mine up quickly but still occasionally kill it on starts from red lights.
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