Need flag mounts for my new Road Glide... I want something that literally is invisible when not in use.

I am going to make my own flag staffs from 1/2" steel electrical conduit 6' long (a 1-1/4" staff is overkill and just creates drag). I am going to make this L bracket shown in the picture below from a piece of 1/4" steel (or maybe aluminum). I'll replace 5/16" bolt on the end of our muffler bracket with one 1/4" longer. The 7/16" hole will be to hold the staff. The 1/2" mast will have a 3/8" bolt inside it and slide into the7/16" hole on the bracket, use a quick release cotter pin to hold it in when in use. Now there would be nothing but a little tab showing when not in use....

Our mufflers are 18" on center, these brackets will offset the staff to the inside 1-1/4" The flag staffs will be 15-1/2" apart on center... My removable luggage rack is 10-1/2" wide. If I make a support to connect the two and attach to the trailing edge of the rack, the flags will have a nice 5 maybe 10 degree angle. I will post up when completed..

Waiting for paint to dry thought I'd throw up some more photos as the project progresses..
I put one side on and mocked up a brace to hold the staff for now. BTW, I had a piece of 1/8" steel around, that's what I used, plenty thick enough.

As you can see, you'll have to look for the mounts when the flags aren't on it. If I were to do it again, I would have moved the hole inward another 1/4", as it is there is about 1/4" clearence between the bag and staff when it is on, I'm going to put a couple wraps of electial tape at that point on the staff just in case it does vibrate enough to touch, but I don't think it will.
The 3/8" bolt head fits almost perfect into the 1/2" conduit I'm usng for the staff. A couple well placed dents in the shaft and it'll never come out, I am going to drill the bolt and use a quick release pin to hold the staff from lifting out on its own. So far I have $5.00 in hardware, I'll spend another $12 for two 10' lengths of conduit.. I bet it'll come in under $25 total and look cleaner than anything you can buy.

 

Took me awhile to get around to taking the pictures, but here's mine. I hardly ever use this taller sissy bar on the FXR since getting the Geezer Glide so I just leave it assembled and stashed between missions. 4 button head screws to swap it out with the short one.


1.500x2.000x.250 Aluminum angle. PITA using a 1.187 drill bit, didn't have that size hole saw and I live in the boonies.


.250x1.000 Aluminum rectangle behind backrest to keep the wellnuts from sucking out. Grade 8 bolts. Girlfriend appreciates the pad if she's going with me. That upper angle appears bent in the photo, but it's just an illusion from where I radiused all the edges and corners.


Lock collar with thumb screw for removal. Lock collar for the stop. Lock collar with eye bolt (I like to keep the flag tight with this adjustment)
Made a couple of nylon washers to go between the collars and aluminum after I noticed some fretting after the first trip. Extensively road tested at 65 MPH+ with nylon and cotton 3x5's (not all LEO's care to lead slow on the open road). I have a leather pouch that I strap on it to store the flags in when riding to and from the missions.

I popped for the Rivco for the Ultra, couldn't see how I could improve on their design. I did make some shorter 1018CRS mounting rods in place of the Aluminum though, running 2 flags made me paranoid about the riders behind me, I've dodged more than my share of half-assed flag mount jobs.
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I put the finishing touches on my flag mounts today. Pretty happy with the results. Wasn't hard to make and it will never come out when I don't want it to, or fail with 3x5 flags. Two screws for the clamps when I want to use it, two clips to hold the masts in place.
Check it out:
Now I gotta come up with something that is as clean for my GF's Heritage...

 

Mine got a good test yesterday, Wreaths across America escorting 3 truckloads of reefs down 95 from Ft Pierce to Lake Worth Florida, 50 miles at 60-65mph. They were rock solid.
I hear ya Lakerat! Yesterday I rode behind a moron who made a staff out of PVC with a 3X5 flag, with a top that looked like a razor hunting arrowhead on steroids. I couldn't take my eyes off that thing, just waiting to dodge it at any second. I was nervous as hell the whole time I was behind him.

 

hm...!
what was the result...!
please briefly tell me that...!

 

Still waiting for Rivco to come out with the mounting brackets for the 14 Wet Head. I was told by a company rep, that the newer bracket mounts would allow for use of the current 3-flag holder & the luggage rack extension with no mods to the original set up. Center-to-center spacing is supposed to line right up. Good thing. I've got almost a grand tied up in their products, & I'm planning on flyin my flags often this riding season...

EDIT: Rivco re-designed the mounting brackets. Got em from J&P for less than $80...Need the rain to stop so's I can get em on!

RE-EDIT: Rivco redesigned em, but I don't know which model they're designed for, dammit. Don't fit the Limited. Not even CLOSE. I'm SUPPOSED to be Lead Flag Bike in tha AM for a Leatherstocking Honor Flight. Guess my 6" x 9" USA flag will have to take the place of (3) 3'x5' USA, PGR, & POW/MIA flags...*sigh*

RE-RE-EDIT: Posted nasty ratings about the RIVCO mounting brackets on the J&P evaluation page & within the hour, I got a call from Marla @ RIVCO. The folks at J&P evidently didn't refer to which bike I was currently mounting to & set me the mounting hardware for the 11 Ultra Classic. She gave me the 10% J&P Gold Member discount PLUS another 10% for being a Patriot Guard Rider & split the shipping cost with me. She got the right stuff to me & everything mounted right up. Flew my 3 flag set-up for the return home escort mission of a KIA on 7 May from Stewart Airport...Thank you, RIVCO.

 

hey bwana1
does this have all the mounting hardware with it--thanks dad7750(newby)

 

Here is my custom built mount

 

Please all, remember this. The US flag is always on its right. in other words, when mounted on your bike, it should be on the right hand side of the bike/vehicle. When presented on a stage, the flag is to the right of all things on the stage. Which would be on the left hand side as you face and view the stage from the audience. When carried, it will be on the furthermost right side of the line up. I may be a bit picky, but flag ettiquite is important!

thanks all!!

 

mine is mounted in the center