I'm planning on the hidden antenna inside the fairing. I'll do it when I'm inside the fairing to mount an oil temp guage.

 

Harlyfan: I have had a powered antenna inside the fairing for a couple of years and prefer it to the alternatives: whip, J&M, etc. Whatever reduced reception I may experience (and I don't knowthat I do) I accept because I prefer notto have the antenna on the back of the bike. If you want to keep the rear mounted antenna, HD offers an antenna relocation kit (like the SG/RG uses without a tour pak); then you just move the antenna cable and antennafrom the tour pak to the lower bracket when the box is off the bike.

I'll take some pics of the bike without the brackets (although my '04 EG police model has the same fender/facia of a Street Glide which you have probably seen many times without the brackets installed. I will also post pics of the chrome brackets showing the bracket after the material was ground offto fit outside the black bracket.

 

I also have the power antenna inside the fairing and haven't noticed in drop in reception. Took me about 4 hours for the docking kits, I removed the bottom bolts holding the mufflers to the bracket and alignment was a snap, and used a jack to re-attach the mufflers.

 

Sif and Harlyfan: I edited the linked thread in my original post above to include pics of the modified chrome brackets with a tape measure in the shots to give you an idea of how much material to remove if you were considering this change.

 

Thanks for the pics. It became instantly clear when I saw them. I must be thick.
I may do the same thing since I won't be using the tourpak very often. On the other hand, how do you deal with the alignment issue when the bolts are removed. I know that this was the biggest issue when I installed the rear kit. The fender and brackets shift and it makes it hell to get the bolts back in.
Steve

 

The alignment problem when installing the two top bolts for the chrome bracket interior to the black bracket is not nearly as difficult with the chrome bracket on the outside of the bracket. I don't have a design/engineering explanation for this phenomena, and perhaps I'm just lucky. But I believe the black bracket simply lines up better with the chrome bracket on its outside than on its inside.

Also, I now put a piece of 2"X4" under the kickstand (with the bike on level pavement of course) to stand the bike more upright; otherwise, it's a pita to do the left side because it's just more difficult to get low and line up the holes for the bolts.

 

I just received the Front Detachable Docking Kit today. I already had the Rear Docking Kit installed for my tour pak. After seperating all the hardware and preparing my bike for the fun ahead, I could not find any sissy bar brackets(Item "K")and apparently I need (2) of them.The instructions say it is a bracket from luggage rack or sissy bar upright kit. Was there another kit besides 53803-6 and 53804-06 that I should have ordered for this install or should it have come withthe Front Docking Kit hardware?

 

Smitty: No, you bought the only hardware kits HD offers, at least according to the '08 P&A catalog, for the detachable sissybar/solo rack and two-up rack.

Check the parts list/break-out on the instruction sheet with the sissy bar/solo kit; it should list all of the parts and their quantities included in the kit.

 

The instructions show Item K (sissy bar brackets) asparts in the kit so apparently they were not included like they should have been.I discovered thisafter I put the bike up on a jack and removed the seat and saddlebags.How frustrating. [sm=headbang.gif] I ordered the kit from Zanotti's so hopefully they'll make it right and send me the missing parts. Unfortunately I will not have the passenger sissy bar on for a ride this weekend like I intended. Time to put the bike back together andattempt this projectanother day. [sm=sigh.gif]

 

I spent about 4 hours over two days fiddling with the parts and instructions. I kept thinking, "I know I can do this. I'll just read the instructions again." Truth is, the instructions are not only not helpful, they're counterproductive. Just take a look at the pictures in the instructions (or better, a friend's bike where they're already installed.) I did finally throw away the instructions and everything went better after that. And yes, you have lots of washers and bolts left over.

My patch, please.