I'm considering getting a backrest and took a look under my (2007 Ultra) saddle for where the mounting would go. I don't see any tapped holes to take the mount. Has anyone bought a H-D backrest and can share what they did re the install? One of the reasons I ask is that I intend to ride down to upstate NY from Canada and buy it there,and hope to install it in the parking lot. Dunno if I need a drill, tap/die kit or ... ?

 

Tom,

I just put my adjustable back rest on in December. There isn't any drilling or tapping that needs to be done. All the needed holes are already in the frame. You will need to remove your seat in order to attach the bracket. If you have some common and tools with you, you should be fine.

I took my time and it took me about 1.5 hours to complete. However, I don't know if this is something I would care to do in the dealer's parking lot.

Good luck to you!

 

I put an adjustable one on my dad's Road Glide this past summer (mine is in the box waiting for my garage to get warm enough to install it. Winter sucks). There was no drilling required, but it was not a ten minute installation either. The backrest part itself was straight forward and easy to install, it was the routing and mounting of the adjustment cable and release that was a pain. You will need wrenches and patience. If you need more info, I will dig out the instructions and post more details.

 

Click HERE to download the instructions for the standard backrest (non adjustable) and you can see what's what

 

I got the HD Comfort Stitch Rider backrest for
my birthday. HD Part #52572-03. Pull the seat off, and
you'll be looking at two 1/2" I think... nuts on the fender that
you mount the bracket on.Noneed to drill anything, simple
bolt on for this back rest. I did have to modify the backrest
alittle to keep it from pushing me to much forward. I did this
by heating up the two rods that are attached to theb-rest
itself and bending them back1/2" to position it forcomfort.
It's a helleva thing to have to do with abrand new backrest
but, Ihad to do it. There are fourset uppositions for the
fender bracket to be placed and three height levels for
the backrest itself.
To answer your question about puttin' it on in the parking lot,
YES, if you have a basic tool kit. No drilling req'd. Before you buy, check out the HD adjustable one also. Install is alittle more involved but it's not too bad.

I just had to modify mine to sit "Just Right" because I'm all
about comfort when it comes to the Long Hauls. I don't have an updated pic to show of the install, sorry dude.

Good Luck with that and are you gonna brave the snow or wait till spring?

 

don't know if you are getting a real smokin deal in new york but I ordered mine from Zanottis I think it was $235 for the adjustable,only took about 10 days to Ontario, had it shipped with usps ground,shipping was $46 but I also ordered an IDS ,fuel management and ness big sucker at same time so shipping would probably be less than that,installation of the backrest could be done in the parking lot but I think you would be much happier doing it at home,the instructions that are with it are all over the place and you have to read them a bunch of times to figure out what instructions apply to your bike and which don't,not rocket science but something you would probably want to do in the comfort of your own garage.

 

Take some washers with you, you may want to use them as spacers under the front of the mount to kick the backrest back a bit. It'll feel like it's pushing you forward as it is.

 

If headed to Sovie's in Potsdam, they let me borrow the tools I needed for something I bought there as long as the tools didnt' leave the parking lot. There were also several Canadians that day that had tools and wereletting other people borrow what they needed. I undersand the reasoning in installing the parts in the parking lot. That way you don't have to pay import duties when you cross back into Canada.

One off topic question for the Canadians. When the Canadian dollar is worth more than the U.S. Dollar, do the Canadian stores offer the US dollar at par just like the store here in Watertown do for the Canadians when the US dollar has a higher value? Just wondering if I can save a little money by going to Canada for my purchases by using the US dollar at par.

 

Cheese Head ,I will tell you there is no deals up here we usually pay 30% more on average so even if stores did take the US dollar at par there would not be any savings until your dollar was worth less than 70 cents compared to ours and that isn't going to happen in the near future if anything I think our dollar will start to drop,yeah they really stick it to us up here,it has been really nice as of late with our dollar so strong taking advantage of shopping in the states and getting the deals that you guys are use to getting every day.

 

Agreed. Spent our winter vacation in Tucson. Bought a suitcase down there and filled it up with bike accessories and other stuff. We don't get fair exchange on a lot of stuff up here. [:@]