Sundowner install question
 

After reading a LOT of threads here about various seats, I decided to get the sundowner for my street glide. Install was obviously simple, except one thing: The grab strap from the stock seat is a LOT shorter than the new one for the sundowner since the sundowner passenger seat is so much wider. The left side of stock strap comes off with just that one screw, but the right side of the strap is riveted onto that bracket. It doesn't screw in like the left side. So, how am I supposed to remove the stock strap from the right side bracket? I want to be able to reinstall it and change out with the seat. For now I have the sundowner installed with no strap. Don't really need the strap either, but I would like to be able to install it anyway. How do I break that rivet that's holding the stock strap onto the right side bracket?

I bet this is a simple answer for the more mechanically inclined, so tell me what I need to do...

I just went through this myself a few weeks ago. Same seat. Same bike.

#1. Don't use the strap. I see no useful purpose for it. Put it in your take-offs and spare parts box and forget about it. Otherwise, you'll be cursing yourself every time you want to remove the seat.

#2. To remove the rivet, simply remove the entire bracket. Place the rivet between the jaws of your bench vise and hack saw the rivet in two! Voila! Problem solved.

Funny you should post this. I bought a sundowner from someone on the forum. I will receive it in a day or so. In the meantime, i looked at the seat strap set up, and was wondering the same exact thing. I went into my local HD dealer yesterday to ask that very question.

Seems you have to remove the metal plate that attaches the grab strap to the hardbags. Seems odd to me that they didnt just have the same screw as on the other side to make it easier. Ive read some on here have just cut the strap off. Did the new seat come with any screws or metal plates?

You have to remove the plates that the strap attaches to. The same screw is used to bolt down the saddlebag pin plate (not sure correct name for it). When you reattach the saddlebag support, make sure that it is in the same position, otherwise you won't be able to tighten down the front dzus connector.

I did away with the strap when I put mine on too.


:icon_that:

Jeff, get a sharp drill, a small block of wood to place on the inside of the bracket, some rags, and a good drill motor. Very carefully drill right through the rivet right on the bike. You can use a center-punch to tap in a starter hole to run the drill bit through... obviously you have to get the saddlebag and the seat out of the way first. Take your time, slow and patient. It works. I did mine this way. The metal rivet is not very hard metal...the drill will pass through it easily.
Once the rivet is drilled through you can squeeze it out wiith some needlenose pliers and the strap end will unfold and slide out of the bracket. You can then re-use it right through the same punch holes in the strap if you wanted to. Re-attach it with a similar screw, a washer, and nut, just like it was attached on the opposite side...not hard to do...good luck.

Reminds me. When I installed my Sundowner seat, I removed my saddlebags to make it easier to remove those darn chrome plates that attach to the straps.

With the saddlebags removed, you're going to lose the alignment position of the saddlebag attachment brackets when you remove the chrome plates.

Reattach the saddlebag bracket loosely, then reinstall the saddlebag using the lock pin. Once secure, tighten the saddlebag bracket.

I did take off both saddlebags and removed the right side strap bracket. I left the other on since it's out of sight out of mind when the saddlebags are on. I like the idea of drilling thru the rivet and should have remembered doing that years ago with my dad on a project he did.

The new seat came with a new strap with precut holes, but didn't have screws, etc. That's ok since the I can get a matching screw easily enough once I get the rivet off.

As for the seat... I sure hope it feels great when riding. It's like 1,000 degrees here tonight so I didn't take it out for a ride. Of course I sat on it in the garage once installed. It seems at least an inch taller and an inch or more forward than the stock seat. I can flat foot the stock seat and I'm on my toes now. Not very happy about that, but perhaps it will be such a more comfortable seat riding that I can overlook the position change.???. If I were to send it off for mods (C&C?) that might make it not as comfy after they cut out cushioning... Hopefully I can ride tomorrow and see how it feels.

Which version of the Sundowner seat did you get? I got the Street Glide Stitching model because it had a stitched bucket pattern in the seat area.

It seems to orient me a bit lower than stock and about the same place or slightly forward.

I tossed the strap first thing. I also find the Sundowner gets me a bit higher and
further forward than the stocker. Went with the StreetGlide stitched version for the obvious reasons lol..