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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Going solo? (pics added)
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Message started by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 06:42:59

Title: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 06:42:59

I think the solo look looks way cleaner on our bikes and I'm toying with the idea of removing the rear seat, sissy bar, side rails and toaster oven tail light. I think I can relocate the rectifier and cover the whole mess up with a nice leather fender bib fairly easily but how do I get this thing (bracket the rear seat hooks under) off? Anything else I need to consider? Sorry if these are newbie questions. Guilty as charged. Thanks!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/5933201053_166783a767.jpg

Title: Re: Going solo?
Post by youzguyz on 07/13/11 at 07:25:25

It's welded. Cut and grind and you can never go back. Or find some ornamental use for it so you can go back.

Title: Re: Going solo?
Post by SoE on 07/13/11 at 08:39:03

The voltage reg can go right inside the air intake. There's a space in the back that feels like it's made for it. Wires can just go straight down into it from under the seat, very clean.

I struggled with the fender, whether to chop it up or not. I got a used fender on Ebay and was about the cut on it when I saw a Northern Tool trailer fender made into a rear fender. I went with that instead. If you want the extra one I got PM me & we can deal. Then you can cut away and still go back to stock if you change your mind.

Title: Re: Going solo?
Post by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 10:32:56

Thanks but I think that's more than I really want to bite off at the moment. I'm not much of a wrencher so I want to try to keep the stock fender and just give it a cleaner look. Man, that makes me sound lazy! I think with the back seat, sissy bar, side rails and tail light removed, it could look pretty clean using the stock fender and a leather bib to cover the holes. I think I'll just have to cut that bracket off somehow.

Any recommendations for tail light/licence plate bracket combos? I'm thinking this might work but not sure how I feel about buying it from Hong Kong. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chrome-Cateye-Oval-Red-Tail-Brake-Light-Motorcycle-/270711656337?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f07ac0f91#ht_3862wt_939

Title: Re: Going solo?
Post by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 13:39:01

Alright I got anxious and wanted to see how it'd look. Removed rear seat and pillion, relocated the rectifier to the airbox (very easy to do) and covered it all with, don't laugh, black plastic landscaping edging. From a distance it doesn't look as bad as it should. I'm still torn on whether or not I want to permanently remove the metal bracket thing. I'm surprised that I don't hate the look of the sissy bar now that the pad's off it. I think with a proper leather bib instead of my ghetto-fab job it will look decent.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5934363059_2720fd9922_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5934362789_71f50acc7b_z.jpg

And the ugly truth:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/5934925964_f679324dbc_z.jpg

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by TheSnakeLady on 07/13/11 at 13:53:49

Actually, it's funny, I just did this exact project over the winter and that bracket wasn't even on my 05. That looks like the exact tail light I have on mine but I'm pretty sure mine came from the states. You can use your stock license plate bracket but there will be some contact, I just corrected this with some small washers. Just be aware that you will have to mess with some wiring issues (I can't remember if the taillight had the correct wiring but I know the AM signals had three wires vs. stock two). I'm not sure if you're aware or not but if you remove the side rails you will need AM turn sigs. You may be able to trade someone your sissybar/side rails for the ones that are just side rails w/out the sissy bar and keep the stock sigs. Also, the fender bib may not be big enough to cover the mounts for the stock taillight (theres four big holes under there). Here's a pic of how mine turned out (I had the fender stripped, welded, bondo'd and repainted to cover some of the mount holes).

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb234/the_snake_ladys_pics/100_1064-1.jpg

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 14:10:37

Your bike looks great SnakeLady. I wonder if the rear seat bracket is a Savage vs S40 thing? Mine's an 04. I am a little concerned about the holes the tail light will leave in the fender since you're right, the bib won't be that long. I've seen someone put some chrome caps over the holes and it didn't look terrible but you definitely did it the right way. My next move is to take off the rails, sissy bar and tail light, get AM sigs, tail light and the bib and chop off that bracket. Should look much cleaner.

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by 12Bravo on 07/13/11 at 14:47:46

6959554E4E08140A3A0 wrote:

I wonder if the rear seat bracket is a Savage vs S40 thing? Mine's an 04.

You are correct, the bracket referenced in your first post is on Bikes with a 2 piece seat. The newer s40s with a 1 piece seat doesn't have that.

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by Scott2.0 on 07/13/11 at 14:55:21

I forgot the S40s went to a one piece seat. I guess if I chop the bracket off and ever want to go back to a two-up I can always buy an S40 seat.

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by thumperclone on 07/13/11 at 15:02:10

id leave the sissy bar and go with a bib just if you need to haul something...

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by SoE on 07/13/11 at 18:15:49

Yeah, that looks good. The bib is probably the way to go if you don't want to get into a lot of modification.

I've seen that cateye tail light from a US seller too. Check around before you pull the trigger. check Amazon.com too. You'd be surprised what they have.

Title: Re: Going solo? (pics added)
Post by Wake51 on 07/14/11 at 16:25:00

Where do you put the women you find with this set up? Handlebars?