Softail Bagger Harley Motorcycle Projects Discuss Softail Bagger in the Motorcycles forums; this is looking like it should be in the next edition of AIM! Keep up the great work. Thanks...

[HotRodad1]

this is looking like it should be in the next edition of AIM!
Keep up the great work.
Thanks

[HarleyCruiser]

Originally Posted by HotRodad1

this is looking like it should be in the next edition of AIM!
Keep up the great work.
Thanks

Thanks Hot rod Dad, that would be my life ambition. I am an avid reader of AIM but realize my bike does not have enough bling, no skulls no flames, way to subtle. Nor am I a big name builder, just a guy in his garage. I am going to try some of the smaller magazines, maybe one of the bagger rags, where I might have a chance.
Next project is a custom fairing. I would like something really different, like the bags, maybe a combination fairing with a frame fixed mount like the Road Glide and a moving headlight.
Want it to flow with the lines of the bags, kind of long and swooped down.
But...........still need to finish the bags

[BlueBob]

Originally Posted by HarleyCruiser

Thanks Hot rod Dad, that would be my life ambition. I am an avid reader of AIM but realize my bike does not have enough bling, no skulls no flames, way to subtle. Nor am I a big name builder, just a guy in his garage.

I don't think you give yourself, or AIM, enough credit...

[admin]

Originally Posted by HarleyCruiser

Thanks Hot rod Dad, that would be my life ambition. I am an avid reader of AIM but realize my bike does not have enough bling, no skulls no flames, way to subtle. Nor am I a big name builder, just a guy in his garage. I am going to try some of the smaller magazines, maybe one of the bagger rags, where I might have a chance.
Next project is a custom fairing. I would like something really different, like the bags, maybe a combination fairing with a frame fixed mount like the Road Glide and a moving headlight.
Want it to flow with the lines of the bags, kind of long and swooped down.
But...........still need to finish the bags

Don't short change yourself. I think American Iron can probably find a place for an article your ride in there. RoadBike did a custom machine with a similar look, but yours is way nicer than the RoadBike custom. I can see Batman riding this bike -- no problem. When you get to the end of the project send me a note through the "Contact Us" link above, and I will forward it to Chris Maida, who will give it a good look over (send some pics with your note, or I can reference the ones you have posted in this thread). I think you've got something pretty cool!
Mike

[HarleyCruiser]

Originally Posted by BlueBob

I don't think you give yourself, or AIM, enough credit...

Bob, thanks, when you work on something for so long, you loose track of if it is cool or not. Sometime you get so used to looking at it you are not sure.
As far as AIM goes their standard/quality is so high, it is best if I tell myself that it probably won’t happen. Hope that is does.

[HarleyCruiser]

Originally Posted by admin

Don't short change yourself. I think American Iron can probably find a place for an article your ride in there. RoadBike did a custom machine with a similar look, but yours is way nicer than the RoadBike custom. I can see Batman riding this bike -- no problem. When you get to the end of the project send me a note through the "Contact Us" link above, and I will forward it to Chris Maida, who will give it a good look over (send some pics with your note, or I can reference the ones you have posted in this thread). I think you've got something pretty cool!
Mike

Mike that would be way cool. I am hoping to make Daytona the end of the month, just to get some feed back.
The bike is very subtle you don’t get a response except for people who know and appreciate Harleys.
Like I said I still have a lot of stuff to do on the bags. I want to change the top hangers to thicker plate aluminum. I am going to go to quarter inch thick. I think it will enhance the look of the hangers and give extra strength. The bags are very firm but I am not happy with the distance between the fender and bags in the rear especially when the bike is on the kick stand. I might also have to make a bracket that ties the three together. But if I do I want to make it easy to take off.
I like my bike very convertible. These bags go on and come off in about three/four minutes, so that it can be run naked, or bagged.
The secret is a bracket made out of 1/8 by inch flat stock steel inside the fender with nuts welded on, so the bolts going through the hangers just screw in. You just have to make sure you bolts are not to long and hit the tire;-(
This bracket is held in place by two bolts in the front and back. The back bolt is where the turn signal light usually goes.
This way the bracket does not fall of when you pull out the bolts for the bags.
I also have a set of racks that work as saddle bags, for trips. They are just that, half inch square tubing that are racks. I have a set of carry on luggage that strap into the racks and you run the carry on as bags. Kind of like the Beamer guys, except my bags are nylon.
These rack bolt to the same place as the glass bags, so are easy to take on and off.
Both set of bags the mounts go behind the quick connect mounts for the sissy bar/rack, so you can stick that on in a mater of seconds also. They are spread about a quarter if an inch so the sissy bar is a tight fit. Don’t know how I am going to address this yet.
I also need to figure out some kind of latch for the doors on the bags. The doors fit very tight, and do not blow open but feel I need some kind of latch/lock. I finally figured out a way to get the doors open. There is a leaver between the bags and fender that you push. It is part of the hinge, just extends and you push it enough it works like a door popper, to get a grip on the door.
I don’t have a photo of the rack but here is what the LEDs in the fender look like when they are lit up. The fender was a previous project from last year. if anyone is interested in how that was done let me know and I will post some photo of the tubes and lights.

[HotRodad1]

harleycruiser. You are building exactly what us real world riders like to see.
Understated is sometimes a good thing. It's when the attention to details get noticed. A bike all blinged out with a rad paint job has nothing more to offer than the next bling/paint job BUT when there is some thought and engineering involved to make your bike truley unique it will get noticed and admired for the creativity. Give yourself a big pat on the back.

I hope to see your fairing project for this ride it sounds amazing. Please keep posting your progress.
cheers!

[admin]

Originally Posted by HarleyCruiser

Grief this reads like a Hallmark, Valentines Day card, can’t believe I wrote this, how do you delete post?

Click on the "Edit" in the lower right-hand part of your message, and then click on the "Delete" button. If your message is the first post in a thread, you might delete the whole thread -- take care here!!

[HarleyCruiser]

It has been a while since an update, been working on the bags pretty steady, got a lot done that no one will notice but me;-)
I have changed the backs again. I decided that since the bags need to be made in two pieces instead of bonding them together and having a small hole to access the hinges make the back removable, and separate from the fronts.
This was a major job cutting them out and making flanges for the doors to bolt to.
Once cut out working on the hinges is much easer. Before I could not get the doors to close right, now I can see which hinge is giving me the problem.
As the doors close, if the hinge is off just a little it will pop the front or rear out. Now as I adjust the hinge and tighten the mount I can see if it is pushing the door out. Never thought it would help that much but this is a major obstacle to get past.
Also helps to be able to see inside to find a way to make a lock, or mount actuators.
I also redid the hangers, I went to quarter inch thick Aluminum, instead of the eighth inch. This makes the bags much firmer, and really improved the look. Before they looked flimsy and now it really emphasizes the style.
I also started making molds, I got the doors and the front fender done. The molds turned out great, but I managed to ruin my front fender. Bent it up pretty good. It will be easer to cast a new fender out of glass instead of fixing the old metal one. I had wanted to change it to look more like the rear fender, so this will make that easer.
I had made the mold out of two pieces and the part on the side of the fender I see I need to make it three piece or on the ridge of the rear fender. Don’t want to ruin the rear one, so screwing up the front fender was a blessing.
I will be starting the molds for the bag fronts and rear next week, and pulling the rear fender to cast it also.
I have found out that I am real sensitive to Styrene, and need to change my work habits, I did some small batches over the weekend and it was cold, so had the windows closed. Woke up Monday with a headache and a case of the stupids, (You painters will know what I am talking about) so, looks like I need to invest in a forced air respirator, or minimum of working in open air environment, with a fan. Looks like it was temporary but know there are long term affects of styrene if you are not careful.
I took the bike with the bags down to Bike week for the day, the response was great. Got lots of thumbs up, sure feels good after working so hard, if now I could only get them finished.
Anyway here is a quick look at the backs and hangers.

Here is the back on.

Here is the old hanger, top and the new one, they are just laying on the bags for the photo.

[HarleyCruiser]

I have been doing a lot of work on the bags none that are noticeable on a photo, little things like getting the backs straight, the flanges smooth, time consuming work, that you cant notice at a distance.
Most of the molds are ready except the bag bodies and the front fender.
I have been working on the front fender trying to get it ready.
If you remember, the front fender was made from a FLH and cut down to look like a very fat, fat boy fender.
I decided to make a glass copy and make it look more like the rear, so this is the progress on that.

Here is how you extend the glass, you put the fender on a piece of plate glass and then fiberglass how you want the extension. The black part is the glass copy of the original fender.

The tail was extended by placing a piece of cardboard between the to tail extensions.

Here is how the fender looks now. This is still a rough cut and the final fender will be trimmed from here.
It is better to make the plug bigger and the mold bigger so that when the fender is cast it can be cut to any size smaller.
I think I want to make the tail part a little thinner on the final, but plan on making several so I will probably cut several up until I get the one I like.
I am trying to make something that would look good with the bags, not copy anyone else, something unique and that is harder to do than it seems.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, yea, I know not all people are tail dragger lovers, but I am trying to get that streamline look.