"That bike was done"

When I talk with older men about the bikes in their past they will often refer to a fondly held memory of a "done" bike. This term is tossed around often when you spend time with bikers and usually refers to a state of completion of the motorcycle. Usually, it describes their personal opinion of the features and look of the bike they so desired. For example, my uncle often talks about an old 1974 Super Glide that he had converted into a Wide Glide with Candy Root Beer paint. He often describes this bike as done.

That isn't the only time he's spoken like that though. Indeed, it seems every time he owns a bike he will spend hours and thousands of dollars to bring the bike to "done" status and then sell it. I think I'm beginning to understand. Once a bike is finished, what more is there to do? 

The issue is that the term done is very subjective. For some it may mean the motor has been completely redone, both top and bottom end, along with custom exhaust to allow for maximum performance. These men tend to be the equivalent of an audiophile, or someone who is more concerned with how things perform than how they look. The looks aren't as important if the sound is not perfect. 

Not a looker but the most powerful bike I have ever ridden.

I believe my father fit somewhere in this category. It at least would explain why he had so many extra parts lying around. His daily rider, a black Knucklehead bike he assembled in the '70s was an example of this. The look of the bike was bare. He included only the minimum to run the bike, mainly because it was his canvas. He worked from a pallet of  different cylinder, exhaust, valve and cam combinations in order to find the best performance. This, and even the purple 1946 Knucklehead would never be considered "done" from a aesthetic standpoint but the performance was unmatched! 

It seems as the older the person riding the bike, the less they care about looks and the more concerned they are with absolute mechanical synchrony. It is an art form of itself that truly demands respect and reverence. I can appreciate performance and mechanical tinkering but I also believe that if it is not broke, I should not attempt to fix it. 

There are those who spend hours upon hours customizing each small detail, smoothing all the trim and loading up the bike with aftermarket chrome and doodads. This camp of hyper-obsessive people, overly concerned with the look of the bike seems to have been born out of the cruiser customizing that occurred in the '60s and '70s with Harley Davidson.

This practice still exists today but seems to have been taken to an extreme. Custom choppers are mainstream. Tricking out bikes with spinning rims is not uncommon and people are adding ground effect lighting. I have seen some customized bikes sell for as much as $60,000! All of these different customizing options tend to take away from the actual ride. 

This camp is less obsessed with performance and comfort. It is not difficult to see some of these customized, highly stylized motorcycles and choppers and wonder how anyone rides them. I suppose that is the point though. These bikes aren't meant to be ridden, they are meant to be looked at and admired. 

I've never seen the practicality in something that can't be used. 

I think that even though my uncle is a fan of a bike being "done" he would still fall into the camp that I do; the balance camp. Indeed, my uncle takes performance, looks and practicality seriously. He is concerned with having a strong running, good mechanical order bike, that looks well styled and is comfortable to ride. I agree. 

He insists his bike isn't done. I disagree. 

Most of the modifications I have made to my bike are purely cosmetic. Truth be told my end goal is to make this bike look as close to my father's 1960 FLH as possible (my bike's model is FLHPI - "P" for police and "I" for fuel injected). I have refrained from mechanical modifications in order to prevent any issues that could be caused by messing with them. Essentially I don't want to start looking for trouble.

Always the goal.

So what else do I modify? Well, two of the last planned changes are adding a sound system (more on that this week) and changing out the gas caps. In addition I need to replace some fuel line and the kickstand spring.

All the money I will waste this month. The Boom! Sound system.

In the future I know the head gasket needs to be replaced. Although not as critical as the one on cars it is clear that it will need to be dealt with in the near future. I would also like to add True Dual exhaust system to the bike but that is something that will need to wait.

Finding black gas caps was time consuming and expensive. I hope it's worth it!

Cosmetically, the bike is where I want it to be. Now it is time to strike balance and invest in some of the more mechanical aspects to ensure this bike will run well into the future. 

An Excess of Accessories

When I began this project a few months ago I knew my wallet would take a pretty large hit. Harley is not known for their low prices or affordable brand. If you want a motorcycle on a budget then you'll need to look elsewhere. I have found though, that setting limits and spreading out your purchases will help you not to break the bank.

The obligatory "before" picture. Very before, at this point I didn't even own it!

Just yesterday we reached a point of near completion on the bike itself. That is not to say that everything is perfect, but the bulk of the changes are near complete. With little to no mechanical work that needs to be done my uncle will soon have his Saturdays back.

After dropping the bike off the jack I decided to take a step back and look at every accessory I have added to the bike, how long it took to do so and how much money I have dumped into making it look pretty. Just to be clear, an accessory is something that is not required to run or something that I have replaced for aesthetic purposes. When I think about it, almost everything (except the seat, that was required!) was an accessory. Let this post be a warning to how quickly everything adds up.

Strapped down and jacked up. The bike's state of being for the past month.

I have decided to include a rating of the ease of installation on this as well to give you an idea of how this worked out. On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 will be the most simple and 5 will result in the most swearing. This is gonna be a long one. 

Nostalgic Shifter Peg(s)    $29.95/each           Installation Ease 3/5     Total Cost: $64.10

The flat surface offers more comfort with the "heel-toe" method.

These pegs are used to replace the round stock pegs that sit on each arm of the heel toe shifting assembly. On a new bike they would be easy to remove but in this case it was challenging. We used a marker to mark the location of the pegs on the shifting spline, then removed them arms and placed them in a vise. Once in the vise we were able to, with much force, remove the screw that held the old knob in place. Once removed the new peg came with a screw that was presoaked with thread sealant. A few tight turns with an allen wrench and it was installed. When done placing the pegs we simply put the spline back on, used loc tite on the allen bolts that hold the arms to the spline and gave it a VERY STRONG tightening. I cannot stress the tight part enough, you don't want these falling out.

Nostalgic Floorboards     $99.99/Set            Installation Ease 3/5     Total Cost:  $106.88

I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

These are actually the same boards that sat in all three of my father's bikes. Needless to say I wanted that look badly! Removing the old boards, if you don't want to save them, is pretty easy. Cut the rubber feet that slide through the bottom of the bracket and remove. Hell, you can even tear them out if you feel savage. Installation is either really easy if you have a jack or lift or annoying if you do not. If you have a lift, simply spray the holes in the bracket with some type of lubricant then use a pair of duck bill pliers to pull the rubber nub through the bracket. Do this for all 5 holes and on both sides and done! If you do not have a lift it won't be terrible but you will struggle to see what you are doing. Either way make sure the area is well lubricated as it helps the rubber slip into the bracket holes with easy. Also make sure the pliers are dull and flat as you do not want to damage the rubber.

Nostalgic Brake Pedal Cover    $44.95     Installation Ease 1/5    Total Cost: $48.09

OEM Packaging.

One of the easiest mods I made to the bike. I took a razor and cut the back of the stock piece of rubber on the brake pedal. Doing so revealed the mounting bracket with a hole. The pedal came with the one screw it needed. I put the screw in and tightened the nut onto the back of the bracket and was done. Less than a five minute job.

Chrome and Rubber Hand Grips   $89.95/Set      Installation Ease 5/5   Total Cost: $96.24

Not the best picture but it shows the design well. 

Before you change grips ensure you buy the proper set for your year. The method they attach with has changed a few times so make sure you check the label twice. The clutch side of this change is easy, simply loosen the allen screws on the switch housing, remove the housing away from the grip, cut the old grip out (if needed) insert new grip and tighten housing. As for the throttle side, if you're not sure go to a dealer and have it done. The principal is the same except you need to loosen tensioners, measure play and adjust. If you do intend to tackle this job, J&P Cycles has an excellent Youtube video for changing grips that does an thorough job of guiding you.

Memphis Shades Black Gradient Windshield  $111.95  Installation Ease 1/5 Total Cost: $50.00

Looking great!

After ruining a backup shield and being unhappy with the stock shield, I decided to purchase just the replacement plastic part of the shield. I happened to get one hell of a deal on Amazon.com that day so I saved some money here. I simply removed the old bracket off the stock windshield and placed it on this new one. Order of operations is very important here. Make sure the brackets go on properly and you're all set. If you don't have the mounting brackets already you will need to spend at least another $100 for the set.

Passenger Floorboards  $100-300/Setup Installation Ease 1/5   Total Cost: $135.00

The boards my wife didn't want but did need. 

This is difficult to price mainly because there are so many options. If I had actually had to buy each piece separately I would have spent around $300. What I have includes the boards, mounts, under covers and rubber inserts. I happened to find a deal on EBay for the exact setup I needed. I'm not sure how I was so lucky but I am glad to have saved around $200. Installation was some Loc Tite and a few turns of the allen bolts. This job should take you around 5 minutes, just make sure you know what look you want before you buy it.

Kuryakyn Short Turn Signal Bar  $46.79   Installation Ease 4/5    Total Cost $46.79

The short bar allows for more of the saddlebag to be shown and decorated.

This purely cosmetic item greatly reduces the size of the rear stock turn signal bar. Installing this would be easy if you took off the rear tire. However most will leave the tire on while installing. First, remove the rear tail light, and unplug all the connectors that are inside. Remove the screws holding the circuit board in place, gently remove the board and run the wires through the holes. You'll have to feel for the nuts that hold the bolts for the bar in place and use small wrenches and ratchets to slowly back the nut off. This may take around 10 minutes per nut since the turn radius is small. Once you have it off you have to remove the stock signals from the bar with very limited clearance. Once you struggle through that, you must reattach your signals to the new bar, then place it on the bike for fitment. I needed to take a file and expand the hole in my fender on one side to accommodate this. If you need to file be very, very careful and take a little at a time from both holes to ensure it stays even. If at all in doubt, pay someone who knows what they're doing. This project was more difficult than I thought it would be.


Bags and Pouches  $90-$150  Installation Ease 1/5      Total Cost: $214.95

This particular item or items are completely dependant on you. For our needs my wife and I purchased a large, luggage rack mounted bag for traveling, along with two saddlebag guard pouches for our glasses and gloves. Placing them on the bike is as easy as snaps or straps and are easily removed so long as it's fabric or leather. Speaking of, leather will cost you way more than canvas but looks great. My apologies for the poor quality photos.

Badges  $20.00/Each   Installation Ease Impossible/5  Total Cost: $40.00

Don't mess with the timing badge.

I've talked about this in the previous post "Did you really need to replace that?" so see that for the full story. Trying to fix these cosmetic nuisances will either be very easy and cheap or impossible. Approach at your own risk.

Phone Mount $69.99  Installation Ease 1/5  Total Cost: $69.99

Solid.

I wanted to be able to use my phone as a GPS for longer trips but didn't want to try and balance it on my lap. I've shopped around for what seems like ever before I finally settled on the RAM Mount with the rubber netting you see in the picture. It was super secure and would fit my setup fine. I think I might have been a bit too concerned as I see others for around $40 that do the same thing. I suppose I always err on the side of caution when it comes to my phone.

Cigarette Lighter Port  $15.99  Installation Ease 2/5   Total Cost: 15.99

The port I bought with the 12V adapter commonly found on motorcycles.

Another misleading part that I bought. This is essentially for charging electronics while on the go and hooks up directly to the battery. In order to install it you must attach a 12V lead from the battery terminals to a special adapter that seems to be common on bikes. Once you attach this adapter this, and many other accessories, will plug right in. This port did not come with a mount leaving you to decide how you want it to mount. I will be using a gap in the tree cover to run the wire but handlebar mounts are available.

Bar and Shield Highway Pegs w/Mount  $100/Each  Installation Ease 1/5  Total Cost: $200.00

Not what I bought but very close.

On long rides you may want to stretch out with some of these pegs. They mount to the front crash bars and placement is completely up to the rider. They are super easy to install but require some different parts. The mounts and the pegs are, of course, sold separately. Essentially you will end up spending around $100 for each peg if you choose to go with official Harley as I did. Make sure you tighten those clamps well!

The following have been covered in previous posts but the costs will be reiterated here. For a full explanation see this Blog's previous posts.

Complete LED Lighting Overhaul: $976.00 Including Waste  $806 Without Waste

All lights and lenses were replaced completely on the bike. The list is as follows:

The front and rear completely done.

Truck Lite Headlamp -$160
Truck Lite Passing Lamps -$140
Wiring Adapters -$16
Front Turn Signal Halo Inserts - $80
Rear Turn Signal Inserts -$80
Brake Light/w strobe and Plate Light (Laydown Style) - $130
Front Fender Tip Light - $35
Rear Fender Tip Light - $35
Smoked Turn Signal Kit - $40
Smoked Fenders Kit - $10
Badlands Triple Play Load Equalizer -$90

Waste:
Front Turn Signal Halo Inserts - $80 Extra Set Bought, Will only work on front. Unusable.
Badlands  Load Equalizer -$90 Does not include "always on" feature that was needed. Unusable.

Kerker Slip on Mufflers with Slash Cut Tips $700   Installation Ease 3/5  Total Cost: $0.00

The best view of the exhaust I have.

The mufflers my uncle had lying around were able to save me a ton. The installation was covered in a previous post but it should not be that difficult as long as you use some type of lubricant to slide the old ones off and the new ones on. They are slips on's after all.

Road King Police Air Ride Solo Seat $150-250 Installation Ease 4/5 Total Cost: $250

Comfort!

The seat I purchased came from EBay and was advertised as the complete setup. It was not. It was missing the plastic cover and all the hardware as well as the brackets. It did include the air tank, lines and bladder as part of the package. This is rough but play your cards right and you might be able to find the complete kit for under $200 on EBay.

Mustang Passenger Seat  $216   Installation Ease 4/5   Total Cost:$236

No more sore back!

A must if you need to have a passenger. The price is somewhat misleading as you will need around $20 more worth of special hardware to complete the setup.

Annnnnnddddddd........

Done! Wow that was one heck of a list. When I add everything up here I am sitting right around $2250.03. How did I manage to do that on two teacher salaries? Patience. I have slowly been buying items for the bike since September of '15 when I made the purchase. When you consider this number across a 6 month span it becomes around $425 a month. I have watched for sales, bargain hunted and used credit card offers to ensure I get the lowest price. I have poured hours of research into each item I buy almost to a fault. The headlight research alone consumed me for a solid 2 weeks. It has been worth it. I'm beginning to have a custom Harley on a budget. Really though, I have to thank my loving wife who thankfully wants for nothing and shares my passion. I'm a very lucky man.

Just understand that this can quickly become you when you buy a Harley. There are always new designs, styles and ideas coming out. The market is a veritable playground of parts and accessories but you must know your limits.

As for me, I already have the next accessory picked out. Next month I'll be acquiring a sound system for the bike, more on that in the future!

Almost done!

"When are we gonna put my seat on?"

Each week my wife and I have made the journey to the west side of town to work on the bike. Upon each return trip I have been met with the same question. "When are we gonna put my seat on?".

My wife, thankfully, is a huge fan of riding. Without her approval I don't think I ever would have drained the savings account in order to make this purchase. As the bike slowly comes together she has served the integral role as Cleaner-in-Chief, ensuring every piece that goes back on is brought to a shine and all the dirt is removed. Without her help I would have easily spent way more time on this project!

When we bought the bike it had come equipped with a standard issue HD seat. This seat mimics the style most go for, low sitting, curved and with a small extension to accommodate a passenger. I've already talked at length about the operator seat so I'll spare you the details and ask you to refer to the post "Comfort Considered" for more information. Essentially, this seat was awful. It provided almost no padding or mobility. It sat awkwardly in the frame and the passenger pad on the back was painful.

Looks can be deceiving: The passenger pad appears thick.

In fact the pad was so damaging that it limited the length of the trips we could take because it was causing so much distress to my wife's back. I already planned to change the seat back to the stock Police Air Ride solo seat and knew I needed a solution to my wife's woes. 

The truth: There is no padding. This seat was not meant to be used on this model so the black plastic damaged the paint.

Luckily a company called Mustang was able to help. They manufacture a passenger seat that is meant to work in tandem with the solo seat, even matching the texture. The only problem is that comfort comes with a price; $200 to be exact. As we have found out, the comfort is worth the upfront investment.

An expensive looking pillow.

The Process

Installing a passenger seat should be a pretty straightforward process for most people. In my case it was a bit more involved than it needed to be. The previous owner seemed to enjoy some less than stellar home engineering projects. These projects caused a bit of grief but overall did not inhibit the changes we made. 

Removing the seat he installed was the first issue. The seat was not meant to go on a Road King Police model since the saddlebags have a different hinge feature. In order to fit the seat, the previous owner made some modifications to the screws and nuts that held the seat to the frame rails. Removing these took some time using a pair of vice grips but eventually we were able to free them. 

The next challenge happened with the electrical and passenger seating bracket. This part is somewhat unknown because most people will never have to see this bracket. It is installed underneath the rear fender of the bike right behind the battery cradle. There are two holes in the rear fender where the two screw heads on the bracket stick through so that the passenger seat has something to grab onto. The bracket is held in place by two small plastic washers that act as a snapping-lock mechanism. These washers must be ordered from the dealer and ARE ESSENTIAL. The last thing you want is for this bracket to fall through the holes in the fender.

The rear fender. Note the two holes towards the front of the fender where the bracket must come through.

The mistake we made was letting the bracket fall. While we were removing all the old brackets from the previous seat we failed to put a nut or washer on the thread sticking through the fender. When we removed the final bolt holding the old seat in place we heard the drop of doom. The bracket fell out from under the fender and into the frame. The issue is that there is almost no clearance between the fender and the tire to put the bracket up. Even when we took the weight off the rear tire, we had a hell of a time getting the bracket back under the fender. You're essentially working blindly and have to feel it using needlenose pliers. Most won't have access to the tools I did making this part more difficult.

We ended up tying some wires to each threaded post so we could use it like a fish tape and pull the wires into the holes, allowing us to grab the bracket and pull the threaded heads through. It worked! It was a slow process but it worked. As soon as we got one side through, we added a nut on the threaded bolt to hold it while we fished the other side. After getting both through we removed one side's nut and then applied the washer. You must apply the washer with force so it is wise to have the other side held. Once one is in place, repeat the process for the other side.

On the far left of the picture are the bracket heads and the nuts we used to hold them in place.

Another piece you'll need to just add the passenger seat is the rear locking nut. This is another nut that fits up under the rear of the fender more towards the back. We followed the same process as the bracket, using wire and long needle nose pliers to reach as best we could. The kit you need includes all the hardware such as the lock washer. Once the thread is visible, hold in place and insert washer to lock it in. This process was tremendously easier than the other bracket.

The actual hardware that will hold the seat in place has been installed. We will need to unscrew this to place the seat.

Once all the brackets were in place we were ready to mount the actual seat. The order of operations is a bit different on a police air ride setup. You must use a plastic cover that sits over the battery and covers the unsightly mess that is the electrical system. This cover goes on before the mounting nuts but after the snap washers from the previous steps. You may need to file the holes your cover to fit over the two passenger mounting bolts in the back. Slow and steady wins the race and you should find it will need little modification. 

The cover placed and the special nuts holding the cover down. 

The passenger seat requires you purchase two Mustang branded nuts that attach to that difficult bracket. These go on top of the cover and you should not use Loc-Tite to hold them down for any reason. They need to be snug but not so much that they will crack the plastic. Once the nuts are in place you can slide the seat on using the provided brackets and then hand tighten the rear screw that holds it in place.

The completed look!

"How does it feel?"

The reaction to finally placing this seat was priceless. My wife was absolutely thrilled that we finally put her seat on the bike. I was glad to see her relieved and enjoying the comfort that this new seat provided. Hopefully it will provide the cushion she needs as we clock in the miles this coming summer. 

The Interesting World of Harley Davidson Culture

As my winter project has progressed, I find myself more frequently in HD dealerships ordering parts and browsing. I'm never sure what to think of these places. The people who staff them run the gamut from overbearing to apathetic. Really, I just need to sit down and figure this whole culture of Harley Davidson out.

When it came to the so-called "Harley Davidson Biker Culture" my father did not fit the mold. He didn't own any HD t-shirts, had no tattoos and was never obsessed with the newest or loudest bikes. He didn't ride around as an outlaw or a biker. Indeed, he did ride with people who would be considered "outlaws" or "bikers" but he hardly fit that mold. His wardrobe consisted of button down shirts and plain t-shirts. He was always well groomed and stayed away from drugs. Dad was interesting. He didn't buy into the culture he was supposed to, he simply enjoyed the mechanics of the bike. Tearing down, building, fixing, improving and helping others. It is a shame I will never know that side of him.

Dad could have it disassembled and reassembled before dinner. 

It is because of the way he acted and what he valued that I believe I do not buy into the culture either. One of the points of this project has been to discover what made the tinkering aspect so important. What made it take precedence over the wild outlaw parties and having fun? I think I'm beginning to understand but often it is a frustrating experience.

I realized that I didn't have a whole lot of respect for the typical Harley "biker" that I would see everywhere. My personal criteria for someone to be a real "biker" was set high. I suppose it was because I don't care for people who want to purchase in image. Just because you buy and wear all black leather covered in the HD logo doesn't mean you know how to change your own oil. If you were a biker, you had to be able to work on your own.

Sadly, I can see that many who own HD bikes are simply in it for the image. It seems that these people want to appear to have this "wild and crazy, outlaw lifestyle" while living in the suburbs. In my opinion, one should not be concerned with their image but rather what they enjoy. There is no need to buy into an image. If you enjoy the style of the bike and enjoy riding on the open road, that should be all the reason you need for a purchase.

I really don't want to be this guy. So generic he is a Google stock image. 

In a way my high standard hindered me from even considering purchasing a Harley. If I didn't know how to service my own bike, what kind of person would I be? In other words, I didn't want to buy a Harley for an image, I wanted to earn the right to own and work on it. That's what Dad would do. I've come to find out that the most hardcore group of Harley fans are the ones who own none of the merchandise.

I'm still trying to find where I fit in within the culture. Every time I work on the bike or make a change, my experience and confidence go up. Constantly being around other men who are experienced and have a passion for mechanical work is very inspirational. Perhaps one day I will be able to own my bike and live up to the standards I set for myself. At least that's the plan.

But enough about "biker" culture. I fully intended to use this post to complain about dealerships and that is what I will do, smooth transitions be damned.

I've been to HD dealerships more times in the past month than I had ever been in these 30 years of my existence. On two occasions Dad took me to an old shop he used to hang out at (I only recently discovered the owners were some of the most crooked people out there), but that was about it.

I suppose I had no reason to really. They are the most expensive bike out there and I didn't own one or have the means to purchase one.

I have no images for these locations so here is Wikipedia's generic image for a dealership. 

There are two dealerships that are within driving distance. I'll refer to them by location. The first is on the east side and the other on the west side. Both have similarities and some differences but are horrible in their own right.

The east side shop is an interesting experience for me. My Dad grew up with the owner's son and bought one of his bikes there in 1961. They were very good friends until they lost contact with each other. The dealership is still there but instead of catering to all years and models of Harley and the customers that have ensured it remained open all these years, they push the new stuff. It could be said they care more about selling t-shirts than helping their loyal customers.

This east side shop couldn't care less about anything older than the current model year. Their service department acts as though you're bothering them when looking something up. Even discussing what you want to do or asking questions is severely frowned upon. The clerks are dismissive and flat out rude.

I had to stop at the east side shop after work yesterday to purchase some lenses. I also decided to get a gasket for the timing cover as I may have to remove it. The clerk was bewildered when I said
"timing cover" and looked at me as though I was stupid. I'm not an expert but I know the right side of the crank case contains the cam shafts that dictate the engine timing. He informed me it's called a cam cover gasket since they don't put points in them anymore. "No shit" I informed him dismissively, "They haven't put points on a bike since 1965, but it's still the timing side", I hastily added. The worst aspect? The parts manual clearly states "timing cover gasket". Incredible. If there's one thing I enjoy it's being condescended in front of a crowded parts counter.

The only nice experience of going here is that I am never hounded by salespeople. I've only been there twice but have only ever been greeted by a lady at the entrance and not bombarded by hungry sales people.

The west side shop is a different type of horrible. During my first foray into this newly renovated dealership I was bombarded with sales people wanting to attend to my every need. Most of the sales staff laid off when I told them I was headed to parts but one insisted on following me trying to tell me his life story. Needless to say he made my first impression of the dealership a negative one.

Once I got to the parts counter I was greeted by a young neckbearded man who was oh so eager to sell me accessories. I was there to buy some but really didn't want him breathing down my neck. Since then, I've come to accept that this is simply how it works at a dealership. These guys are cutthroat and work on commission. During this time of season in this weather it's no surprise they won't leave a customer alone.

After grabbing a set of highway pegs, grips, shifter pegs and floorboard inserts, I went to the counter with my new dealership BFF to make my purchase and order a few things. At this point I still hadn't decided on a headlight, so when he asked if I was interested in LED lights (there was a sale) I said I was leaning towards Kuryakyn. That was a mistake. I was then treated to a condescending soliloquy on the virtues and benefits of offcial HD lighting options. I was then told how every purchase I made that was not official HD would be regrettable and a mistake. Awesome. I now realize to work at a dealership you must know two things. One, the customer is always wrong and two, make the customer feel as stupid as possible. What a fun time!

I needed a few cosmetic pieces and two clips which would hold the rear fender bracket in place. My new bestie said that those were already on order and would not need to be ordered as the store was receiving a bunch to replenish their stock. I agreed and then parted with a large sum of money.

Later in the week I returned to pick up my order. When I asked about the clips I was told they were never ordered and that ordering them would take another week. I almost flipped out on this poor guy who was genuinely helpful. He apologized and ordered them for me but I was still perturbed.

Dealerships are a weird place. You will be bombarded with salespeople as soon as you walk in. Harley is notorious for offering everyone financing no matter what the credit history of the buyer is, so the sales floor is hungry. The addition of working on commission ensures that you will not go more than 45 seconds in between people asking if you need help. The parts departments seem to be run by some of the rudest and most condescending people I have ever been exposed to in customer service. Once in awhile you will find someone who is genuinely helpful but for the most part expect to be disappointed and annoyed.

The Trouble with Turn Signals

About a month ago the bike show rolled into town. My uncle, wife and I headed up to the convention center to see what it was all about. For the most part, the show's main purpose is to sell people new bikes. This was clear from the sheer amount of dealers and manufacturers who had set up booths with brand new bikes everywhere. Seeing all the new offerings and technologies that are being added to bikes is interesting but a bit overwhelming.

Something I have began to realize since I started exploring the motorcycle world more closely is just how hyper-competitive it is. Manufacturers are constantly vying for market share and looking to increase profits. It is interesting that Harley Davidson has more than half the market, but still has a hard time growing. It then is of no surprise why manufacturers continue to produce new and constantly changing models each year instead of supporting their current catalogue. There is no such thing as a comfortable market position even when you control 54%. The unfortunate result is that many manufacturers end up quickly alienating their biggest fans by barely offering them a place in their shows. In my opinion, manufacturers need to respect and promote the concepts that made them popular in the first place. Here I go again rambling. Back to the topic. 

Like any good show, the floor was loaded with vendors selling their various wares. I figured this would be a good opportunity to check out a few things I was actively looking at. My goal was to find a new mount for my phone, a jacket for my wife, some travel gear and inquire about LED lighting.

I'm a big fan of this phone mount for the bike. It feels super secure.

Finding solid information online is a pain. There really is no other way to say it. Most websites and forums that cater to motorcycle enthusiasts look as though they were designed in 1996. Indeed, the one website that seemed to have all the answers for LED lighting still left me confused after reading the entire FAQ twice. There seems to be an untapped market for quality, easy to access and well organized motorcycle information. Perhaps one day I'll get around to that. 

An actual website that you can visit right now. No time machine required!

We wandered around the show floor until we stumbled upon a booth that was draped in LED lighting. I've discussed headlights and running lamps in a previous post but those were easy. In fact if you want to go from halogen or any other to a LED headlight and passing lamp setup, there is nothing to know. Just buy and install. 

As with most booths at shows, we were quickly approached and asked if we had any questions. Finally! I had been waiting for a while to get confirmation. The gentleman was happy to help. He informed me that if I wanted to use LEDs on the bike, the only concern would be turn signals. He could also solve that problem with a product they sold. 

Essentially, stock HD electrical systems and flashers account for the higher current draw of good old incandescent bulbs. As soon as an LED turn signal is installed, the current draw is far less. This makes the flasher think the bulb is going to die and causes the signal to either not blink at all or blink very rapidly. If you are going to change your turn signals into LEDs you must purchase and mount a load equalizer to the bike. This is a small pack that adds resistors to make your signals think they're drawing that higher current. 

The equalizer I am currently using on my setup. The connectors make this plug and play.

Aside from finding out this little tidbit of info, he also informed me that changing the taillight and marking lights to LEDs would not affect anything. In fact no other equalizer would be required, it was simply plug and play. I was ecstatic to say the least. I knew at that point I was going to foolishly spend lots of money.

The gentleman showed off a couple of products to my uncle and I at the booth. One of these was the Haloz turn signals which acted as white running lights on the outside which then became amber turn signals once activated. They looked nifty and I was sold. Aside from the signals, there was also some taillights that, when activated, would strobe for a bit, allowing for greater visibility any time of day.

The HALOZ Signals. Looking this awesome comes with a hefty price tag.

I am not a fan of the amber colored turn signals. All the orange on the bike, in my opinion, makes it look cheap. My goal was to replace all the lights that I could with pure white LED lighting with smoke colored lenses.  In order to facilitate this I decided to make some purchases at the show.

The amber colored stock turn signals make the bike a bit too Fisher-Pricey for my tastes. 

Before departing the show I went back to the gentleman's booth and bought the rear and front marker lights for the fender along with the smoke lenses. I spent around $80 for the two pieces as an experiment. If I didn't like the looks I could always dump it off on Craigslist or Ebay but if I liked it, it would be time to start spending even more money. 

Looking great!

Once I saw how the smoked lenses and pure white light looked, I fell in love. I prepared to have my wallet drained. Little did I know what I was in for. 

The trouble begins

LED lights of any type are very expensive. For some reason as soon as LED is attached to the product's name the price increases by around $50. My initial goal was to convert the turn signals, taillight and fender tips to LEDs to increase visibility and to simply enjoy the style. DOT rules state that you cannot run red lights in the front of the bike, so white and amber would have to work. At the show I thought the HALOZ lights were awesome, so I decided to go with those. 

As cool as they are, the HALOZ are around $90 a pair, with the whole setup being $180...or so I thought. Here is the first mistake not to make; the front signals are bulb type 1157 and the rear signals are bulb type 1156. The HALOZ are ONLY BULB TYPE 1157. In other words they will ONLY WORK IN THE FRONT and not the back. I did not realize this at the time I bought them. 

One HALO installed in the front of the bike with the cover off. Despite my best attempts the cheap lenses just did not work

Even buying them was a pain. I didn't want to buy them from a third party that had a markup, so I went to the manufacturer's website. Radiantz is the name of the company that produces the HALOZ and they make a large variety of lights. I ordered 4 of the signals from their website along with a laydown taillight that I thought looked nifty. They were slow to ship and slow to deliver. It took almost 10 days for my shipment to arrive...only to have it arrive missing the other set of signals. I emailed the company and received no response. I did find in my spam box an email from UPS saying that a package was on my way from that company. Good thing I looked there because I never and to this day have not received a email back from Radiantz. 

So far, so bad. I had spent $180 on turn signals which took around 20 days to arrive which then would not even function in the back of the bike. Despite hours of research not once did it say anywhere that these would not work in the back or what bulb type they were. I feel foolish, yes, but there should have been some indication somewhere. 

At this point I was stuck with two worthless signals. 

At least the load equalizer worked. I was able to score an equalizer on EBay a bit cheaper than the big companies wanted. The equalizer was easy to use. Simply unplug the wire harness that sits on the rear fender and then plug the equalizer in. Done. It worked like a champ.

Barely pictured: The load equalizer module plugged into the rear harness. Apologies for the photo quality. 

What made this whole situation a bit worse on my wallet was an additional module. Actually, if it wasn't for my uncle telling me I needed one I might have messed up my rear turn signals because I wasn't aware that I jammed the wrong bulb type into the socket. The module he was talking about converted all my rear lights into always on running and brake lights for super increased visibility. He insisted that I have one. At first I tried his and because I did not have the right bulb in the rear signals, it made a horrible noise. This caused me to think I needed a special load equalizer with that function built in. They do make one, to the tune of another $100. Without realizing that the problem was with the bulbs I was using, I bought another immediately, waited a week for it to arrive before I finally realized I was using an 1157 bulb in an 1156 base. Incredible. I have never felt so stupid.

To top that all off, the smoked color lenses that I had purchased from Amazon from some random seller didn't fit. They were so far off that I could not believe how poorly they were made. I realized that I would need to buy the official lens kit from Harley if I wanted it to work with the LED insert signals. Consider that another $12 wasted.

Although it's been difficult, the smoked look adds an extra dimension of style to the lights.

When it was all said and done I ended up wasting around $170 between the HALOZ I can't use, the second load stabilizer and the lenses that were absolute crap.

So to continue to add insult to injury, I abandoned finding red rear turn signal inserts and ordered some cheaper LED bulbs from JP Cycles. Today, I had to go to the HD dealership and buy the official smoked lenses kit which would cost me an additional $40 and lo and behold, right at the counter they have bulb type 1156 red LED inserts, just like the ones I wanted but couldn't find online. I ended up purchasing these as well to the tune of $90 more. 

The taillight and rear fender marker light look great!

It isn't all bad news though. The fender tip lights were easy to install, look great and are bright as can be. The taillight is exactly what I wanted and works great. Both of these upgrades do not require a load equalizer and are always on, so feel free to add these to your bike without spending a mint. 

I suppose I can sum up all the things I learned in a handy list;

1. Converting to quality LED inserts for turn signals will run you around $260 in bulbs and a load equalizer.

2. Do not waste money on cheap lenses if you intend to replace them. Buy the official HD ones and save yourself the money in the long run.

3. Badlands makes excellent Equalizers at a reasonable price.

4. Radiantz as a company is not fun to deal with and I cannot recommend them.

5. Changing any other light except for the turn signals is easy and requires nothing extra.

6. Always, ALWAYS make sure you know what BULB SOCKET TYPE you need before ordering expensive lights. It will save your sanity. 

Shedding Some Light on the Situation

When we first purchased the bike, it was done very late in the season. So late, in fact, that the days were becoming very short in the march towards the holidays. This meant that our daylight hours were very limited. By the time we covered any decent distance it was already after dark. That alone wouldn't be much cause for concern, except that we live in the deer capital. Anytime of day, but especially dusk when the visibility is poor, there are deer. Seeing those deer in enough time to react created a dangerous problem.

I hadn't really given much thought to lighting on the bike. If you were to ask my wife, she would tell you that I have a lighting problem. I'm not sure why, but she has a point. Within our house, I obsess over lighting. I'm constantly trying new technologies, buying fixtures or adjusting placement. It's bizarre, I know, but I always end up with improved results.

The warm yellow glow of stock headlights. Although classic, the look of pure white has grown on me. 

I don't tend to obsess with the lights on the car, so why the bike? Well, truth be told, my uncle cultured up some already existing paranoia. I was already thinking about some marker lights for the bike, but he insisted I do anything I could to increase visibility. He made me very, very worried I would be hard to spot without a ton of lights constantly shining to make my presence known. I really can't fault him for the concern, but then his concern created an obsession. Essentially, I now needed to make sure I could be seen for miles so I would reduce the risk of being hit. Obviously accidents can still happen (knock on wood), but thanks to his concern and my insane and obsessive paranoia, I should be far more visible. 

So the hunt began.

Pictured above: Improved visibility or being able to buy food; your choice! The high price of the Daymaker Setup

My first goal was to find a brighter headlamp. I will say that this took the longest out of any of the searches I did. Immediately upon searching for lighting, LED lights came to the forefront. It still seems odd that a technology as old as LED is only now being fully utilized for it's energy efficiency and high lumen output. However, for such an old technology the prices are very modern in the sense that they will cost you a paycheck. In fact if you are interested in the official HD LED Headlight it will run you around $530. Want that in black? $600. The white version with some trim? $600. And to top that all off the passing lamps will run you another $400. You will easily spend around $1000 on replacing the front lights alone if you go to the Harley Davidson dealership. I hope you have two jobs if you need any adapters, rings or hardware for these since those items will most likely add up to another $200.

The biggest issue with these lamps is that the marketing plays with your emotions. They say the lamps are worth it because you can't put a price on safety. Evidently, HD can and that price is around $1000. But I digress. Very few items should ever be purchased from a dealer. I hit the good 'ol world wide interwebs to find a better deal. The second headlamp that pops up is the Kuryakyn (curry-ah-ken) Phase 7 headlight. This lamp was selling for around half the price, so I was a bit skeptical. 

I hit the google hard, looking for as many reviews and articles as I could find. Luckily, there are many sources out there as others are having the same issues I have; they don't want to spend their child's college fund on lighting. I found numerous comparison videos on Youtube as well as long written reviews. It turned out that the official HD brand received mediocre reviews while the Phase 7 received nothing but praise. 

At half the cost how could I go wrong? I went to Amazon, prepared to spend a ton of money on this light. Thankfully I read some reviews and comments on the page for the Phase 7 and learned some interesting material. According to the internet people, the light is made by a company called Truck-Lite. Truck-Lite has been making products for years and Kuryakyn simply took the light and rebranded it. In fact this review linked to the non-Kuryakyn branded Phase 7 which was $100 less than the one I was looking at. The issue? Fitment was not guaranteed. In other words, it might not fit properly and I could be stuck with a worthless bulb. Luckily, many people had purchased it before me and had no issues so I took the dive.

The Truck Lite headlamp. A worthwhile investment. The passing lamps are identical in design.

At that time I was able to score an Amazon deal for two of the 4" passing lamps that flank the headlight on the Road King front end. These passing lamps match the main lamp in style and add further visibility. As always, if you buy the Truck Lite brand you will save lots of money.

Passing lamp adapters. Most bikes will require these. Very easy to install.

A further note on the passing lamps. If you do buy the Truck-Lite or Kuryakyn branded passing lamps you will most likely need to purchase an adapter set. The setup on my lamps was not a traditional plug but two "C" clips terminated onto the hot and ground wire. Buying the adapter kit provided all the materials I needed except for the wire strippers and the crimper. Terminating one of these ends could be done by a child so don't expect to struggle. 

The more you read about headlights the more it seems like a giant racket. I'm aware I sound like an angry old man rambling about price, but the markup these companies put on is insane. Even the official HD "Daymaker" light is a re-branded bulb made by a company called JW Speaker. Buying the SAME BULB from them will save you MORE THAN HALF. It's very upsetting that HD would put such a high price on safety, but I suppose it is a business. 

My box of lights finally arrived after a few days. When it was all said and done, I paid $160 for the headlight, $140 for two passing lamps and $16 for the adapter kit for the passing lamps. In other words, I purchased a whole setup for around $300 less than the Kuryakyn brand setup and around $600 less than the HD setup. 

Installation and Testing 

The exposed area of the cell for the headlight missing the bucket, retainers and rings.

Before I even went through the adjustment trouble, I, like any other wise individual, tested the lights outside their enclosures. The receptacle for the headlight was perfect. It plugged right in without any need for tampering. The passing lamps, as mentioned above, required an adapter set. I waited for my uncle to get home and terminate the wire end for me as he knew where the tools were. After one quick crimp I plugged in bother passing lamps. I was a bit worried because they were Amazon open box items and the chance of them not working was pretty solid. Luckily they worked fantastically! 

Always test the lamps before you install them, it'll save you frustration.

When it came time to actually put the lamps in and secure them, I ran into some issues. 

First, the passing lamp housings and exterior clamps drove me up a wall. I ended up going to Home Depot and buying a roll of small weather stipping to place on the inside of the clamp. This, after about 20 minutes of fidgeting, held the lamp in place well. It took another person helping to hold the clamp down and giving tilting directions to finally get them where they needed to be. It wasn't fun, but it didn't require a degree in engineering.

The old passing lamps in the housing. Notice the old style connectors you must use the adapters for. 

The headlight went very well. It fit exactly into the retaining ring that holds the adjusters and the ring that holds it into place snapped right in. A few protrusions on the back of the lamp lined up with the ring and it was good to go. I was actually surprised as many on the internet said that some modifications would be needed to make it fit properly. 

The finished product!

All in all I am very satisfied with the LED conversion I performed. It was almost painless and looks great. The bright results have been nothing short of illuminating. 

Now if only the turn signal conversion had gone so smoothly.