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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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:
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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!
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| Almost done! |
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