[Guest]

Well, I had great success installing the Engine Guard, Windshield, and Saddle Bags on my XR-1200. Tonight's project was to install the cool looking luggage rack add-on. Unfortunately, I already had the saddle bags installed which had to be partially UNINSTALLED in order to reach the Torx 45 bolt which holds the lower frame of the luggage rack to the chassis of the bike.

The installation of the luggage rack requires that you remove the seats and the seat pylon. Then you have to remove the screws which hold on the turn signals. THESE ARE INACCESSIBLE!!! Thus, I removed the entire taillight, turn signal assembly which required disconnecting 3 wire harnesses (one for the tail light and one for each turn signal).

The next step is to remove two 2.5" Torx head bolt/nut sets from the back of the chassis. If you have the saddlebags or the bungee bars installed, you must unbolt the back bolts of them in order to access the two 2.5" bolt/nut sets that you have to remove for the luggage rack installation. My advice is to INSTALL THE LUGGAGE RACK FIRST AND THEN INSTALL THE SADDLEBAGS!

The rest of the installation was fairly straightforward despite the HORRID diagrams and pictures provided in the so-called "instructions". Also, the gang of idiots who write the instructions have absolutely NO skills whatsoever in giving clear, concise directions for a task. Harley needs to fire these jackasses post-haste. I often think that Harley writes horrid documentation so that the dealers will have an "edge" in installing confused customers' accessories.

Another brilliant piece of advice that I can give potential buyers of the XR-1200 is to have your dealer install these accessories at no charge as part of the "deal" that you make with them. Let their technicians suffer instead of you doing the suffering.

 

[longbow13]

I agree the instructions sucked. Also, the bolts securing the tail section are held on by those dang lock nuts....and it was a b**** to get them on and off.

 

[darkside]

I often think that Harley writes horrid documentation so that the dealers will have an "edge" in installing confused customers' accessories.

We(Dealers) get the same instructions! lol!

Another brilliant piece of advice that I can give potential buyers of the XR-1200 is to have your dealer install these accessories at no charge as part of the "deal" that you make with them. Let their technicians suffer instead of you doing the suffering.

 

[Guest]

Pictures of the installation are in the Photos section...

 

[Guest]

..........
The installation of the luggage rack requires that you remove the seats and the seat pylon. Then you have to remove the screws which hold on the turn signals. THESE ARE INACCESSIBLE!!! Thus, I removed the entire taillight, turn signal assembly which required disconnecting 3 wire harnesses (one for the tail light and one for each turn signal).

.....

I haven't done the rack or bags, but just an aside on the tail lights. It only took me about 5 minutes with a 1/4" drive socket (and the assembly in place on the bike), to remove and reinstall the bolts for both of these when I removed the reflectors.

just a thought.

 

[Dallara]

Yep...

~


Ditto to that, Phaedrus...

One of the first things I did when I got home with my XR1200 was to de-reflector it fore and aft, and it took less time to unbolt and remove the rear ones than it did to peel the front ones off the forks and clean off the leftover adhesive .

I didn't encounter any of the problems Feinstei described, either.

Dallara


~

 

[streettracker]

~

Ditto to that, Phaedrus...
One of the first things I did when I got home with my XR1200 was to de-reflector it fore and aft, and it took less time to unbolt and remove the rear ones than it did to peel the front ones off the forks and clean off the leftover adhesive .
I didn't encounter any of the problems Feinstei described, either.
Dallara
~

^^^ X3, no problems at all for me either

 

[Guest]

i gave myself half an hour to install the luggage rack.3 hours later i was still at it and not all the bolts supplied fitted correctly.i had to go and buy replacement bolts and sore them down to size.i think the xr has great touring potential though and the rack is a great addition.

 

[Guest]

Maybe I had better instructions or something, I don't know. I had no trouble with the luggage rack install. I used the torx bit with a ratchet and everything went as planned.

 

[Guest]

Installing bags after rack!!

Hi

I just bought xr 1200--with rack already fitted-the bike was ex-display and had previously had bags on. I bought the bags and commenced to fit --however the dealer had replaced the 2 inch and 1.75 inch screws in wrong place and butchered the 2 inch screw head--so I am having great fun removing the screw--any suggestions !!

 

[streettracker]

Hi

I just bought xr 1200--with rack already fitted-the bike was ex-display and had previously had bags on. I bought the bags and commenced to fit --however the dealer had replaced the 2 inch and 1.75 inch screws in wrong place and butchered the 2 inch screw head--so I am having great fun removing the screw--any suggestions !!

Yeah, make the dealer who screwed it up fix it!

 

[MadDogXR]

Yeah, make the dealer who screwed it up fix it!

+1
:clap::clap::clap:

 

[Mikeysduck]

I installed the rack in about 1.5 HRS. Are the boys in Milwaukee aware that this piece could be made of aluminum? I couldn’t believe the excessive weight of the well made brackets, nor the cheap plastic rack. I cut down the bolts to size.

It’s odd to me that so many of the fasteners are longer than they need to be. Speaking of odd so far I’ve discover 4 different styles of fasteners.

• Allen head
• Torx
• S.A.E.
• Metric

There must be a Whitworth on this thing somewhere.

 

[magellan]

Not Quite a Trip to Hell but a Pain in the A**

Installed my rack today, and I 'm satisfied with the end result.

However, the instructions were terrible. I eventually just figured it out on my own. In my case taking the tail light assembly comletely off facilitated the install.

 

[OldRider]

If you really want to take a trip to "Instruction Sheet Hell" try and put a HD factory luggage rack on one of the big twins. The rack will fit about twenty different models and it comes with a bag full of different length, width, bore, shape and angle of brackets and spacers. Along with ten sheets of instructions for FXWWED, FDREG, FWSBOY, Super Fat Boy and every other combination of HD model codes you can dream of. When the job is done, you have a box full of parts left over. The second one will be easy, but the first one will make you throw wrench's around.

 

[Guest]

Has anyone tried to replace the tail light with the rack in place? I tried to put an led tail light on and the rack brackets are in the way of getting the lense off. Couldn't slip it down because of the big chunky license plate bracket is in the way. I had HD install the rack when I bought the bike.

 

[magellan]

I installed my rack, and installing the tail light lens was done after the rack was mounted. So, you should be able to get it off. If I remember right, you may have to flex the lens a little to get it off and back on.

Goog luck!

 

[Guest]

I installed my rack, and installing the tail light lens was done after the rack was mounted. So, you should be able to get it off. If I remember right, you may have to flex the lens a little to get it off and back on.

Goog luck!

Thanks. I just didnt want to force and break it while doing so. I have the bike in to HD for service and have posed the question to them as well. We will see if they had a plan, when they designed the accessories. One would assume they make accessories that work with how the bike was designed to function.

 

[MadDogXR]

One would assume they make accessories that work with how the bike was designed to function.

That's the funniest thing I've read all day...

 

[Guest]

That's the funniest thing I've read all day...

I was being somewhat sarcastic, but I am happy to entertain.