Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[hdbrad03]

No filing yet but they fit dam tight. Even the backrest takes some effort to get the latches closed. Gilbo ask me if I thought he needed to remove a couple thousands from diameter. Let me know what you think?

 
     Brad

[RickC]

Another thing to check is to pull off those forward plastic anti-chaffing C-bushings on the rack and see if there is some ca-ca or other foreign matter in there interfering with the seating of the rack   Other than that, I'm all out of suggestions brother

I tried to pull the C-bushings just now and couldn't get them off. I think they must have an adhesive of some kind on them. I don't want to tear them up trying to get them off. I tried the WD-40 and it didn't help at all.

After a closer inspection it appears that the bracket is not square. The left side is flush against the front mount point and looks like the rear mount point would clear the shoulder on the bracket slot with no trouble. However, the right side is not flush against the front mount point. The gap there is about the same width as the part of the bracket shoulder that doesn't want to clear in the rear.

I'm going to take this puppy to the dealership sometime this week and see what they can do with it. If something breaks while they are trying to get it on, it'll be their issue to fix. I'm not too worried about the two that I already cracked as I have order Gilbo's Full Metal Jackets to replace the stock mount points.

If there's an alignment problem with the Tour-Pak rack, I should be able to get them to order a new one for me.

No filing yet but they fit dam tight. Even the backrest takes some effort to get the latches closed. Gilbo ask me if I thought he needed to mave them a couple thousands smaller. Let me know what you think?

Well, I won't know until they arrive in a few days. I just ordered them this afternoon. As I said above, I'm starting to think that this is a problem with the Tour-Pak bracket being out of square. I'm going to let the dealer have a crack at it (no pun intended) and see what they say.

[Beemer]

No filing yet but they fit dam tight. Even the backrest takes some effort to get the latches closed. Gilbo ask me if I thought he needed to move them a couple thousands smaller. Let me know what you think?

 
     Brad

I'd have them make them to stock dimensions...mine fit pretty tight in the beginning but are fine now.

Dan

[aushog]

I just converted mine to detatchable last weekend.  It took me a long time to get it to fit.  Had to bend the bracket out a little (1/8") on the left side.  Still tighter than a nuns..um..habit... on that side.

[RickC]

I just converted mine to detatchable last weekend.  It took me a long time to get it to fit.  Had to bend the bracket out a little (1/8") on the left side.  Still tighter than a nuns..um..habit... on that side.

I had to bend both sides in to get the rotating clips to clear the mount point retainer. That's not the problem though. The problem is the distance between the front and rear mount points.

I'm pretty sure at this point that my Tour-Pak bracket is not square. I'm taking it to the dealer this week for them to look at. Hope I get it fixed soon. The girl hates the tiny stock backrest and won't ride again without the Tour-Pak.

[RickC]

Just got back from the dealer. It took the service department about 10 minutes to figure out the problem and fix it.

As it turns out, the two mounts points were not in line. I had put them on and tightened them down, and then tried to put the bracket on.

They loosened the right-side mount point, click the tour-pak bracket on, then tightened the right-side mount point back down with the brakcet still on. Now, the tour-pak braket goes on and off pretty easily.

Doh! I should have thought of that.

Thanks for everyone's input...

[naitram]

nice to see that it was an easy fix 

[RickC]

nice to see that it was an easy fix 

Me, too. Now I can get my Leather Ultra Premium Tour-Pak mounted so my BSR is comfortable. I was concerned I might have to order one or more replacement parts. Thankfully, that wasn't necessary.

[sblair]

Hmmm, Mine is pretty friggin tight.  I will try what you just went through so see if it gets any easier.  Thanks for the great info in this thread.

[RickC]

Hmmm, Mine is pretty friggin tight.  I will try what you just went through so see if it gets any easier.  Thanks for the great info in this thread.

You are welcome, sir!

[RickC]

Okay, there is more -- so much more -- to this story.

Some of you here have reported difficulties mounting a detachable Tour-Pak in the two-up position on an '09 Harley touring model. For those of you experiencing any difficulty at all, would you please check and see if your rear bushings have any indentations or damage to the black vinyl insert? If so, could you post pictures to this thread? I would like to determine whether this is a problem just with my Tour-Pak bracket and/or installation or whether it is a design issue worth raising to Harley.

For starters, I have gotten my Tour-Pak bracket to mount reasonably well using the stock bushings.

However, there is a problem with the Harley Detachable Two-up Tour-Pak Bracket. To make a long story short, the front edge of the slot for the rear mount point has a shoulder that causes damage to the bushings. This has a couple of implications.

1. Misalignment and Bushing Damage. If the left and right sides of the four-point mounting system are not correctly aligned, this can cause the vinyl jackets on the stock bushings to crack and come off. To avoid misalignment, loosens the screws on the front and rear bushings the first time you mount the Tour-Pak rack. Oh, and do this without the Tour-Pak on the rack. Otherwise, any problems are going to be much harder to resolve.

2. Correct Alignment and Bushing Damage. Even when the sides of the mounting system are properly aligned, there will be some damage to the vinyl bushings. Look for noticeable indentions in the vinyl jacket on the bushing where front side of the slot on the Tour-Pak bracket contacts the bushing. In some cases, there may be a crack in the vinyl radiating from the indention.

I have learned all this trying to use the Full Metal Jacket aluminum billet Tour-Pak bushings supplied by Bobby Gilbert (a/k/a gilbos4404t). Info on these bushings can be found here at http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=17137.msg272767#msg272767 or on his web site at http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=310456&ck=.

This is not a problem with Bobby's Full Metal Jackets. Bobby has been very, very helpful in helping me diagnose this problem including sending me several sets of FMJ's of different diameters to try, offering ideas, discussing my ideas and results and working with me to come up with a potential solution.

However, if you have an 2009 Touring bike and are interested in the FMJ's, I do not recommend you order them just yet until Bobby finds a work-around for what appers to be a Harley design flaw.

If you look at the picture below, you will see my Detachable Two-Up Tour-Pak Bracket. Inside the red circle, you can see where the metal has flared a bit. This is the point on the bracket that is causing damage to the stock bushings. Bobby's FMJs -- being billet aluminum -- gave the bracket a dose of it's own medicine and fought back a bit. Yes, the FMJ's have some indentions, but the Tour-Pak bracket now has a bit of a flat spot on it.

The problem is that the shoulder of this curve is too tall to allow a smooth snap-on of the bracket to the mount points. On the stock bushings, this only happens the first time or two. Once the vinyl on the bushings has been indented, it should be less of a problem... until the vinyl cracks completely and comes apart or falls off and the bracket starts to rattle.

I just discovered all of this over the weekend. I'm interested in feedback from other folks. This has me (and Bobby!) really frustrated!

Thanks!

[tlr]

I have the same exact issue with my 09 SERG Tour Pak.  It is so hard to get on and off that you would think it isn't supposed to come off.  Almost the same with the backrest.  1st pair of bushings completely broke.  Second pair is now cracked.  I just looked at rack and it seems to have a slightly rounded shoulder.  Appears to be smooth but looks like your pic.  I also spoke to Bobby and glad to see that he is trying a few options.  At this point my detachable is not so detachable.   

[tlr]

I continue to have no solution as to what is going on with my rack.  It appears to me that the distance between the front and rear docking points on the rack itself is the wrong distance.  if i force it i can get it to sit with the nylon bushings as they have some give, but no way with the aluminum ones.  Once I do get the rack on, I had to use a mallet to get it back off.  In my opinion, this is a HD design flaw.  I will go to dealer tomorrow to see if they will get me another one to try.

[LarryB]

My solo set up works great, but I did the same as always, apply a little Vaseline to the plastic bushings, makes it slide on and off easier

[tlr]

Well, I did go to the dealer with the rack.  I took the tour pak off the rack so that they could see that what the issue is.  It takes alot of heave ho to get the rack off of the bushings.  They agreed that it didnt seem right.  They said they wanted to check to see if there was some type of info or bulletin regarding this BEFORE they would order a new rack.  I will see what comes of it but wont settle until this is fixed.