tallboy seat installation

[mangiacavallo]

here's something that should be easier than you-know-what.
but, of course, the HD instructions confuse me to no end (does anyone else find these as useless as i do?).
just bought a tallboy seat for the '09 RKC. seat goes on fine ... but what about that strap???
can unscrew the OEM strap on the left side but the right is riveted on.
so ... what does one do? take off the entire bracket?
if so, what does one screw the new strap onto?

boy, every time i think i'll make an easy mod, i get baffled. i'm admittedly new at this but ...

visors on my lights? should be easy enough.
a royal pain ...
accessing the battery? no brainer.
couldn't get the plastic plate covering the terminals off.
change out my seat? nothing could be easier.
stumped by trying to get the old strap off and the new one on.

i'm feeling like a total idiot.
and i swear my bike is looking at me like i'm a fool, too, rolling its eyes every time it sees me approach with my tool box. :dknow

 

[STEVE07]

If it is like the 08 the strap is mounted under the U shape bracket,look under and you should see the bolt,undo it ,take the strap out from under and install the new one.

 

[mangiacavallo]

If it is like the 08 the strap is mounted under the U shape bracket,look under and you should see the bolt,undo it ,take the strap out from under and install the new one.

thanks for that steve. but no ... it ain't like that. one either takes off the entire chrome bracket on the right side (which is attached to the bracket that holds the forward clip ring for the saddlebag) or i'm missing something.

even if one does that, what on earth is left to secure the new strap to?

this should be so insanely easy & the fact that i'm stumped by it is just making me laugh at this point! :small3d023:

 

[STEVE07]

That is what I was talking about,the forward saddlebag mount bracket,the strap is under it,Unbolt it then put it back on.you can leave it a bit loose to get the bag in position then take the bag off again and tighten it the rest of the way.

 

[mangiacavallo]

okay. thanks for your patience, steve.
but , what i don't get is ... the strap on that side (right side) is riveted to the bracket. one cannot unscrew that side of the strap. so the whole bracket needs to come off & be discarded or one would have to somehow destroy the rivet to get it off (not sure how to do that and even if i could, does one then have to buy a new nut & bolt & washer to re-secure the new strap?).
hard to believe it would be designed this way.
but it's my 1st harley, so ...

 

[STEVE07]

Do yourself a favour,unbolt the bracket and take a look,even if they cut costs and riveted the old strap to the bracket your new one has an eye on it,so remove the rivets after you have the bracket off and install the new one behind the bracket using the bracket bolt.

 

[Bud White]

you dont use the brackets of the orginal seat .. if you want to install the new strap you bolt it behind the saddlebag brackets just the strap .. same as the 08 when you change um on the rkc .. instruction arent worth paper they are printed on

 

[STEVE07]

Bud,maybe I misunderstood what he was saying,it sounded like the old strap was riveted to the bag mount.

 

[Bud White]

Bud,maybe I misunderstood what he was saying,it sounded like the old strap was riveted to the bag mount.

there is a bracket that goes under the bag mount that the strap is riveted to .. ya can't reuse it ... you unbolt the saddlebag mount and remove the bracket and strap

 

[mangiacavallo]

sorry steve. i'm not explaining myself well.

there are essentially 2 brackets: 1 is for the saddlebag, 1 is for the strap. they are both connected to the frame by a single bolt.
i think what Bud is saying is that you remove the entire chrome strap bracket, discard it, and bolt the new strap on just using the saddlebag bracket.
that would seem to make sense to me.
odd that they wouldn't spell that out in the instructions (distractions). they really are worthless ... but thank god for HDTimeline, i say!!

sure do appreciate all of your help.