[cg2112]

I just purchased a 2004 VStar 650 Classic, and I love it.
It has saddle bag supports installed, which is fine, but want to
install a sissy bar.

The way the supports are installed, there are no visible bolts attaching them.
What I can't figure out is how to remove the darn things in order to install the sissy bar. It looks like there may be chrome caps of some sort over the screws/bolts that are attaching the supports, but if that's the case, I don't see a good way to remove them without scratching them all up. I still want to use the supports, but I'll need to remove them in order to install the sissy bar.

Any ideas? If that doesn't make any sense I can post a photo of the supports later.

 

[farmalldanzil]

Should have 4 bolts that go through the saddle bag, support, eye brow, than finder. that is for wire bail support. for the tubing supports the bolt do not go through the bag. the sissy bar will go between the bag support and eye brow. Hard to get to, I used a long box end. change one side at a time or finder will be a pain.

 

[damquick1]

Use a popsicle stick to remove the allen head caps in the screws..easily whittled down to fit and won't scratch stuff up if you're careful.....they are cheap plastic plugs the dealer sells them in pkgs of four or any auto store has them too, threw mine away as once the bags were on you can't see them anyway. The worse part is the 14mm (or 13mm) nuts behind the fender that you have to finagle a wrench on to, the front one is the worst barely enough room with the tire on...for your hand....definately get a set of offset metric wrenches, makes life much easier. After you get them out just slip the sissy bar sides in between the saddlebag supports and the chrome fender splines, line up the bolts and tighten them all up... and do one side at a time or support the fender from underneath with a shoe so it wont drop down and you wind up with scratches, then take them all out, just be careful, and take your time.

 

[busterrm]

Hey cg2112, I have those on my bike also, I just took the caps off and tossed them. here's a suggestion, if you decide to put on some saddlebags, I put a bracket(welded) between them and bolted my saddlebags to that, its a easy install if you are looking to put hardbags on or softbags. I put on softbags and mounted a hard back to the bags and bolted that to the brackets. I am very pleased with it too.

 

[cg2112]

Thanks for the tips. I finally got the backrest installed, it was a piece of cake, though the bolts in the fender were kind of a pain (super easy to get back on, though, didn't even need a wrech, I was able to tighten from the hex bolts holding the saddle bag supports in place).