Saddlebag Guard and the infamous Chrome plug

[lombaj2468]

Hello all,

 

I purchased a set of saddlebag guards and I was lining them up and noticed that there is a chrome plug where the guard's rear bolt would attach the guard to the chrome mount. Since I am less mechanically inclined then I care to admit, but without cash to have someone else do it, my question is do I have to take the chrome mounting off the bike to get the chrome plug out?

 

Thanks,

John.

[V7Goose]

Any small screwdriver will do.

Goose

[lombaj2468]

So I just pry the thing out.

[Venturing Sole]

I'd recommend carefully prying the plug out. I had a plug crack apart and the stem of the plug stuck inside the nut. I though I got enough of the crap out of the threaded nut, but when I installed the bolt for the rails it went in tight and got stuck before it tightened the saddlebag rail to the fender. I guess I was in too much of a hurry. Now I can't make it tight and I can't get it off. Saddlebag rail rattles. I got another bolt, but I'll have to drill out the existing bolt and tap the nut to re-thread it. Trying to find a metric tap die and not sure what size it is.

[Mariner Fan]

I'd recommend carefully prying the plug out. I had a plug crack apart and the stem of the plug stuck inside the nut. I though I got enough of the crap out of the threaded nut, but when I installed the bolt for the rails it went in tight and got stuck before it tightened the saddlebag rail to the fender. I guess I was in too much of a hurry. Now I can't make it tight and I can't get it off. Saddlebag rail rattles. I got another bolt, but I'll have to drill out the existing bolt and tap the nut to re-thread it. Trying to find a metric tap die and not sure what size it is.

 

Yea, the plug broke apart on me too. Since I drilled new holes to line up the saddlebag guard it wasn't a big deal. Still had to pry it out because the head of the plug would have interfered with the guard mounted to the new location.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6365&highlight=saddle+trim

[Venturing Sole]

I had read the posts about drilling new holes so the guard rails would line up with the bottom edge of the bags, but then I read the posts about just bending the rails. Which is what I did. After mounting the rails in the existing holes, I put a little weight on the rails with my foot and slightly bent the rails and they line up nicely with the bags. No fuss, no muss.

 

Still need to figure out the metric tap size for that bolt though.

[Mariner Fan]

Glad that worked for you. I read about doing that too, but was worried that the welds would break.

[Mariner Fan]

Did you take the bolt that was supplied for the rails over to a hardware store to get the size and pitch of the bolt?

[Venturing Sole]

No, my brother-in-law said he had a full metric tap and die set, but when I took him the bolt, it turns out he doesn't have the right one. So I'm back to square one to find someplace local to match up the diameter and thread pitch. Doubt if Home Despot will carry it. I'll have to comb the local yellow pages or something.

[BigBoyinMS]

I had read the posts about drilling new holes so the guard rails would line up with the bottom edge of the bags, but then I read the posts about just bending the rails. Which is what I did. After mounting the rails in the existing holes, I put a little weight on the rails with my foot and slightly bent the rails and they line up nicely with the bags. No fuss, no muss.

 

Still need to figure out the metric tap size for that bolt though.

 

I read about drilling after I had installed mine. This past weekend I was tinkering and just put some weight on the rear outside corner and they lined right up. Didn't bend anything.

[acain]

I did not need any tools when reomving the plugs from mine. They come out fairrly easily with a little pressure. Sometimes we over analyze things....

[BigBoyinMS]

Yeah, the top come off of the plug when I tried to pry it out. It's just plastic so I used a small punch (or screwdriver) and hammer and tapped the broken piece out the back of the hole. Plenty of room to fall out the back.