Improved Saddlebag Chrome Rail Mounting

[V7Goose]

Just about everyone thinks the stock mounting for the Yamahaha saddlebag chrome trim rails is poorly done. Not only do the rails slant upward from front to rear, which makes them not match the lines of the bags, but they almost always rub on the bottom of the turn signals. There are a couple of easy fixes for this.

 

Others have advocated drilling a new mounting hole in the bike trim below the stock one with the welded nut behind it, thus lowering the rear of the rails. This works just fine, but for some reason I didn't want to drill a new hole in the bike. So I tried an alternative - I just drilled new holes in the upper corners of the rails themselves, next to the original mounting hole. This does not lower the rail quite a much as you probably would if you drilled the new hole in the bike instead, but I think it is good. Here are a couple of pictures to show how they look when mounted this way. Sorry for the poor quality - took them with my cell phone instead of finding the good camera!

Goose

[yamahamer]

Pictures Look Fine To Me........im Thinking Of Lowering Mine Cause One Almost Touches The Blinker And Like You Im Funny About Drilling Holes In The Bike. Looks Good To Me.....thanks For Sharing!

[Guest KitCarson]

Hey about those saddle bag rails.........if you walk behind the bike and look at them closely you will also find the the rails slant up at the outside corners....as well as when standing to one side and seeing them slant up in the back. I asked questions about this.....read this article and that one.....Then sat down behind the bike and looked at this situation.....Great big Smile:big-grin-emoticon: The culprit is the little flat section of metal that you mount the rear of the rail to the chrome seat carrier with...it is not straight.......all I did was reach down with my hand and simply bend the rails straight....all it does is bend the flat bar end part like it should be.....then check the front allen head bolt again......Thats all you have to do.....just reach over and bend them down.......simple solution......no drilling holes.....not needed at all.

[Guest TFD69]

Hey about those saddle bag rails.........if you walk behind the bike and look at them closely you will also find the the rails slant up at the outside corners....as well as when standing to one side and seeing them slant up in the back. I asked questions about this.....read this article and that one.....Then sat down behind the bike and looked at this situation.....Great big Smile:big-grin-emoticon: The culprit is the little flat section of metal that you mount the rear of the rail to the chrome seat carrier with...it is not straight.......all I did was reach down with my hand and simply bend the rails straight....all it does is bend the flat bar end part like it should be.....then check the front allen head bolt again......Thats all you have to do.....just reach over and bend them down.......simple solution......no drilling holes.....not needed at all.

 

 

I found the same result as Kit. Just bend them!! they still remain close to the turn signals but they line up with the saddle bags just fine.

[LT]

Sounds like an easy fix by bending them. I've been looking at those rails way too long. Thanks for the info.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

So I stepped on the saddlebag rails and pushed down hard...and then I did the other side...now BOTH of them are broken and dragging the pavement, but hey....the sparks ARE kinda fun!

 

[Guest KitCarson]

So I stepped on the saddlebag rails and pushed down hard...and then I did the other side...now BOTH of them are broken and dragging the pavement, but hey....the sparks ARE kinda fun!

 

Leave um just like that.....now you are all set for the 4th of July Parade.........

[ransom]

i just re drilled mine today and it wa easy and makes a nice clean look for the bags now thanks for sharing goose i also ordered the mini tach cant wait to get it in and on