Saddlebags and such

[challman]

I am just going to rant just a little. I bought my spider from a local motorcycle dealer that doesn't have a can-am franchise. It came to me loaded with lots and lots of extras....

That being said. I bought the sport rack and back rest so my wife could ride on the back.

I finally got all the side panels off with the exception of the back which has the turn signal relocation unit through them. These were attached with 2 nut and bolt combos each and they were a pain to get out.

Then... There is an alarm on this thing. Guess what... Whoever installed it decided to use the end of the frame to hold the alarm. This had to come out and all the wires rerouted. OK done with that...

Now routing the pull cable which unlatches the rack. Battery comes out. Ouch the battery won't come out without unbolting one of the saddlebag mounts..

Now even tough the instructions are pretty good after you already have it figured out I struggled with where the pull off event went then to route it.

This install which would have been simple on any other bike I have ever owned really turned into a nightmare.

OK
I feel better now... Thanks for reading my rant.

PS I have 3 hours invested and I am not even ready to put back together yet.

Oh
and I stepped on my glasses...




I will say this. The fit and finish of these accessories is really great. The Saddlebag mounts with their quick release, The relocation brackets being part of it. The easy snap off of the back rest,,, so on and so on.

I wish they made a topcase which would snap on and off of the sport rack like the backrest...

Maybe next year.

Incidentally the back cover I took off which goes between the brake lights has custom LED light in it, and some kind of controller. Obviously this came out.. It is gray... Anyone interested in it?

 

[Bob Denman]

...and I stepped on my glasses...QUOTE]

Are you sure that we're not related?? :shocked:
I have found out the hard way over the years that every project of mine eventually has a :gaah: moment!
Hang in there! :thumbup:

 

[ARtraveler]

Sounds like the typical do it yourself installation. Every nut, bolt, screw, and part fights for their life in the process. I call that a three-martini project. The thing might not get put together--but the martini's (or whatever else) make the job go easier. :roflblack:

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Good thing it came with "all the extras" or imagine how frustrated you'd be if you had to install of them yourself. :gaah:

 

[Bob Denman]

but the martini's (or whatever else) make the job go easier. :roflblack:

Hmmm... normally I end up curled up in the corner sobbing into my torn and filthy Tee-shirt; looking at all of the devastation that I have created... :shocked::gaah::yikes:

 

[fastfraser]

:congrats: After its all done you will step back and appreciate it more knowing you did it yourself !

 

[Bob Denman]

...after the blood is mopped up and all of the thrown tools have been recovered... :shocked: :roflblack: :shemademe_smilie: :gaah:

 

[challman]

Hmmm... normally I end up curled up in the corner sobbing into my torn and filthy Tee-shirt; looking at all of the devastation that I have created... :shocked::gaah::yikes:

Not that is hilarious. Very good.

I am completed now. My biggest source of frustration was this wound vac I am carrying around with me everywhere I go. nothing like having tubes coming out of your back to dampen an otherwise irritating as hell project..

I am done now. I am pretty happy with the way the whole thing went but I do have one question for anyone who has done this.

What am I supposed to do about the screw on the tip of the plastic inner fender? There doesn't seem to be a hole for it? I have just left it loose for now... (it isn't actually loose but no screw there)..

Any ideas?
:spyder:
:chat:

 

[teadave]

if you mean the screw that goes in to the bottom of the sport rack, you are supposed to take the clip out of the stock tail piece & install it in the sport rack. you think they could have included one with the really expensive rack, or at least put this in the instructions...

 

[SpyderWolf]

:congrats: on getting it installed. Teadave hit the nail on the head, you have to reuse the one from the tail piece. :gaah: It won't hurt anything to ryde around without it in their, I did that for at least a month or two before I realized that something wasn't quite right with it. Mine was dealer installed by the way, and they did not put the clip on it.

 

[challman]

OHHHH

if you mean the screw that goes in to the bottom of the sport rack, you are supposed to take the clip out of the stock tail piece & install it in the sport rack. you think they could have included one with the really expensive rack, or at least put this in the instructions...

I can do that Awesome


Thank you

 

[challman]

update

...after the blood is mopped up and all of the thrown tools have been recovered... :shocked: :roflblack: :shemademe_smilie: :gaah:

I went for a ride today... I discovered that the tail light element in my tail/break lights were both burned out. At first I thought it was a wiring problem but when I finally got them out it was bulbs... I suspect they had been burned out for a while

Anyway.....

The freeking sport rack had to come back off so I could change the tail light bulbs..... That also meant taking the rh body panel and the turn signal relocation bracket...
:gaah: :gaah: :gaah: :gaah:
:roflblack:

Can you say tantrum?????

anyway I just ordered a set of LED 1157s to have around for the event I have to get back in there.. I don't ever have to change them again!!!

 

[Bob Denman]

:yikes: :gaah: :yikes: :shocked:

Sorry... I certainly don't want to make fun of your plight! :shemademe_smilie::roflblack:
I'm deep in a project myself that should have been completed at least a week ago... Hopefully this morning the Gods will take pity on me... ray:

I feel your pain, Brother!

 

[SpyderWolf]

There is a thread on here about tail light modification. You can cut a little piece of the black corner off the lens, under the seat pan, and then you will never have to remove the rear rack to get to the bulbs again. Pictures are included thanks to Groundeffect. :thumbup:

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21869