I was considering buying this for an '09 Street Bob, but the mounting setup looks a bit unstable (2 bolts down the center) which seems to me would easily rock back and forth when under minor load and also the way the rack bots on, I was curious if it makes direct contact with the rear fender. Just a bit worried about stability of luggage and also avoiding damage to the rear fender...

 

yes it does make contact with the fender. I have one for my street bob 08 year but have not used it since I have my bike stripped for mods at the moment. I think it might be unstable with alot of weight but wont know until I give it a try. It does look good on the bike though. It mounts under the seat tab and in the spot that you mount the passenger seat to. So you would also need another seat nut. I had to go get one at harley dont remember the price but it was not all that high. You can get them from j&p cheaper than harley i just did not want to wait for it.

 

I have the motherwell rack and use it along with my 18" attitude stick.

You're right about the mounting points being down the middle. You can wiggle it if you try. But it sure looks clean thanks to not mounting to the sideplates or fender struts!

Seriously, though, I've had 2 weeks worth of luggage strapped to it. 2,500 mile ride to Vegas and back. Probably 50 pounds strapped to it. Never had a problem. Check the pics in my album. You can't see it under my luggage, but there's a motherwell rack holding it all on.

Even though I haven't had a problem with mine, I still wouldn't use a motherwell by itself (no sissybar) for strapping down anything larger or heavier than a toaster.

Oh, and the fender screw is a weird install. There's a super easy trick that involves a zip-tie. PM me if you need help. The motherwell has a small rubber pad where it contacts the fender. It still left very minor rub marks on my fender, though. Probably from having a chit ton of stuff strapped to it. Just by itself I doubt it would leave any marks on the fender.

 

When I had mine on, one end mounted to the fender nut where the seat attaches and the other mounting end had rubber insulating it from the fender and mounted to the rear seat mounting position using another fender nut. No damage to worry about at all. It was stable and never caused a problem. It is wise to balance your load on the rack.

 

Hey compgeek, where'd you get that attitude bar? I am thinking of getting one. I have a Motherwell luggage rack on order and have been thinking it would be better to have a sissy bar, or preferably an attitude bar with it. I am keeping a solo seat. But also, how does it mount? Do you know if I'd have a hard time with that kind of attitude bar since I am also installing Easy Brackets?

But glad to hear that folks have been able to pack a bit on the Motherwell. I had one on my Nightster, but it was so small, and I didn't have any kind of sissy bar or anything else, and could only carry one small bag on it.

 

Funny, I was going for the exact same pairing myself. The Motherwell's rack and an 18" attitude stick. I just ordered it from Cycle Visions (http://www.cyclevisions.com/). Real cool guys to deal with and even though they only sell these in powder coated and chrome, they sent mine out free of charge to get it done in wrinkle black. Prices real fair and free shipping to boot!!

 

Tighten the bolts down that hold the rack and it doesn't wobble at all.
I use a Mustang fender bib on my fender whether the rack is installed or not so no scuffs on the paint.

 

got one on my superglide and love it, very clean look, and good price

 

Does it fit well over the bib? I really like that idea and was thinking of installing it over the HD made bib? Any pics of the rack over the bib? Would be interested to see the fit.

 

Best to use a small o-ring or rubber washer under the rack. The fender nut itself has a little wiggle room and the rubber eliminates that.

The Motherwell rack will take a lot of weight even without a sissybar. You just have to make sure the luggage is strapped down good so you don't have any side to side motion. You can run a strap on each side to the upper shock mount and another around the tail lite standoffs. With a four point tiedown you won't have any prob whatsoever with a lot of luggage.

I now use an eighteen inch sissybar and a pillionpad for hauling bags on a road trip but before that I ran thousands of miles with just a Motherwell rack.

Good Luck

Tom