good for you...

 

Having owned both an 07 and 09, I can say that the HD backrests are MUCH better on the 09 platform, as they changed the mounting brackets position to move the positioning further back. The ones prior to 09 sat WAY to far forward and upright in my oppinion (and many other peoples).

Both of the HD backrest (fixed and adjustable) I have tried on PRE-09 bikes sat me way to upright even when adjusted all the way back, so much as to be useless to me even adjusted all the way back, and even after jury rigging the bracket to tip it back further (washers under the front mount point etc).

So, If any 09 owners who have either owed or read horror stories about HD backrests in prior years and are avoiding them on their 09 bike because of that, my advice is to give it another shot. This is just one of the many small details that have been improved on the 09 bikes, that don't get as much attention or mention as some of the more major improvements.

Bracket mounted on bike is 09. Bracket next to it is 07. Notice that if both are mounted on the same hole (2nd hole from front), how much further forward the 07 bracket sits, and how much more its angled forward. That much of an angle change at the bracket translates to about 2-3 inches difference in the backrests position at the top.

 

^ you are correct about the difference in the years i have had both and the 09 is much better no bending or grinding is needed.

 

Or, you can mount it in the heat shield itself. Not too hard to do and much easier to adjust.

 

delta that looks good!


thanks for the tip

 

Nice Delta, I probably could have cut my heat shield in the time it took me to figure out what the installation instruction were trying to say. That looks good.