Okay my fellow touring brothers, here's one for ya:

My wife and I were out on an evening ride a couple weeks ago and hit a TURKEY! The bird took flight from a field to our right side just as we were about to pass it by...and WHAM!...ol' Tom the Turkey hit the bat wing on the right side. The Turkey was doing about 5 mph and we were doing 60. I heard a loud crack, then I heard my wife grunt as the Turkey hit her in the arm and shoulder. I pulled over in a farmer's driveway and inspected the bike. Everything seemed okay; or so I thought. A couple nights later we went out for a ride again and I noticed that my gauge lights were out for the fuel and volt meter; then I noticed that the rocker switch panel was out of place. I removed the outer fairing to investigate the gauge lights and to replace the fairing speakers, and then I found something really disturbing...broken fairing supports...both of them.

I went to Louisville Harley today to price the parts: $46.00 each...not too bad considering HD parts. I expected to see a $146.00 price tag, so I was relieved. My question for the group is this: has anyone ever replaced these things? It looks like a job! (DISCLAIMER: I do my own work...so don't you dare suggest I take it to a dealer)

I'm interrested in hearing from a forum member who has tackled this job in the past and most of all, the lessons you learned along the way.

My bike is a 2007 FLHT (Electra Glide Standard) with the standard bat wing fairing. It looks like the fairing supports are made of aluminum or another lightweight alloy. They sheared-off right at the bend at the top where the inner fairing top mounting points are. The good thing is, the bike is still very rideable with the broken supports because the horizontal struts that give rigidity to the speaker mounts are still solidly bolted to the lower half of the fairing supports. I suppose the biggest danger in riding the bike with the broken supports is another Turkey strike...which would probably result in the total distruction of the bat wing since the top of the fairing is no longer supported by a rigid support.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Mike

 

Most likely they were broke to begin with and Tom's kamikaze strike just knocked the fairing out of place. Very common for these to break right at the top where they bend. Ragan Fab Works sells an outstanding repair kit on Ebay for the supports. As far as replacing the ones that are on there its a bit of a job but doable. If you have the service manual it shows the procedure for tearing down the fairing, but I don't believe you need to remove the inner to do it. Just do one side at a time. The driving lights bracket and lower chrome trim needs to come off.

 

Ragan Fab Works makes a really good kit to fix this common problem, here is a link: http://www.nwmachine.com/rfw/Order.htm

 

I had to replace my RH bracket when my bike fell over in my trailer a few years ago.

Not a bad job at all but you may want an extra pair of hands the first time you do this

Remove the three screws that secures the windshield to the batwing and remove the windshield.

Place something (some folks use old socks) over the passing lamps to protect the fairing if it rides up against them when you remove the fairing.

Now, remove the screws (torx) that holds the fairing on.
There are two screws down near the bottom of the fairing by the forks.
You'll have to turn the forks all the way to the left to access the RH side, and then to the right to access the LH side.
I usually remove these screws first, and replace them last when re-installing the fairing.
Once you get the fairing off the rest is fairly simple.

Just a thought here, but when you have the fairing off, it's a good time to install the remote H-D garage opener, new speakers, etc.

Be glad that you bought the new bracket.
I tried many times to "straighten" mine with absolutely no success.

 

I just simply used two 2'' hardware angle brackets available from any hardware store, bent them at the right place (not on a hole!) to utilize the exsisting bracket hole to line up with the fairing mount nutsert thing, fastened it there first, then clamped the two pieces together with the least amount of stress (the 2" bracket and the remaining original fairing bracket), drilled two 3/16" holes per side, used on each side two 10/32" screws, two flat washers, and double nuts or a "nylock nut" on each and away we go.

 

+1 on the Ragan repair kit, easy to do and very strong. I had the support break on my 07 SG ordered the repair kit, and in the process of the repair found the speaker support was also broken. So it might be best to change out, reinforce, all four brackets while you have it apart.
Mark

 

Its pretty straight forwards. The bolt behind the cigarette lighter is a bear to get to so you may want to pull the lighter. I've replaced both of mine.

 

Tons of these threads around, if you are going to replace them, reinforce them with something, anything, or you will do it again. I did as previously posted by another with a simple L bracket. Easy work and will last long vs. that thin bracket material that is in there now for sure. Be sure to use a jam nut or better yet, a nylock one. Hope this helps
Kris

 

So did you eat the bird?

 

The new brackets are made a little different at the top. Not sure when they started using them. Mine have held up so far.