Bike: '87 Savage.
Tools needed: One open 12mm (or 13) open end wrench, a stubby if you have one.
Thin layered gloves.
Parts needed: Saddlebag supports w/o additional hardware.

No need to remove the rear tire to install saddlebag supports. Just need a little patience. I installed the supports I bought from Seviersavage yesterday using the existing bolts under the fender. Total time for install was about an hour. Again, patience is the key word here.

First thing I did was shine a flashlight under the fender to see what I was working with. Next, I lined up the supports to see if they fit, and they did. Nice work SS.

I decided on installing the left side first, and tackled the middle bolt since it was the most difficult to get to. A stubby open-end wrench would have been perfect for this job, but I didn't have one, so I used a medium sized wrench. Think it was 12mm.

First thing I noticed was that there was no way the the wrench was going to clear the rear tire (guess that's why people remove it). I put a gloved right hand with wrench under the fender from the tail light side, up over the tire, and did it blind using my left hand as a guide to feel the bolt. It was slow going, about 1/4 turn at a time but it finally became loose enough to finish unscrewing with my fingers and popped out. I took the glove of to finish. The bolt closest to the tail light was a lot easier to get to, and took a lot less time to remove.

After removing both bolts I slid the support under the fender without gloves on, keeping the middle bolt in my left hand while holding the support with my right.  Again, this is done by feel as you can't see what you're working with. Feel for the hole, when you find it, put the bolt through the support and start turning by hand. Do the same with the rear bolt. Then, finish tightening the bolts, and make sure that they're not cross threading.

Use the same approach for the right side and you're done with the install.

For some reason the right side took a lot less time to do. I figure it was 30 minutes or so for the left side, and 15-20 minutes for the right.

So, from prep to finish total install time was about an hour with the bike on the side stand.

When I was disassembling my side rails and saddlebag brackets, I struggles one side and it took forever.  I finally figured out that if you take off the shocks on both sides from the bottom mount and jack up the bike under the engine, it makes getting to the bolts on the backside of the fender much easier!!  I also used this technique to drop the rear fender 3/4" ala DiamondJim's method.  HTH anyone attempting this or the rear fender drop mod.

-Matt

My tool chest has a small and a regular sized ratchet. My small ratchet fits between the tire and finder no problem. Used it to to lever up my struts to put in my new turn signals.

photojoe FSO wrote on 04/22/09 at 07:24:38:

harbor freight tool story for you... freddy(an ex-coworker) and i were repairing a diesel powered compressor, and freddy was torquing a 1 1/8 inch bolt with a harbor freight box wrench... at about 50 ft-lbs torque, about 30% of the box side decided it wanted to become powder.... just disintegrated.... he's cursing at the wrench in spanish, and i take it from his hand... i examine the handle portion, and proclaim "freddy, it says right here that it's designed to do that" "whaaa? where does it say that?" he answers... i reply "right there, see? made in india".... the moral of the story is: way cheap tools are false economy... my craftsman wrench torqued the bolt up nice and snug, survived the encounter, and still resides in my toolbox, none the worse for wear.... and, if i break any craftsman hand tool, no matter what kind of abuse i subjected it to, they replace it, no questions asked.... buy good tools, the individual wrench may cost more, but in the long run, they cost lots less.... im not saying everyone needs show-chrome finish snap-on top of the line tools, but no one needs a wrench that disintegrates...