When installing hard bags on the VLX, the rear turn signals have to be moved back. If you get the Five Stars rack, the kit comes with mounting brackets.

Since I was customizing Givi tubular racks, I bought Scott's bracket which moves the turn signals to the license plate mount. Very nice. Cost is $25 including shipping.

You can email Scott: sljaholloway@comcast.net There is some info about the bracket at ShadowParts.
http://shadowparts.com/

I have moved the helmet lock from it's position on the left side. It will attach to the top of the Givi tubular rack so that I can use the hard cases and the helmet lock.

Topics covered by these photos:

* Removing the seat
* Making the seat easier to remove/install
* Removing the rear fender
* What the rear fender looks like off the bike
* Removing the old style Honda (Hondaline) sissy bar
* Removing the rear turn signals
* Rear wiring
* Removing the helmet lock
* Mounting the rear turn signals further back to clear hard bags or saddle bags

Click any image for a larger view.

Cardboard to sit on is way better than grass and gravel. Tools in a bin, and I throw parts in the same bin or into some other container.

The seat screw is between the seat and pillion.

A long hex wrench in the seat screw.

A larger view.

Seat off. The screw was in that flange thing at the center-right of the photo. Sissy bar mount at the bottom of the photo.

Poorly focused (sorry) wide view. Next the sissy bar comes off.

Rear sissy bar screw. The bar and the hole had been forced to line up. Hmmmm.....

Top view of the misalignment. The sissybar was an add on, not a stock item (although this is the HondaLine factory sissybar for the older VLXs)

I think this is the right side electrical connectors.

Right side connectors apart.

Left side connector.

The back (tire side) of the helmet lock. I cut those smooth-headed bolts, and moved the helmet lock the the Givi Tubular Rack.

The rear fender, upside down. Front is at the bottom of the photo.

Fender again, with the rear at the bottom of the photo. Those two grommets mount to the rear frame.

The rear frame from the tire (front) side.

Rear frame from the left. The chrome license plate light is on the right of the photo.

Right turn signal mount, as seen from the inside (tire side).

I think this is the left turn signal mount, without the turn signal, also from the tire side.

Turn signal mount, but the metal thingy and rubber bush are still in place.

Pushing out the rubber turn signal grommet.

How the signals look mounted low. This is easier mechanically, but I wanted the signals to have more visibility.

The low mounting position (that I didn't use, this is just how it would have looked)

Top down view of mounting the new turn signal bracket high on the rear frame.

High mount turn signal bracket. The fender is just laying there and is not where it really belongs. Foxy girlfriend in the background.

High mounting position.

High mounting position. The brack bolts have sleeves between the bracket and the VLXs rear frame. There just happened to be two unused holes in the frame at the correct spot. The bracket has to bend just a tiny bit so the fender will install.

Weird close up.

Top down view, all installed. Notice that since the hard bags cover the side reflectors, I re-attached the reflectors to the turn signal bracket. This photo was taken looong after the rest of the pictures, and shows the finished turn signals and Givi Hard Cases all installed. Note the great (future) location of the helmet lock between the left case and the fender. Works great!