How to Remove a Harley Fatboy Fender

A Fatboy is a classic Harley Davidson motorcycle. One aspect people love most about it is the suspended rear fender. It hangs over the rear tire and completely covers the whole top quarter of the tire. It may have great looks, but when it is time to take off this tire it can be quite a task. It involves taking off the seat, fender rails and signal light.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Ratchet set
• Pliers
• WD-40

1. • 1

     Remove the seat to the Harley Davidson Fatboy. The seat comes out by unlocking the seat clip and sliding it off the motorcycle. Disconnect the battery cables by loosening the screw in the cable clamps and removing them.

   • 2

     Remove the fender rails by unscrewing the hardware in the fender rails themselves, and then removing the bolts that mount the rails to the motorcycle frame. Use a large screwdriver or ratchet that matches the hardware on your Fatboy fender.

   • 3

     Remove the tail light and turn signals by unscrewing the mounting hardware which connects to the fender. Usually, these are connected with a Phillips head screw, so use a Phillips screwdriver.

   • 4

     Disconnect the wiring from the terminals on the turn signal and the tail light units. Remove the wiring from the terminal connectors on the signal lights themselves and set them all aside.

   • 5

     Now, disconnect the hardware that attaches the fender to the motorcycle frame. Use a ratchet head wrench and WD-40 to loosen this hardware, as heat and weather will make it difficult to remove. Once removed, you can take off the rear fender on your Harley Davidson Fatboy.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase a service manual for your Harley-Davidson's make and model, because each bike has slightly different wiring and accessories.