[nobadgas]

I am installing new chubb bar with risers on 2004 Fatboy, length of cables and wires no problem, but through bar connections require access to harness under tank. Is there a best way to remove gas tank to do this? tanks, Scott

[RocketCityRider]

Hello,
I just did this a few weeks ago. Try to do it on a near empty gas tank (lighter is easier to work with). I have an '05 FLSTNI so there may be some differences. You'll have to remove the dash to disconnect the wire harness that runs up the front of the tank. Mine is fuel injected, so it has a quick disconnect coupling from pet cock to the fuel line. You just pull the chrome collar (up or down...don't remember) and the line will come off. Have a rag handy to soak up spilt gas. There's also another gas line towards the front of the tank that crosses over from side to side. You'll have to disconnect one side to get it off the frame. Now, if I remember correctly, there's just 2 bolts that hold the tank to the frame. One is on the back of the tank where the tank and the seat meet. The other is towards the front; it kind of saddles the frame and the bolt runs from one side of the bike to the other. I think the right side will have an acorn nut (look for it just behind the down tubes).
When you get all this done the tank will come off. But don't rush it. It has some rubber pieces that saddle the frame and will introduce a little resistance when you try to pull it off.
When you get the tank removed there will be a 6-Pin Deutsch connector on each side of the bike. These are the ones that go to the handle bars. Once you unplug them you can remove the orange face of the connector and expose the pins. Take a small flat screw driver and gently pry the small tab to the inside of each pin to the inside and pull the wires out. Before you do this, take the time to draw a schematic showing which color wire goes to which hole!
One problem I ran into: When I re-assembled everything I pinched one of the wires in the left switch housing against the handle bar. This caused all kinds of crazy stuff to happen and was hard to track down....be careful.

[hotroadking]

Before you remove the tank which is certainly the complete way to do this,

Remove the Seat
Disconnect the battery ground
Remove the front and rear tank bolts.
Drape a thick rag over the front rocker box
Remove the Dash and the vent line from the tank
Smoothly and evenly pull the tank to the rear on the bike
You will not be able to go back more than 3 inches or so

You should see on each side of the frame two large connectors,
they are attached to the frame, don't pull them off the attachments but
depress the button and separate the wire harness from the bars to the main harness.

Now do your internal wiring. My guess is you may have to add some extensions as travelling down the bars through the upper tree may add some
distance.

Remove the orange insert by prying up lightly around the edge with a small flat blade screwdriver, use the same small (like for glasses) screwdriver to release the tang that holds the wire in the connector (get a SM and you'll get diagrams on each connector and how to assemble and disassemble)

remember to mark what color goes to which number (on the bottom of the connector.

A SM will have the pattern for you.

Run a string down through the bars and pull the wires through, just do one wire and see if it's long enough, if you find you need 3 more inches then stagger splice them into the middle so you have the color ends for the connector, keep the new cuts as close to the ends as possible not in the middle together or the wires will be too thick to run through the bars.

takes a couple of hours not hard to do. Butt solder the joints an shrink wrap them.