Removel Of Tail Light Bracket on 2000 Jackal

[Park Ridge Phil]

 I'm looking for some suggestions on how to get the bracket off,  that seems to be welded on the fender, without doing too much damage. Any ideas?  Thanks.

[Kev m]

What are you better with:

* whizzer w/ cut off wheel
* dremel w/ cut off wheel
* angle grinder
* Sawzall
* hacksaw

Take your pick, I'd probably go with one or both of the first two.

You're going to have to cover/patch/conceal in the end no matter what.

[Park Ridge Phil]

Good suggestions. I have the same tail light that Calijackalbob posted awhile ago to replace the old one. Thanks. And again, sorry about posting this up twice. 😎

[guzzinka]

Ok, I have to finally ask - why does everyone hate the Jackal taillight soooo much?  I know it may melt and it may break and......but I like having two bulbs vs. one, and aesthetically it's no uglier to me than most of the other ugly parts of a Jackal.  Just my two cents.  I can understand if someone just has to have an eldo light or some such, but why blame the poor Jackal?  I have a 2000 FYI, and I heart it...

[Kev m]

I liked the redundancy of two lights.

I didn't like the cracking housing at the turn signals, or the intermittent connection at the cheap running/brake light sockets.

They could have made a dual might hosting that didn't suck.

Instead I weave with a single Lucas style housing and a plate mounted LED strip for redundancy.

[radguzzi]

Good suggestions. I have the same tail light that Calijackalbob posted awhile ago to replace the old one. Thanks. And again, sorry about posting this up twice. 😎

I do not recall that thread however, yeah, cut off wheel type grinding disk, smooth the rest of the area, repaint the area and this tail light bracket will cover it all. 

I used it and the single round light on mine and it looks great.

Best,
Rob

[Park Ridge Phil]

 Actually I liked the original. It just kept cracking here and there and pieces of plastic broke off. The lights themselves were fine. I had the turn signals duct taped on (black) only because the housing kept chipping off. I don't know why the bracket is bulletproof and the housing is just plain terrible. Now to figure out what to do for turn signals. So many choices out there. Drill more holes in the fender to mount them? Attach them to the HB saddlebag mount that comes around?  LED strips with the 3m tape? 

[guzzinka]

Phil, Kev, I guess you don't hate the light after all, just its tendency to fall apart! Mine seems so solid, the left signal has even taken a couple of hits and I had to re-bend the tab and reattach.  Did it just disintegrate over time?
To the point, isn't their a way to chuck all the plastic bits but keep the metal fender bracket?  Greg

[Park Ridge Phil]

 It wouldn't work at all with the Emgo Lucas light unfortunately.

[Kev m]

FWIW I thought the light was ok visually (didn't love or hate it for that). I simply hated it's tendency to break/fail. That's simply one place I don't want unexpected failures.

I installed Buell/Aprilia turn signals using special adapters that had been custom made and the turn signals never broke again.

Similarly I installed LEDs in the stop/running light housings and reinforced the sockets and again, never had a problem after that.

But when the fender rusted through I gave up on the whole thing (fender and light) and went to a new Sportster fender mounted backwards and a different light assembly for good measure. The OEM might wouldn't have fit the new shorter fender anyway.