Installing Nightster Side-Mount License Plate Assembly on 2004-Up Sportsters
By Stephan, aka NitroNutcase
This article shows you how to mount a Nightster side-mount license plate assembly on a 2004-up Sportster, in this case a 2005 XL1200R.
1. Gather the following parts:
60318-07 Nightster Left-Mount License Plate Mount Assembly
69463-06 Run, Brake, Turn Signal Module Kit
73102-96BK Tab Housing, 2-Position (Quantity 3)
73106-96BK Tab Housing, 6-Position
73190-96 Tab Terminal (Quantity 10 minimum, get more just in case you break one)
5/16-18 Bolt, 1 1/2†Long
2. Remove seat. Remove left side cover. Remove Maxi-Fuse. In the photo below, note the three fasteners attaching the chrome strut cover to the rear frame: from left to right, they are the front chrome strut cover screw; the turn signal stud inside the bullet-style turn signal; and the rear chrome strut cover screw.
3. Remove chrome strut cover.
4. Remove wire retention bracket. It is riveted on to inside of the fender. One way to remove it is to bend the tabs back and forth to introduce metal fatigue, so the part will fall away from the fender, leaving just the rivet attached to the fender. Remove the rivet with a hacksaw. Be careful not to damage the fender’s finish.
5. Get the Nightster side-mount assembly; it should look like the photo below. Note the two running light lamps that illuminate the license plate to ensure DOT compliance. The lights are attached to a cable which ends in a 2-pin AMP connector, as shown in the photo.
6. Machine the side-mount assembly so it fits between the rear fender and the tire. The Nightster rear fender is quite different from the other Sportster fenders, so the side-mount assembly will not fit as-is. The pencils point out the two areas requiring modification: the pencil on the left shows the slotted hole required to fit the turn signal stud (note that it is slotted diagonally up and to the left to provide a bit more clearance between the license plate and the left shock absorber when the license plate is folded toward the shock); the pencil on the right shows the grinding required to avoid interference with the thick steel rear fender brace under the fender. Just keep grinding material away and check periodically for fit. Caution: You are grinding magnesium, which is highly flammable. Have a fire extinguisher available.
7. Install the Run, Brake, Turn Signal module kit. The pencil shows it mounted under the ICM. The instructions supplied with the kit go into more detail.
8. Install the side-mount assembly on the left side of the bike, between the rear fender and the tire, as shown in the photo below. The photo is taken through the hole left by removing the stock rear tail lens assembly, looking at the underside of the rear fender. Insert the stock front chrome strut cover screw in its original location and secure it using the stock nut. Note the machined areas of the side-mount license plate assembly in the photo below: a slotted hole for the turn signal stud, and a ground-away area to provide clearance for the thick steel rear fender brace. The stock turn signal stud is not long enough to capture a nut behind it, so the rear portion of the side-mount license plate assembly will be secured using different means, as shown in the next step.
9. Install a 5/16-18 x 1 1/2†long bolt through the rear chrome strut cover screw hole. Secure it using the stock nut plate. Swing the nut plate around so it holds down the rear section of the side-mount license plate assembly, as shown in the photo below.
10. Check that the side-mount license plate assembly fits properly and does not rub against the tire. The photo below shows how it should look like.
11. Remove the stock license plate assembly and stock tail lamp assembly from the rear fender. To remove the stock tail lamp assembly, you will need to remove the plastic tail lens and disconnect the 6-pin AMP connector that connects the assembly to the rear lighting wiring harness. Also disconnect the two 2-pin AMP connectors that connect the two rear turn signals to the assembly. The stock tail lamp assembly contains a printed circuit board that distributes power to the brake light, running light (which also illuminates the license plate), and turn signals. Because you are removing the stock tail lamp and its PC board, you will need to build a small wiring harness to accomplish the same function.
As shown in the photo below, the wiring harness contains one large 6-pin AMP connector and three smaller 2-pin AMP connectors (get the connectors and their associated pins from the H-D dealer using the part numbers shown earlier). The large 6-pin AMP connector connects to the 6-pin AMP connector on the stock rear lighting wiring harness. The three 2-pin AMP connectors on the harness connect to the stock 2-pin AMP connectors for the left turn signal, the right turn signal, and the side-mount license plate assembly running lights. Each of the three 2-pin AMP connectors has two wires connected to it: a Hot lead and a Ground lead. The diagram below shows how to connect the wires from the 6-Pin AMP connector to the three 2-pin AMP connectors. Note that the Ground lead is connected to all three 2-pin AMP connectors. A suggestion is to build a simple version first, such as sticking stiff wires into the connectors, connecting everything together, and trying out to see if it works, then build a proper harness. Referto the service manual’s section on AMP Multilock Electrical Connectors if you have not worked with AMP connectors before.
6-Pin AMP Connector
Pin 1: (O/W)———- (Not Used)
Pin 2: (BN)——————————–Right Turn Signal: Hot
Pin 3: (BE)——————————–License Plate Assembly Running Light: Hot
Pin 4: (R/Y)———- (Not Used)
Pin 5: (V)———————————-Left Turn Signal: Hot
Pin 6: (BK)——————————–Ground: Connects to Ground Wires of all three 2-pin connectors
12. Attach the wire harness you just made to the 6-pin AMP connector that used to go to the stock tail lamp assembly, and the three 2-pin AMP connectors to the left turn signal, right turn signal, and side-mount license plate running lights, as shown in the photo below.
13. Prevent wires from dangling dangerously close to the rear tire by attaching them to the thick metal fender brace under the rear fender using zip-ties, as shown in the photo below.
14. Re-install the Maxi-Fuse and test the system to ensure that it is working properly. In the photo below, you can see that the running lights illuminate the left turn signal, the right turn signal, and the two lights in the side-mount license plate assembly, which is as it should be. Don’t forget to test the turn signals and brake light functions. Best of luck with the project!
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Stephan, aka NitroNutcase first of let me say thanks for how to it was what I was wanting the do and let me tell you how smooth it went one tip when when wiring the Tab Terminals it was hard to crimp them they didn’t want to fit so the local Harley shop crimped them at no charge made life easier the body work was done and it looks bitchen don’t know how to post pics but i will soon as i learn thanks again …………..Mike
hey thanks for the instruction. I have been looking for one for ages. I have a 883xl which i have been contemplating to put a side mount. But, looking at that big hole with the other small holes is not putting me off.
how did you fix those holes, i imagine you must had to take out the whole fender, patch it up and have it repaint. Thats going to cost a pretty penny. Is that how you did it, can you post a pic up.
thanks
Stephan,
Tried your install worked very well. I did change a few things. #1 I used a step bit to enlarge the hole so the tail light nut fits through the plate frame. #2 Then I took a short piece of threded rod (5/16 x 18) and used that to replace the stock tail light bolt.
I put the rod on to hold the tail light then back it up with a nut to hold it tight something like the original bolt. With the short end coming through the bracket and then used a flt washer and a nut to hold it on tight. Then I installed the original rear bolt in the stock location. Just remember to keep the bolt as shot as you can.
Thank for your help with my install work great!!!
John
Arizona
I have completed a rear fender chop and installed the 69463-06 module and wired it as per the istuctins given and its not working properly i think i may ahve a defective module.
Every thing works correctly except that only one of the lights is on a running light. Both come of for break and both work as turn signals. Any ideas?
Hello Stephan, thank you very much for the how-to, it’s really amazing.
I am typing from Brazil and I had been looking around to find how to eliminate the stock license plate assembly and tail lamp assembly from the rear fender. Actually my desire was to “cut” the fender to make my 2008 883R looks like the new Iron 883.
Right after I found this tutorial I ordered the parts from Zanotti Motor and gave everything to my Harley Davidson “specialist” for him to make it work. Unfortunatelly not everything worked as expected.
We made everything exactly how you teach in this how-to. But only the turn signals and the side mount license plate lights are working! We discussed a lot about what should be the problem but nothing came to mind.
What we found curious is that, testing the wires with a multimeter, we realized that on the 1st pin (orange/white), there is electrical from the brake/to the brake light. Obviously this should be the brake light wire to be connected to the stock tail lamp assembly, but as I got the Run, Brake, Turn Signal Module Kit connected, shouldn’t the brake and running light pulses be on both signal wires?
I don’t know what to try anymore, if one of you have any idea to help me out with this I’d really appreciate.
Thank you so much.
Mario
Does anyone know if you can buy one of these harness’s already made up?
I have been looking for the side mount plate in Europe for a couple of months but it appeared to be illegal here. Also tried to find the item numbers via Harley-davidson.com but could not able to find it. Could you please address me where to find one? I really like to install one to my 2009 Nightster unfortunately in Europe version of the Nighster the side mount is not an option.
Thanks again for the detail instructions.
Mert
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