I have recently purchased a sidekick seat for my 2008 sportster and noticed a hell of lot of movement from side to side where the tongue goes underneath the fuel tank, i have attached the grab strap as directed by the instructions and have noticed also when i boot it the seat comes back and there is large gap where the seat meets the fuel tank? have i the incorrect seat?

     

 the two seats shown on the top left corner, on the right is the original

 

It dont look right

Midnight sounds like you may have a seat suited to the 3.3 gal tank and not the 4.5 that you have. I'd check the part number of the seat on the makers website or contact them to see if they may have given you one to suit a 3.3 gal tank by mistake.

The 3.3 gal tank is shorter than the 4.5 which would explain the looseness of the seat.

Thank you king chops, this would make sense!!

The smaller tank is actually further forward.

I had to get the front of my R (12ltr) seat cut back to work with the C (18ltr) tank.

It is the C with the smaller seat as the tank comes back a little more.

You just have a bad seat by the looks of it.

Midnite, can you show us a full side shot and where did you get it from?

I ve seen bad Seats Before , Get a New one

side kick seat fits shocking going buy that photo..but a seat for a peanut tank woulb be a tighter fit not looser.!!!

Just went and had a look at another new side kick seat, PS got in for me and it is eaxctly the same as the other one pictured. I dont think much thought has gone into the design for 2008 custom. I checked out the corbin seats and  underneath they  are designed exactly like the original but with enhancements - pitty about the price! this is way harley should design them --- If they cant come up with something soon,  I am going to ask for a refund!

 

 

I ended up swapping it for a Le Pera silloute - fits great and looks even better!!
thanks for all your help

cheers

Midnight, Ive got an 883 low and been looking at the side kick, rallyrunner and badlander. The side kick looks somewhere between the other two, still with nice lines to suit bike. Have you got a photo of the new seat you got ? would like to see what it looks like on your bike. Steve

Hi LOW06, get a lepera they look the best but if you tend to go on 100km plus rides - probably best to get the gel insert, your backside will go numb - but you do get used to it, so its only a minor issue.

Gday Midnight, lepera looks the business. I ended up getting a sidekick- will post a pic shortly. I needed something with a little substance for the odd ride with my wife. The sidekick looks much leaner than the ralleyrunner or sundowner however I actually prefer the look of the single seat on my low. So a compromise. Steve

It's a little late but my experience may assist someone else in the future. I had the same issues when I fitted the HD Sidekick seat to my Iron. It moved from side to side at the front and would slide back under acceleration. To prevent this I put velcro strips on the frame under the seat that grip very well with the lining under the seat. Also push the seat forward firmly whilst at the same time securing it at the rear as normal. If you fit the front of the seat and then secure the rear seperately, it usually does not hold, but if you push the seat forward whilst tightening, it holds every time. To be really sure, tighten the rear securing bolt with multi-grips, then the seat will never slide backwards over time. Works for me. Regards.