OK, maybe my subject line is a little mis-leading. 😉
I'm not going to cut the actual bike frame (or the hack's frame for that matter). But when I went to install the shackles onto the bike frame, I found this bracket at the top of the down pipe. There isn't enough space above or below the bracket to allow the shackle to slip over the frame. I suppose I could remove the engine guard and mount the shackle REALLY low, but I suspect that it would be better to mount the brace as high on the bike's frame as possible.
So, I suppose my REAL question is:
Is it safe to remove the bracket? It doesn't look strong enough to be structural. I think it is prolly there to mount some body work for the non-fared version of the Goldwing 1100.
Some details about the bike & hack:
- Bike is a '82 Honda GL1100 Interstate (dressed Goldwing)
- Hack is an Auburn Gemini (aka Ride-by-Side, aka Twin Star)
- Mounting kit is a 4-point system which originally mounted the hack to a GL1000 (non-fared Goldwing prior to 1980)
Pictures: The bracket I'm thinking of removing is the 45* member with the two holes in it where the down pipe meets the upper frame. 
It looks to me like the bracket you want to cut acts as a gusset and supports the frame at the down tube and top tube junction. I wouldn't cut it - it stiffens the frame and isn't a minor bracket.
Remove the crash bar and mount it lower, If you send me an email request, I will email you photo's of the mount installed.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
jay@dmcsidecars.com
Here are some options for mounting the front U-clamp assembly.
L.
Thanks all,
So mounting the strut low sans crash bar is a good option? I'll be attaching a double-wide if that makes a difference. There is also no frame cross member down low due to the radiator. I may need to slide the car side of the strut further to the right as that particular turn buckle is rather long.
I also asked on a Goldwing forum about the bracket (ask twice, cut once!). It is used to attach the horn on the non-fared version of the goldwing. People there claim the bracket is not structural, simply tacked in place, and that it could be removed without issue.
Looking at Hack'n's photo of the grey aspy where the strut is mounted high, either the bracket has been removed or the U-clamp is smaller.
The way we do it is in the location like in the grey photo, We cut the back side of the clamp off at an angle so that the front side of the clamp is the same size but it will still fit in the area you need to put it. This is a better option then cutting the frame.
I do not have the photo's in a format that I can post them here. If you send me a email jay@dmcsidecars.com I will be glad to send you the entire mounting instructions, Of course these will be for our mounts with out clamps but you will be able to get the idea.
Jay
DMC sidecars
Thanks Jay!
Email sent.
I mounted my upper front mount on the horizontal frame above your clamp and back a couple inches. I had to cut an opening in the back of the lower, worked great the last 10 years and on 2 GL1100's .Doug
