Flag Mounts

Flag Pole Mounts

Option 1 - Courtesy of Daddo (DaddoCFL) - Fits all 1100's, perhaps with spacing modes for some bags

This is a flag pole mounting bracket option for a 3’x 5’ bike mounted flag for Patriot Guard Riders Missions.

The goal here was to enable the use of a 3’x 5” flag on a 6’ – 3/4" flag pole. (electrical conduit pole – this will also work with a wooden pole, but I’m trying for a lightning strike to put me out of my misery.)

I wanted the bracket to blend into the frame of the bike without the use of ugly bungie cords or other paraphernalia to hold it in place. I also wanted a design that used existing mounting points, and could be installed or removed in under 5 minutes without screwing up the finish of the bike. I will most likely paint the bracket satin black and the NEW wooden pole will be left in it’s natural state and varnished. (or a fiberglass pole if I get lucky at my favorite surplus store).

Used 1/4 inch aluminum plate, I actually used a saber saw / jig saw with a course tooth metal cutting blade from Home Depot. The course teeth won’t load up with molten aluminum as easily as a fine cut blade. You also need to keep the reciprocating speed a bit on the slow side to avoid friction melting of the aluminum.

Can it be adapted to clear Silverado or other saddlebags? There is always a way.

Were you thinking between the fender and the bags? Since I do not have mounted bags to look at, I don't know how much space you have.

Another possibility is running the pole up just in front of the bags. It appears as though you can use the same or a similar bracket to the one that I made. You may need to position the pole slightly closer to the three mounting bolts then I did, but that should still work fine.

Test this assumption by taking your flagpole (or a broom handle) and see what kind of angle you can get while clearing the bags and the driver’s butt.

Update: Now, (no longer have the lightning rod) the bike mounted flag on a 5’ wooden flagpole is a 2-1/2’ x 3-3/4” Nylon, marine grade embroidered and sewn and reinforced flag. This thing is made to move through the air without coming apart. After a quick run to StarCraft Surplus tomorrow, the natural wood of my bike mounted flagpole will be covered in 1” black shrink wrap tubing (or maybe white – could be a last minute decision). It is my thought that the shrink wrap will look a lot better then the bare wood pole. In addition, it would add a huge amount of strength to the wooden pole.

Pictures below show bracket in use, bracket with instructions, bracket mounting location, bracket mounted, and a link to the pattern for drilling-cutting (size it up to match the "ruler" on the picture = true size) -- The shape of the bottom section is actually not critical, but was cut that way on this version to leave the maximum amount of metal in place (for stiffness). Try a cardboard version first to make sure the three mounting holes are aligned. When you bolt the real one into place, you can position the flag pole where you want it to ride, and then mark the locations for your “U” bolt holes.

Pattern File

Option 2- Courtesy SilverBack (AGBack): (Based on Daddo's, but instantly removeable)

Daddo's wonderful design, above, inspired me to trash my original wood holder, strapped to the pillion, as too large, too cumbersome and too ugly, even though I was pleased with it initially- until Daddo raised the bar.

My version, like Daddo's original, uses 1/4 aluminum plate, designed to fit behind the right boomerang frame piece, and is mounted with bolts to the stock passenger peg mounting holes and also the upper bolt hole for the stock rear exhaust bracket. I also use 1/4 inch U-bolts with nylox bolts to fasten the pole (in my case, pole holder) to the mount. Like Daddo, I have yet to decide whether rattle can paint it black - or leave it natural aluminum (in which case same swirling will be required to make mine as presentable as his. Currently I am leaning to painting it back - les obtrusive, make it look more "professional".

My version differs from Daddo's in two major respects: a) I moved the flag mounting U-bolts further forward and much closer to the bracket mounting bolts - to allow the pole to clear the front of my hard bags; and b) I went with separate pole holder and pole - both using steel electrical conduit (as Daddo's calls it - lightning rod material).

The flag holder, as noted above, is attached with U-bolts to and becomes a part of the bracket (see pictures below). The flag holder is a piece of 3/4 inch steel conduit, cut 19 inches long, and has a 1/4 inch bolt drilled through and fastened at the lower end to prevent the flag pole from sliding out the bottom when inserted.

To ensure the holder and flag pole will stand away from the bike, I used spacers behind the upper end of the holder. In addition to the flat bar that comes with the U-bolt, 4 1/2 inch washers are used to space out the upper end. To clarify, coming from the rear side of the bracket, each leg of the upper U-bolt is set up as: Nylox nut, bracket plate, 4 1/4 inch washers, the flat plate that comes with the U-bolt, then the holder 3/4 inch conduit, and then the curved section of the U-bolt. The last picture below shows the arrangement, clearer than these words!

With the mount on the bike but the flag pole not in place - passenger comes nowhere near the top of the holder - YES! The rider can swing leg over with no interference - YES! I usually mount with the flag not in place, then turn on place it in the holder. With all in place, no interference from the pole or the flag (if moving). When deployed, the flag just clears the top of the head of my little stuffed riding buddy - the real silver back!

The flag pole is 1/2 inch steel conduit, and rattles around loosely when inserted into the 3/4 inch conduit holder. To eliminate the rattle, and to ensure the pole will not be extracted by the wind while riding at highway speeds it was necessary to reduce the ID of the holder. I purchased a "screw in coupler" for 3/4 inch conduit and filed off the screw threads on one end and then with a hammer tapped the filed-down end into the end top end of the holder - very tight fit. The ID of the "screw in coupler" is just a hair over the OD of the flag pole, so a little squeeze with channel lock pliers allowed me to misshape the top just enough so the fit is snug.

My pole, is 1/2 steel conduit, 78 inches long (6 ft 6 in), with 1/4 inch eye bolts drilled and fastened through the conduit near the top and another 36 inches lower - to provide attachment points for the 3 ft by 5 ft flag I fly while riding (and also use when dismounted and presenting PGR flag honors). Currently I fasten the flag to the eye bolts with white nylon cords, extra long to drape down and give a decorative effect. Based on another PGR rider's design, I think I will switch from the cord to the use of those aluminum, spring-loaded clips folks use to attach their keys to their belt loops - carabineers. Fast sure, strong attachment.

-- The first picture shows the details of my mounting bracket and its attachment to the bike.

Note that I have placed the U-bolts further forward, closer to the mounting bolts, to clear my bags.

-- The second picture shows the bracket from top to bottom, including the ID reducer at the top of the mount and the flag pole inserted.

-- The third picture shows the top of the pole holder - to show the position of the top of the assembly relative to my Mustang front and rear seats, and you can see the front edge of my large LeatherLyke bags..

-- The last picture is my crude drawing of the upper U-bolt, washer-nut-etc arrangement.