i found an oem sissy a few weeks ago for a VERY good price. it's blacked pc'd and initially figured i'd just strip off the pc and polish it up to match the virago grab rail. however, while i waited for that little square coupling bracket that holds the oem sissy grab rails together, the black pc grew on me. so when the bracket did finally arrive, i figured that i'd just paint the polished virago grab rail, see how the black would look on max, and if i didn't like what i see, then i would just strip off the black. well, i did like what i see and so have elected to keep everything black.
i ran into a little setback in my attempt to declare victory, though. i decided to go with the virago grab rail/oem sissy bar setup because i wanted a "quick switch" solution that didn't involve having to dismount the entire rear fender assembly and didn't like that how the HAC, UFO, and others looked. i preferred how the oem sissy bar just "belonged". HOWEVER, what i didn't pick up in all of what i read, is that because of how the back rest frame and the virago grab rail widen out at the bottom, one cannot simply just remove the four allen screws and switch the pieces. ugh. so for the next two days i licked the wounds inflicted on the wallet and dug through the sofa cushions for cash to fund a second solution. as the days passed, i thought about it some more and found a compromise. i didn't affix the right grab rail of the sissy assembly to that little square coupling bracket and the auxiliary brake light panel. now all i have to do to change out the virago grab rail with the oem backrest is fiddle with the three bolts that hold the sissy grab rail to the frame and fender. sure it's not the quick "4 allen screw" job i was looking for, BUT it no longer requires the removal of the entire fender assembly. so i'm happy. YIPPEE!
