Heartland USA E-Z Rock-R Installed
1. The E-Z-Rock-R conversion installed! Looks good, huh?
2. The E-Z-Rock-R Conversion includes the leather solo seat (top left) 11-inch fender and steel rock guards (top right), and the billet aluminum fender struts and hardware (bottom).
3. Because the stock taillamp, turn signals, and plate mount were attached to the stock Rocker fender that would no longer be used, Lonny installed many other Heartland parts: (A) Beehive Turn Signals $239, (B) Plate Light $59, (C) Passenger Pegs $179, (D) Badlands Illuminator for Rockers $129, (E) Lowering Kit $65, (F) Side Plate Holder $219.
4. After removing the rider seat, Lonny extracted the hidden passenger seat from the Rocker C.
5. The battery was pulled to remove the stock bump stop (a thick rubber insert located between the frame rail and swingarm). The thinner Heartland bump stop would be installed later. The rear wiring harness was unplugged at this time in order to remove the rear fender with stock taillamp, turn signals and plate mount.
6. Lonny removed the rear fender section with the splash guard attached to it, along with the top and bottom belt guards. Then he unbolted the stock shocks in order to install the lowering kit onto the shock canisters.
7. The lowering kit consists of two replacement bolts that are longer in length than the stock bolts, pushing the swingarm up, allowing you to drop the bike about 2 inches.
8. After that, Lonny removed the stock passenger pegs and mounted the Heartland peg set to both sides. The new plate holder was attached on the primary side to the back of the passenger peg bolt located on the middle portion of the swingarm. Lonny then mounted the plate lamp on the upper portion of the swingarm facing the plate mount. The wiring was then routed to the battery compartment until it was plugged in.
9. With the shocks, plate holder and passenger pegs mounted, the split design E-Z Rock-R splash guards were installed one at a time. It’s a split design that makes it easier to install because you don’t have to remove the rear wheel. Two bolts were secured to the swingarm with blue threadlocker from the top and bottom of each splash guard.
10. The thinner Heartland bump stop was installed next. Lonny installed the Bee Hive Signals with mounting brackets to the fender struts. He then bolted the struts to the fender and the entire fender setup (fender, struts, turn signals) was installed.
11. The battery was replaced and Lonny installed the Badlands Illuminator for Rockers, to accept the new Bee Hive LED turn signals and plate light. Once the turn signals were plugged into the Illuminator with built-in load equalizer, the Illuminator was then plugged into the wiring harness and mounted next to the battery.
12. The seat was the last to go on. It’s super easy to install because it fits snug up front near the tank and is secured with a suction cup in the rear on top of the new fender.
13. Before…with the Rockertail gap!
14. After…no more gap. And the bike actually looks as if it’s all one piece, not with a detached looking Rockertail section.
15. Heartland also offers its Two-Up Seat with sissy bar so that you can still take a passenger on rides. Plus the new passenger saddle doesn’t look as if it’s suspended in mid-air and it’s almost double in size.
When Harley-Davidson launched the Rocker models to the public, the excitement grew for SoCal based Heartland USA. The company, located in Gardena, California, saw a great opportunity to give this new Softail the Heartland treatment. Heartland USA-whose slogan is “the cure for the common soft-tail,” is known for its wide-tire conversions for Softails, and many other bolt-on parts. After a little prodding and tweaking, the company designed a conversion for the Rocker models that dramatically transformed its rearend and the bike’s overall stance.
We’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about the Rocker, especially the dramatically different Rockertail rear section, and like many of you there are things we like and dislike about the Rocker. Either way, if you’re a fan or not, Heartland USA has provided a way to customize the Rocker and make it stand apart from the crowd if you so desire with its E-Z Rock-R conversion (MSRP: $1,999). The kit includes an 11-inch bobbed rear fender, billet aluminum fender struts, steel split rock guards, a solo seat, and all necessary mounting hardware. The conversion removes that gap between the Rockertail rear section and the seat, conjoining the bike into, well, a bike that looks a bit more streamlined than stock Rockers in our opinion. And when used with Heartland’s Adjustable Lowering Kit (available separately), which can drop the bike about 2 inches, the conversion takes the Rocker to a whole new level, taking on a sleeker, lower profile. The Rocker used for this install featured a custom paint set, not included in the kit.
We dropped by the Heartland headquarters to see just how easy the E-Z was to install. Lonny Spiva, the guy behind the guy, added a few other Heartland goodies to the stock ’09 Rocker C model. The conversion really did provide the antidote for this uncommon Softail’s ailment. Follow along and see how it all went.
