If you ride a 2024 or newer Harley-Davidson Touring model, you already know the frustration. The stock gas cap flips open toward the rider. Every fill-up turns into a wrestling match with your handlebars, the nozzle, and a cap lid that's blocking your view of the tank. It never seemed well thought out, and over time it just becomes a nuisance. (see video below)

The Arlen Ness 12-Point Gas Cap system solves that problem, and it does it while making the whole tank area look a lot better. It's CNC-machined billet aluminum, it's built by Arlen Ness, and it's available now in the Law Abiding Biker Store. I installed one on my 2024 Harley-Davidson Street Glide, and in this article and video I'll walk you through why you'd want it and how to install it.

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The Problem With the Stock Harley-Davidson Touring Gas Cap

On the newer Touring models, the OEM filler cap is hinged so the lid opens toward the rear, right at you. That means when you're trying to fuel up, the bars are in the way. You either come in from the side and angle around the lid, turn the bars to make room, or go way over the top, where your own arm and the open lid block your view of the fuel level. If you like to top off completely on a long trip, that's a real problem. You can't see what you're doing.

And here's the kicker: you can't just flip the stock lid around. Underneath the cap and trim ring is the main fuel body assembly with the venting built in. The trim ring has locating nubs and the screws only line up one way to that body, which forces the lid to open toward the rider. There's no simple “turn it around” fix.

Harley-Davidson isn't alone on this, either. My Indian Roadmaster has the same rider-facing opening. Some folks argue it's designed that way to block gas from splashing onto you. I appreciate the argument, but I'm not convinced that lid is stopping any gas from getting on you.

Why I Love This Arlen Ness Gas Cap

The moment I saw and held this thing, I fell in love with it. Here are my four reasons for bringing it into the Law Abiding Biker Store:

1. It's Arlen Ness. Made by a legendary name in the custom Harley-Davidson world, and the quality shows.
2. The value. For what you get (billet aluminum, CNC machined, a finish you'll appreciate the moment you unbox it), I believe it's set at an affordable price.
3. Aesthetics. It really dresses up the gas tank area on a Harley-Davidson Touring bike. It looks far cleaner than the stock setup.
4. It solves a problem. That's the big one. The cap opens where you can actually see the filler hole and reach it.

No, it won't make your Harley go faster. Although I'm pretty sure you'll gain at least 15 horsepower once it's installed. Don't quote me on that.

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Color Options

A lot of you are already asking: does it come in other colors? Yes. At the time of the video, you can get the unit with the black trim ring (the setup I went with on my Street Glide) paired with your choice of cap color: gold, black, blue, or red. There's also a full chrome option, where both the trim ring and the cap are chrome. All the options are listed in the Law Abiding Biker Store.

Don't Skip the Magnetic Gas Cap Keeper

Here's my heads-up. When you order this gas cap, there's one more thing you should add to your cart: the RickRak Gas Kap Keeper Magnet. It's a rubber-coated magnet that sticks to the top of your cap so that once you remove the cap, you can stick it right to your tank or any other metal surface on the bike.

Why does that matter with a cap this nice? Because if you don't have somewhere to put the cap, you're going to be fumbling with it in one hand while you grab the nozzle with the other. That's exactly when you drop a beautiful billet cap on the concrete. Or worse, you set it on top of the pump and ride off without it.

Installing the keeper takes about a minute. Clean the top of the cap with a little rubbing alcohol, peel the sticky backing, center the magnet, and apply firm even pressure for about 30 seconds. I call it cheap insurance, and I don't think it hurts the look of the cap at all. If you want the full story on the keeper, check out our earlier article: Motorcycle Gas Kap Keeper Magnet by RickRak – Install and Review.

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Installing the Arlen Ness 12-Point Gas Cap on a Harley-Davidson Touring

This is not a difficult install, and you don't need any special tools beyond a couple of Torx bits, an Allen bit, an inch-pound torque wrench, and some blue Loctite. In broad strokes, you pull the seat and dash panel to get at the stock gas cap assembly, lift the assembly out of the tank, separate the stock trim ring and lid from the main fuel body, and bolt the Arlen Ness cap in its place. Everything is keyed to fit one way, so it's hard to get wrong.

There are a few details worth knowing before you start, like which stock hardware gets reused and which doesn't, one seal you need to double-check, and the torque specs for both sets of screws. I cover all of that step by step in the video. Scroll to the bottom of this article for the detailed install tutorial.

Get Your Arlen Ness 12-Point Gas Cap in the Law Abiding Biker Store

Pick up the Arlen Ness 12-Point Gas Cap system, in your choice of colors, along with the RickRak Gas Kap Keeper Magnet in the Law Abiding Biker Store. Remember, there's free shipping on orders over $100 and no sales tax if you live outside Washington State, so there are savings to be had.

We're just a bootstrap company of bikers helping bikers, we appreciate every customer, and we'll definitely take care of you. We're not like the big corporate stores. We actually use, test, and install many of the products we carry in our store and then make helpful videos for the biker community.

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Watch the Full Install Video

Here's the detailed tutorial. I show the stock cap problem up close, compare it to my Indian Roadmaster, walk through every color option, install the magnetic keeper, and take you through the entire install step by step with tools and torque specs. And yes, it opens with what may be the first motorcycle parts ASMR video in history.