Ok, so for all of you out there who have the urge/need to change the handlebars on your bike, - for whatever reasons you may come up with (mine was back pain) - I want to let you know now, that with a little bit of planning and some preparations, it can be a very simple task. This article is a step by step instructional "story" of my handlebar change from stock bars to 12 inch apes on a 2006 Dyna Super Glide. However, before I begin, I will tell you not to be retarded like me and be sure to have ALL the items you need to complete the job before you begin!

First you will need to double check that the type of bars you are changing to will fit your current risers, throttle/idle/clutch cable/break line lengths, and left and right side wiring harness lengths. If you have a riser mounted speedo, you will have to make sure that the wiring harness for it will also be long enough if you are planning on lengthening the risers. If you have a Dyna, the wiring harnesses will be shoved up into the front part of the frame under the forks by the gas tank. So you will need to pull them all out, identify the ones you need to take measurements of, and possibly consider using a long piece of string. For almost all other models, the wiring harnesses will simply be tucked under the gas tank on the backbone or bridge of your horse, and are very simple to get to. With these lengths written down, you will now know if your current setup will fit your new bars. I am sure there are easier ways of doing this, however, I found string works well as you can follow the wires with it, then take the measurement of the length of the string.

I, unfortunatly did NOT do this at first, and later found that everything on my stock FXDI would need to be lengthened by 6 inches in order to fit my new bars. I ordered a set of pre-drilled Santee 1 inch, satin black, 12 inch high mini-apes, and had read many other posts around the internet of people using their stock setup without modifications to mount mini apes to Dyna's. Now I can not call those people liers, because I do not know what they did to achieve this, however, after I did the test fit of my new bars, I found that everything needed extra length. Now that you have the beginning of it, lets move on to the things you will need before you start the project.

- ITEMS NEEDED -

- Your new Apes, for starters. (Most Harley stock risers are designed for 1 inch bars)

- New Idle and Throttle Cables. (You will need to know the extra length required for your bar height to know the

size of the cables you need)

- New Clutch Cable. (Again, you need to the the amount of extra length required for your bar height)

- Two sets of Wire Extensions with at least Six Wires in each set. (Measured out for the length required)

- New Break Line. (Preferably one solid line to go from the Master Cylinder to the front break)

- Break Fluid. (Most stock Harley's use Dot 5 and it is good to stick with whatever is already in your lines as

mixing different types of fluid is NOT recommended)

- Transmission Oil. (Harley recommends their brand of "High Performance" Transmission/Primary Fluid, but I am sure

you can easily find the same type of stuff for a cheaper price)

- Drain/Drip Pan. (To place underneath the bike)

- All Purpose Cleaner.

- Shop Towels or Paper Towels.


- RECOMMENDED EXTRA ITEMS -

- Multi Meter

- Solder

- Soldering Gun or Iron

- Heat Shrink Tubing

- Cheery Tape or Black Electrical Tape

- Black Zip Ties


Now to start! After you have everything you need, start the project by removing the old bars. Its very easy really, remove the rubber protectors from the throttle and idle cable adjusters near the handle, loosen the lock nuts and remove all the slack from both cables. Do the same for the clutch cable. Remove both mirrors from the bars and set aside, then remove the star type screws from the clutch lever and let it hang, and do the same for the break lever side. Be sure to reinstall the screws into their brackets so you do not lose them. Next, do the same for both sets of control housings. Do not worry about the wires that run into them or the buttons, they are all well secured inside and nothing will fall out. On the throttle side, the throttle and idle cables are held into the grip by a set of brass grommets. Simply take up the slack in the cables and work them out. Be sure to not lose the grommets as they may fall off, though you should get a new set with your new cables. Once out, the grip should fall right off the bars, and you can simply pull the cables out of the housing. If you are changing to new grips, then you can simply discard the original ones for there is no need to cut them off the old bars, unless you plan on selling the old bars. However, I liked the all black grips, so I had to stick a butter knife into the left one, used some all purpose cleaner, and work it off little by little. It came off without any problems and I used it for the new bars. To remove the clutch cable, you have to remove the clutch lever from its housing first. It is easy. Underneath there is a dowel that is held in place by a retaining clip. A special pair of pliers is required in order to spread the clip apart and remove it, however, I did it using two sets of small pliers to pull it apart. DO NOT LOSE IT!, like I did, or you will have to get another one. Once the dowel is out, you can pull the lever out, remove the pin from the cables eye and the cable will also fall out. You should get a new dowel with your new cable.

On Stock Harley's, the wiring harnesses are usually on the outside of the bars and held on by plastic clips which go into the bars; if you plan on internally wiring your new bars, simply rip them out on both sides and discard the clips. Moving on to the risers, loosen the hex (allen wrench) screws, remove the top half and remove the bars from their clamps. Now, to get to the Deutsch Connectors at the other end of the wiring harnesses. Start by removing the battery, the seat and the two bolts that hold the tank onto the frame. On top of the tank, underneath the console cover are connectors for the speedo (or the gas gauge on FXD models), and a pressure relief tube for the tank itself. Remove the cover (held in place by hex screws on FXD models), disconnect the tube and the electrical connector, then disconnect the gas line from underneath the tank by pushing up on the ring clamp (on newer models its under the left side). Now the tank also has a small tube underneath it near the front which connects both sides of the tank together, DO NOT REMOVE THIS! Simply leave it in place, pick up the tank by the back end, then the front, and slowly and carefully slide it back as far as you can till the tube on the bottom wont let you go any further.

On most Harley's, the wiring harnesses will run down the spine right underneath the tank, but on Dyna's, they are stupidly shoved up into the frame. Remove the black plastic cover from underneath the frame, reach up into the frame and work them out to one side (I pulled out mine to the left side). You will also notice that the wires go into the frame on both sides through holes in the sides surrounded by a rubber mount. The rubber pieces come right out with a flat head screw driver and a little tug. Once out, find the two large Deutsch Connectors that are Black and Grey. A large harness will go into them with 6 wires each, also a smaller connector will off-shoot from them further down, this is for the turn signals, do not disconnect those unless you have your turn signals still mounted to your handlebars AND STILL WANT THEM THERE ON YOUR NEW ONES. If so, then disconnect those as well and pull them through the frame holes as you will also need to lengthen them too. If you trace the two larger ones, you should find that they go to the handlebars. Disconnect them both and pull them through the side of the frame and out from under the risers. If you can not get them out, do not be afraid to cut them with a pair of diagonal cutters (Dikes), about 6 to 8 inches up from the connectors. It will be ok, as you will splice on your additional wires later.

Next, remove the Air Filter cover and Air Filter. Stock ones are held on by a single large hex screw and the filter by three smaller ones through a metal bracket. Two rubber tubes go into the back of the filter and also into the engine via two ports. Pull them off of the engine and leave them attached to the air filter (though it is not a big deal if they come out). To get the hard cover off the air intake manifold, you have to remove these two port plugs (I really dont remember the name for them, sorry), but they come off easily enough with the right socket, an extension and a ratchet. Remove them and set aside for cleaning later. With this done, the air filter back side cover will come off and you will have access to the other end of the throttle and idle cables.

Again, the cables are held in place by brass gromets which will work out once the slack is pulled through. REMEMBER THEIR POSITIONS as you will need to feed the new cables into these same places. I found taking some quick pictures an easy way to remember if I forgot later. The throttle and idle cables are also held onto the frame by those same plastic clips that held the wiring harnesses into the stock handlebars. You can save them if you want, I simply ripped them out and tossed them as later I held the new cables to the frame by using a black zip tie. Once the cables are out, disgard them or save them for someone else, its up to you. Now you need to turn to the clutch cable. It runs under the engine, between the frame, and into the transmission through a cover. If you have stock pipes, you may be able to remove all 8 hex screws without removing the pipes, however, if you can not get to them with a hex wrench, you may have to remove the pipes. Now, place a drip pan under the bike and leave it on its kick stand, unless you want to fully change the transmission oil, then place the bike on a stand so it sits upright, pull the transmission drain plug and let it drain fully before removing the access cover for the clutch cable. If you dont drain the transmission, leave the bike on the kick stand and only a little oil will fall out. You can then add some later after you finish.

Remove the cover and you will see that the cable is set into a wheel by a metal retainer. Turn the retainer to its far side and remove it and the cable will fall out. Using an open ended wrench, hold the cover tightly and unscrew the cable. Inspect the rubber packing to see if it is good for future use, otherwise you should get a new one with your new clutch cable. Pull the cable out from under the bike and set aside. Now you are ready for the build up.

Refer to Part 2:

 

Part 2: Continued from Part 1 -

Start with the wiring. If you have not already, cut the wires on both harnesses about 6 to 8 inches up from the Deutch Connectors, roll back the rubber shielding, and expose the wires. They will all be of different colors, so make note of them and write them down. I went so far as to draw a wiring diagram (or map) and label all the wires so I would not get them mixed up. Feed each wire through a piece of shrink wrap for later use. Next, strip about a quarter inch of sheilding from each wire and do the same for your extentions. DO NOT TWIST THEM TOGETHER ON ONE SIDE, instead, place them inline with each other and twist together. Add a little bit of solder and your extension is complete. Slide the piece of shrink wrap over each of the exposed splices and heat shrink them. Do this for all wires. To complete the new lengthened harness, weather proof it by wrapping the whole exposed harness with black cherry tape or black electrical tape. Use small black zip ties on each end to hold the wrap on. You can test the new harness out by using a multi-meter with leads and check for resistance on each end of the wires. If you get even a slight reading, your wire is solid and good to use. Next, if doing internal wiring, feed the harness all the way through the bars till they reach the middle. Use a small pair of needle nose pliers and grab the harness to pull it through a little, then grab with your hands and carefully feed all the way till the switch housings are in place on the bars, but do not install the switch housings fully yet. On the other end of the harnesses, now repeat the same splicing process to add the Deutsch connectors to the ends and complete the full harness. Do not forget to put on the heat shrink tubing before doing the soldering. After wrapping them, your done.

This is, of course, the way most people do their wiring. I personally did NOT do mine this way. I work in Aviation, and have access to everything I needed for my new wiring harness without spending any money. I did not want to do soldering and instead opted for a more custom, quick disconnect, type of harness. So I used high grade aircraft wiring, 4 (6 pin type) all-weather cannon plugs, I crimped my wires to the pins and inserted them into the plugs, and added black electrical tape (I wanted cherry tape, but we were out at the time) with zip ties to secure it. Now everything is all-weather, quick disconnect capable with the ability to run more wires to the harness in the future if I wanted to without taking anything apart. I was thinking about heated handlebar grips in the future.

Next, get the new clutch cable and slack it all the way, then run it under the engine between the frame and up to the transmission on the right side. Using some left over oil, take your finger and lubricate the packing on the cables end. Take the cover and make sure it is completely clean, feed the cable through and screw in. Tighten using an open ended wrench and torque it 1/3 to 1/6 a turn past snug. No type of sealant is needed as the new cable will come with a sealing coating on the threads and the packing is there for this reason as well. Once the cable is inside, pull the excess slack and insert the cable into the retainer, then the retainer into the slot on the wheel. You will notice that the cable can NOT come out if installed properly, and the wheel will turn 1/4 of a turn freely.

Now there is a gasket on the side of the cover, be sure NOT to tear it or break it off. Place a thin line of "Loc-Tight" around the edge of the gasket and reinstall the cover onto the side of the transmission. Install the hex screws and again torque them 1/3 arch torque past snug. This will be somewhere around 350 to 400 in/lbs or so. Refer to the Maintenance Manuel for your model bike for the correct torque if you want to know and actually do it that way, AND have access to a torque wrench set. I do strongly recomend this for all torques and you should be able to download the proper maintenance manuel online if you cant find one to buy at a store. If you had to remove your pipes to do this, now you can reinstall them. Leave the clutch cable aside for later.

Feed your throttle and idle cables (one at a time) between the tank and the frame, down to the air intake manifold, and into their respective slots. If you forget which is which, look at the throttle pulley and turn it with your fingers. The side it turns to is the side that the throttle cable should go on as it "pulls" the pulley to open the throttle (usually the side farthest away from you when looking at the pulley). The idle cable is identified by a small spring on this end, which goes into the slot it sits in (leaving the wire cable exposed), and onto the opposite side (usually the side closest to you when looking at the pulley). Carefully feed the brass grommet through its respective slot and put a little tension on the wire to set it in place and your done. I secured the new wires tightly together to the frame by using one big black zip tie. Now your ready for your handle bars!

Go ahead and feed the new wiring harnesses under the risers, through the tripple tree (one by one of course) and into their respective sides of the frame (for Dyna's only). The grey plug should be the left and the black should be the right. Once in, pull them all the way through and set your new bars in the risers. Put on the top clamp and screw them on tightly enough to hold the bars up. You can worry about positioning later. Plug your connectors together and STOP! Do not go any further until you test the new wires out. Reinstall the battery, turn the key on and your lights should come on. Test all the switches, starting with the left side. The blinkers, high beams, horn, and lastly the kill switch (you should hear that priming sound for EFI models) and only TAP the starter. Once you have varified everything is working properly, turn the key off, remove the battery and continue from there. If something doesnt work right, use the multi-meter to find the wires that dont work. Replace or repair as necessary and test again.

Now that your wires work, secure them properly. For Dyna's, this means CAREFULLY, and forcefully, shoving them back up into the frame and reinstalling the plastic cover. After that, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY move the tank forward, back into its correct position, reinstall the electrical connector for the gauges and the pressure relief tube. Reinstall the tanks cover and then reinstall the two bolts that hold the tank on (DO NOT FORGET THE WASHERS ON EITHER SIDE). Torque 1/3 to 1/6 past snug. Now set your bars to the position you want them by sitting on the bike and placing them in the most comfortable position FOR YOU! Tighten the hex screws towards you first about 1/2 past snug, then the ones farther away from you the same. Your bars should NOT move when tuged on.

Next, place your throttle grip on the bar and set inside the right side switch housing where it is supposed to sit, take your throttle and idle cables and feed them into the bottom of the right side switch housing. Once they click in, take the brass gromets and place over the ends, then install your cables onto the grip. Twist the grip to make sure the cables stay in and sit right, then close the switch housing and install the star type screws. This is a good time to adjust these new cables. Start by adjusting them tight 3/4 of the way, turn the handle and you can start to find the clicking noise for full open throttle. If you do not hear it, loosen or tighten the throttle cable adjuster till you do. When you release the handle, it should snap back to the full closed position on its own and you should hear a second metal clicking noise. If it does not do this, then adjust the idle cable adjuster tighter or looser till you do. Now you need to make sure that it does this in all positions of the handlebars. Turn them all the way to the right, turn the handle full open and you should hear a click. Release the handle and it should snap back and you should hear a second click. If it does not, adjust as necessary. Turn the handlebars to center and do the same, then to full left and repeat. Once they are fully adjusted, lock the adjusters in place via the lock nut and two open ended wrenches and torque 1/3 to 1/6 past snug. Pull the rubber covers over the adjusters and your done.

Now install the left hand grip and place into the switch housing, then install the star screws and tighten in place till snug. Take the end of the clutch cable and place into the lever where it sits and place the pin through the eye, feed the lever back into the holder and install the new dowel pin. The metal retainer clip that goes on underneath to hold the dowel in place can be installed by hand. Last, reinstall the completed clutch lever onto the left side of the handle bars in a position that allows your hand to naturly rest on it when you are seated on the bike. To adjust the clutch cable, the adjuster is about half way down the cable. Simply turn it tighter until there is very, very little to zero play in the clutch lever. You should have a tight lever and feel the clutch engage when you squeeze it. DO NOT TIGHTEN IT SO MUCH AS TO GO PAST THE END OF ITS SLACK! This will leave your clutch partially open and you will start to slip gears or tear up your transmission gear box. You should know where your "Buffer Zone" for your clutch is, and remember what that feels like. This should not change.

Now you can reinstall those plugs into the side of the engine that hold on the Air Filter Back Cover (again, I still do not remember what they are called, sorry). Clean them first with all purpose cleaner or alcohol cleaner and air them dry. Place back cover on, place plugs through the holes into the engine, and tighten as per the correct torque in the correct maintenance manuel for your model, or again, 1/3 past snug (where they stop turning). Reinstall rubber tubes onto the plugs, place Air Filter over Air Intake and install the other end of the rubber hoses into the Filter element. Install metal bracket with hex screws, snug tight, and reinstall outer cover. Now reconnect the gas line to the tank on the left side. Now on to the breaks...

You will need a longer break line, hopefully you were able to get a new break line and one that was ONE solid rubber line at that. If so, place a drain pan under the front break, open the drain nut at the bottom, the lid for the master cylinder on other end, and drain fluid into the pan. Remove the old tube from the master cylinder and from the break cylinder and install the new one. Now install the break lever with master cylinder onto the handle bars. To blead the breaks, close the bottom drain nut and fill the master cylinder. Squeeze the lever, open the bottom but to relieve the pressure and let air escape. Without releasing the lever, close the bottom nut and let go of the lever. Add fluid and repeat until break fluid comes out of the bottom. Close the bottom nut tight and replace the lid on the master cylinder and your done. Test the breaks by trying to move the bike.

I personally could NOT for the life of me, get a single break line from ANY Harley Davidson Dealership in the area I live in. There are 5 within 40 minutes of driving from my home and not one had one in stock. Although they all wanted to order one for me. How nice of them to make me wait AND still try to get money out of me. My quick fix, was to simply, again very carefully, bend the metal part in the middle of my current break line to a straight position. This lengthened it more then enough for my new handlebars. I am not saying that this will work for all new bars, or ones up to the same heigth as mine, however, I managed to get away with it this time, and next summer will even replace it with a correct new line.

Now your almost finished. If you drained the transmission, reinstall the drain plug and torque as required. Again, if you dont know it and are willing to use wrench arch torque, torque 1/3 to 1/2 a turn past snug. Remove the fill plug and you will find a dip stick attached to it. Clean it off. Set the bike to an upright position (or have someone sit on it to do this), and fill the transmission with transmission oil as per the required amount in your operators manuel. If you dont know it, or cant find the manuel, the dip stick has a "Full" mark on it. Fill until the fluid reaches this level. DO NOT OVER FILL OR YOU COULD OVER PRESSUREIZE THE TRANSMISSION AND COULD BLOW A GASKET AND DEVELOPE LEAKS! When checking the fill level, simply set the dip stick into the fill port and pull it out. Do not screw it in. When the transmission is full, install the plug and tighten 1/6 past snug. Your done from this point. Clean up, start up your horse and let idle for a good 5 to 10 minutes to warm everything up. Go for a good ride and work the in new transmission fluid. This is also good to get used to your new bars.

I know I didnt mention much about handlebar mounted turn signals, thats because mine are NOT on the handlebars. However, if yours are, and you want to keep it that way, simply extend the length of the wires the same way, internally feed them through the bars if you want internal wiring, and install them.

Last, AGAIN, as for torques, I will always say to use the correct torque as per the appropriate maintenance manual for your model. I just do maintenance enough to remember the feel of a torque, but I do not recommend it unless you are comfortable with it.

 

Wow. Great write up and great timing. I'll be swapping bars in a few weeks and this will help a ton. Thanks!

 

great write up man.

 

****. Thankyou very much man.
I'll be doing this very soon. Great help

 

No problem guys and thanks a lot for reading. I am not a bike mechanic, but I am an aircraft mechanic, and I learned one think over the years that made all the difference... Common Sense plays a major role everything you do! LOL! But yeah, if you can read, follow directions, and turn a wrench, you can do almost ALL of your own maintenance. I really wanted to include many more pictures, however, in my ambitions to get this project done before winter hit, I found myself half way through it before I realized I forgot the camera! Insert pic of "Test Fit" here: So, for future write-ups, I will always remember the camera.

Making a list of "Things to Do" for the project is also very helpful. If you can, try to put the list in order from start to finish. This will keep you on track and help you if you forget where you are at in the "Step by Step" process that you create. I even went so far as to create a simple wiring map for my wiring harness!

So just have a little preparedness is all. If you have any questions, of course I can try to answer then, based on my experience doing my own bars. But that will be the limit of my experience I guess. Other then that, have fun and enjoy your new bars when you are done! Also, dont let anyone tell you that your choice in new bars "sucks" or is "bad", or whatever. The truth is, that if you like them, and they are safe for you to use on the bike while on the road, then your bars rock! Do what you want... and remember to ride!

 

Hi, I just installed the mini apes on my '08 FXDC and your step by step was outstanding!!! I have been studying the process for quite some time and your instructions gave me the confidence to go for it! I ran into the usual snags (wrong clutch cable ordered-had to drill switch housings to internal the turn sig lights) but everything else went great. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated your meticulous effort to photo and explain the job. People like you are what make this forum so awesome! Thanks again! Fred P.S. Pics to be posted soon!

 

Post away man, cant wait to see em.

 

ajpointless, what's the qulity like on the santee bars. I like the dimensions of their 16" ape, but I've read posts where people describe them as chinese crap etc. I dont want to run bars that are weak or anything like that.

Cheers

 

I ordered their 12 inch bars and they are really good. I have no problems, they are pre drilled for internal wiring, have knurling in the same spots as stock HD riser positions, and are quite thick - ever so slightly thicker than my stock bars. I got mine in satin black and the color is really smooth, though not shiny, but flat black - which is what I wanted anyway. The only problem is that santee bars are 8 inches wide at the base, and Dyna stock mid glide forks are only 6, so I have a full inch of bar sticking out at the base where they bend upwards. For Dynas, the narrow apes I think would fit better because they are 5 inches at base before they begin to bend upwards, making them the same total width as mid glide forks. For me, this is ok though, because I am going to switch out my forks to wide glides or springers, which would solve the problem. But if you can live with that look, or your forks are spaced near 8 inches, then its not a problem.