My 2012 Road King is nice to ride, but a long ride could be trouble for my shoulders/back. The position has me reaching almost straight arm to the grips. Now retired and on a budget, I considered adding Heritage bars, but money says try risers first. I have a set of 3 1/2 inch risers. Actual pull back is about 1 1/2 inches. Anyone change to Heritage bars and could tell me the improvement - more or less the same as my suggested risers ? The only thing I had to buy was the alternate riser cover, and re-using an older set of risers. Heading back to Canada next week and want to install.

 

There's a difference between Heritage bars and Heritge Style bars. I had the latter and they killed my wrists. I pulled them back 40 degrees ,much more comfortable,but too low and i ihad no low speed confidence /control. I changed out to Khromewrks 14" fat apes, im about an even 6 ft tall.

 

I can show you the improvement.

Here is my 2011 right after I got it with stock bars. Note the shoulder and elbow/arm positioning.



Here is the same bike with Heritage Style Bars. Again, note shoulder and arm positioning.




These are pulled back quite a bit. My 2014 has the same bars but rotated more forward to almost align with the forks. I like it better this way. Personally, I think risers won't give you what you're wanting. Heritage style bars are not expensive and you won't have to change cables or wiring. Labor would be about the same for changing the bars as it would be for adding risers.

Also, they don't really bother my wrists. I just keep my wrists straight and not grip the bars too tightly.

 

Heritage bars are the best money I've spent on the bike so far. So much more comfortable than stock Road King bars.

 

I've been thinking of this for my Road King. When you say Heritage style bars are they stock Heritage bars or aftermarket?

 

Well I can tell you that the handle bars on my Heritage are the best. I have not tried to convert my Limited, but it would make it more comfortable if I did.

 

Danny your hand position looks better on the Heritage style grips. The hand height looks like what I have been after also. Are these HD Heritage stock bars?

 

I have a Tallboy seat on my RKC that moves me back 2" so I needed more pullback on my bars to accommodate. I put Heritage style bars about 30,000 miles ago and really like them. They cost about $75 and are an easy DIY swap with no cable changes. Here are before and after pictures:

Stock:



Heritage Style:

 

Good pic's, thanks. Quite a change in the height of the bars, but looks like you still have almost a full arm reach to the bars ?

 

The Heritage Bars are closer to $200. up in Canada, and I'm not at all familiar with swapping the bars with the TBW. I already have a set of risers, and just needed the "alternate" riser cover which I picked up at Chester's in Mesa. I used these risers a few years ago on a Valkyrie and they moved the bars up a couple of inches, and closer by about 1 1/2", so that would be a cheap fix for now. I do like how the Heritage bars look though.