Hi Folks,

I currently have a set of ol' buckhorns on my Night Train. (27" wide, 9" rise, 9" pullback) I like them well enough, but the downward curve of the buckhorns makes my hands fall asleep on long rides, soI thought I'd go up to a set of 10" or 14" mini apes. If I go for the 14", will I need to install longer cables, or will the current cables work?

 

If you have the apes on hand or can access them at a store, your best bet is to have someone hold them up or stick them in the risers. You can just move your stock bars off the risers without having to disconnect anything. From there you can use string, wire, or a flexible tape measure to estimate cable routing and length. That's the best way to be sure. Plus it gives you a chance to fell the new bars out before you buy them.

It's possible that you can use your stock length cables and lines for 10" apes. One way to check is to find out the lengths for what they are using on new Softail Customs and compare that to what is currently installed on your bike. That information is available in the accessory catalog in the cable section.

12-14" apes is almost certainly going to need longer cables. I went from the stock bars to 12.5" apes on my FX Springer and needed +6 over stock plus I had to do 8" wire extensions.

 

So are extensions all that are needed or do all cables need to be replaced? Guess I wasnt aware that there were extensions available. I'm also considering adding the mini apes that come standard on the 08 FXSTC. I currently have the standard drag bars on my FXSTB

 

That's exactly what I'm having done, and you have to replace most of the cables.
Just check the handle bar section on the HD accesories site and there is a link for the cables you need.
You'll have to get a set of the 1.25 fat bar risers for the 1.25 fat mini apes, unless you go with another brand and stay with the 1" bars.

Its costing me a little more than I expected, but I know I'm going to love the mini-apes.

 

what is it costing to get all new cables, bars and riser? Are you doing the work yourself?

 

You can easily spend about $400-500 before it's all done. Perhaps closer to $600 or more if you pay for labor depending on how much labor is in your area and how long it'll take your favorite wrench to do it.

I shopped around for lower prices on everything, did a DIY install, and used Barnett cables instead of HD to save a few bucks and I still spent just over $500. Here's the highlights:

Wild 1 Chubby Springer apes, 12.5" $190
Novello 8" wire extension kit $39
46" SS brake line and 2 fittings $61
+6 SS clutch cable $62
+6 SS throttle and idle cables $90
Grips $75
Quart tranny oil $5
Bottle brake fluid $5
Brake bleed kit (home made) $8

Totals out at $535. This is how much I spent in California in April of 2007. They were probably another $20 or so for miscelaneous expenses as well. The total price creeped up on me. Individually, things didn't seem like they cost that much but after I tallied all my receipts I was a bit surprised. I was trying to stay in the $300-350 range. Obviously your cost will vary based on the selection of pricing of components for your build.

I didn't swap the risers either. Wild 1, and other brands, have 1" dia knurl area for mounting in stock 1" risers. You don't always need to change risers for 1 1/4" bars. That's a big cost savings.

Oh, and start saving now for the extra doo-dads you will want after you get the bars on. It wasn't long before I decided I NEEDED chrome controls and new mirrors. And then the shiny on the bars made other parts of the bike look not so shiny. So I started shopping for more chrome. It just snowballs on you.

Hope that helps.