Hi all,


There are many posts on here with regards to which bars to change to on a road king because the stock bars suck, my ride is a 2012 road king classic and like most guys i'm reaching - I am gonna change to either the heritage 56569-09 bars or the wo518 - can anyone clarify for me if these bars fit without any change to cables, wires etc.


Thanx guys.


UK rider with hrs in the sun around Carolina US

 

have you tried rotating the bars towards you- that's a free mod.

Mike

 

Hi Mike,


Bike is fitted with stock bars at the moment, adjusted the bars up and down many times unfortunately my wrist, neck etc continue to ache therefore I need to change, hence the post.


Thanx

 

Depending on your height and reach you would like the WO518's or WO508's. They are very comfortable bars and look great. In my opinion I don't think the Heritage bars look right on this bike. And their height doesn't make for a very comfortable ride either.

 

I had the 515s (10") on my 06 Road King which I found very comfortable all around. Sometimes I wanted a little more like the 502s (12.5") but the 10" was so much better than stock. Now I have a 15 Road King and they've changed the bars to the Heritage style which is an improvement over the previous factory bars like yours. I still find the Heritage style bars' angle to be weird though, compared to the 515s I had and will most likely install the 515s on my 15 very soon.

 

If you are considering wo508's as well I bought a set for my 2014 rk, and decided I want a different look. best looking bars for a classic hands down IMO, but the 2014 not so much. Brand new in box, never mounted. pm me if interested.

 

The Heritage style bars fit without any need to change wires etc. I have had them on my bike for about 35,000 miles now and love them. They are a very easy DIY job. Check out these pictorial step by step instructions: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...road-king.html

 

Heritage Bar swaps are the most common RK upgrade at my Dealer.
I had that done on my 'King and love 'em. After several months, I tilted mine back a little, and they are perfect for me now.
Stock wire length works on these bars.
Along with highway pegs, seat selection, and others it is all about making the bike fit YOU.

 

I put on the 518's and for the controls, I soldered about 7 or 8 inches to give it enough slack. The clutch and brake cables were fine stock.

 

Here's some clarity: Dont let wires and cables dictate your choice of handlebar. Get the most comfortable bars and the wires/cables that go with it.

When I had a Road King, I had 14"s, and they were very comfortable. Damn good looking too.