Do I need new/different riser bushings?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 139
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From: Calera, AL
Do I need new/different riser bushings?
I have a 2010 Wide Glide.
I added 2" riser extensions a while back but did not replace the bushings.
I have dropped the bike a couple times - both because I was on grass - nothing bad no busted lights, mirrors, or even a scratch.
Well, fast forward; my bars wiggle a little and don't quite look perfectly straight. I tried tightening the riser bolts, but that just seems to be a very slight improvement.
Do I need new bushings, or possibly the polyurethane ones?
Thanks in advance.
I added 2" riser extensions a while back but did not replace the bushings.
I have dropped the bike a couple times - both because I was on grass - nothing bad no busted lights, mirrors, or even a scratch.
Well, fast forward; my bars wiggle a little and don't quite look perfectly straight. I tried tightening the riser bolts, but that just seems to be a very slight improvement.
Do I need new bushings, or possibly the polyurethane ones?
Thanks in advance.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,907
Likes: 8,758
From: Galt's Gulch - MI
I'm one who's always posting about using solid bushings so I bet you know what I'm going to say 
The rubber bushings allow a fair amount of movement of the riser and the more leverage you've got running higher bars the more you'll notice it. I'm running 2" riser extensions on my '13 Wide Glide, I replaced the rubber bushings almost immediately after buying the bike new, the bars/risers are solidly mounted to the upper clamp, I don't notice any increased vibrations or mirror blur.
You can also use the poly bushings as well, they're much better than the stock HD rubber bushings, the HD bushings don't seem to hold up well and begin to distort after a time, a simple drop in the grass might have been enough to push them over the edge and just like the front engine isolator, once the rubber distorts it's done for and most likely needs to be replaced with either another rubber set, the polys or a set of solids to get you back aligned and correct the movement.
Edited to add: These are the solid bushings I'm running, the look great on my '13, they're apparently out of stock right now but this is the link and and image of them.
http://www.demonscycle.com/chrome-ha...dson-4121.html
The rubber bushings allow a fair amount of movement of the riser and the more leverage you've got running higher bars the more you'll notice it. I'm running 2" riser extensions on my '13 Wide Glide, I replaced the rubber bushings almost immediately after buying the bike new, the bars/risers are solidly mounted to the upper clamp, I don't notice any increased vibrations or mirror blur.
You can also use the poly bushings as well, they're much better than the stock HD rubber bushings, the HD bushings don't seem to hold up well and begin to distort after a time, a simple drop in the grass might have been enough to push them over the edge and just like the front engine isolator, once the rubber distorts it's done for and most likely needs to be replaced with either another rubber set, the polys or a set of solids to get you back aligned and correct the movement.
Edited to add: These are the solid bushings I'm running, the look great on my '13, they're apparently out of stock right now but this is the link and and image of them.
http://www.demonscycle.com/chrome-ha...dson-4121.html
Last edited by TinCupChalice; Jun 13, 2015 at 04:33 PM.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 139
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From: Calera, AL
I actually ordered those same bushings from DemonsCycle and they shafted me. They sent me an empty box and didn't refund me. I was going to buy some bars from them - oh well.
I was looking at the poly bushings. I think I'll go ahead an order them. I think your right, that drop in the grass didn't seem to do any harm, but the bars will move around now, and they used to be tight.
I was looking at the poly bushings. I think I'll go ahead an order them. I think your right, that drop in the grass didn't seem to do any harm, but the bars will move around now, and they used to be tight.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: Calera, AL
I can't help but wonder . . .
What if those rubber bushings saved me from bending something?
It seems to me like they went bad after I dropped it in the grass. Maybe you're right an that's all it took to ruin them, but what if I had solid mounts or the hard poly - I'm thinking it might be easier to bend something since those would have less give to them. What do you think?
What if those rubber bushings saved me from bending something?
It seems to me like they went bad after I dropped it in the grass. Maybe you're right an that's all it took to ruin them, but what if I had solid mounts or the hard poly - I'm thinking it might be easier to bend something since those would have less give to them. What do you think?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: Calera, AL
I took a good look and the bushing doesn't look like it's sitting right. I loosened the rider bolt and tightened them again, but I could still move the bars, which used to be very rigid.
I took the bolts out, inspected them, the extensions, and the risers and they are all good.
I didn't even think about taking the old bushings out and putting them back in. I bet if they were sitting right the bar would look better.
they are truly there to reduce vibration to your hands. When you go higher risers or bars your pressure fulcrum changes causing the rubber to give little. It could be coincidence that the rubber worn out right around the same time your dropped it and now you are thinking that way.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Right where I belong!
I just replaced mine with Polyurethane, a lot less give, about the same vibration maybe a little less. I am running 14" apes, with 1" extension.
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