The temp hit 50 today in middle Tennessee, so I slipped away from work early and finally got to ride my new 09 Super Glide Custom. What a day,and what a bike. However, there is one problem. I need the handle bars to be closer to me, or I've got to grow longer arms. I remember reading in the Dyna forum a few weeks ago about Rivco FXD017 risers. As I recall the discussion, they seem to be just what I need. Does anyone know for sure if all the existing cables & wires on a 09 Custom are long enough so I won't have to do anything but add the risers. New bars may be in my future, but I would like to avoid them if risers will do the trick.

 

I don't think the Rivco FXD017 will work, and here's why: If you measure the stock risers on the FXDC they are 2" with no pullback. If you put risers on that are 1" with 2" pullback, you're going to have to relocate the turn signals because they are going to hit the tank when the bars are at full lock.

Also, if you're like me, it's not just that the bars need to be closer, they need to be higher. The Rivcos are going to make them closer and lower.

I think I'm going with the std 4" Harley risers with no pullback. That additional 2" of rise will automatically make the bars closer because of the angle, and the extra 2" of height should be just right for me. Others that have used these have said they didn't have to change any cables or the brake line.

 

The position of the stock buckhorns has been an issue with many, if not most Super Glide Owners. There is a ton of info which can be found on tis forum with the search feature. Having read a lot of this info over the past couple years, I have found most guys who tried to fix the position using risers ended up going with new bars, myself included.

I bought a set of 4" pull back risers from a Softail and tried them. They did bring the bars up and closer to me and did so allowing use of the stock cables and lines. I had to alter the bend of the brakeline a little. While this was better, it still wasn't at the comfort level I wanted.

Next I got hold of a set of mini-apes and cables which were take-offs from a Street Bob. I was new to Harley and had no experience working on bikes. I read a lot on the forum and purchased a manual. I changed the bars and cable myself talking a good part of a day to do it. Man, what a difference. The position was great and felt like a natural riding position for me.

After experiencing these bars for a couple months and learning this is what I wanted, I purchased a set of chrome Flanders mini-apes that were the same specs as the Street Bob bars. They were drilled to allow for internal wiring. I have had these for a year and love both the feel and the look.

I think most FXD owners find the buckhorns just don't cut it.

 

Let me know your e-mail and I can send you the charts for cables, brake lines and bars. Too big to send on the forum.

 

I have the Rivco risers on my bike. They are 1" taller and 2" back from the stock risers. They are 3.5" tall not 1" tall! The risers look great too.

 

They will work fine with your current wiring and cables.

 

I was just going by the description on the Rivco web site. The web site says they will bring the bars up 1". I guess I was misinterpreting that to mean the risers are only 1" high. I guess what it means is that it will bring them up 1" over stock, and back 2".

 

Rounder, do you have any close-up pics of the risers on your bike? I'm just curious how the square Rivco risers mate with the round base on the tree?