I was at my local dealer getting parts for the 5,000 mile maintenance for my Fat Boy when I asked the parts guy about getting fitted for some new handlebars. He said the bars and cables (if needed) would be about $600, more if I wanted braided lines and installation would be 6-8 hours at $105 an hour. When I asked him why so long to install he reminded me that all the electrical might need to be cut soldiered and extended and that's what would take it into the 6-8 hour range. Wow.

 

What's wow is that the poor man trying to make a living working on your bike ain't makin ****.

At least in my trade I make 1/3 of the shop rate.

 

Depending on how high your new bars are, you may not even need an extension kit. If you do there are several places out there that you can get plug and play so no soldiering. Harley may actually have them. I did a Sportster Mini-Ape job a few months ago and got a plug and play kit directlly from HD parts counter.

 

Do em yourself, save a crap load of money and ride knowing you did them.

 

While I've never had to solder bike components, I've soldered tons of other devices in my day. And I could do a hell of a lot more than replace a couple wires in 6-8 hours. Granted newer bikes may be a bit more complicated than I'm used to, but still...
Regardless you can get custom bars on the Internet for under 300. Even less for standard drags or hangers. Bring it to a local wrench and I bet you're looking at under 6 total.

 

Or as ghoticov said, do em yourself. As long as you tighten everything back down thoroughly, there's not much you can mess up (as long as you check your lights first if soldering was involved).

 

Sounds like a bargin! Or you could keep the bars you have...or do it yourself.

 

I don't understand how this is surprising. Most of what you're paying for is labor because you don't want to do it yourself. If I were a tech I'd charge every bit of 8 hours for that ****.

For parts it really depends on what you want. Lets see here:

Most Wild1Chubbies 1 1/4" bars (and similar) bars retail for around $220.
Then you've got all the cables, riser bushings if you need them, a quart of tranny fluid, some dot 4, a side cover gasket, grips if you need them... etc.

That stuff adds up. I never understood how people could spend so much money on a Harley, knowing that they are expensive, and then think that the parts for them will be cheap.. just doesn't make any sense.

 

I was quoted 8hrs labor also. I ended up doing it myself and I don't think I had that much in actual wrench time so I'm sure a pro could do the job in alot less time.

Now, don't ask me how much time I spent learning how to do it. But as a diehard DIYER I wouldn't have it any other way.

No soldering needed with the extension kits and only basic wrenching and internet search skills needed to do the job. But it's definitely not something I would want to dive into at the start of riding season though. Did mine over the winter.

 

Plenty of threads about doing it yourself.
I don't make anywhere near $80-100 an hour so I don't pay that if I don't have to.