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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
I got a '23 heritage, and been looking into swapping bars. I havent done them since a sporster years ago, and all the internal wiring has intimidated me. No good with small parts, know I would break connectors or wires trying to disassemble them.
I dont mind the stock bars, just wish they were bit higher rise. 5"11", I reach down-ish, put alot of weird pressure on my elbows on a longer ride the other day. The heritage has a stock riser, looks like an inch or two. I loosened the clamp awhile back to rake it more strait up from the factory, enough that it felt good and i had to spin the controls slighty to reach the levers better. I'm thinking it'll be easy enough to just pop the clamp off and lay the bars, with everything in tact, down on the tank for a bit to unbolt and pop some new risers on. Tank would be covered, or even put a box or something on it to keep the lines from being too curved while i swap risers.
main question, is there any benefit to having shorter bars with a tall riser, vs just having taller bars? taller riser might be a temporary/1 season kind of thing, until I fully decide on new bars and have a shop do them.
Go with riser extensions first. I used DK's extensions on one of my Heritages; simple install and they have various sizes. I went 2" without having to do any wiring extensions
Go with riser extensions first. I used DK's extensions on one of my Heritages; simple install and they have various sizes. I went 2" without having to do any wiring extensions
Do you remember which ones you went with by chance? They list a "fat" for 1.25-1.5 diameter riser, and a 1" diameter.
Manual doesnt say dimensions, but looks like mine is thicker than other softails.
here's one last Q, is there supposed to be an extra loop/curve in the front upper brake line, coming right off the abs box? figured I could loosen it enough to straiten, but one of my fellow riders at work said it might need to be there for abs sake.
I've never messed with brakes on my bikes in the past. but if its anything like cars, curve shouldn't need to be there. I know the frame has some clear tape/film right where that curve would rub in a right turn too, so seems like its just a multi-fit line and HD would tape the frame on models where itd rub.
Looks like both the clutch and brake lines would have a bit of slack just but cutting a ziptie or scooching a grommet down the line.
I went with the fat extensions on my 2020 Heritage. I loosened the hold down for the brake line to let it move while installing the extensions and then retightened it. Using some of the loop had no effect on ABS
I ended up getting the fat 2" extensions, Got them on yesterday, forgot to take pics. Ended up working out, but this is the most I couldve went, the clutch cable is maxed. I might try and push the bars forward now that the grips are higher and a touch closer to me. It needed to be unscrewed from the back of the forks, and just have the downtube clips. Brake and wiring was ok, just pulled some of the slack out of the brake line thru the rubber mount on the forks, and went back on just fine.
Overall im happy with it, cheap and effective. Plus, my mirrors are now in a spot right where I would want my grips on new bars, so good reference point. Probably next year before I do new bars though.
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New bars vs. taller riser?
