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As far as I know it's always total riser height and not compared to stock. Can't really help you with the cable length issue. It would not only depend on the risers but also on the handle bars if you are changing them. I would talk to my hd dealer to find out what they recommend.
That's all I got. Hopefully someone else will chime in with a little more knowledge on the subject.
Riser hieght also depends on the manufacturer. I have found that some say a hieght and it is to the bottom of the bars and some it is to the top of the riser (middle of the bar). i had this happen to me with HD Risers versus Drag Spec. Buffalo Risers.
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