I am looking at a 2005 883 Low. It is all stock, and I can live with the mid mounted controls for now, but the handlebars are a bit too low and forward for me. What would be some good options for getting more of a "cruiser" feel from the handlebars? I'd like it to feel more like the 1200 custom I rode but can't afford.

Thanks

 

put some custom bars on there,then

 

I'm a complete noob to Harleys, I didn't know the two were interchangable.

 

Depends on how much work you want to do. Not all Cruiser bars will fit. Your Sportster has probably got 1" bars, most cruisers have 1-1/4. You should be able to find a set of buckhorn bars, or custom bars are fairly reasonable. It's the wiring and cables you may have problems with. If you are going to do it yourself try ebay, and many indi shops have used and new bars.

 

I had at one point changed out the bars on my '05 883L to drag bars with 6.5in pullback risers, but have since changed back to the stock bars with 4.5 in risers, and its rather comfy. Granted I cannot compare it to other rides as my only experience is with single cylinder Suzuki's, but it feels "cruisy." All my cables and wiring are stock, luckily.

I must confess however, that a set of buckhorns on a hugger at my local HD shop had me drooling....

 

I could be wrong about this but here are my thoughts...
The '05 XL883Low has a lower and more forward bar than the current ('09's) Low. If you switch bars from a custom there a couple things to think about;

1. The bars on a custom have very little pull back and very little rise. The rise and pull back on a custom comes from the riser...not the bars.

2. If the change in the bars is substantial enough you may need to change your cables to something longer. This gets kinda pricey.

If I were you I would look into the '09 XL883L's stock bars. They have a nice rise and pull back....almost like Buckhorns but not quite. Sounds like that might just be what your looking for.
When I first got my bike I was looking to swap the bars but since I have added forward controls and a different seat they are perfect for me.
My sig and garage has a pic of the stock '09 XL883L bars...

 

I just bought a '95 XL1200 and had the same problem. I ended up changing to HD P/N 56051-06. They are listed as for the 883 Low and Dyna Super Glide. I don't know which year they are actually for, but they did the trick for me. Like was said above, they're not quite Buckhorns but have a lot of pull back and are very comfortable for me.

Apparently the previous owner had switched bars at some time because my cables and brake lines all worked fine. There was extra wire tucked under the speedometer and the clutch cable was way too long. It's all good now.

Jim

 

i've got an 05 low and a cheap alternative to fwd controls is to adjust the shifter up a bit and use the back of your heal to upshift....really comfy if you have hwy pegs.