Pull back handlebars?
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Pull back handlebars?
OK, here's our problem. We have a female rider that is trying to get her best fit on a Sportster. Since it's a 1200Low, we're all set on the leg reach situation, but now we need to address how to get the handlebars back further to her so she doesn't have to lean forward while riding. To make matters more complicated, we'd like to try to achieve this without having to replace all the cables. There seems to be a bit of 'play' with the standard cables, so we're hoping somebody else has already faced this situation and can recommend a 'solution' that will do exactly what we need to do. One parts guy suggested a pair of curved risers, but since the speedometer fastens to the riser area we fear that would also tip up the speedo to almost vertical. Another solution offered was mini-ape hangers and tilt them down so they come backwards, but it seems that would turn the part you hold onto also almost vertical and would not be acceptable..
Has anybody faced this and found a workable solution? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Has anybody faced this and found a workable solution? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Tried it...still too long of a reach
IF by rolling back the bars, you mean tilting them so that the rise of the handlebars becomes angled so it helps get them back closer to the driver, then we did that, and they are still just an inch or two or three too far forward. I'm sure somebody has put on a set of bars to solve this problem, but I don't want to be the 'guinea pig' to experiment if somebody has already been down that road.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 4
From: Crisfield, MD
Check out the harley pullback bars which come back about 2" more (may still need some new cables). Also check out www.sideroadcycles.com which handles Flanders bars (pricey but good selection). Flanders make a a few styles with decent pullback and I believe the flat track bars come back pretty far without being too tall or wide.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
We are running into a similar problem on a nightster for my wife. Seat height ok but bars don't allow for the riding position she's looking for. The 2010 883L bars fit her and I may look into these to see if they can be used on nightster. If they can, I would look into powder coating them black.
If it helps, I put the HD buckhorn bars on mine. The kit comes with the cables and lines you need. There is plenty of slack in the wires, you just need to remove the tank to pull the slack. They can be tilted back and solved my reach problem.
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 375
Likes: 1
From: Jackson NJ
A lot depends on the size of the rider. I had to go through about 6 months of adjustments to get our 1200L set up for my wife. In the end we went with mini-apes and pullback risers, and we needed new cables. The mini-apes by themselves were a big improvement but the pullbacks sealed the deal. They did cause the speedo to be vertical, but, because my wife is short there wasn't a problem, she could still see it ok. See attached picture.
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