RKC Bars for a cripple
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 146
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From: Memphis
RKC Bars for a cripple
Hey all,
I know there is no lack of "which bars" threads on here. I have looked through them all and loved every minute of it. There are some wonderful looking rides out there!! I just haven't ever found myself in this position. So, I start my own thread looking for a more specific line of advice. A little background first...
I used to own a Deuce many moons ago when I was young and nothing ever hurt. I have now gotten back in the game with an '09 Road King Classic. I rode the bike for about an hour the other day and I noticed my shoulder was tingling. I have a bad shoulder from a previous surgery and an almost equally as bad a back to match. I am short at a whopping 5'6" and I have heard that I am not the only one who has a problem with RK handlebars.
I don't think I want to go the beach bar route as those things just look too wide. Heritage has the wrong wrist angle for me. I'm not sure if 10-11" apes will pull back enough or allow enough of a relaxed shoulder position but I don't want to count them out. I've heard the Road King High bars are good...just how good for someone in my state of disaster? Will apes help me out? What else is out there?
I like to ride and plan on getting this thing on the road for hours at a time so they have to be comfortable for long distance...not just an hour around town.
Thanks...let me know if I failed to mention anything that would help you help me!
Rob
I know there is no lack of "which bars" threads on here. I have looked through them all and loved every minute of it. There are some wonderful looking rides out there!! I just haven't ever found myself in this position. So, I start my own thread looking for a more specific line of advice. A little background first...
I used to own a Deuce many moons ago when I was young and nothing ever hurt. I have now gotten back in the game with an '09 Road King Classic. I rode the bike for about an hour the other day and I noticed my shoulder was tingling. I have a bad shoulder from a previous surgery and an almost equally as bad a back to match. I am short at a whopping 5'6" and I have heard that I am not the only one who has a problem with RK handlebars.
I don't think I want to go the beach bar route as those things just look too wide. Heritage has the wrong wrist angle for me. I'm not sure if 10-11" apes will pull back enough or allow enough of a relaxed shoulder position but I don't want to count them out. I've heard the Road King High bars are good...just how good for someone in my state of disaster? Will apes help me out? What else is out there?
I like to ride and plan on getting this thing on the road for hours at a time so they have to be comfortable for long distance...not just an hour around town.
Thanks...let me know if I failed to mention anything that would help you help me!
Rob
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 2,564
From: CT/FL
I have the RK high bars - 56180-08 -and rode 2300 miles in 7 days with them without pain. This year I rolled them back to improve the wrist angle, and now have some shoulder pain/tingling. So they are finicky.
I am 5-11 and use a cop seat so I sit pretty high - you may have better luck with them in the lower position. The beauty of them being HD bars is they aren't ridiculously priced like aftermarket ones.
I may try the newer heritage bars - they are really mini apes - they are very comfortable on a softail chassis, but you sit lower on them.
I am 5-11 and use a cop seat so I sit pretty high - you may have better luck with them in the lower position. The beauty of them being HD bars is they aren't ridiculously priced like aftermarket ones.
I may try the newer heritage bars - they are really mini apes - they are very comfortable on a softail chassis, but you sit lower on them.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
I was a whopping 5'6", but not I'm down to 5'5".
Swapped out my stock '04 Road King bars for a Heritage bar, and have been well pleased. Not perfectly pleased, but well pleased. It still pulls me a little forward and has my arms rather splayed out. But, I can ride it all day long this way.
There is the Heritage bar from a softail heritage model, the heritage style bar marketed for the Road King, and the Reach. All three are actually pretty darn similar. You can find the dimensional specs on them on the web, with a lot of looking.
Swapped out my stock '04 Road King bars for a Heritage bar, and have been well pleased. Not perfectly pleased, but well pleased. It still pulls me a little forward and has my arms rather splayed out. But, I can ride it all day long this way.
There is the Heritage bar from a softail heritage model, the heritage style bar marketed for the Road King, and the Reach. All three are actually pretty darn similar. You can find the dimensional specs on them on the web, with a lot of looking.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I don't have the problems that you have, but am a similar height. When I first bought my Glide I found I suffered from a pain in the centre of my back after about an hour. I had several attempts at adjusting my stock bars, which move a remarkable amount, once the clamps are undone, and eventually found a set-up which has been fine for many years now.
So if you haven't done so, try adjusting your current bars. I have joked that every Harley I have owned or ridden was built by a gorilla - the bars were too high and the grips too far away! Well worth playing with yours for a while to see if they will solve your pain.
So if you haven't done so, try adjusting your current bars. I have joked that every Harley I have owned or ridden was built by a gorilla - the bars were too high and the grips too far away! Well worth playing with yours for a while to see if they will solve your pain.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,148
Likes: 6,171
From: SE Michigan
Stock Harley touring bars are recognized by Amnesty International as torture devices.
Everyone is different. You may find that tweaking solves the problem.
For a lot of guys, however, going tall is the only way to solve the problem. I had a lot of pain on the stock RK bars, went to 14's on my Road King (I'm 5-10, 30" inseam) and the difference was remarkable. No pain, even on 600 mile days. Just amazing.
So if tweaking doesnt solve the problem, go big, or live with pain.
Everyone is different. You may find that tweaking solves the problem.
For a lot of guys, however, going tall is the only way to solve the problem. I had a lot of pain on the stock RK bars, went to 14's on my Road King (I'm 5-10, 30" inseam) and the difference was remarkable. No pain, even on 600 mile days. Just amazing.
So if tweaking doesnt solve the problem, go big, or live with pain.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 146
Likes: 13
From: Memphis
Originally Posted by Keithhu
Stock Harley touring bars are recognized by Amnesty International as torture devices.
Everyone is different. You may find that tweaking solves the problem.
For a lot of guys, however, going tall is the only way to solve the problem. I had a lot of pain on the stock RK bars, went to 14's on my Road King (I'm 5-10, 30" inseam) and the difference was remarkable. No pain, even on 600 mile days. Just amazing.
So if tweaking doesnt solve the problem, go big, or live with pain.
Everyone is different. You may find that tweaking solves the problem.
For a lot of guys, however, going tall is the only way to solve the problem. I had a lot of pain on the stock RK bars, went to 14's on my Road King (I'm 5-10, 30" inseam) and the difference was remarkable. No pain, even on 600 mile days. Just amazing.
So if tweaking doesnt solve the problem, go big, or live with pain.
Thanks for the info on the apes. You're a bit taller than I and can only assume your wingspan is a bit longer as well. But, regardless of that, where do your arms fall when riding? Particularly your upper arms? Parallel to the ground? Much less so? I think that may be my concern. And, can you adjust the apes back toward the rider a bit to bring the angle more to your liking, or will that mess with wrist angle and control placement?
Originally Posted by grbrown
So if you haven't done so, try adjusting your current bars. I have joked that every Harley I have owned or ridden was built by a gorilla - the bars were too high and the grips too far away! Well worth playing with yours for a while to see if they will solve your pain.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,148
Likes: 6,171
From: SE Michigan
I will tweak for sure.
Thanks for the info on the apes. You're a bit taller than I and can only assume your wingspan is a bit longer as well. But, regardless of that, where do your arms fall when riding? Particularly your upper arms? Parallel to the ground? Much less so? I think that may be my concern. And, can you adjust the apes back toward the rider a bit to bring the angle more to your liking, or will that mess with wrist angle and control placement?
Thanks for the info on the apes. You're a bit taller than I and can only assume your wingspan is a bit longer as well. But, regardless of that, where do your arms fall when riding? Particularly your upper arms? Parallel to the ground? Much less so? I think that may be my concern. And, can you adjust the apes back toward the rider a bit to bring the angle more to your liking, or will that mess with wrist angle and control placement?
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