Getting ready to order Wild1 12.5 apes for my 2012 FLHR when reading the other posts some say to stager the wire splice but if i go with pre made extensions they wont be staggered so does it really matter or are the stock wires long enough to pull through the bars and connect the extensions in the headlight housing?

 

There are a lot of wires in those bars. Staggering the wires really helps when pulling them through the bars especially if you have heated grips as well. I done at least a dozen sets of bars and or those 4 or 5 sets were WO Chubby Apes, mostly 14". They don't have any really sharp bends so the wires pull through pretty easy but if you leave all the splices in one location it would be too bulky to make it around the bottom bend without risking pulling something loose. I use the Namz Wiring Extension kits and buy the longer 15" length. This gives you plenty of extra length to stagger your splices in the bars. You really only need about 4" of extension with WO 12.5" apes on a RK but I would be cutting the wires in the stock harness and starting my staggering pretty high in the bars.

Here is the Namz kit I would be using for the wire extensions:

https://www.namzcustomcycleproducts....ultras-glides/

My preference on extending the TBW is to purchase the longer Twist Grip Sensor assembly from Harley so there are no splices at all. You may already have that on your 2012 as several of the newer bikes I have worked on have the longer Twist Grip Sensor harness which does not need to be extended. I know the part number on my 08 has been superceded and is the same as your 2012 so maybe they are all long now. If not Namz also offers extensions for the TBW

TBW extensions
https://www.namzcustomcycleproducts....08-up-baggers/

 

You might want to try not adding extensions and see if the OE wires will fit on your new bars without extensions. I found that upon adding 12" bars to my '11 FLHX, all I needed to do was to re-route the chassis wiring and everything worked out fine.


Now then, that's dependent upon you using the method from the factory service manual to remove the cannon plugs from the ends of the handlebar wiring. Real simple...make sure you make a diagram of where they go back into the plug, although that's also noted in the FSM.

 

I just made my own extensions. Didn't want to pay for something I could make on my own.
Added in some extra length in case I want to go higher later on.