Higher handle bars
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 274
Likes: 60
From: Akron ohio
Higher handle bars
I was wondering how high can I go with my 01 RK without changing cables. While talking with somebody with taller bars he was telling me 12”, I find that hard to believe. What has me thinking of taller bars is I had seen posts where people claiming the put you into a much mor comfortable position.
Stage IV
Joined: Jun 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
From: none
Bar swap
not possible!
To the original post. 12-14in sounds about right for a bike with no faring. My 08 ultra could never have gone 14” with stock length controls, maybe 12 which didn’t look or feel much different from stock for my riding position. Dont be intimidated by a bar swap. If you get the bars pre-wired its really not that bad of a job and then your wires will be internally routed which look 100x better. Wiring the bars is the worst part. Hill country Custom Cycles does pre-wired bars that are fantastic. Plug and play. Did mine in a couple hours.
To the original post. 12-14in sounds about right for a bike with no faring. My 08 ultra could never have gone 14” with stock length controls, maybe 12 which didn’t look or feel much different from stock for my riding position. Dont be intimidated by a bar swap. If you get the bars pre-wired its really not that bad of a job and then your wires will be internally routed which look 100x better. Wiring the bars is the worst part. Hill country Custom Cycles does pre-wired bars that are fantastic. Plug and play. Did mine in a couple hours.
Last edited by NV Hunter; Jun 17, 2023 at 11:25 AM.
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 274
Likes: 60
From: Akron ohio
not possible!
To the original post. 12-14in sounds about right for a bike with no faring. My 08 ultra could never have gone 14” with stock length controls, maybe 12 which didn’t look or feel much different from stock for my riding position. Dont be intimidated by a bar swap. If you get the bars pre-wired it’s really not that bad of a job and then your wires will be internally routed which look 100x better. Wiring the bars is the worst part. Hill country Custom Cycles does pre-wired bars that are fantastic. Plug and play. Did mine in a couple hours.
To the original post. 12-14in sounds about right for a bike with no faring. My 08 ultra could never have gone 14” with stock length controls, maybe 12 which didn’t look or feel much different from stock for my riding position. Dont be intimidated by a bar swap. If you get the bars pre-wired it’s really not that bad of a job and then your wires will be internally routed which look 100x better. Wiring the bars is the worst part. Hill country Custom Cycles does pre-wired bars that are fantastic. Plug and play. Did mine in a couple hours.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 461
Likes: 119
From: North Dakota
I’m definitely in the minority around here, I put 12’s on my Electra glide but feel like I would have been happier with 10’s. I find my hands start to lose blood flow after 30-45 minutes. They’re still better than stock, though.
i didn’t need to extend the wires but I think I would have with 14’s. There wasn’t much extra left. I replaced all the stock cables with stainless so I can’t help there.
i didn’t need to extend the wires but I think I would have with 14’s. There wasn’t much extra left. I replaced all the stock cables with stainless so I can’t help there.
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Extending the wiring and routing the harness inside a set of handlebars is not a difficult job, and one easily accomplished by a typical owner. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials and tips on extending your bike's handlebar wiring. Taking on all of these little jobs are how we learn and build a set of skills that will eventually allow us to do most, if not all, of the work on our bikes.
Pick the bars that fit you the best (and have the appearance you want), then figure out what you need to do with the wiring and control cables to install them correctly. Having said that, you can probably go to 12" bars without doing any re-wiring. 13's or 14s may or may not fit, depending on amount of pullback, and your preferred handgrip location. You likely cannot install 13s or 14s with internal wiring without extending the wiring harness. Not all 13" bars have the same wiring requirements.
Pick the bars that fit you the best (and have the appearance you want), then figure out what you need to do with the wiring and control cables to install them correctly. Having said that, you can probably go to 12" bars without doing any re-wiring. 13's or 14s may or may not fit, depending on amount of pullback, and your preferred handgrip location. You likely cannot install 13s or 14s with internal wiring without extending the wiring harness. Not all 13" bars have the same wiring requirements.
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Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 274
Likes: 60
From: Akron ohio
I’m definitely in the minority around here, I put 12’s on my Electra glide but feel like I would have been happier with 10’s. I find my hands start to lose blood flow after 30-45 minutes. They’re still better than stock, though.
i didn’t need to extend the wires but I think I would have with 14’s. There wasn’t much extra left. I replaced all the stock cables with stainless so I can’t help there.
i didn’t need to extend the wires but I think I would have with 14’s. There wasn’t much extra left. I replaced all the stock cables with stainless so I can’t help there.
