Way back in the dark ages about 1970 to 72 I worked for a while in a Honda shop.We did a lot of fork extensions on CB750s and 16 inch rear wheel.Saw a fair number of Sportsters and other H.Ds.with a couple of inch extensions also.When I asked at the Dealer near me about such on a Heritage/Fatboy or a RoadKing I got the deer in the headlight look.Just curious if such is ever done anymore and or thoughts on such.

 

I remember slugs!!! I wouldn"t do that again!!!!!!!!

 

Put 6" over for tubes on my 67fl. Handeled Great! Can ride with no hands on the bars. Learned to do this as a must during cold weather,to warm my hands on the rear cylinder. If Youy decide to extend your forks, let us know how they work out.

 

Any more thoughts on the subject.What would it do for looks and handling? Any idea if a kit is available to do such? Did lots of CB750s back then,Triumph 650s and Harleys.Gave them a chopper look.Didn't raise them much.I remember&nbsp\\; new fork inserts.Don't think any brake lines or cables had to be extended.

 

At the risk of resurrecting a dead thread I want to say something as Harley handling is a subject very close to my heart. And yes there is a good reason to extend forks, if it fits your requirements...

I wanted to take a Deuce and slap a huge seat on it and put a permanent luggage bag on the rear sissy bar so the bike would serve as a practical all day in the saddle road bike with touring capabilities. Adding all that stuff to a compact design like the Deuce would make the bike look odd unless I employed a slightly extended front end, says I.

So I dialed up "Forking by Frank" which was still in business at the time and now of course there are tubes in various lengths available everywhere like Dennis Kirk and J and P, etc. Anyway I revalved the fork plungers and set up the fork "sag" with a proper pair of new spacers cut from PVC tubing. And in a word the results are just terrific.

The tubes I employed were four inches longer than stock. Long enough to add stability, but not change turn in much in the corners. Long enough to get "the look" without being a performance penalty in other words.

The bike looks beautifully proportioned to my eye, based on what we used to do back in the 60s. I did add three degree rake cups from Vulcan to get the bike closer to level and stretch out the front a bit more. As you may know rake cups truly rake the neck, unlike raked triple trees which can get you killed by dialing out all your natural "trail, i.e. wheel caster." Rake cups just add a touch more stability and a touch more trail (caster.)

Handling is super steady on the highway, there is no flop, the bike also feels amazingly "planted" going round corners. Part of that is due to getting rid of the silly "pullback riser" Harley slapped on the Deuce to make it look cool. Pullbacks also ruin the turning feel of the front end because the pivot point is now all wrong. Sortof like trying to steer a sailboat using a rudder and a tiller instead of turning a pair of handlebars if you get my drift. Plus I put a nice set of Flanders buckhorn bars on to put my hands at a completely natural angle and reduce hand cramps and fatigue, which is now virtually nonexistant even on ten hour rides and more...

So, longer forks? Not a silly idea really. There is a time and a place, etc etc. I may get tired of touring but so far I am having a ball going out on two hundred mile day trips as a normal occasion. Or four hundred mile days to get to a remote event, hey the bike is good for it and my old body takes it without too much complaint so far.

Of course all this is just one man's opinion.

 

I just bought a rk at auction. Personally i think it looks goofy, with the stupid handlebars and it almost looks too low up front. Like it is slanted the wrong way. I intend to go with 4" over fork tubes up front. And chubby mini-apes. There is another trick you might consider if you still don't like your look. Couple of years ago i bought these riser things that raised the front of the fuel tank 1 inch. This was on my dyna, but looked awesome. None of my friends ever figured out how my dyna looked better than theirs, and it also had the added benefit of showing off a little more of my chrome rocker covers. It was only 1 inch, but made a huge difference.