With some wrenching ability, a few tools, a service manual and patients, you can do it yourself and save $$$.

 

A buddy of mine is an HD Wrench and I know their shop charges a flat rate of 6 hours to change bars on a bagger. This includes changing out the clutch cable. If the bars also require changing brake cables then that labour factor increases, as do the costs for new cables. Throttle by wire and routing through the bars takes some time, as does extending the wiring for longer bars where splicing and terminations are required to extend the internal wiring. Some bars are harder to do than others where they have to drill the bars to get the wiring in and out so account for that as well.

Myself, I went with 575 Wild 1's which are thicker bars and have larger openings to route the wiring. I also changed all my cables out for diamond backs, but did it while the entire fairing was apart so things were easier. I'd still say 1800.00 sounds really fat so check some of the reputable independants around Vancouver and you'll likely find some better rates. In either case, the labour can be extensive, and it will double if she's looking for heated grips on an 08 or 09.

Wild 1's are about 175.00 for the bars, cables are over and above that. Here is a picture of the finished bars with braided cables.

 

Oh yea, the larger bars make it a bit difficult to see via the fairing mirrors, but they still work. I wasn't about to add a fugly set of bar mirrors to mine so i left them as they are. Just gotta look over my knuckles to see, but it's manageable. You can always tilt the bars back a bit and this allows you to see better, but it's all dependant on the riders preference on where the bars are going to be situated. If you end up changing them out, make sure she sits on the bike while the bars are being mouned so she can let them know exactly where she wants them postioned.