07 SG - DIY Wild1 12.5" apes and black powder front end experiences
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07 SG - DIY Wild1 12.5" apes and black powder front end experiences
Get a beer (or 2)...
OK, I know both Touring DIY bar swap and front end swap (chrome or black) has been written up many times, but thought I'd do a write-up in an effort to give back to the forum, consolidate some tips/tricks and learned lessons for both and show my final results.
First, like so many others, I've gotten so MUCH from this forum and its members! I've found an answer to virtually every issue or concern I've had since purchasing my 07 SG. My bike has NEVER been in the shop. I turn the wrenches on it and my 02 Corvette Z06. I'm not a master mechanic and while I will likely do my own 103 kit upgrade this fall I probably wouldn't be comfortable doing serious engine work...
SO, so at 6'1", like many others, the stock bars on my SG were less than optimal. I knew this when I purchased the bike, but decided to wait and see as opposed to changing bars at time of purchase. I'm glad I did. Even with Sundowner seat (not that great) or my Mustang solo (much better) and occasional use of an Air Hawk seat cushion AND rider backrest, my back would hurt some as I was leaning forward and arms angled down too low.
So, after checking out how many on the forum and around town (Dallas) were moving to mini-apes, I started my research. After looking around and considering products from Hill Country Cycles (make their own bars), Paul Yaffe (loved the look of the sharp angles on Monkey Bagger bars, but ridiculous price!), Cyclesmith, Wild1's and others, I ended up choosing the Wild1 12.5" WO577B bars. I liked the rise, pullback, width and quality (not a bad word anywhere) as well as they were the only bars I found that were semi-gloss black, not chrome or gloss black. The semi-glass black matches the stock H-D black controls and inner fairing. I like 'em
Best deal I found anywhere on both Wild1 bars and Magnum cables/lines was from M and M Cycles: http://www.mandmcycles.com Great to work with!
Cables and brake lines
I learned a lot on the forums about new cables, brake lines and wire extensions. Still a lot of people asking about the "magic formula" for matching new lengths to new bars. It seems most popular bar swap on the touring bike is to go with 12-13" bars on the touring bike, while some are going to 16's. I can tell you that the magic formula for the 12-13" bars is 6+ inches on cables (clutch and throttle/idle) and 6" on new upper brake line, 12" on wire extensions. For 16-17, I'd go 10+ on cables/lines and 18" on wire extensions. For 10" bars, I'd go 4+ on cables/lines and still go 12" on wire extensions (10" minimum).
Wire extensions, 3 options:
RUN factory wires through bars FIRST before adding extensions. You likely DO NOT have to remove the factory (glossy black plastic/rubber) wire wrap that wraps handlebar control wires from right/left controls. They should thread down any 1 13" bars easily. Once wires are run through bars, NOW add extensions.
1) NAMZ or Novello - Novello are considerably more expensive and require 2 part kits, nearly double cost ($120). These are easy to "pop" on for each wire, BUT downside is that a) connectors can break, b) leave you with an additional male/female "slip" connection on each wire.
2) BEST/LOWEST COST (most time consuming) If you can solder, buy some 16g wire, remove individual wires from harness connectors (lot's of posts on forum or wild1inc.com on how to do this), cut deutsch/molex connector orr ****** 1 1/2 - 2 inches away from connector **********, solder in 12-18" of 16g wire (2 solders x 22+ wires = 44+ solders)
3) Hybrid method (MY method, learned from another on forum) - LESSON LEARNED!!!! I was going with #2, BUT CUT the molex connectors off my harness TOO CLOSE to the connector and there was not sufficient length on wire after soldering for the molex pin to go back into harness connector (i.e. solder joint was too close to pin connector and made wire too FAT to go back into plug). SO, I bought the NAMZ 12" extension kit and cut the female connector off and soldered the NAMZ extensions onto the end of my factory wires, then used small hear shrink wrap on each wire over solder joint. Rock solid and saved me 22+ solders. After extensions added, I used the large hear shrink wrap in NAMZ kit to wrap all newly added extensions.
Grips
Service manual (good to rely on, but DEFINITELY NOT the Bible!!!! hdforums.com is the Bible, trust me) says to CUT left grip off.. STOP!!!! I learned from another forum member, once controls are off left side, just run anything long and thin (I used long thin screwdriver) down between bar and grip all the way around and VIOLA! Grips comes off! Reusable.
That said, to go with black look, I found the black Performance Machine (too pricey for me) and the Avon Custom Contour grips with black anodized end caps. Forum members said they all liked Avon grips for price. They look like the PM grips for 50% the cost, taper at the ends and look great! After having successfully re-griped several golf clubs, I used golf club double-sided grip tape on bar, then poured a little mineral spirits to completely wet the inside of the grip, then pushed on FAST and held for 1 minute. It isn't going anywhere....
Swapping bars
The forum has several posts on the bar swap. I can't add a lot here. You need a service manual. It does a good job of guiding you through this process. I'll simply summarize: Pull fuse, pull outer fairing, disconnect left/right handlebar control harness plugs, remove left/right handlebar controls, tie back left/right controls with zip tie or bungee so they don't just hang, remove audio head unit (allen bolts on back side are a beating to get to, but you CAN do it with patience!), remove key lock and panel. Pay attention to service manual on key lock removal EXCEPT when it says SPECIAL TOOL NEEDED (this is generally BS, almost always!). Search forums for "Harley Touring Ignition Switch removal" and check out this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-QBH1SFyzo All you need is a wide bladed 8" or longer screw driver and pay attention! Now you can remove bars!
Cables and Lines - 3 key options (Harley, Barnett/Goodridge, Magnum)
You'll have to look at all these for yourself. Since I was going BLACK, not SS, I started considering simple black rubber from either Harley or Barnett/Goodridge (Barnett makes cables, Goodridge makes brake lines). Boiling it down, I found Barnett/Goodridge typically has quite a wait, especially Goodridge for brake lines. You can expedite order (1 day make) for Barnett cables from any Drag Specialties dealer/rep, but you WILL wait for Goodridge brake lines. I discovered Magnum cables/lines, http://www.magnumshielding.com/, and found that Drag Specialties carried most common (my +6) cables and lines. I went with a matching set of Magnum Black Pearl cables and lines. They look like carbon fiber, dark grey almost black stainless steel with a clear sheath protective coating. Beautiful. Heard nothing but good. They were all perfect and came with all fittings, ferrells, bushings and crush washers required! I highly recommend Magnum cables and lines.
Clutch Cable
You WILL at least partially remove entire exhaust to get to clutch cover! My 07 SG has crossover pipe, so I had to separate and remove left side exhaust so that I could partially remove right side. I was able to loosen right side, remove all 4 header bolts and swing right side pipe away enough to get to clutch cover. There's a trick to total removal of right side I learned later to get front/rear header pipes to clear cylinders to get pipes totally off (swing right muffler out away from bike while leaving front header pipe near connected position).
Brake lines
No big deal. Straight forward on manual. Keys are: a) Don’t get brake fluid on paint and b) bleeding brakes. There are many good tips on forums. Search for "bleeding brakes". Some tips to get good bleed and firm front brake: using a syringe, a Mity Vac to pull vacuum, filling master and opening both bleeders and allow gravity to work for 30-60 min before pumping and bleeding, tying bungee or zip loc around front brake lever over night and it will purge air bubbles. Mine did firm up over several days as any remaining air seemed to purge itself.
Throttle/Idle cables
*** NEWS FLASH ***
You DO NOT need to remove, partially remove or even lift tank to replace throttle/idle cables! Service manual says "cut crossover, drain tank, depressurize high pressure efi, remove 3 bolts, lift/remove, blah, blah, blah... Again, another forum member got me thinking here after seeing his write-up that he didn’t disconnect anything, just loosened/removed 3 bolts and lifted tank a couple of inches using wooden blocks. The key was that he found the ONLY reason for lifting/removing tank was that throttle/idle cable went through a rubber coated "b" clamp riveted to frame under tank. The hole (or "o" in the "b" clamp) is about as big as a dime. With outer faring removed, you can look down rout of original throttle/idle cable to see this with a flashlight! Throttle/idle only disappears under tank for about 8-10 inches and goes through a hole as big as a dime. Cutting to chase, once I disconnected throttle/idle from induction module, I tied a heavy string to each, pulled out (forward to front of bike), cut string and tied to new throttle/idle (separately, 2 strings), then pulled back through. 1st one went on 5 seconds, 2nd one took about 30 seconds gently pulling back and forth on both ends to get 2nd cable through "b" clamp under tank. Viola! Done!
DIY Chrome or Black front lowers
*** NEWSFLASH ***
You DO NOT need fork seal/bushing tool! Drew (and I) used 2' length of 1 1/2" sched 40 PVC, split along the length about 21 inches. Works perfect!
You DON'T REALLY need the fork holder, especially if you have a 3rd hand 2-3 times for about 5-10 minutes. I made this homemade fork holder for $20 with $11 clamp from Harbor Freight and angle iron from Home Depot:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...be-holder.html
You DEFINITELY DO NOT need the for oil adder/checker tool!!!! My bike calls for 11.8 oz of fork oil. I put 12 oz and figured .2 was going to stay in cup and not pour out... Simple
First, start with hdforum's post from "Deluxe Drew" back in June of 09:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...glide-abs.html
I'd still have Service Manual, but Drew's post is spot on. Service Manual helps you feel more comfortable about what you are doing, pics, correct part names, etc. My bike has 10K miles on it. Difference between Service Manual and Drew's post is 2 things: a) Drew (and I) DID NOT disassemble upper fork (springs, etc.). Note: We did separate upper and lower fork! You GOT TO to install new chrome or Black powder lowers! Drew's basic method is to keep uppers clamped in triple tree, remove clip that secures upper to lower and slide lower up and down a few times to separate the two (eliminating 1 use for fork holder)
MAKE SURE and let fork oil drain completely. Use good fresh fork oil. I used the H-D HD SE fork oil. Just as everyone said, it made a world of difference. Another thing everyone said here: DO NOT wait 50k miles to change fork oil. Factory oil is CRAP! It is! Mine looked like dirty black water with a little oil in it and SMELLED BAD! Big difference in ride now!
TIP Fork drain plug): Found a great tip on one of the forums, but can’t find link/pics, but think I can describe to help get fork drain plugs out without stripping large Philips screw. I've got 2 of the large Stanley furniture clamps (knock offs much less at Harbor Freight) with yellow rubber clamp pads. Use large 3/8" Philips bit in 3/8" drive ratchet and insert bit into fork drain plug. Now, put clamp at one point on opposite (180 degrees) around fork from drain plug and tighten clamp against back side of 3/8" drive ratchet until snug. You can now easily loosen drain plug without bit slipping out and stripping head!
FORK LESSON LEARNED!!!! (found others had done this as well)
I was just about home free! Had bars, cables, forks, newly painted FatBoy fender on and was putting front wheel back on. All I had next was front brake lines and calipers! While tightening right axle holder cap bolts, I had 2 problems (PAY ATTENTION): 1st) My old torque wrench is very reliable above 25 lbs, but not very below 20. Axle holder bolts (from memory) are about 14-15 ft lbs (20-24 Nm I think). 2nd) I didn't realize that even after tightening, the axle holder cap still had gaps between it and fork. It DOESN'T snug up to fork! You’ve probably guessed... As I was tightening the axle holder.... S N A P !!!!! goes the rear stud. My heart sank and jaw hit the floor... hdforum.com to the RESCUE AGAIN! Funny stories I found: One member went to dealer b4 posting issue on forum. Dealer told him it was WELDED IN and that he would need to have bike towed to dealer and pay dealer for new lower and labor for install. Another member offered to send a takeoff lower for only shipping! Another member chimed in (and I'm already thinking...) NO ONE WELDS STUDS!!! They're either pressed or threaded... Some good suggestions: If enough length left after snapping stud, run 2 nuts onto stud and tighten last one against first, then use first/top nut to back stud out! I didn't have thread to do that. Another suggestion: Use vise grips to back out. Mine in too tight, so that didn't work. Harbor Freight to the RESCUE! $4.95 for a 1/2" stud extractor (some places online wanted $35). Local H-D dealer had stud in stock for $3.50. For less than $10 and about an hour in the truck, I replaced stud, using 2 nuts locked against each other to run stud into place, then used my new $15 3/8" lower torque wrench to torque correctly and back in business!
Some Summary notes related to questions on forums and my experiences:
Cable, line and wire extensions
For 10" bars:
go 4+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 10-12" on wire extensions
For 12-13" bars:
go 6+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 12" on wire extensions
For 16" bars:
go 10+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 18" on wire extensions
Pre-07 Touring uses Deutsch connectors in wiring harness connectors
Post-07 Touring uses Molex MX150 connectors in wiring harness connectors
You DO NOT have to REMOVE or LIFT tank to replace throttle/idle cables on non-TBW bikes (see details)
You DO have to remove exhaust system to replace clutch cable (my # 1 beating!)
Pre-2008 Touring bikes MUST use new single piece bar clamp, H-D part #55918-08 taller bars, more leverage, single clamp is stronger
Harbor Freight became my favorite place next to Hooters, Home Depot and Fry's Electronics - bought several tools I needed. Poke around Internet for Harbor Freight coupons. Sign up for their newsletter. I bought a 1500lb ATV/Motorcycle life for $59.99. It's not junk! My 750lb baby was up on it for about 3 weeks and I was never worried. Also bought an 8 gal 2HP, 115psi compressor for $79.99. BTW, I never used them for any of this work!
Factory Harley Touring brake lines are one-piece, molded together where upper line from master cylinder to bottom of triple tree bracket, then splitting into 2 lines down to brake calipers. New lines (Harley, Barnett, Magnum) will be modular: Standard fixed length dual lines from triple tree bracket to brake calipers, then a "+" length line (whatever length you are adding) upper line.
PAY ATTENTION to clutch, throttle/idle cable manufacturer specs for lubrication. Magnum cables are Teflon coated and do not require initial lube. Pay attention and ask when/what lube to use. Many members screwed up new cables by lubing with wrong stuff!
Couldn't get pics small enough for forum, so there are here:
http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/y...treet%20Glide/
OK, I know both Touring DIY bar swap and front end swap (chrome or black) has been written up many times, but thought I'd do a write-up in an effort to give back to the forum, consolidate some tips/tricks and learned lessons for both and show my final results.
First, like so many others, I've gotten so MUCH from this forum and its members! I've found an answer to virtually every issue or concern I've had since purchasing my 07 SG. My bike has NEVER been in the shop. I turn the wrenches on it and my 02 Corvette Z06. I'm not a master mechanic and while I will likely do my own 103 kit upgrade this fall I probably wouldn't be comfortable doing serious engine work...
SO, so at 6'1", like many others, the stock bars on my SG were less than optimal. I knew this when I purchased the bike, but decided to wait and see as opposed to changing bars at time of purchase. I'm glad I did. Even with Sundowner seat (not that great) or my Mustang solo (much better) and occasional use of an Air Hawk seat cushion AND rider backrest, my back would hurt some as I was leaning forward and arms angled down too low.
So, after checking out how many on the forum and around town (Dallas) were moving to mini-apes, I started my research. After looking around and considering products from Hill Country Cycles (make their own bars), Paul Yaffe (loved the look of the sharp angles on Monkey Bagger bars, but ridiculous price!), Cyclesmith, Wild1's and others, I ended up choosing the Wild1 12.5" WO577B bars. I liked the rise, pullback, width and quality (not a bad word anywhere) as well as they were the only bars I found that were semi-gloss black, not chrome or gloss black. The semi-glass black matches the stock H-D black controls and inner fairing. I like 'em
Best deal I found anywhere on both Wild1 bars and Magnum cables/lines was from M and M Cycles: http://www.mandmcycles.com Great to work with!
Cables and brake lines
I learned a lot on the forums about new cables, brake lines and wire extensions. Still a lot of people asking about the "magic formula" for matching new lengths to new bars. It seems most popular bar swap on the touring bike is to go with 12-13" bars on the touring bike, while some are going to 16's. I can tell you that the magic formula for the 12-13" bars is 6+ inches on cables (clutch and throttle/idle) and 6" on new upper brake line, 12" on wire extensions. For 16-17, I'd go 10+ on cables/lines and 18" on wire extensions. For 10" bars, I'd go 4+ on cables/lines and still go 12" on wire extensions (10" minimum).
Wire extensions, 3 options:
RUN factory wires through bars FIRST before adding extensions. You likely DO NOT have to remove the factory (glossy black plastic/rubber) wire wrap that wraps handlebar control wires from right/left controls. They should thread down any 1 13" bars easily. Once wires are run through bars, NOW add extensions.
1) NAMZ or Novello - Novello are considerably more expensive and require 2 part kits, nearly double cost ($120). These are easy to "pop" on for each wire, BUT downside is that a) connectors can break, b) leave you with an additional male/female "slip" connection on each wire.
2) BEST/LOWEST COST (most time consuming) If you can solder, buy some 16g wire, remove individual wires from harness connectors (lot's of posts on forum or wild1inc.com on how to do this), cut deutsch/molex connector orr ****** 1 1/2 - 2 inches away from connector **********, solder in 12-18" of 16g wire (2 solders x 22+ wires = 44+ solders)
3) Hybrid method (MY method, learned from another on forum) - LESSON LEARNED!!!! I was going with #2, BUT CUT the molex connectors off my harness TOO CLOSE to the connector and there was not sufficient length on wire after soldering for the molex pin to go back into harness connector (i.e. solder joint was too close to pin connector and made wire too FAT to go back into plug). SO, I bought the NAMZ 12" extension kit and cut the female connector off and soldered the NAMZ extensions onto the end of my factory wires, then used small hear shrink wrap on each wire over solder joint. Rock solid and saved me 22+ solders. After extensions added, I used the large hear shrink wrap in NAMZ kit to wrap all newly added extensions.
Grips
Service manual (good to rely on, but DEFINITELY NOT the Bible!!!! hdforums.com is the Bible, trust me) says to CUT left grip off.. STOP!!!! I learned from another forum member, once controls are off left side, just run anything long and thin (I used long thin screwdriver) down between bar and grip all the way around and VIOLA! Grips comes off! Reusable.
That said, to go with black look, I found the black Performance Machine (too pricey for me) and the Avon Custom Contour grips with black anodized end caps. Forum members said they all liked Avon grips for price. They look like the PM grips for 50% the cost, taper at the ends and look great! After having successfully re-griped several golf clubs, I used golf club double-sided grip tape on bar, then poured a little mineral spirits to completely wet the inside of the grip, then pushed on FAST and held for 1 minute. It isn't going anywhere....
Swapping bars
The forum has several posts on the bar swap. I can't add a lot here. You need a service manual. It does a good job of guiding you through this process. I'll simply summarize: Pull fuse, pull outer fairing, disconnect left/right handlebar control harness plugs, remove left/right handlebar controls, tie back left/right controls with zip tie or bungee so they don't just hang, remove audio head unit (allen bolts on back side are a beating to get to, but you CAN do it with patience!), remove key lock and panel. Pay attention to service manual on key lock removal EXCEPT when it says SPECIAL TOOL NEEDED (this is generally BS, almost always!). Search forums for "Harley Touring Ignition Switch removal" and check out this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-QBH1SFyzo All you need is a wide bladed 8" or longer screw driver and pay attention! Now you can remove bars!
Cables and Lines - 3 key options (Harley, Barnett/Goodridge, Magnum)
You'll have to look at all these for yourself. Since I was going BLACK, not SS, I started considering simple black rubber from either Harley or Barnett/Goodridge (Barnett makes cables, Goodridge makes brake lines). Boiling it down, I found Barnett/Goodridge typically has quite a wait, especially Goodridge for brake lines. You can expedite order (1 day make) for Barnett cables from any Drag Specialties dealer/rep, but you WILL wait for Goodridge brake lines. I discovered Magnum cables/lines, http://www.magnumshielding.com/, and found that Drag Specialties carried most common (my +6) cables and lines. I went with a matching set of Magnum Black Pearl cables and lines. They look like carbon fiber, dark grey almost black stainless steel with a clear sheath protective coating. Beautiful. Heard nothing but good. They were all perfect and came with all fittings, ferrells, bushings and crush washers required! I highly recommend Magnum cables and lines.
Clutch Cable
You WILL at least partially remove entire exhaust to get to clutch cover! My 07 SG has crossover pipe, so I had to separate and remove left side exhaust so that I could partially remove right side. I was able to loosen right side, remove all 4 header bolts and swing right side pipe away enough to get to clutch cover. There's a trick to total removal of right side I learned later to get front/rear header pipes to clear cylinders to get pipes totally off (swing right muffler out away from bike while leaving front header pipe near connected position).
Brake lines
No big deal. Straight forward on manual. Keys are: a) Don’t get brake fluid on paint and b) bleeding brakes. There are many good tips on forums. Search for "bleeding brakes". Some tips to get good bleed and firm front brake: using a syringe, a Mity Vac to pull vacuum, filling master and opening both bleeders and allow gravity to work for 30-60 min before pumping and bleeding, tying bungee or zip loc around front brake lever over night and it will purge air bubbles. Mine did firm up over several days as any remaining air seemed to purge itself.
Throttle/Idle cables
*** NEWS FLASH ***
You DO NOT need to remove, partially remove or even lift tank to replace throttle/idle cables! Service manual says "cut crossover, drain tank, depressurize high pressure efi, remove 3 bolts, lift/remove, blah, blah, blah... Again, another forum member got me thinking here after seeing his write-up that he didn’t disconnect anything, just loosened/removed 3 bolts and lifted tank a couple of inches using wooden blocks. The key was that he found the ONLY reason for lifting/removing tank was that throttle/idle cable went through a rubber coated "b" clamp riveted to frame under tank. The hole (or "o" in the "b" clamp) is about as big as a dime. With outer faring removed, you can look down rout of original throttle/idle cable to see this with a flashlight! Throttle/idle only disappears under tank for about 8-10 inches and goes through a hole as big as a dime. Cutting to chase, once I disconnected throttle/idle from induction module, I tied a heavy string to each, pulled out (forward to front of bike), cut string and tied to new throttle/idle (separately, 2 strings), then pulled back through. 1st one went on 5 seconds, 2nd one took about 30 seconds gently pulling back and forth on both ends to get 2nd cable through "b" clamp under tank. Viola! Done!
DIY Chrome or Black front lowers
*** NEWSFLASH ***
You DO NOT need fork seal/bushing tool! Drew (and I) used 2' length of 1 1/2" sched 40 PVC, split along the length about 21 inches. Works perfect!
You DON'T REALLY need the fork holder, especially if you have a 3rd hand 2-3 times for about 5-10 minutes. I made this homemade fork holder for $20 with $11 clamp from Harbor Freight and angle iron from Home Depot:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...be-holder.html
You DEFINITELY DO NOT need the for oil adder/checker tool!!!! My bike calls for 11.8 oz of fork oil. I put 12 oz and figured .2 was going to stay in cup and not pour out... Simple
First, start with hdforum's post from "Deluxe Drew" back in June of 09:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...glide-abs.html
I'd still have Service Manual, but Drew's post is spot on. Service Manual helps you feel more comfortable about what you are doing, pics, correct part names, etc. My bike has 10K miles on it. Difference between Service Manual and Drew's post is 2 things: a) Drew (and I) DID NOT disassemble upper fork (springs, etc.). Note: We did separate upper and lower fork! You GOT TO to install new chrome or Black powder lowers! Drew's basic method is to keep uppers clamped in triple tree, remove clip that secures upper to lower and slide lower up and down a few times to separate the two (eliminating 1 use for fork holder)
MAKE SURE and let fork oil drain completely. Use good fresh fork oil. I used the H-D HD SE fork oil. Just as everyone said, it made a world of difference. Another thing everyone said here: DO NOT wait 50k miles to change fork oil. Factory oil is CRAP! It is! Mine looked like dirty black water with a little oil in it and SMELLED BAD! Big difference in ride now!
TIP Fork drain plug): Found a great tip on one of the forums, but can’t find link/pics, but think I can describe to help get fork drain plugs out without stripping large Philips screw. I've got 2 of the large Stanley furniture clamps (knock offs much less at Harbor Freight) with yellow rubber clamp pads. Use large 3/8" Philips bit in 3/8" drive ratchet and insert bit into fork drain plug. Now, put clamp at one point on opposite (180 degrees) around fork from drain plug and tighten clamp against back side of 3/8" drive ratchet until snug. You can now easily loosen drain plug without bit slipping out and stripping head!
FORK LESSON LEARNED!!!! (found others had done this as well)
I was just about home free! Had bars, cables, forks, newly painted FatBoy fender on and was putting front wheel back on. All I had next was front brake lines and calipers! While tightening right axle holder cap bolts, I had 2 problems (PAY ATTENTION): 1st) My old torque wrench is very reliable above 25 lbs, but not very below 20. Axle holder bolts (from memory) are about 14-15 ft lbs (20-24 Nm I think). 2nd) I didn't realize that even after tightening, the axle holder cap still had gaps between it and fork. It DOESN'T snug up to fork! You’ve probably guessed... As I was tightening the axle holder.... S N A P !!!!! goes the rear stud. My heart sank and jaw hit the floor... hdforum.com to the RESCUE AGAIN! Funny stories I found: One member went to dealer b4 posting issue on forum. Dealer told him it was WELDED IN and that he would need to have bike towed to dealer and pay dealer for new lower and labor for install. Another member offered to send a takeoff lower for only shipping! Another member chimed in (and I'm already thinking...) NO ONE WELDS STUDS!!! They're either pressed or threaded... Some good suggestions: If enough length left after snapping stud, run 2 nuts onto stud and tighten last one against first, then use first/top nut to back stud out! I didn't have thread to do that. Another suggestion: Use vise grips to back out. Mine in too tight, so that didn't work. Harbor Freight to the RESCUE! $4.95 for a 1/2" stud extractor (some places online wanted $35). Local H-D dealer had stud in stock for $3.50. For less than $10 and about an hour in the truck, I replaced stud, using 2 nuts locked against each other to run stud into place, then used my new $15 3/8" lower torque wrench to torque correctly and back in business!
Some Summary notes related to questions on forums and my experiences:
Cable, line and wire extensions
For 10" bars:
go 4+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 10-12" on wire extensions
For 12-13" bars:
go 6+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 12" on wire extensions
For 16" bars:
go 10+" on new upper brake line, clutch and throttle idle cables, 18" on wire extensions
Pre-07 Touring uses Deutsch connectors in wiring harness connectors
Post-07 Touring uses Molex MX150 connectors in wiring harness connectors
You DO NOT have to REMOVE or LIFT tank to replace throttle/idle cables on non-TBW bikes (see details)
You DO have to remove exhaust system to replace clutch cable (my # 1 beating!)
Pre-2008 Touring bikes MUST use new single piece bar clamp, H-D part #55918-08 taller bars, more leverage, single clamp is stronger
Harbor Freight became my favorite place next to Hooters, Home Depot and Fry's Electronics - bought several tools I needed. Poke around Internet for Harbor Freight coupons. Sign up for their newsletter. I bought a 1500lb ATV/Motorcycle life for $59.99. It's not junk! My 750lb baby was up on it for about 3 weeks and I was never worried. Also bought an 8 gal 2HP, 115psi compressor for $79.99. BTW, I never used them for any of this work!
Factory Harley Touring brake lines are one-piece, molded together where upper line from master cylinder to bottom of triple tree bracket, then splitting into 2 lines down to brake calipers. New lines (Harley, Barnett, Magnum) will be modular: Standard fixed length dual lines from triple tree bracket to brake calipers, then a "+" length line (whatever length you are adding) upper line.
PAY ATTENTION to clutch, throttle/idle cable manufacturer specs for lubrication. Magnum cables are Teflon coated and do not require initial lube. Pay attention and ask when/what lube to use. Many members screwed up new cables by lubing with wrong stuff!
Couldn't get pics small enough for forum, so there are here:
http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/y...treet%20Glide/
#3
06-21-2010, 01:07 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: DFW
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kdclaiborne I am in Dallas with a 07 sg as well.. I would love a chance to meet up and try your bars out. I want mini apes but wana try them out before I spend the cash. PM me if you are interested.
P.S. Great write up!
P.S. Great write up!
#6
06-21-2010, 09:04 AM
Extreme HDF Member
#7
06-21-2010, 09:05 AM
Extreme HDF Member
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#8
06-21-2010, 02:34 PM
#9
06-23-2010, 09:18 AM
Tourer
wiring extensions
When I initially left my wiring external to the bars, I didn't need extensions for my 13" bars. It was just easier to do that initially...no here soon in the next couple days I now have the 8" Namz extensions and plan on fishing the wires through the bars for the internal routing.
#10
06-23-2010, 10:09 AM
Ultimate HDF Member
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