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I've been searching the forums on which bars are the best with stock cables. Seems as if there is a little dispute between the Heritages and highs. Some say the hand angle isn't comfy with the Heritages. Just wondering peoples take on how you feel about your bars. Thanks! Oh yeah, I've an '09 Road King
I have the Wild One Chubbys 518's (RK II) bars on my 07 RK Custom and love them. They worked with my stock cables, not sure about your setup. I'm sure if you search you'll find what you need..I always do ...good luck
I have the Road King High Bar and have been very pleased. They are all-day comfortable and eliminate that pain in the middle of your shoulder blades common to persons running stock bars. The lines of the high bar go nicely with the bike and are more visually pleasing to me that Heritage bars. That said, I have never ridden with Heritage bars so I have no opinion on their functionality.
When I got my high bar but before I installed it, I thought the wrist angle would be all wrong and that I had made a mistake. Once they were installed, I instantly liked them.
I have now only been riding since 96 - However, had three HD's (FB,WG,RG and now EG) I have gone through several handle bar set ups and I have come to believe that asking someone how they like a certin handle bar is like asking what kind of woman they like - we all see things differently - and what one person says about wrist angle may or may Not be the same for you..
for instance - Wild1 517 bar for the RK/RG - some people here on the forum Hated the wrist angle - I am short and needed the pull back - got them and rode from CA to the East coast and back - LOVED the bars...
Good luck on your search - just remember - just becasue someone hates or love a bar - it may or may not work for you and it cost $$$$$ to set it up on your bike..
09 Road King here also. I swapped out the stock bars for the Heritage style bars almost immediately. I did this because it was a quick, inexpensive fix (that & the seat) to get rid of my backache. There were no cable issues and it worked, sort of. Today, I am sort of resigned to the fact that what I will end up doing is changing the bars again. I would like them to be a little higher, a little more pulled back and the hand position to be angled inward a little more. Sort of like a higher buckhorn?
I am not in a hurry to do this because I have yet to see (and feel) the setup I want and that because this change will be a lot more costly. I don't want to be wanting a 4th set of bars for the bike!
09 Road King here also. I swapped out the stock bars for the Heritage style bars almost immediately. I did this because it was a quick, inexpensive fix (that & the seat) to get rid of my backache. There were no cable issues and it worked, sort of. Today, I am sort of resigned to the fact that what I will end up doing is changing the bars again. I would like them to be a little higher, a little more pulled back and the hand position to be angled inward a little more. Sort of like a higher buckhorn?
I am not in a hurry to do this because I have yet to see (and feel) the setup I want and that because this change will be a lot more costly. I don't want to be wanting a 4th set of bars for the bike!
"I feel you pain Brother, lol" My exact point. finding that perfect bar/seat set up can be $$$$$$$$$$$$ just like finding that right woman....
I just looked up the High Bars on the HD website and it says:
55954-00 Fits '96-'01 Road KingŽ and '02-'07 Road GlideŽ models.
I don't know why it would not fit your 09 RK, but maybe somone else can chime in on that.
Mike
Your 09 should have throttle by wire, you can notch the bars to make them work though. I put "heritage style" bars on my 11 RKC and like them a lot, the seat/bars relationship is very similar to my Streetglide.
Just went through this...reading every thread I could find on the subject. For me, the Heritage Style bars (56902) had my hands splayed at an uncomfortable angle (pinky end of my fist splayed outward)...the Wide Glide bars (56969-09) were very comfortable, but would have to have them "tapped" to wire internally and notched for TBW. Went to the RK Chrome High Bars (56180), fit the bill, but narrower than any of the others and almost put my wrists in a "wheelbarrow" position. Finally tried the RK Fat bars (56032), the most expensive of the lot, and they fit me perfectly. They're about 2.5" higher than stock bars, with the same angles and 3/4" narrower. I ordered a pair yesterday and will have them installed with the Diamondback cables (required), the RK riser kit (required), and internally wired. I'll post pics thereafter in case anyone is interested...this was a real thought provoking theme and underscores the fact that bars and seats and footboards and just about everything is unique to the rider...at least from a "fit and feel" perspective...good luck in what ever you do!
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