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I've done 10" and 12.5" chubbys. The 10's required just a clutch cable. The 12.5s required brake line as well as clutch cable. On both bars was able to reuse all stock wiring, although you will need to solder and shrink wrap the throttle wiring to get it through the handlebars.
To your original question, i think 8" bars is as tall as you can go without modifying any cables. This will be very close to the stock bars, maybe just an ergo bend style. I think if you want any rise you'll need cables.
Try not to do what you can get away with and go ahead and buck up for the stuff to do what is comfortable for you. You will appreciate it in the long run and be that much ahead if you dont end up liking what you got away with.
One other thing worth mentioning: the hardest part of the install is running the wiring through the bars. You will have to do this regardless of which bar you buy. It is a hard enough that you will definitely only want to do it once, so i agree with ChipDog, try and get the right bar from the gate.
And just as an fyi, my local dealer wanted $700 just in labor to replace the bars. Made the decision to do it myself very easy.
One last thing, i went to the dealer and was able to sit on a bunch of different bikes before picking my bars. It really helped the decision-making process.
thanks folks, I've done several bars on my dyna and road king. But always got away with using the stock cables and wiring...well, I take that back, I think I had to do the clutch cable on my dyna, however the electric and throttle stuff worked.
I also want to keep my hand behind the fairing, that's one thing I noticed on below 40* weather, that helped alot compared to my road king whose windshield dumped all the air on my hands...
No hurry, but maybe it's just the new psoition, but my neck and just below get kinda crimped...
I got "the manual", so I'll have to figure out all the new fangled "fly by wire" stuff....I will perservere...I gotta hammer...
Did 10 inchers (WO 575s) on my 06 with no cable change. Was even able to leave the clutch cable running through the hole in the fairing. Factory had it routed behind (towards the front of bike) and over the top of the stereo. I ran it under the stereo and gained about 3 inches of cable. That is the max though. If you need more than a few inches...no way.
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