I installed my Cruise control tonight. Figured I'd share some thoughts/experiences on it.

I got it from Jenni at Benjy's HD for $271. It took me about 3 hours start to finish. It's a fairly simple installation, there are just lots of steps. Most of the work was wiring it up. I have to give HD credit, it was a direct plug-in upgrade. No soldering, just plug-in, initialize and go. I'm really surprised they don't charge more for this device.

So here are the install steps:

1) Get cruise control from UPS, get beer from corner store
2) Invite a bud over to help, have a beer together
3) Open Box, examine package, take inventory of parts, make sure everything is included
4) Remove left sidecover, battery. Drink a beer here, the negative battry terminal is just a pain in the ***
5) Remove aircleaner, tell your 'helper' to stop f'ing with a wrench across your battery posts. Give him a beer to keep him occupied
6) Route the cruise cable through the frame hole, along the back cylinder and take a gentle right between the V over to the throttle body. You will definitely need a beer after this
7) Remove the headlamp beauty ring, headlamp and headlamp mounting plate. Realize that the rattle coming from the nacelle since the day you bought it was because some dipshit in Milwaukee didn't screw in one of the headlamp mounting screws and it fell into the beauty ring. You just found the offending screw. Drink a beer to celebration: one issue fixed
8) Send your helper for more beer. BTW A good friend will buy the beer since you just dropped your wad on the cruise control (official man-club rule)
9) Remove the nacelle beauty strip and the little chrome windshield
10) Put a washer in the brake handle, loosen throttle/throttle return adjusters, remove brake assembly, remove upper throttle/switch housing
11) Drop a few expletives because the grips you ordered still haven't arrived, and you're going to have to repeat this part again when they do. Drink another beer and calm down
12) Loosen the throttle return cable, slip the ferrule out and when you drop it, watch it bounce across your shop floor until you lose sight of it. Don't bother looking for it, that's why you have your helper. Give him a beer and have him get to find it
12) Once your helper finds/returns your ferrule, give him another beer and have him find the throttle side ferrule you just dropped
13) Remove throttle/throttle return cables from the housing (good luck with that), remove vampire clips along wire harness, unplug connectors inside nacell, remove harness
14) Stop here and have a beer because that sucked. PS don't remove the throttle cable retaining ring, just pull it out. Trust me, it comes out.
15) Have another beer, because putting the new harness/housing in sucks more.
16) Reverse #13 with the new harness/housing
17) Carefully, without dropping the little bastards, put the brass ferrule back on the throttle side, insert into grip. Ponder for a moment the sadistic SOB that came up with this design. Repeat for the throttle rerun side cable thing
18) Since your helper has only looked for a couple of ferrules, f'd with your bat-tree and did a beer run, make his lazy *** do the e-z side, but keep an eye on him, he's getting a little Dee-runk. By the way, if your throttle cables rub your gas cap, this is a good time to raise your bars up a notch
14) Put the headlamp mount back on, push a little rubber nut holders through, take headlamp mount back off, retrieve rubber nut holder, have another beer. Start this step over, but don't push the damn rubber nut holders through the hole. Your friend is now laughing his *** off at you because you've pushed your rubber nut holder through the hole.
15) Take the headlamp mount back off AGAIN paying attention to your rubber nut holders, put the damned useless windshield back on, and the little beauty strip, then put the headlamp mount on again for the 3rd time. Drink a beer

 

Great story, especially this part!

 

You're gonna love the cruise. It's the best add-on HD makes.

 

Listen, anything with that much beer - call me next time, I'll help...

 

Geeeeeeez! I'm glad I ordered cruise WITH my bike. And I can still have the beer.

 

I agree. Definitely cool when that thing is locked on and holding your speed. It's the first time I've had a cruise control on a motorcycle and it's awesome.

You got it!


Nice way to go to be sure, but, one thing that's really great about doing this kind of thing yourself is the knowledge of working on your own bike when something isn't right. I enjoy this type of tinkering.

J

 

Awesome write up! Glad I paid the dealer to install mine. Otherwise I would still be working on it two weeks later!

 

I have the kit on order at the Stealership. $339.95 plus tax (plus install fees $65ish)


I think you got a great deal.


perhaps I should have gone your route

 

LOL. Aside from any engine work, this was probably the most complex thing I'll do as an upgrade and it really wasn't that difficult, just time consuming. The trick is to go slow and think through the steps before doing them.


I ALWAYS check Benjy's, Zanotti's or Chicago HD before I get anything locally and I'll always try to install it myself first. Nobody will take care of my bike like I will. So I prefer not to have anything done by the dealer.

J

 

got mine from benji's for $271. did my self and love it and I almost fall asleep.