Hi all,

I am removing some ape hangars after getting grief from the man. Seems that in Maryland the way they measure bars from the seat causes most ape hangars to run illegal. So I am looking to lower my bars on my 'new' used 2000 wide glide. Currently I am replacing 12 inch apes and 4 inch risers. I've had to temporarly placed sportster bars on the bike to 'get it legal' and through inspection.

My Questions: What is the rise height on stock FXDG bars and How hard will it be to locate 'in stock' wide bars ready for internal wiring and two inch risers? Do most dealers stock these items or should I plan on ordering them?

I have a mechanic ready to help me tommorow and I want these sporty bars off. I feel like I'm back on my childhood ten speed with these sporty bars.

 

That's not good to hear. I have 12" apes on my Wide Glide and ride through MD regularly.
Thought the hands just had to be no higher than your shoulders????

 

Nope the handles can be no higher than 15 inches from the seat.... It places the stock Heritage Softail in question. I just got through the inspection today, it sucked my Apes were sweet but the violation is a $2200 if the man measures your bars.

 

Wonder how high my stock bars on my wide glide are.... Should be real easy to find some bars and risers...

 

I just did some measuring and by my calcs I am 11" over legal with 12" apes. My seat measures 29" off the deck and the top of my bars are 55".

If this is correct a stock Wide Glide is illegal in MD.

Time for ABATE if you ask me.

 

You have to be kidding me! Dam, that is a pile of bulls&%t!! I am so glad I am not there. I would go out and find a motorcycle cop and measure his/her bars and see what that comes up with. Then I would go to the local Harley shop, Measure the stock bars on every bike and see what fails. If you have a stock bike fail this, but yet is legal for sale in MD then I would think that you would have a case.
Can you get a copy of the code for this rule? I would read it carefully and see how it reads. We had a rule here some time ago and some of us got the actual code, read it, had an attourny friend read it and then we took it up the chain and found out that the State police were reading it the way they wanted to and after some discussing of it, now they have changed the way they READ it and we beat it, for now at least.
Dam, sorry to hear this man.

 

That is some flawed logic there! The difference between the seat height and grip height doesn't factor in the height of the rider's torso. Are you telling me that if you mount the 12" apes with stock shorty risers you are still over the tolerance? Someone needs to load up a U-Haul full of drag bars and head for Maryland.

 

Did a little research on this, this is the best page I found on the subject. Interesting reading.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0537.htm

 

I live in MD and it must just be an issue getting it through inspection. Actually I have OEM wide glide repl. bars by Khromewerkson my sportster on 3" risers and by the law theyalso fail as the top of the bar with them pushed fwd. mesures 24" from the seat and they're only around 10" mini apes. Only way I could comply is by putting a straight drag bar on 1-2" risers. I can't say as though I've ever heard of cops enforcing it around here and I was between a trooper and sheriffs car just today.
Honestly, I think that every bar on every HD out there would fail the 15" rule (my stock bars on stock riser were still higher than 15")

 

no rules up here in canada .............
As long as its reasonable no hassles