I think you will be more comfortable with more rise, if so, consider lengthening the wires to the lights. There might also be other options for mounting those lights to taller risers or even the cleaner looking t-bars, without lengthening the wires, by having them remounted on riser clamps instead of bar clamps. Do a search.

Though my bike is a Superglide, I found room on my console to mount the lights. I just drilled a few holes and used the existing light hardware and bezel. I did need to extend the wiring to reach it. My speedo was also mounted on that bar clamp along with the lights, but I fabbed up something to keep it down low while using tall risers. At least you only have the instrument lights to deal with.

I just think that about 4-1/2" risers w/pullback and 27" to 32" wide drag bars give the best handling. My bike felt 200 pounds lighter set up that way, but my original bars were buckhorns.

Well, try out what you have in mind. If it's like some of my set-ups and dirt bikes, it's sure going to handle better than apes or buckhorns! You'll be doing foot up u-turns on narrow roads while your ape bar brethren will be doing 2 or 4 point turns.

 

This is definitely something you should think about unless you have ridden with 24" bars previously. Some folks like the narrow bars, many don't, including me. I like the wider bars, narrow bars tend to get me between the shoulders after riding a while.

 

With 24" drags and the stock risers i,d think you will run into clearance issues with your tank / switchgear, and thats without the turn signals on the bars.

 

well thanks for all the replies. i really appreciate it. i think i have made up my mind for now, i will keeping the stock bars for now. i didnt think it was going to be all this difficult just to get rid of what i call "ugly old man bars" LOL thanks again guys.

 

Deal with the bars, man! Those are easy things to change!

Maybe working on your bike is intimidating, but bars are very easy to change. I, too, get seemingly overwhelmed when working on my Harley, but things like bars, gauges, exhaust, programmers, clutches, lights, intake, oil coolers and fans, foot or hand controls, seats, sissy bars, bags and anything else not nestled within the engine cases are easy for me to do. I know that I'm the only person that really cares about my bike, so I prefer to be the one that does the work.

On a scale from 1 to 10, changing the bars is about a 2, about the same difficulty as installing new shocks. Changing a mirror is about a 1 and figuring out how to start your bike without a fob is about a 1 or 2 depending on your mental state.
3 would be installing a programmer
4 is installing an oil cooler and/or fan
5 is installing something like Ricor intimidators in your front forks.
6 is relocating your ignition switch, rewiring your instruments or installing a variable pressure clutch.
7 is installing a compensator
8, 9 and 10, I'm going to let the indie do for now.

 

Definitely pull the pins vs cutting. Even if you're a master with the soldering iron, your cables will become too thick. Get a service manual. It shows how to pull the pins using a safety pin. Easy.

 

I just ordered some 24" inch drags for my FXD.
I'm planning on trying them with stock height risers. I know I'll run into clearance issues, but I'll address those when I get there.

 

I do get a little intimidated working on my bike. I never had a prob working on my rocket but my rocket wasn't a Harley either. Last spring I did do the simple a/c, exhaust and PCV change myself with the help of a long time Harley rider/mechanic. Btw, comingapart, let me know how that goes. Lol

 

If you take your time (and watch Mud's video on connectors) you can do the bar change. Here are a few things that makes it easier for me when I have to remove my bars.
Screw 2 open eyehooks into 2 adjacent ceiling rafters of your garage at the desired point of work for you bike (right above the bars).
Hang a pipe on small rope about 3 inches below the eyehooks. I then run rope down from the pipe and around the bars (usually at the clutch and brake brackets) .
This holds the bars (or master cylinder or whatever you need to hold at a given time) with them flopping down etc etc.

If you have to get extensions for your wires you can order pre-cut kits or just buy your own wire and make your own. As the previous poster stated if you have to extend them put the solder or crimp joints in the end that is in the frame neck (anywhere but in the bars, since they don't pull as easy).

Buy black colored heat shrinks to cover any wire not hidden. You can get it in rolls at Harbor Freight. (They have a nice heat gun too for $12)

At last but not least, sit down and write out a plan, then go one step at a time. If you reach a point where you have a problem, the post on this forum on that one specific problem. And you will receive help on it, and move on to the next item. Guys here have been where you are and can help you.

How tall are you? You might want to forego the riser thing and just get riser-bar combos. This link to PsTaNs pics has a nice set of 10inch riser bars. When I saw his bike, I decided someday I want 10inch straight rise Tbars. The ones from Wild1s are about 31 inches wide, and everyone I know that has them say they handle very well, better than mini apes.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/membe...perglide5.html

 

OK, just remembered this thread.

I did put Santee 24" Wide and Low black drags on my Superglide using the stock risers, sorta. I relocated my turn signals down to the forks for clearance and had to add 3/4" sections of tubing under the risers to lift them up so my control boxes wouldn't hit the tank. Looks awesome and I love the riding position now. Now, I have to figure out what to do with my mirrors, as looking at my shoulders while riding doesn't feel that safe...I'm probably gonna go with sportbike style bar-end mirrors.

Just be aware, the 3/4" extensions were the highest I could go with the stock riser bolts. Even then there's barely enough threads to grab solid. I rode like this for a few miles and got some longer bolts the next day for piece of mind.