whats up guys? i have been thinking about getting a set of 24" drag bars for my 09 lowrider (which has the stock handlbars on it right now). i have a few questions and i know this is the best place to come for answers...lol anyways, my questions are, will i have to change out my wires or will my stock wires work? and if i want to run them internaly, do i really have to cut and splice them? i have never had to sodder wires before and not sure i could do this myself. couldnt i just disconnect the wires from the plugs in the switch housing and run the wires and plug them back in? any info would be great. thanks guys

 

The wire length should not be a problem the extra length should be able to be stuffed back into the neck. You can take the connectors apart and pull the wires through handlebars by themselves. Clutch and throttle lines might need to be rerouted or replaced with shorter ones.

 

will i have to change out my wires or will my stock wires work?

When you say 24" I assume you mean wide ? If so then the stock wires should work unless you use above 8" risers (probably 10" would still be ok).

and if i want to run them internaly, do i really have to cut and splice them?

No you can remove them from the connectors and then after pulling them in
the bars you can reconnect them. Put tape over the connector pins when you pull the wires out to keep from damaging the insulation. You will need some kind of slickum when pulling wires in (or sometimes out too). If you have never done connector wire removable before then search this forum for AMP or DEUTSCH connectors. Mud has an excellent presentation on this.

i have never had to sodder wires before and not sure i could do this myself.

If you choose not to disassemble the connectors you can cut and crimp the wires if you don't want to solder.

 

Hey man, if you need some help. Let me know.

It's actually very easy to run wires internally. Just use a single leader wire and pull that through, then attach all the wires to this leader wire and pull them all back through in one swoop. Easy! Had my mini-apes done in a matter of minutes.

 

thanks for the info guys. i am wanting to keep the stock risers... so would i still have to get a shorter clutch and throttle cables?

 

I doubt you'll be able to take up all the slack without shortening them. I'd think that they'd be so "S" shaped that they might kink.

I solved it on my FXD by going to wider bars and more rise. BTW, 24" drags are way narrow, for sure your rear view mirrors will be looking at your chest and arms. This might sound trivial, but my old neck doesn't turn too far anymore, so my mirrors are important.

 

So if 24" bars are to narrow, what size would you suggest? I want to keep the stock risers due to the fact the clamp has the dummy lights attached and I don't want to move them, if that makes any sense.

 

I used 27-3/8" wide ones with 4-1/2" risers and they felt pretty good, but left too long of brake line, so I went with 30.5" and 8" rise. Now the cables fit, but the combination was hard to align, the bars and risers could never seem to be tightened and plumb at the same time. I also lost some of the finesse that I had with the lower bars.

I now run 6-1/2" rise 32" wide t-bars (not in photo) and it gives me a tight connection, more leverage and about the right length of cable.

I'd choose between 27" and 32". Try sitting on your bike in your normal position, close your eyes and try to place your hands in the strongest, most natural position. You might experiment around a bit, perhaps place a broom handle where your hands want to grip and measure the distance apart, then add an inch or two to get the ideal bar width.

 

you can use different risers because of the top clamp... can go with what will fit you best because of the top clamp... just watch the tank ffor clearance from the clutch and throttle cables

 

Only crimp as a last resort and make sure that you crimp on the frame end so that they are not inside the bars. Also still use heat shrink to protect them, or use the connectors with heat shrink already on them.

Disassembling the connectors is not hard, take your time, don't force anything and be sure to wright down the wire colors and pin locations.