Bars Bars Bars! Such a topic. I had taken many 2-3 hundred mile trips on my 17' RKS as well as a great many shorter day trips. I never much cared for the stock bars. I toured extensively on my 05' EGlide and never hated the bars, my RKS has never been as comfortable. Two recent longer trips, 300 to 500 mile days, sinched it for me, bars had to go. I have looked and read as many of us have but the info is always so very incomplete. I really wish there was a unicorn shop with every make and model to sit and try, but no such place. I settled on KST Kustoms Pathfinders in 12" because of the way they adjust. I have only done a few 100+ mile trips but they are WAY better. The "why" is seldom in reviews so I will try. First, I am 6' 1" 180 lbs with an athletic build. I learned years ago when I broke my back that I have an extra vertebrae. Dr. said it wasn't 6 fingers weird, but up there. So, I am tall from the hips up. I put a touring seat on the bike right after I bought it,...right after my wife said to get rid of the crummy stock one. Seriously, I have toured solo on both and no comparison, the touring seat is better. So back to the bars, I am fairly tall with broad shoulders and my seat height is up about an inch over stock. I had to be right up on the tank to sit upright with the stock bars and when full "starfish" leaning back on the backrest and boots on the highway pegs, my arms couldn't even reach the grips. Per KST, the stock bars are 10". Companies measure bars differently so YMMV as to that number. The 12" KST "look" about 3" taller than stock. They fall below my shoulders, maybe chest high. Best part of the KST Pathfinders is you can adjust the angles. So, by adjusting pull back, I brought my hands almost 2" closer. I can now sit fully upright, butt up against the hump of the seat, the bars are at a comfortable height, and I can turn full lock without leaning in. I can lean back on the rest, put my feet up and still grasp the grips as well. As per KST's website, I was able to use the stock cables. I got the bars on sale over the holidays and my local indi shop charged me 4.5 hours to install and spend time dialing them in with me. I could not be happier. I will post pictures soon, rain is coming here in SoCal. This is my touring bike, full list of mods for distance are: touring seat, 15" Memphis Shades Drop Top windshield, "fang" lower wind deflectors, rider and passenger backrests, luggage rack (small and large) Ohlins 772 shocks, highway pegs, Ciro passenger highway pegs, Custom Dynamics adaptive headlight and all turn signals, Custom Dynamics fog lights, TomTom Rider 550 GPS and HD stage II air cleaner, torque cam with full exhaust and tuner.
I put a apehanger sort of "gansterape" on my RKS. It took about 10 hours to do everything tidy! It is a hell of a job but very glad i did it. The brakeline remains original. The clutch cable is for now true the other side of the tripletree. Today i bought an HD upper extension cable....€207
difference old vs new 12V for heated grips Put the heated Kahuna's on ready to rock
I think a lot of what your'e wanting to do on the bike, is an important factor. When I was doing A LOT of long trips, I wouldn't have anything else but my Street Glide or My Ultra. 2-3 day trips I'd take my Road King Classic. Now, I take maybe 2-3 long trips a year (by long, I mean 5 or more days), and my RKS is sufficient. I have a QuadLock on the handlebars for music and Nav. I have a wind splitter for warm months, and a taller Freedom Shield for the cold. Lucky Dave seat. Ohline shocks. KST bars. Life's good. For the type of riding I do now, which is mostly day trips or around town stuff, the RKS is perfect. For the 2-3 long trips I take every year, the RKS is outfitted and comfy enough. Just my $11 (.02 adjusted for Bidenomics)
My 2019 RKS with bunch o'goodies. 16" Carlini's. WOODS 22X-E cam w/Powervision & dyno'd to 130fp torque...love it!
Last edited by Oil, Gas & Leather; 01-25-2024 at 12:20 PM.
@Reinier What's that little windshield extension on your Wind Splitter? Does it work?
I have only drove wind original seat with the Wiondsplitter after pick up my bike. Now i changed the seat and is a little higher. This top spoiler can mount with or without drilling. It helps against bufffeting, that is very good. When the weather gets better i do try to drive without the adon spoiler....to try out the difference.
This is : https://www.nr1motor.nl/mra-x-creen-...AvD_BwE#76=890
I put a apehanger sort of "gansterape" on my RKS. It took about 10 hours to do everything tidy! It is a hell of a job but very glad i did it. The brakeline remains original. The clutch cable is for now true the other side of the tripletree. Today i bought an HD upper extension cable....€207
difference old vs new 12V for heated grips Put the heated Kahuna's on ready to rock
Looks great. What bars are those. It looks like there is more pullback on the new bars. Something I may be looking for...
I have only drove wind original seat with the Wiondsplitter after pick up my bike. Now i changed the seat and is a little higher. This top spoiler can mount with or without drilling. It helps against bufffeting, that is very good. When the weather gets better i do try to drive without the adon spoiler....to try out the difference.
This is : https://www.nr1motor.nl/mra-x-creen-...AvD_BwE#76=890
I've had 3 different versions of these deflectors over time, and found that only the old-style Puig deflector (the expensive one with the double-jointed hinges) has windshield-grade optical clarity.
Regardless of price or brand, they really do smooth out the buffeting and push the airflow higher than their small size would suggest. The trick is to angle it somewhat vertically, leaving a gap with the windshield.
01-19-2024 | 08:07 PM
