Been toying with the idea of installing a set of KST 12 inch Spearheads on my 17 Road King Standard just wondering if anyones got them and how you like them.
My second question is my King has a 1 inch clamp and you can get the Spearheads with either a 1 inch clamp size or I can get them in 1 1/4 inch clamp size and get a new clamp. Would switching it over to 1 1/4 inch be worth the extra cost and be a more solid clamp. Thanks to all who can send comments.

 

I don't think it would be a more solid clamp , however , I would go with nylon bushings instead of rubber and look into a clamp that has " set screws " that you can lock the bar into place once you get it tightened down where you want it , then the bars would have no chance of movement . Also with a larger bar you will find it much easier to run the wiring inside , if your planning on going that route .

Just my

 

Just installed 12" KST Spearheads on my 2020 RG and it was a piece of cake. They are 1 1/2" in diameter and with only one bend they are the easiest of any bars I have installed to run wires internally. If you have 1" riser clamps I would just stay with that. You will really like the multiple adjustments on the Spearhead bars. One thing, they are a lot wider than I thought they would be. Straight out they are probably 36" wide. I have them turned in slightly and they are about 33" and are extremely comfortable. Definitely better than the stock buckhorn bars the RG came with.

 

I have 14" Straight Jackets on my 2019 Road King, and personally I wouldn't bother with the different clamp. The stock clamp, if you torque it to spec, in the correct sequence, will hold those fine. My rubber bushings are still basically new, but I can feel them move a bit over bumps and under hard braking, and if I'd had a few more miles on the bike likely would have switched to poly bushings. You don't really notice it unless you're really trying to feel it. If you have more miles on your bushings, and go with 14" or taller, I'd definitely replace them.

That said, I don't think you'll need to do anything with clamps or bushings if you're going with 12" bars. Stock bars on a Road King are supposedly 12", although you have to run them pretty straight up (close to in line with the forks) to get that height. Most have them tilted back a bit, where the grips are flat, and that's more like a 9" actual rise.

 

Well thanks guys it sounds like just the 1 inch clamps will work.

 

Agreed. I recently installed KST Pioneers. The KST's use a rubber strip on the bars in the clamping area that is supposed to hold them in place. I read about too many that experienced bar movement so went with the Yaffe Super Riser Clamp (has the 3 set screws). It's available in either 1" or 1.25" http://baggernation.com/item.php?iid=75

Whose specs? Be careful here. KST's installation instructions say to torque the bolts to the base clamp to 30 ft/lbs...Harley Service manual for my RG says 16-20 ft/lbs. Have also heard of guys stripping the threads out of the base clamp using a torque wrench tightening the bolts to KST's 30 ft/lbs spec. Me personally, I chose to stick to Harley's torque spec of 20 ft/lbs max, and use the upper clamp with set screws for added assurance.

This is just my experience. Totally up to each individual how they'd like to proceed. As far as the KST bars...fantastic quality and adjustability. Couldn't be happier!

 

They must have stopped using the rubber strip, I just got mine last Thursday (10/15/2020) and they were knurled without the rubber strip or the slot it fit in.
I had no issue torqueing the bolts to 30 FT/LBs and the bars are solid with no movement. Good luck on your project.

 

Good news! I got mine at the beginning of Sept and they still had the rubber strip (that's still pictured on their website). They must have changed to the knurled clamp area recently because of some of the reported movement.
Regardless, as I said, the bars are fantastic and I'm very pleased with mine...and now they're even better with the knurled clamp area.

 

I have been running 16-inch Mayhems on my Road King for a couple of years with no issues. I torqued the clamp to factory specs, and have never seen rubber strips used for a handlebar clamp. I am not sure I would employ something like that, but then again I have not seen it. I replaced my bushings with poly at the time as I think the stock rubber bushings are a bit soft. With a taller bar the stiffer bushing is a benefit. Even with the 16-inch bars, there has been no movement and I have had to pick the bike up by them after a wreck.

I installed a set of the same bars in 10-inch on the Limited, and they are rock solid. Did the bushings at that time as well.

 

30 lb-ft on the handlebar clamps is crazy. I didn't get any instructions with my KST bars, but I think in one of the videos (the Road Glide install I think?) they mentioned 30 lb-ft and thought "That has to be a mistake"

Harley spec for any touring bike for a while now has been 16-20 lb-ft.

As critical (or more) is the tightening sequence.

The clamp is deigned for the forward facing joint between the top and bottom halves to be closed at the front edge. You have to tighten the front bolts until the top piece stops hard against the bottom piece. Torque those front bolts to spec with the clamp closed (I did 19 lb-ft). THEN, torque the back bolts to spec (again, I did 19 lb-ft).

Some people tighten up the front and the back a little at a time (I've even seen this done in a major online retailer's instructional video....) and trying to get the gaps even. Don't do that. You want some rotational "pinch" on the knurled section of the bar. That will keep it from moving.