I just put kst bars on my 2020 road king, I talked 3 times to the people over there because I wanted to be sure how to measure their bars. All 3 people told me when it comes to kst, their measurements are from center in riser area to center of hand grip. And yes they said the tip of the meat hook will be 1.5” to 2” taller when measured. Not sure on the 2021 with the cable clutch, but on my 2020 I was able to get it all to work. It would look better with a longer brake line though.

 

When I did my 2020 RGS I cut the zip ties that held the cables to the top of the triple tree and had the cables outside the narcele then installed the bars. The cables ended up in front of the bars toward the radio and then adjusted everything as I needed to. Also I had to turn my bars in at the outside pivot and lean them back in line with the front forks to clear my windshield. When I had the grips turned to far forward it would hit the edge of the windscreen and prevent me from going lock to lock on turns. I have had them on now for 6 months and they are very comfortable and I have had no issues. Good luck on your project.

 

My biggest concern right now is that the clutch cable on the 2021 is a larger diameter than the hydraulic line so there's not as much clearance to get the cable out between the nacelle and the bar. Not to mention it sure seems like there will be a fairly tight radius on the clutch cable which makes me worry about it binding. I talked to KST yesterday and they assured me it works fine, as they've installed these bars on well over 100 2021 models.

FYI - I also confirmed with them that I was sent the correct 12" bars even though they measure 14" at the til of the hook. Their bars are measured from the base to the hand grip.

I'll mess with the install some more tomorrow night. Hopefully I get it dialed in because it looks to be a fairly nice weekend coming up!

 

Follow the lines back into the neck of the frame, you may be able to undo a cable tie or remove a retainer that helps guide the cables. I Installed 14" Spearheads on my 2019 RGS and had to do this to get enough comfortable slack in the lines. Also, keep in mind how far forward you place the bars too because you will block off the two screws on the side of the nacelle to tighten them back up. I think mine are basically coplanar with the fork angle when you look from the side of the bike.

they are great bars by the way...and if you are in a chilly part of the country, you may as well install some heated grips while you have it all torn apart.

 

Got it done and I'll say, I think it looks really good. I ended up doing a bit of modification as you should be able to see in the pic. I felt like being the clutch and brake out the side of the bezel mount to keep any kinks out made the most sense. Things worked out really well and now I'll just find a grommet in the correct shape and size to finish it off so it looks factory.

Just made a small template and used my die grinder to carve it out. No problem. Cables route in without touching the bars and it looks pretty "factory" to me. I did end up removing the clutch cable from its clips on the right side of the neck just to gain a bit more play.

I'm happy with the outcome and like the look.

 

That did come out nice. Good to see you added heated grips while you had all that taken apart...you won't regret it. Although I have also added a pair of batter operated heated gloves for those REALLY cold days...I also use them when I clear snow too.

 

Thanks. I just replaced the stock heated grips with Kahunas.

 

Looks great chief...nice work!! Love my KST Kustoms! I went with the 12" Pioneers for a more traditional look. By far the easiest bars I've ever installed...Road Glides are soooo much easier than batwings. And the adjustability is what really sold me.
The install video tells you to remove the electrical connectors from their "keepers" in the bezel but I didn't have to do that...lots of slack. I routed my clutch/brake lines similar to yours out the side of the bezel.
I know you have a 2021 so you have a clutch cable. That being said, mine work well as is, but I was looking at the bezel and thinking of notching it a bit as well...just for less bend and a bit more slack.
And like you, I replaced my stock heated grips with Kahuna's while I was at it. I had them on my previous bike and really liked them. Rarely have to run them higher than 2 or 3.

 

Nice work Chief, turned out great! I may have to look into them myself

 

Good choice! I have the same bars, with the Kahuna heated grips.

6'1 with a 34" inseam and they fit me very well, glad I got 12's instead of 14s.