T-bars and Batwing fairings create a problem with the ignition on pre-Rushmore bikes since they can’t be programmed to run without it. If you search for @freedumbfab on Instagram, you’ll find a one-man shop out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who builds custom t-bars and specializes in creating a solution for those of us who want run to them with a batwing fairing while avoiding the hassle of relocating the ignition. The t-bar risers have a 4.5” spacing at the bottom which matches up to a custom pull-back plate that clears the ignition, and then they taper back to 3.5” at the top bar. The installation of these t-bars requires the inner fairing cap assembly to be cut out exactly where the cap switches reside which can create an issue if your bike is equipped with an electronic cruise control switch that sits in this location. To keep everything neat and factory-like, I decided to have the cruise on/off switch relocated to the left switch housing like the Ultra Classic which requires a lower switch housing that can house dual switches (71594-98a), cruise on/off **** (71828-02), and cruise switch (71752-08). All switch housing wiring needed to be extended along with the upper ABS brake line and I was able to use the stock clutch cable. Since I removed my stereo last year, I took things one step further and deleted the audio control switches on the bars and replaced them with plugs (71184-04, 71183-04). Total rise on the bars is 12” and width is about 31” with the grips.

 

Not a fan. They look like they get in the way of everything.

 

I can see my speedo and tach perfectly. The gas and volt gauges are slightly blocked but they can be relocated to the blank spaces where the air temp and oil pressure gauges used to be.

 

It took awhile to get used to riding with t-bars again. After two months, I'm really loving how much lighter the front end feels. Diving into corners is a piece of cake on this tank now! I snapped this picture at work a few nights ago.

 

Not gonna lie, I love the look of this and have been contemplating something like this for my 2010.

 

I added a few little things over the winter including LED lighting all around, black tank console, and black rear docking hardware with fresh black powdercoat on the rear strut covers. I'm still loving how this bike handles and the 12" t-bars are perfect for my height at 5'-8.

Sorry for the blurry picture; it was taking from an Insta360 video. I just wanted to give some perspective on the bar height.