My '07 Road King Classic with the stock handlebars, I need more pull back. I understand that a set of Heritage handlebars will give me some of that needed pull back, at least I thought. I just compared all of the measurements of a set of Heritage bars compared to stock Road King Classic bars and here's what I found. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The stock Road King handlebars Pull Back is 6.25", the Pull Back on a set of Heritage bars is 5". The Heritage bars are only .75" narrower than the stock one's. How will a set of Heritage handlebars reduce the reach on my Road King Classic when the Heritage Bars have a 1.25" shorter reach?

 

I dont know the answer to that specific question but I have wild 1's model 518 on mine and they are the most comfortable bars Ive ever ridden with. You can go to my photos on my profile to see more pics of them. They are also the chubby bars which make it easier to do internal wiring if you wanted to do that.

 

That's a great looking bike and handlebars but I need more specific dimensional information. I need about 1-1/2" to 2" pull back. I don't particularly want to change any other measurements. All of the bars available from Harley have all different measurement changes with a few with more pull back than my stock ones but everything else is not right for me. So far I haven't found a set of handlebars like that yet.

 

pull back don't necessarily mean the grips are closer to you... the tip of the bar is 5" (or whatever) back, or up if you laid the bar on the floor and measured from the floor to the tip.
you could get a 14" pullback bar then you would feel like you are riding a wheelbarrow... but you got your pullback dammit!!
it has more to do with the angles of the bends, the heritage bars have a different angle that lets you rotate the bar towards the rear of the bike, moving the grips closer without having the "wheelbarrow" effect.
you need to sit on a RK with the heritage bars and get the feel, you (or at least I) cannot go by measurements alone.

 

WO 508's or 518's

 

I have thought about this too. Would you be able to reshape your old bars some way, or are they set and annealed to the original angles? Are they cold formed? I used to do some metal work.

I'd like my bars on my '08 UC to be back a few inches too. I realize that I'd have to contend with the electronic throttle, etc.

Is it practical to get some appropriate tubing and weld it into the old bars for the extending? I used to do this with stainless steel bicycle frames in the '70's. The cost would probably be about the same as new bars I's suspect.

Walt MI/USA

 

The only problem with adding material to the end of the handlebar tubing is, you also are makiing the spread wider. This can be counter productive if you have short arms and trying to gain more pull back.

 

if you think your handlebars suck, try riding a streetglide. heck, i'm 6'4" tall and i gotta reach forward to get to the bars, actually leaning foreward if i want to use both hands to ride. i generally just set the cruise control and twist at the waist and shoulders to accomplish any type of comfort riding. and the pullbacks, from what i understand are merely the same bars with a different bend to accomplish more of the aforementioned wheelbarrow effect.

 

Take a look at Flanders bars.

 

You might talk to your area parts manager. I know in 2005 Harley made a reduced reach Road King bar.

A Heritage bar is taller and you can tilt it back to get it closer to you, that is how you reduce the reach.

I put the Road King reduced reach bar on my 2005 Softail Deluxe and really liked it.

Wild1inc.com has several bar options as well as charts showing the stock sizes as well as the dimensions on their bars. Sometimes if a bar has a taller rise but the same pull back, you can tilt it back and it will be closer to you than stock. If you are not sure, call them and talk them to them about what you want to achieve.