Hi all,
I am loving my new 2012 Road King! Like everyone else, it seems the stock bars are not the best. I get really stiff across my shoulders and my fingers get numb. I am a lady rider, 5'6". I feel I need more pullback to ease the strain and some height. I really like the Burley or Wild one 12 or 14"s. Opinions please. Would the 14"s be too high for me? How are apes for 6 hour day road trips, turning etc.
I have read that the higher the bar you get more pullback. I think it looks really bad when the bars are pulled down so they don't line up with the forks. I do not like the look of the heritage bars, so please don't suggest them

Thank you for your help.

 

Disregard.

 

got it!

 

14" would be a good height for apes. I just rode a friend's '08 Street Glide last weekend and he had 12" apes on it. I found that it felt that it turned crisper and begs to be leaned into the turns. The pull back on the the 12's were fine but another two inches would be the sweet spot if I were going with apes on my FLHR. And yes, apes do allow for more pull back as you can tilt them towards you. Just make sure you know if there are any state/local regulations regarding apes where you're at.

 

Just put the Wild 1 Chubby's on my '11 RKC (16" - WO509)

Simply put, I love them. I'm 6', long in the torso (32" inseam). Although the bars aren't at shoulder height, they are extremely comfortable and the pullback is awesome.

Given the seat that I'm using, I could have gone with 18's, but I'm happy with what I have.

FYI - I have the bars aligned with the fork angle.

I would suggest you go with the 14's. My wife has a Dyna Lowrider and she's 5'4". We put 12" apes on hers, but, she also has a 4" pullback riser (netting 16" bars). My boss is 5'8 and he sat on my bike and the 16's were perfect for him as well.

 

I have 2011 road king and understand what your saying about the shoulder issue. I put heritage style bars on because the ABS would require a large expense if i went with anything else. The heritage bars work great for me but as usual one change will cause another.

Highway pegs increased the bar issue
Bars are increasing the seat issue

Front suspension increased the rear suspension issue.

Is it my imagination or did Harley design this in to the bikes. (the moving issues when making an adjustment)

 

Without a pic of you on the bike it is hard to say. Did you change the seat? If you are not changing the seat, the max you probably should go is Wild 1 14's. You can roll them back or forward. It is easier to go down to 12's if you want to later than it is to go up. If you go down there is some extra slack in the cables. If you go with 12's and want 14's you have to buy new cables. Not sure what bar clamp the new ones have, I had to buy a new one and Poly bushings.

 

Find a HD dealer that has a demo seat/handlebar display, this will help you decide w/o spending big bucks first.

 

@ Seamonkey,
Is it the "Heritage Style" bars for Road Kings that you don't like. Or is it the true Heritage Softail bars (56569-09) you don't like? FYI, there is a HUGE differnece!

 

Got the 14" Wild 1's on my Road King. I can't imagine ever not having apes again. No more pain between my shoulders, better riding position, and looks absolutely awesome. I've considered even going higher, but I love my bike just like it is now.