LA Choppers Handlebars—Mini Apes Overview

Hello again, I'm Bob LaRoza, welcome to fix my hog. I want to take a look at replacing handlebars on your Harley Davidson motorcycle. What you need to bear in mind, handlebars that motorcycles are typically built with are designed and engineered to fit a broad range of riders. If you find after you've ridden your motorcycle, that you're uncomfortable due to the configuration of the handlebar, always before you just replace the bar, try to make some adjustments in the upper clamp moving the bars forward or back. I myself prefer a handlebar with a little bit more rise. What's typically known as a mini ape. And for this particular job I decided to use the 13 inch LA chopper tree hugger, mini apes. They're inch and a half diameter, as opposed to a one inch stock factory diameter, little more bulk. They have a beautiful Chrome finish. Please bear in mind before you decide to make any handlebar changes. Always get the opportunity to sit on a motorcycle that has the same handlebar configuration that you're considering changing to. Whether you find one at a dealer, on someone showroom floor, you happen to have a friend who has the configuration that you like. Make sure you sit on it. If you have the opportunity, it's a friend's motorcycle. Take it for a ride. Make sure you're comfortable with the bars you're going to change. You need to bear in mind, a change to a set of handlebars that are longer, taller, have a different rise is a very labor intensive process. You will remove the factory harness, all the switch housings. If the clutch cable won't reach the new bar configuration, you'll have to replace clutch cable. Same will apply for brake lines. You'll have to replace the lines, re bleed the front braking system. If the handlebar is designed for internal wiring, you'll have to remove the factory harness. And this particular harness is thicker than most models. Due to the fact this motorcycle's built with cruise control, you'll have to extend the harness. Use the correct pin connectors to go into the pins in the connector assembly in the NSL These particular LA chopper bars come wrapped. Very nice. So none of the Chrome surface can get damaged. And again, when you're installing these bars, make sure you keep all the finished surface protected. You don't want to do such a labor intensive job as extending the wiring harness. If your motorcycle's built with the throttle by wire configuration you'll also have to extend that harness. You'll replace the clutch cable, the brake lines. Again, I can't stress enough. Do your research, Dennis kirk.com type in your information. They'll give you a broad range of bar configurations. I myself have ridden motorcycles with these 13 inch LA chopper, Ape hangers and they're a perfect fit, for someone my size, someone with my reach, but this long distance here warrants you need their handlebar wiring extension kit. You have to extend each and every wire running internally in the bar and then Mount the bar to the motorcycle. Again, the LA chopper kit for extending a bagger or dresser model with throttle by wire comes complete. All the wire extensions, all the replacement clips, pins and heat shrink for all your splices. When you extend the harness, you'll also need a clutch cable, You'll need a quarter transmission fluid, you'll need a clutch cover gasket. Also the front brake line kit perfect opportunity to upgrade. Not only aesthetically the braid looks much better but performance on the braided line. You'll feel it in the lever instantly when it's bled correctly. Firing something aesthetically, that's going to look great on your motorcycle and another word to the wise. If you ride with a windshield, make sure the bar configuration you decide to use is going to fit behind the windshield. Don't give up the protection of your windshield just to get an aesthetically pleasing handlebar.