Extended Softail Comfort
The owner stretching out and enjoying his new parts.
The owner stretching out and enjoying his new parts.
01. Since swapping the brackets means removing the kickstand, some form of lift is necessary to safely hold the bike. We threw the Fat Boy on our Handy work lift. First up was the HG chrome footboard brackets ($159.95) and polished floorboard spacers ($49.95). Tom at HG even threw in two black and two pink skull facemasks to make our deal even sweeter.
02. With the left-side floorboard removed, this is what we found. The kickstand, heel-toe shifter, and footboard bracket all needed to come off. As we warned, this is where you’ll find three different fasteners to contend with.
03. Slipping the heel-toe shifter from the splined shaft is straightforward. Just be sure to keep track of the two O-rings sealing the shifter shaft to the bracket.
04. Next to the factory black, the Harley Goodies bracket is worlds nicer. There were some changes in the brackets over the years and we ensured a true match before continuing on.
05. The original hardware holds the chrome brackets in place and a dab of thread locker guarantees longevity.
06. Being that the brackets are actual factory parts, the kickstand and shifter slipped home with nary an issue. We were sure to give the shifter shaft a light coating of grease to keep it moving freely.
07. For the extensions, the supplied hardware was used to secure the extension to the bracket. You can see how the unt is designed with a tab to sit flat on the bracket, keeping the floorboard from dropping past level.
08. A self-adhesive plastic washer buffered the extension from the floorboard itself.
09. If you think 1-1/4 inches isn’t much, check out the distance between the shifters and floorboard.
10. On the right side, the rear brake line, pedal, and master cylinder required removal, so we grabbed a cup, pulled the rear brake line, and let the fluid drain before pulling the assembly off the bike.
11. One for another, the chrome replaced the black. The square hole is where the master cylinder resides through the piece. This might be a good time to upgrade to a chrome master cylinder if you were thinking about it.
12. Behind the pivot bolt for the rear brake pedal is an O-ring to seal the shaft. Be sure to lube it all up before cinching everything back together.
13. Knowing the crush washers on the brake line are not reusable, we were prepared with two fresh ones included in the master cylinder kit we picked up.
14. The Harley Goodies’ extension and hardware were slipped into place before the floorboard, signaling this portion of the install done.
15. The tale of the tape shows just a hair more than the advertised 1-1/4 inch of change.
16. Before: Our model’s leg was clearly against the air cleaner, as was Chad’s.
17. After: Check out the gap between the model’s leg and the air cleaner. The rider’s leg now drops in a more neutral position raising comfort and allowing more space between the shifters and brake pedal to move around.
18. JBN Custom’s Phantom Bar ($349) came out of the box chromed and ready with hardware.
19. Up top, the Phantom Bar mounted to the frame crossbar with the supplied Allen bolt.
20. Down below, the JBN unit bolted to each footboard bracket. It couldn’t get much easier.
21. So what’s the big deal? There isn’t anything to see.
22. Press the button and the hidden pegs spring out ready to use. You can easily work the buttons with your feet while riding to gain the use of the pegs at your leisure.
23. Looking down from the rider’s position, the glint of fresh chrome adds the form while the spacers and spring-operated pegs level the function field.
Getting out and hitting the road for a nice ride on your favorite scoot can sometimes have minor points of frustration. Once out on that road, shifting gears and feeling the fresh air envelop you, discomfort sets in as the mileage increases. Slightly shifting your weight on the seat and hanging your feet in different positions can only go so far to make your weariness subside. There had to be better options out there and we were determined to locate them.
We got our hands on our friend, Chad’s, ’05 Fat Boy while he was in shopping mode for someplace to put his feet during his longer rides. A low, thin seat and 40-inch beach bars do nothing to help him stay relaxed once the odometer starts clicking through the higher numbers. His requests were for us to find a way to get his footboards moved out (not forward) and then add an engine bar with some cool way to utilize highway pegs. It didn’t take long to accommodate both his wishes, as we had the perfect solution for both requirements.
Combining parts from Harley Goodies (HG) and JBN Custom netted us a homerun for the Fat Boy in both form and function. Harley Goodies has a range of footboard extensions to fit ’83-later Touring models and ’86-later Softails. The 1-1/4inch extensions are available in black but we chose polished for this install. Beginning with heavy-gauge stainless steel, the pieces are tumbled, then hand-polished to a mirror finish, and shipped with stainless hardware. Additionally, we opted for the HG chrome exchange program on a pair of left and right chrome footboard brackets. JBN Custom developed a trick engine bar dubbed the Phantom Highway Bar. What makes the Phantom Bar so cool is the button-operated, spring-loaded pop-out footpegs. JBN makes the bars in triple-plated steel with a beefy look that can dress up your ’97-08 Touring bike (except the Road Glide) or ’86-later Softails.
Setting your Harley up with these parts is a simple affair with nothing but handtools required, but you will need an assortment of Allen and Torx drivers to accomplish the task. Swapping the footboard brackets requires removing the rear brake master cylinder, which will necessitate new crush washers for the brake line and the proper fluid to refill the reservoir. HB
The Lowdown
Man Hours: Two hours
Difficulty: **Easy
**Aftermarket Parts Used: Harley Goodies chrome footboard brackets Harley Goodies polished floorboard extensions JBN Custom Phantom Highway Bar
**Total Cost: **$558.90
Source:
Harley Goodies
(626) 253-2022 | harleygoodies.com
JBN Custom
(832) 541-8365 | jbncustom.com
