Throw Your Hands Up! | 20-inch Ape Hanger Install
Here’s everything that was ordered for the install: the 20-inch bars, a set of Avon Air Cushioned Chrome Grips ($59.99), a Goodrige Platinum series 10-inch-over-stock brake line and dual-disc brake setup (contact for pricing), and some 10-inch-over Platinum series Barnett throttle, idle, and clutch cables. The Platinum series cables feature a bright silver-plated braid with a clearcoat finish. Also to go along with the install, one buddy brought over some wiring to extend the hand control lines and another brought over a one-piece top clamp to replace the stock two-piece setup.
01. With the bike secured in a wheel chock, everyone grabbed some tools and gang-tackled the bike. Up front the headlight was disassembled as per the manual to gain access to the hand control deutsch connectors (arrows). The connectors were disconnected so that the wire leads could be extended and then fed internally into the new bars. It’s smart to make a quick diagram identifying which wire bunch goes to each connector and in which numbered slot on the connectors.
02. The throttle and idle cable were loosened and the ferrules were removed from the throttle housing (making sure not to lose them). Once out of the throttle, the cables were popped out of the bottom of the cable housing.
03. The stock clutch cable was then loosened, the circlip was removed from the clutch lever pivot pin, and the cable was removed from the clutch perch.
04. The front brake was then bled so that the entire stock brake line assembly could be removed.
05. Once the stock bars, brake line, and cables were removed, the task of extending the hand control wiring began. Your local shop should have wiring extensions that match the H-D wires, but if not pick up some 18-gauge wire. It’s best to make a diagram identifying your new wiring setup for reference down the road.
06. While the wires were being extended, the stock riser bushings (left) were removed and replaced with these riser bushings (right) someone had lying around in their garage. These new bushings are made out of rubber just like stock but they’re a little stiffer which will help reduce vibration and add a more positive feel to the bars and reduce slop. When going to taller bars (especially this tall) it’s a smart idea to upgrade the bushings.
07. Once the wires were extended, they were wrapped in heat shrink, and pulled through the Trask bars (they are slotted and indented) with a piece of string that was securely taped to the wires. One of the guys helping out pulls cable for a living and offered up some industrial cable lube that really helped the leads slide through the bars with ease (especially with the sharp bends).
08. The bars were then secured to the riser with the one-piece riser clamp. Once again, when installing tall apes like this it’s a smart idea to upgrade the stock two-piece top clamps with this one-piece unit. It provides more bite and really helps secure the bars for a more positive feel.
09. With the stock front brake setup out of the way, the chrome Goodridge brake tee was bolted to the underside of the lower triple tree.
10. The brake lines were then secured into the tee. The front line (red arrow) is from the master cylinder, and the left and right lines (blue arrows) run to the left and right calipers respectively.
11. Toward the rear of the right side of the bike, the transmission side cover was removed and the stock clutch cable was disconnected and removed. The new Barnett Clutch line was routed towards the trans cover and installed as per the manual’s instructions.
12. Up front the clutch cable was installed into the clutch perch.
13. The throttle and idle cables were then routed down toward the throttle body.
14. Next the throttle cables were connected at the throttle body and grip, and adjusted as per the manual. After a couple hours, the brakes were bled, the clutch adjusted, wire leads connected, and everything was double- and triple-checked. Satisfied that everything was in order, it was another relaxing Saturday with bikes and buds.
15. The chrome accents on the Avon grips match up well with the chrome Bro Bars and the new Platinum lines are much more appealing than the black lines that came on the bike.
16. As you can see, at 6 feet 2 inches, JD is a little oversized for the stock setup. In this position he makes the bike look small, and he’s definitely not happy about it.
17. The addition of the taller, thicker, and wider bars help even out the overall look and don’t make the bike look small when he’s on it. The bars also give JD the riding posture he was after. He said it did take a little while to get used to the new setup but now he feels more comfortable on the bike, and he doesn’t feel as cramped as he used to.
A friend of ours, JD, had been complaining about the stock bars on his ’06 Road King. The low-slung bars just didn’t fit his preferred riding style and definitely didn’t go with his large 6-foot-2-inch stature. Aside from comfort, looks were a problem too. Even on a Road King, JD’s big size made the bike look small. He was interested in going up in height (20 inch apes) but also wanted to even out the proportion of the bike when he was on it. We suggested that a set of Trask Performance Bro Bars might fit his needs. The bars are not only thicker, 1 1/4-inch O.D., but with thier unique style and shape (appx 13 inches wide across the bottom, 20 inches tall, and just over 41 inches wide from grip to grip) they could help even out the look of the bike. Even though Trask doesn’t offer them in 20-inch sizes (12, 14, 16, and 18-inch heights in chrome or black powdercoat for $400) the company made him a set of 20s-for special sizing, call about availability and price.
Longer throttle/idle and clutch lines from Barnett were also ordered. After doing some research and asking around, it was determined that 10-inch-over-stock-length throttle/idle and clutch lines would fit with the style and dimensions of the Trask Bars. Goodridge was contacted to get a matching-length brake line and since he was going to be swapping bars, a new set of Avon Air Cushioned Grips were ordered as well. The design of the grips allows pockets of air to fill the rubber grip area and helps reduce vibration and fatigue.
This is one of those projects that takes a few hours and is best spent in the company of friends, so once all the parts arrived, some friends were invited over to hang out and help out.
Sources
Avon Grips
(800) 334-7477
avongrips.com/shop
Barnett Tool and Engineering
(805) 642-9435
barnettclutches.com
Goodridge Fluid
Transfer systems Contact your local dealer
goodridge.net
Trask Performance
(623) 897-8488
turboyourharley.com
