Wild 1 "Chubby" handlebars

I have been playing around with some handlebar ideas.  Design goals:  Clean, aggressive look, aggressive (i.e., more forward) riding position.

My 6'6", nearly 300 lb. body has never been completely comfortable on the bike, even with longer risers, a custom-fitted Corbin solo saddle, and Rattlebars' Peg Relo kit.  I decided to go for more of a stoplight dragster.  Not only does this better suit my daily use of the bike as an urban (L.A.) commuter, but I was also hoping that a more forward seating position would help with the tailbone pinch I get.  Getting rid of the severely bent wrist position of the stock bars also.

These bars were my first choice--Wild 1 Chubby (1 1/4" diameter) "Knuckle" bars (part # WO503 (Custom Chrome part # 10107)).  Very nice fit and finish.  They are a full 36" wide, unlike the 28-30" widths offered by most drag bars.  All of the controls slipped on easily.

The stock risers and clamp fit like a glove--the 5 1/8" center section that is necked down to 1" fits the top clamp perfectly.  This is important, because these bars would look odd without the necked-down center section covered (FWIW, there is also a warning sticker on the bars stating that a full-width clamp must be used).  Wild 1 makes a wide variety of bars, so the possibilities are endless.

The handgrip area is a little small (the bars are made for shorter Harley grips), but that doesn't seem to be a problem.  As a bonus, this allows one to install the Arlen Ness Ness-Tech throttle roller bearing, which normally requires one to cut 1/2" off of the end of the bars.  Of course, this would prevent the use of those trick bar-end turn signals.

riding impressions:  WOW!  Feels like a different bike.  Not necessarily better or worse--that depends on your definition of a "good" and "bad" suspension.  It is hard to imagine, though, that just changing the handlebars would have such a dramatic effect on handling.  Much of the perceived differences might be differences in rider perspective rather than real changes in the handling, but the changes feel quite real.

I installed a Two Brothers Racing Billet Triple Clamp Kit when I only had about 400 miles on the bike, so I cannot really render an expert opinion on the handling improvements of the clamp.  However, I know for sure that the handlebar replacement had a much greater effect on perceived handling.  With the TBR clamp/handlebar combo, the handling is so quick it's almost twitchy.  The new bars make the bike feel 250 pounds lighter.

The existing setup was the stock bars with Custom Chrome 5" risers.  The new riding position is much more forward, with the palms of your hands now taking some weight, like a sport tourer.  Even though the bars are virtually the same width as stock, the reduced pullback makes them effectively shorter.  The steering is razor sharp and the turn-in is crisp.  The turn-in is so crisp, in fact, that I nearly dumped the bike just driving out of the garage.

The change in riding position was obviously responsible for much of the changes in handling (or perceived changes).  The bike feels perfectly balanced now and the new riding position makes me feel more "connected" to the road.  I'm sure, though, that moving my larger-than-normal body forward has a relatively greater effect on the bike's 750 lb. mass than someone of more normal weight.

The bike just drops into corners.  I came peg-scraping close to the road at low speeds with minimal effort.

With the new riding position, every little irregularity in the road is felt.  I think this is due to both the shift of rider weight forward and the fact that the handlebars now transmit more feel due to the weight on the palms.

The forward weight bias is a problem for the stock springs, at least at my weight.  The forks bottomed HARD for the first time today.  The bike also exhibits more (or more apparent) brake dive.  The rear shocks preload will also need to be eased up a notch, as the rear end seems a little more bouncy due to the more forward weight bias, especially under braking.  These will not be a long-term problems, though, as I am just trying to find the time to install a Race Tech kit, which has straight-weight springs nearly twice as stiff as stock.

Nonetheless, even with the fork issues and bald Dunlops front and rear, the ride is very confidence-inspiring.  I have added considerable speed to the familiar corners in my area.  Took it to over 100 MPH today (on a closed course, of course) and the front end lightness at speed was gone.  Can't wait to check out the ride with new Metzeler's front and rear and the Race Tech kit installed.  Black Works shocks come next.

the (potential) downsides:  The riding position is a little too forward for my tall torso.  For someone of more normal height/trunk shape, though, the position should be better.  For me, I am bending so far forward that there is just a little too much pressure on my arms.  I am going to try some of the Cycle House longer-than-stock-but-look-like-stock risers from Hal.

Another downside is the ride comfort.  The flipside of the increased road feel is that you feel every ripple in the road, not to mention jarring bumps.  Long-term comfort seems to have been compromised.  Perhaps longer risers will put the bars back in the comfort zone.  I, however, am perfectly willing to live with this ride quality/handling tradeoff, but your mileage may vary.

What fun I have had with these bars.  It has been like rediscovering my bike!

I also have a pair of Chubby's "FL" bars (part # WO504 (Custom Chrome part # 10106)) to try out next.  They are bent much like the stock Harley Softail bars.  The WO504's have more pullback and rise than the WO503's, with the grips angled back to the rider more like stock.  It may be that I get rid of them both and try out the WO518 ("RK II") bars.  They appear somewhere in between the WO503's and WO504's.

installation notes:  Put a thick towel on the tank.  Remove the plastic clips that hold the wiring and brake/clutch hoses in place.  Remove the brake and clutch reservoirs.  Remove the left side grip.  Remove the old bars and lay down on the towel/tank.

Remove the throttle side switch housing.  You will then need to file off a small peg that locates the switch housing into a hole in the stock bars.  I used a half-round bastard (file) and just filed the tabs from the housings without removing any of the switches.  Just take your time and each tab takes only a few minutes.

Apply grease to the inside of the housing where the cables connect to the throttle pipe.  Apply grease to the right side of the bars where the throttle pipe will slide.  Slide the switch housing onto the new bars.

Repeat for the clutch side switch housing.

Then, check for side-to-side clearance!  I nicked my tank on both sides by failing to adequately check the travel before jumping on.

Finally, take it easy on the test ride.  Everything seemed to settle in the first few times I turned the bars under load.  All of the allen-head bolts needed to be retightened after this.  Failure to get these tight could be fatal.  Plus, as stated above, the handling is so radically different that you may be surprised at the wrong time.

All Chubby bars are dimpled and drilled for internal wiring.  When I have decided on my final choice, I will definitely be running the wires inside.  This is a huge project, as both of the 9-pin connectors will have to be replaced.  There is no way that the stock connectors will pass through the bars, much less the exit slot.  This means cutting 36 wires and making 36 pin connections to new Molex connectors.  Unless someone can come up with a better idea, this means that the end of the switch harnesses will have to be permanently redone after the wires have been fed through and out of the bars.  You can see why I am holding off on the wiring until my mind is made up.

KuryAkyn tank mount cover:  As you may have come to expect from KA, a very nice looking product.  Also as you have come to expect from KA, the instructions are worthless.  No matter how I tried, the neck cover would not fit.  I finally had to file off a substantial amount of plastic in the rear where the mounting tab connects to the tank.  Even so, I had to dent the top of the piece just to get it crammed in.  Since I have the TBR triple clamps and an Interstate tank, the poor fit may not be KuryAkyn's fault.

One huge disappointment--even though it's a $25 piece, it is made of plastic!  The plastichrome job is very good, but it's still just plastic.  All in all, though, a very nice looking piece.  Once again, KuryAkyn makes a part that should have been on the bike in the first place.  Kudos to KA.