TFI and Heritage bars on 09 Road King

[rob7711]

Hey thanks bfmitch and glider for your response. Could I also check with you guys on the final rise and pull back you managed to achieve with the Heritage bars and how it affected your overall ride and handling? Is replacement of the left grip mandatory or can the original be salvaged in this conversion? Sorry I am a newbie in regards to this matter and your experience would be invaluable to me. Thanks again. Cheers.

 

[Bud White]

With the Heritage bars made for the Throttle By Wire touring models there was no need to replace any wiring. I didn't even have the issue with the brake line.

The most frustrating part of the entire job was getting the new left grip to stick. The glue that came with my Kuryakyn grips was no good. Nothing I had around would work. I finally bought some grip glue at the dealer. It worked great.

i ran into the grip glue problems when i did the same change last year

 

[bfmitch]

Hey thanks bfmitch and glider for your response. Could I also check with you guys on the final rise and pull back you managed to achieve with the Heritage bars and how it affected your overall ride and handling? Is replacement of the left grip mandatory or can the original be salvaged in this conversion? Sorry I am a newbie in regards to this matter and your experience would be invaluable to me. Thanks again. Cheers.

I'll have to take some measurements this evening to tell you the actual numbers. What replacing the handlebars did for me was to sit me more upright on the bike. It is much more comfortable but it did change the handling a bit. It took me a couple weeks to really get used to it.

I ended up rotating the handlebars backwards just a bit more too. That lowered my shoulders and got my forearms basically parallel with the ground. The handlebar uprights are not in line with the forks now. That changes handling a bit too.

I didn't even try to take off the old left grip beyond a little half-hearted twisting and pulling. When I bought the handlebars the dealer sold me a replacement OEM grip for the left side for just a few dollars. If you like the OEM grips just get a replacement. I wouldn't count on being able to remove the old grip.

You're just like I was before I made the change. You're reading all kinds of posts about it and asking yourself if it's really a good idea or not. Knowing what I know now I'd say just do it. (That's the same recommendation I got when I asked folks about it.) Between the handlebars and the driver's backrest I put on a few weeks ago I'm in HOG heaven. (appropriate, eh?) If I had to replace my RK now I'd just have the dealer put those handlebars on it in the first place.

 

[billnapabill]

TFI and Stage 1
Did my stage 1 last Friday. I already had Rush pipes with 2" baffles on the bike. I had bought a TFI and had it sitting on the shelf until I got my Screaming Eagle AC. Finally got the AC last Friday and got everything installed Friday afternoon.

Installing the TFI is easy. Just follow the instructions. I used the settings in the instruction sheet. Set the Green pot to 2:30, the Yellow to 3:25, the Red to 3:15 and the RPM pot to 4:00. You have to look at the total width of the arrow on the pot and figure out the position you want. You'll get it after a couple minutes.

The instructions don't tell you how to route the wiring from the TFI to the fuel injectors. (I had a professor who would say "that exercise is left for the student") I put my TFI in the empty spot behind the right side cover. I routed the wiring up along the frame member next to the tank. So far it looks to be staying there just fine.

The AC is actually harder to install than the TFI, although anyone who can follow instructions can get it done. Put just a bit of grease on the O rings so they stay in the shoulder of the bolt. If you don't the O ring can move and it will get pinched in the wrong position. You can probably guess how I learned that.

What a difference. The exhaust popping on deceleration is gone. As is the occasional loud backfire on startup when the engine was hot and had only been shut off for a few minutes. Just a nice loud burble when I back off the throttle. Acceleration is also much better. The RK wasn't bad to begin with but now it's in another class. It accelerates better and pulls longer in each gear. Two up the Road King can now, suprisingly, pull away from my son's '08 Super Glide Custom pretty smartly. That's when he is One up. Used to be I had to work to stay with him.

I filled up my tank just before installing the stage 1 parts. I calculated that tank at 39.7 MPG. That was a mix of riding two up and by myself, mostly around town. After installing the stage 1 I rode Sunday and Monday. Pretty much the same kind of riding except I have to admit I got on it a bit. When I refilled I got 37.8 MPG. Not too shabby. If I can leave the throttle alone I might do better. But, where's the fun in that?

The engine is running cooler too. The semi-scientific measurement I'm using is the heat on the back of my right leg and the fact that the rear cylinder didn't have to shut off when I was caught in traffic yesterday. I'll be changing to synthetic oil (Red Line) this weekend. It should be even better when that's done. I'm going to need every bit of cooling I can get when the temperature really starts to climb around here.

The bike even sounds better now.


Heritage Bars
Today I installed the new Heritage bars made for the FLHR. The dealer quoted me $800 to install them. The bars were $79.95. (I could have saved 20% by ordering them but I'm sometimes a spur of the moment person for stuff like that.) I installed the bars myself in about 3 hours. That's with quite a few smoke and coffee breaks while I re-read the manual. I used a replacement factory left grip from the dealer for $6.95.

Here's something to remember. I didn't see it in the manual. Remove the plastic cable ties that hold the wiring from the controls tight to the handlebars. If you don't, the wiring that runs through the bars will get hung up on them as they stick inside the handlebar. (three guesses how I learned that one.) I popped them out and the wiring slide through nice as can be. Buy 4 of them when you get the bars. They don't go back in as nicely after you pull them out.

You can install the part of the harness that runs from the throttle control to the nacelle before you put the new bars on. I did that and didn't need any sort of wire to snake the harness through the handle bars. Gravity and the stiffness of the harness did the trick.

Do be careful when disconnecting the wiring on the throttle control from the harness. If you break the little green locking tab there is no fix to it. At least that's what the manual says. I figure you could wrap the connector with electrical tape and it would hold together pretty well. I didn't make that mistake since I'm used to dealing with connectors like that.

After a 20 mile ride I like the new bars but they do make the bike handle a bit differently. It leans into corners much faster now (I think because I'm sitting more upright) and is more sensitive on the nasty gravel road I have to drive on. I'll get used to that.

Sorry for the long winded post. I figured some of you might want to hear about it.

Good read, the Heritage bars are a very good option for the Road Glides too, I've had them on all 3 of mine. No need for new cables or break lines or wire extentions and they raise and pull back just far enought to get that nasty leaning over the tank hitch outa yer sholders.
One question, no problem with the Drive By Wire Throttle huh?, I heard that thing is kinda sensitive.

 

[rob7711]

I'll have to take some measurements this evening to tell you the actual numbers. What replacing the handlebars did for me was to sit me more upright on the bike. It is much more comfortable but it did change the handling a bit. It took me a couple weeks to really get used to it.

I ended up rotating the handlebars backwards just a bit more too. That lowered my shoulders and got my forearms basically parallel with the ground. The handlebar uprights are not in line with the forks now. That changes handling a bit too.

I didn't even try to take off the old left grip beyond a little half-hearted twisting and pulling. When I bought the handlebars the dealer sold me a replacement OEM grip for the left side for just a few dollars. If you like the OEM grips just get a replacement. I wouldn't count on being able to remove the old grip.

You're just like I was before I made the change. You're reading all kinds of posts about it and asking yourself if it's really a good idea or not. Knowing what I know now I'd say just do it. (That's the same recommendation I got when I asked folks about it.) Between the handlebars and the driver's backrest I put on a few weeks ago I'm in HOG heaven. (appropriate, eh?) If I had to replace my RK now I'd just have the dealer put those handlebars on it in the first place.

Hey thanks again bfmitch for your views and info ... yes you are right in saying that I am at where you were before ... apprehensive on this conversion. This is further compounded by the Harley dealership where I bought my bike from informing me that I MUST also change the cables etc if I were to do this conversion.

I am definitely sure that I need new bars as I have added pull back risers to my VN900 back home before and it felt great after that. Its the unanswered question of the cables, etc that worries me as I intend to order the parts from the states and have them shipped. Having the bars and then finding out I also need extension cables, clutch and brake lines kinda (EDIT) if you know what I mean. Thanks again. Cheers!

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 

[bfmitch]

Sorry, I got draggged away last night and just went out to get those measurements now. As I tried to make them I realized that the standard pullback and rise measurements are already available. What you probably, really want is something different. i.e. How will the handlebars change how you sit on the bike?

I could make measurements relative to the tank, seat, steering head, etc... but that is all affected by the angle the handlebars are mounted at in relation to the forks.

Tell me what it is you really want to know.

 

[rob7711]

Thanks again bmitch for your efforts. You do not need to take any measurements actually. Do you have the part number for the original bars that comes standard with the RK? If you do than comparison with others will be much easier. Cheers!

 

[airheadpainter]

So, on the bars, did it get rid of that leaning forward feeling? Were you able to use the Original brake line and cables? Was the final cost less than 100 bucks? I started to have baby Apes put on my 09 RK, but when the parts guy said 600 bucks for the ABS brake line, I shut down the project, figuring I would find some other way.