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[strohkr]

I've just picked up my 2007 CVO Screaming Eagle Road King - WOW, what a bike!! Already have about 800 miles on it!! Seriously - this is the bike that Harley should have been making all along! What a different world from the Sportsters, Dyna's, V-Rod's, and Ultra's that I've owned. I think it's going to be CVO's (and probably RK's) from now on for me!!

However, I am 5'7" with a 29" inseam and 30" arm length - with the low seat height and how skinny the seat is - it seems to fit me fine - with one major exception.

The CVO stock RK handlebars.
When I sit on the bike my arms are almost straight out, fairly wide apart, and I tend to lean forward a tish. I think I need something that is going to offer me less width with some additional pull back so my arms aren't so straight and maybe offer me a greater deal of control of the bike in turns and such.

Everyone seems to rave about the Wild One's Chubby 508's.
I'm just wondering if anyone else out there in CVO land is vertically challenged (lol) and knows a route that I should go. I'm seriously considering trying the 508's but really have NO clue! HELP is needed!!

THANKS!!

[Twolanerider]

Bars and seats just have to be adjusted to us.  We're not a one size fits all people.  So if the stock bars won't adjust enough to come to you then swapping them to something that does fit is normal. 

On my prior Road Kings I had surprisingly good luck with a bar HD marketed as a "highway bar."  Brought it all closer to me and fit real well.  Then later (and again on the next Road King) used a Flanders bar that was great.  Check out their website and see the options there.

Only other suggestion would be to ride the stock seat enough to make sure it'll be ok.  Not just short runs but whatever consitutes long days for you too.  It'd suck to go to all the hassle of changing bars (lots of internal wiring on your bike) then later change a seat and find out your rear has changed position enough that the bars don't work again.

[Midnight Rider]

I'll second what Don just said...give the seat a few hundred miles more before deciding you like it or not.  I'm 5'8" with 29" inseam, but my arms are a bit longer, but not by much. The seat on my Ultra was fine at first, but after it was on there a couple of thousand miles, and I was in it for a couple of hundred miles at a time, I quickly grew to hate it.  I changed the seat, and it moved me back just a bit, so I changed the bars (was going to do that anyway).  The Wild 1 bars are nicely made, and look good too, but I'm sure there are other good options too.  I had to make my Ultra fit me, but it took a little while to figure out what I needed to do to get there.

Congrats on the new scooter...we need pics!!!!

[Eqcons]

I'll second what Don just said...give the seat a few hundred miles more before deciding you like it or not.  I'm 5'8" with 29" inseam, but my arms are a bit longer, but not by much. The seat on my Ultra was fine at first, but after it was on there a couple of thousand miles, and I was in it for a couple of hundred miles at a time, I quickly grew to hate it.  I changed the seat, and it moved me back just a bit, so I changed the bars (was going to do that anyway).  The Wild 1 bars are nicely made, and look good too, but I'm sure there are other good options too.  I had to make my Ultra fit me, but it took a little while to figure out what I needed to do to get there.

Congrats on the new scooter...we need pics!!!!

Do the Wild 1 bars come back further than the stock CUSE2 bars, TC?  I'm vertically challenged, and I'd be SO much more comfortable if I could a) get my arms lengthened by about 1" or b) have the bar ends about 1" further back!    I bought the MoCo's "touring pulback handlebars" a few years back for my then Ultra, but I didn't like them at all!  They flexed a fair bit, which ain't good on a heavy modersickle like an Ultra! 

Jim

[VAZHOG]

It should be possible to adjust the OEM bars if you loosen the risers and pull them down, It might not help with the spread but it will lower your reach (angle) loosen'em and sit on the bike and fit them to you. You may just save a little money to spend on a chrome inner primary

[Midnight Rider]

Do the Wild 1 bars come back further than the stock CUSE2 bars, TC?  I'm vertically challenged, and I'd be SO much more comfortable if I could a) get my arms lengthened by about 1" or b) have the bar ends about 1" further back!    I bought the MoCo's "touring pulback handlebars" a few years back for my then Ultra, but I didn't like them at all!  They flexed a fair bit, which ain't good on a heavy modersickle like an Ultra! 

Jim

Jim...the Wild 1 575 Chubby's are about 1-2" up and the same back, depending on how you position them when installing.  They are 1 1/4 bars in appearance, but where they clamp to the riser they are 1" so no problems there.  The ends are tapered to take the stock grips, and other parts on the end of the bars.  IMO, they look better on the bike than the stockers, the riding position for me is better, and the wrist position is much improved.  hd-dude is a dealer for the Wild 1's and gives a bit of a discount to us.  It is not a simple install because of the internal wiring and getting to the riser clamps, but it's not too bad.  Just allow yourself a day and at least 4 beers...

[Eqcons]

Jim...the Wild 1 575 Chubby's are about 1-2" up and the same back, depending on how you position them when installing.  They are 1 1/4 bars in appearance, but where they clamp to the riser they are 1" so no problems there.  The ends are tapered to take the stock grips, and other parts on the end of the bars.  IMO, they look better on the bike than the stockers, the riding position for me is better, and the wrist position is much improved.  hd-dude is a dealer for the Wild 1's and gives a bit of a discount to us.  It is not a simple install because of the internal wiring and getting to the riser clamps, but it's not too bad.  Just allow yourself a day and at least 4 beers...

Cheers, TC!  Sounds similar in dimension to the MoCo ones I tried - no flex in them at all? I like the angle (side to side) that the standard grips are at, and the HD pullbax changed that and turned them in, which I also didn't like much - how are the Chubs in that respect?

Jim

[Midnight Rider]

Cheers, TC!  Sounds similar in dimension to the MoCo ones I tried - no flex in them at all? I like the angle (side to side) that the standard grips are at, and the HD pullbax changed that and turned them in, which I also didn't like much - how are the Chubs in that respect?

Jim

No flex from the bars, Jim.  There are a couple of other weak links in the front ends of the FLH bikes though, but little we can do about them reasonably.  The Chubby's are a bit wider, and the angle of the grips after install keeps your hands in line with your lower arm, not cocked to over to the right like the stock bars.  Just move your hands apart, keeping wrists/hands in alignment,  as if you are gripping the handlebars, and that will tell you exactly how the Chubby's feel in your hands...no need to flex the wrist in any direction.  Hands are still behind the batwing though, so no problems there.  Only things that have to be changed are the brake lines for the front, all other wires/cables will reach fine.  2" extended brake line kit will do the trick...it includes three lines and a connector T (chrome hockey puck).  Several people here have done them...there's a whole writeup I did in the CUSE section back in early December.  Others have added to it to make it better.

The bars and the Corbin seat got the bike ergonomics right for me.  3-5 hundred miles is not a big deal at all now, where before I was in pain.

[Eqcons]

No flex from the bars, Jim.  There are a couple of other weak links in the front ends of the FLH bikes though, but little we can do about them reasonably.  The Chubby's are a bit wider, and the angle of the grips after install keeps your hands in line with your lower arm, not cocked to over to the right like the stock bars.  Just move your hands apart, keeping wrists/hands in alignment,  as if you are gripping the handlebars, and that will tell you exactly how the Chubby's feel in your hands...no need to flex the wrist in any direction.  Hands are still behind the batwing though, so no problems there.  Only things that have to be changed are the brake lines for the front, all other wires/cables will reach fine.  2" extended brake line kit will do the trick...it includes three lines and a connector T (chrome hockey puck).  Several people here have done them...there's a whole writeup I did in the CUSE section back in early December.  Others have added to it to make it better.

The bars and the Corbin seat got the bike ergonomics right for me.  3-5 hundred miles is not a big deal at all now, where before I was in pain.

Sounds perfect!  Shame they need the extended brake line kit (I thought our ones WERE the extended ones!), but that's no big deal. 

Jim

[Midnight Rider]

Sounds perfect!  Shame they need the extended brake line kit (I thought our ones WERE the extended ones!), but that's no big deal. 

Jim

The problem is from the master to the T...the rest would be fine, but the stock unit is a one piece thing, believe it or not, so you have to get 'em all.  If you pull the lower cover off from the bottom, you'll see what I'm talking about.  You will need a good set of ball head allens, the service manual, and some patience.  Once you get the old bars off, take 'em to the work bench to do the wires...makes life a whole lot simpler.

[Eqcons]

The problem is from the master to the T...the rest would be fine, but the stock unit is a one piece thing, believe it or not, so you have to get 'em all.  If you pull the lower cover off from the bottom, you'll see what I'm talking about.  You will need a good set of ball head allens, the service manual, and some patience.  Once you get the old bars off, take 'em to the work bench to do the wires...makes life a whole lot simpler.

Yup, just read your (excellent!) December thread on the install.  I bought a set of ball end allen sockets off Ebay the other month, and they have become the most useful tools I've ever bought! 

Jim

[SOKOOLJ]

I am just as vertically chalenged as well, and was thinking of changing out the bars also. I happened to mention it to the service manager during the last service and he said he could adjut them to me, 15 minutes later he had me go back to the bike, sat in the saddle, had the wrench adjust them about 1/2 inch back. Great fit now, and saved me the $$$. No complaints here.

SOKOOL

[strohkr]

Hey SOCOOL - enlighten me - how'd they do that? My dealer told me there wasn't any way.
I've got the SERK and that would be a great solution - rather than spending almost $1k to have them install a new bar (I think that's NUTZ!).
I could probably live with the width - but I'd like to get it back a tish so I'm not leaning forward. I've got a Cruiser not a Sportbike!!

[Eqcons]

I am just as vertically chalenged as well, and was thinking of changing out the bars also. I happened to mention it to the service manager during the last service and he said he could adjut them to me, 15 minutes later he had me go back to the bike, sat in the saddle, had the wrench adjust them about 1/2 inch back. Great fit now, and saved me the $$$. No complaints here.

SOKOOL

I doubt that the CUSE bars would give me any more reach that they already do though. The angle they are at puts them about as good as they get.

Jim