everytime i watch these videos i find myself on the harley website looking at shit i can't afford lol
I dig the bars on my stock 17 Road King! I did install Magnum grips...yes, always do left before right...
Watching your videos is therapeutic and relaxing in a way. Good stuff.
Great channel you've created. Love seeing behind the service doors of a Harley dealership. I think I may try this as a second career down the road. Love working on my Street Glide Special!
It really is a fun job. Thanks for the channel love, I’m having a great time making the videos, too. It’s a double whammy of good times at the dealership these days, haha
On a different note...I love your shop-mates "cup technique"! Im going to start leaving the drink tray on the cup from now on 😉 Very classy 😎
I did bars on 2 of my Harleys. Not real hard but very time consuming to extend the wires, and i didnt even run inside the bars. Props to this guy for the hard work of running the wires inside the bars.
One of the reasons you get the accessory catalog with ever new bike...going to add up my additions one day.
Tip: I've used dawn dish soap to slide the cables through. Just a tiny bit on your fingers - slide the cables through fingers the entire length. No mess and keeps the inside of the bars clean ;)
I agree, the road king special is an awesome platform. I’m waiting on my 1.5”x16” apes to come in for mine now, just installed the la pera Bare bones yesterday. I still have much more planned for it.
So,done doing the job right by the customer and a great finished look!
Great job once again. I like my stock bars. Don't think I'll go through all that any time soon.
Your Co worker and the drink Carrier cracked me up 😎👊🏽
I’m going to install 12 “ Malo on my 2018 RKS, and this video is just what I needed to get the job done! Thanks JM.
Not wild about the new bars myself but you did a great job on the install. Like his speedo with the tach combo and I keep meaning to get one like it for my Night Train, I just never seem to get around to it. Keep the videos coming, love them.
Added a front headlight trim ring to my 2014 Street Glide. Standard US screwdrivers didn't seem to fit the single screw they use to tighten the trim ring. Found that a Japanese spec screwdriver fits perfectly. Didn't realize the difference till I had to tighten that particular screw. All after about stripping it and cussing. I worked on med stations for hospitals and that's where the specialty tools came in.
I live in Canada but i would definetly go to your shop to have anything done on my bike. Great tech !
Thanks for the video Johh, btw watching it made want to go upgrade from my Fatboy Super to a 2019 Road King Special. Best upgrade ever!
I like the fender and tank guards you got for working
Love the RK Special best looking spec in the RK line up no doubt. Using an old pull chain for stringing wires is a great tip.
John, your vids are awesome, love watching and also the music you add. *thumbs up*
I was new bike shopping in 2017 and the Road King seemed like it fit the bill. I sat on one and hated the handlebars and seat so much the RK got scratched off my “maybe” list. The idea I would spend all that money for a bike that was unbearable while still in the showroom was simply not going to happen. What is/was HD thinking? Suddenly the far more comfortable Road Glide made sense.....sorta.
I don’t know jack about mechanics and I didn’t learn squat from watching this video but man, I’ve never enjoyed a shop video like this! The editing is great, the commentary is fun. You rock! I subscribed and look forward to more.
You can do it !! No special tools required. Just lay stuff out carefully as you disassemble . You can find bars at a swap meet for bargain prices. Great confidence builder !
It's rare to find people like you who actually like working on stuff. Yeah its a job and work sucks but you are good at what you do.
Thanks man. It’s only kinda work. Mostly it’s just fun. Glad I have the opportunity to share it!
I’m going to keep trying snapping my fingers and disassemble stuff 😂 subscribed
Awesome videos with a ton of info.....real pleased I came across your site couple months back and subscribed,keep those videos coming John.I ride a 03 Road King had it from new and still going strong just cant afford one of these Special's at the moment, but on the wish list.A big howdy from New Zealand to you all.
Thanks for watching the vids! Glad you’re enjoying them. Glad the King is running strong!
I love my Road King.. it's a 2000 with the TC88 but alot of xtras including extended long rear fender and bags,Vance and Hines exhaust and much more.. best money I've spent
I can not thank you enough for this video. I had a problem with my handle bars getting a tad loose. Always heard how hard it was to do anything with handlebars on a Road King, Well thanks to your video, me and my brother took everything off tightened my handle bars and had it all back together in about 30 minutes. Thanks!
You got this entire job done in 16 minutes. I’m impressed!
I really li,e the Freight Train nacelle, might get one for mine about 350 pound though over here, everything for HD is expensive. You're doing great with your subscriptions John, well done amigo😎👍
Enjoy watching your videos. I watched this one again, to try to see if I could shed some light on an issue I have with my 96 Road King. My handlebar star/ kill switch has been acting up. Works sometimes, fuel pump kicks on when the run switch is on, just wont start when the switch is pressed.
Hey John. I liked the use of the torque wrench for proper install! 👍
I agree with You John, the RK Special is awesome, took one for a test ride really, really liked it, Your vlogs are interesting and entertaining, keep them coming.
Glad you’re enjoying the content! I legit thought about offing my bikes for the RK special when it came out last year. I just don’t ride enough right now to make sense of a payment! Kids ya know!
Power tool POV!!!! That's a first I've seen! A+ on them there filmin' skills!
I just stumble across your channel and you have very good quality content. Subscribed 🤘🏼
To adjust the handlebars on 2014 and newer Road Kings, do you still have to get in thru the headlight?
Nah, there’s a removable decorative plate to remove. Then you can reach 2 of the 4 bolts. Loosen, adjust, tighten. Nice touch on the newer models.
@@TheHarleyTech Thanks for the quick reply but where is the decorative plate? Do you mean the piece that covers the adjusting bolts just pops off?
Klein makes a wire pulling lubricant in a spray can and hose which is perfect for this. It’s water based and dries nicely.
John, I’m new to your channel. Love the install videos brother. Love the channel keep the videos coming
Great vid, yeah as soon as you walk by one of these in a dealership the sales rep makes sure you know that the bars can be changed out. haha
Sweet video John! Thanks ....(I’m ready for Spring) .....RIDING WEATHER MAN.....
Dayaum John!! love the video, looking good bro. Giving you a big dirty thumbs up. See you in the road if I come back to Columbus one day! btw: if it the same pain for a beach bar??
Nicely done!! Gotta love the upgrades!! Cheers Broski!
Big thumbs up man. Great video. Anyone who bitches about the 6 hr labour charge to do this swap should watch this video. You nailed it on the stock bars on this bike. I’m convinced they are a bad joke by the engineers at HD. I ride the same bike and a set of Arlen Ness 13 modular bars were the first thing I swapped. Looking forward to more vids. 👍
Envious of the fender and tank protectors during the job. Man, I could use those!
Great vid John do you know if the Road Glide Special handle bar would fit that bike? My last bike was a 15 Road glide ultra CVO and I loved the riding position. Your right the stock bars totally suck
Just came upon your video... Informative... Now do the risers come off on all RK's?
He’s got the 3 in 1 speedo, tell him to change out those gawdy gas caps for flush gas mounts. That’s what mine has....I also put KST 16 apes on and the two auxiliary head lamps with turn signals....now I’m half tempted to get that big mill 8 131ci!
A job well done. Was just wondering how long did it take to change the bars out what would a job like that cost?
gold Yamaha to change the handlebars - now I own HD and the way I see it, I'm not looking forward to it like before 🤣
How long did it take you to install them? And how much does the shop charge?
John, I have an 02 road king classic. I just bought 12" apes. Will I need to extend anything for the bar swap? Thanks bro!
Hows it going.....I also have an 02 RK...looking to raise up the bars...I'm not that tall....I'm only 5'8"....not sure how tall to go with the bars...was thinking the 12 inch also...how do they feel on your bike ..if I may ask...??
I just demo'd the RK Special, and I found those stock bars to be way too wide for me when making turns, particularly u-turns and the like. I'm only 5'9", and it seems those bars are for someone six foot four or for some true ape with hair on his knuckles. I was really put off by it. But the worst thing is it's going to fall on me to pay to have some different bar put on it if I can't resist buying it. I dig the look of the bike, but I know Heritage doesn't have the bar issue for me like the RK. We'll see.
I’m not a fan of the look of a lot of the newer bikes - BUT - these roadking S’ have some potential for sure. (Cosmetically speaking)
G' day mate , Thanks for your help !! if you come to Australia , I owe you a Beer !!
Just put this here so you could say; OH YEAH?! WELL, I'm still getting comments after 3 years!
I have a 2008 Road King Classic and I'm wanting to get taller bars. I have 16s on my other bike and really like them but I don't think I want to go as high. I was thinking 12s or 14s for the RK. What are your thoughts and at what point do I need to replace the lines on an '08?
Since I put on sum KST Customs 14" black 1 1/2" Spearheads on my Special, I gotsa a MANCRUSH on ma 2019 Road King Special!!!
Hey john I put some 16 inch bars on my 99 road king police it got an 88 on it did away with the horn bottom an the flashlight button got everything working but no power to the starter.
Great video man. Keep up the good work. I was checking out your dealer website, you guys have a lot better service rates than here in Michigan.
Larry may i ask what part of michigan you are from, i am in the flint area
Really like that speedometer. Might pick one up for my sporty
It is a nice one, I keep saying I’m gonna put one in my sporty. Then I go off and buy more camera gear...ah the struggle!
lot of work great video all your videos are real well done thanks again keep em coming
I am in the midst of this job. When I remove the wires from the connectors , how do I get them back in the right place. I totally agree that the handlebars suck. I am 74 years , & I've had days when my wrists & shoulders hurt very bad. [Arthritis] I previously had a Road Glide CVO, which I loved , but at my age the weight difference was a factor. The bars on a Road Glide [late model] are the best. !! Thanks for your informative video !
Follow up ! I finished the job with little difficulty. Unplugging the control modules from the wiring made it easy , EXCEPT that you pull the TBW the opposite way from the other wires. Used some sash cord I fished thru & gave that side a shot of WD 40 . Your video gave me the confidence I needed !!
Looks great, love the new bars nice job man.
I freaking love the music on this video. Also I learned a hell of a lot. 👍(Big dirty thumbs up)👍
If I want to angle the bars back towards me a little more, is it just a matter of loosening the lock collar, adjusting the bar position, and tightening? They are currently too upright for my liking.
Thanks.
Pulling the wires is so much easier when you slather the wires with sylglide, silicon paste makes it slippery and doesn’t eat plastic
/ rubber
I bought a used '05 Road King Classic. I'm short, and want to put another set of handle bars on the bike. I have to lean forward too much and it gets uncomfortable on a long ride. What do you recommend. I dont want to get too wild with super tall bars.
Hey John , quick question for the handle bars. I want to put them forward like you said put your wrist in an awkward position for your hand controls. Just wondering how you took the nacel off. riding the 2018 Road King special. Thanks. Love your videos and give you dirty thumbs up
Good video. I'm changing from beach bars to Tallboy bars on my '05 Road King now. Similar, but different.
Hey john , I just bought a 2002 road king classic and the bars are bent so i need to change them out, however im 6'2 and it feels small to me but i dont want bars that are really high, i like the way these look on the bike you just did but i noticed you comment on how wide the are. what do you recommend ? This is my first harley but Ive been riding my whole life but motocross.
Great video! Looking forward to changing out my SGS bars with something different. Not sure with what yet though. Got a different question for you. What are your thoughts on the tranny to primary fluid transfer issue (TA0022) and the sumping issue (M1450) on the M8? I love mine and at this stage I have not experienced any the issues on mine. The only issue I ran into was a defective lower pushrod cover which was replaced by warranty. Keep up the great videos!
I like this guy not scared to speak his mind. "Yea Harley you write my checks. But what can I say your bars look like shit." Lol
Haha, the MoCo isn’t signing the checks, the guy paying me to install his new goodies is who pays!
Still gotta work it's way down the ladder lol need to hookup and ride some time I live in Boaz AL. I'm always rideing around GA.
John freaking awesome video. I do have a question. I just purchased an 18 RK Special and bought 14" FMB Chopper Mercenary Apes. I also purchased the HD Wiring extension. Plus how much length should I buy the Brake/Clutch lines? Would I need a throttle extension as well? Any specific vendor you recommend?
When pulling wire through a tight conduit / handle bars use shaving cream because it dries to a powder. I had a old timer teach me that , now I’m the old timer.
Could you elaborate on depinning the right side wide black clip? I really had a hard time getting the pins out, one of my molex clips came off. I flipped the stop open and tried with a wire to get them out but really had a hard time. Do you depin from the front, inside the molex connector, on top of? Etc?
I am going to install handlebars that fit a Road Glide Special onto my Road King Special. Much more comfortable than those damn stock RK bars. WTF were they thinking?
I like your channel, but serious question here. Does all this fancy camera work add to the billable hours the customer receives? Would appear setting cameras up for cool shots would only prolong the service.
John, off topic but relates to wiring heated grips on older models. What is the way to release the secondary lock (orange part) of the fuse box to insert the switch relay wire into said fuse box? Any chance of a video? I gave up and tapped in to that wire at the accessory switch. Thanks Bob
I have a 2007 RKC. What is your opinion of the WO515 10" bar as an upgrade? Some have recommended the HD Highway Bar.
Have you ever installed a 39" Burly Longhorn Beach Bar? Can't find a Cable Kit anywhere. And have no clue how much over stock in Extensions I need for all cables. Any help? Thanks for your time.
Hi John, I’m a new rider and I just bought a 2017 Fatboy S. I want to change the bars for something 10-12” / 1 1/2” Do you think because I’m new it my be harder to ride? Btw since I started looking for my new motorcycle I have been watching your vids. Great job
Great vid John. Hey, I really liked the lower rpm of the Milwaukee 8 but missed the shake of my 103. Is there a counterbalance delete kit for the M8 to get the shake back? Thanks again.
Nah. I think the shake is gone. Word on the street is that they actually counterbalanced it more than what it is now. They had eliminated all shake, took some of that weight back out. I guess really they probably developed the softail version, and realized that wasn’t as desireable for the touring frame.
Hey John. Totally off topic but how hot should a big twin get at the heads What do you think about putting on love jugs? Rushmore touring if it matters. Thanks for all the vids man!
Question. I took my bars off to powder coat. When putting the throttle by wire back, I see it has 2 plugs. The plug that has the 2 wires black and white. Where does it plug into?
Your explanation of what's gonna happen to your coworker sounds like something I woulda said at my old boat factory job.
"I'm gonna stand on my head and ratchet this part on, I need you to do a tap-dance whilst rubbing yer stomach and hold this wrench"
Great video. Lots of very good info thank you. One question I have is tho on the 14 later touring can u do 12” bars without changing cables or do u need to change them on 12” and higher? Thanks keep it coming and ride safe
Hey John. Love your vids. One of these days I'm gonna ride down there and say hi in person. Quick question, I see that you have the beaded pull chain to get your wires pulled, but what is the fabric cord you are using to actually pull the wires through?
John what's the part number/name of the wire extension that you used? Is it a Harley part? Do you have to cut and solder or does it extend from plug to plug?
Can you provide the part number for the 1” riser/clamp combo? The link doesn’t take me to it. Thanks.
Moving my ‘14 Road King handlebars tomorrow-16” apes are scraping the windshield when it’s on...don’t suppose you know the torque spec for the riser bolts?
Yeah those stock bars suck I've ridden one they're very uncomfortable and they looks stupid as hell. You did a really good job man you make it look easy most of the mechanics in the Chicagoland area cry about doing handlebars. There's a lot of mechanics that don't know what the hell they're doing but I will give it to you man you are on top of your game. I know I commented about this before but I think it's great that you cover the tank and fender I've been to every dealership in Illinois and I would say I have been in the back more than half of the dealerships and I've never seen them cover those parts. I wish you were in my area I will tell you this I would not be nervous at all having you wrench on my bike Your dealership is lucky to have you.
Thanks man. I cover stuff if I’m working over it. I’ve had a few comments about not covering the tank, but why cover the tank when doing a rear tire??? Everyone at my shop hates handlebars, too. I love them and hate motors, haha. So it works out. They do motors, I do handlebars!
I have a 2020 RK and I'm going with 12' but will I void the warranty if swap the bars out myself? I'm just not looking to fork out 600 duckies
I think your videos are great and really make me appreciate my Harley mechanic. Id let you work on my Road King anytime.
The video editing on that headlight removal was some Grade A work, man. I had to watch it about 5-6 times to understand how it looked so perfect. lol
I’m not a fan of that style handlebars. I like the chisel style better. However, what’s the approximate time involved in doing 14” bars? Or have you done a 14” set yet? Thanks in advance for your input and I enjoy your videos.
We charge about 8 hours ($680)for 14” bars. It’s called considerably more time consuming.
Hey John, I have a 07 Ultra Classic and I want to change stock bars to 12" bars. Any quick tips? Also, would I have to change brake line, throttle cables or clutch cable?
Have you done tbars on a RK? I want to put some on mine but haven’t found a clean solution to that riser cover. Any thoughts?
It's great to see someone who shares the same passion as I in doing things the RIGHT way! True sign of a great tech! Keep it up John. Your videos are awesome!!!!