Adventures in Customization: Fit (part 2)

This season started out the same for me, wobble wobble wobble. After I dropped my bike once this year (see my first post), DH declared we were going to lower my bike and get my feet firmly on the ground! It took about two weeks for us to research and decide how to lower a Sportster Low: Chop Shop? Custom Shocks? a Kit?

All the options seemed $$$ and heavy on time. We found two options. Licks Cycles and Burly Cycles have lowering kits for my bike that won't break the bank. Their reviews were good, and installation was easy with a couple of wrenches and some Locktite. I chose the Licks 10 inch shock in black. It lowered my bike about an inch and a half on the back end. I recommend the Burly Slammer Kit if you want to lower your front forks too.

My seat width and the seat height problems were solved. I'm able to catch the bike now when it wobbles. This change made me more confidant on the bike and certainly more adventurous. Unfortunately, I was still coming home sore in the shoulders at the end of my rides.

When I went to the Harley dealer with this problem they recommended I change my handlebars. I was well aware of the hornets nest that is handebar selection after watching DH comb the net and catalogs for the right bars and the right length of cables to match. I really wasn't interested in pouring over all the options to find the perfect bars. Thankfully, Harley is big onpushing their "dark custom" modules for younger riders who don't like all the chrome (I'm one of them!). Well, part of this "dark custom" product line is a kit for small ape hangers (mine are half the size of Brads) and the cables pre-made to match. I was all about a cheap ready to go kit, that I could quickly get installed. This kit saved me months of uncomfortable riding. I'm now sitting up straight and managing the bike instead of it managing me. My rides are getting steadily longer (up to 100 mi or more a day) and the soreness is less (it is still exercise after all.)

And the best part is I have more black parts on my bike, and less shiny parts to polish :)