When I was a kid I bought a Schwinn Fastback Stingray bicycle. It had 5-speed gear shifting on the frame, banana seat and ape hangers. I rode it thru junior high and into high school until I snagged my driver’s license and my first motorcycle a 1969 Harley Rapido 125cc.
This summer I was looking at my 2007 Sportster XL and wondering why I didn’t enjoy riding it. It is reasonably quick with excellent handling and a lot of fun riding around town. I realized it lacked in the attitude department.
A bit of surfing Sportster internet websites, and I decided it was time for high-bars.
I ordered up a set of Burly 14” black narrow ape hangers and a LA Choppers brake line and cable kit. The initial mock up of the ape hangers on the Sporty lacked appeal. It looked all out of whack. I did a bit more internet searching and figured it out. The high bars look best on a late model Sporty with the plastic mounting hardware removed from the neck area under the tank. The Sportster looks even better if the tank is lifted Frisco style as the frame neck area has clean styling of its own.
Now, I am not the first to this and there is plenty of information on-line about this modification. It is also possible to purchase coil and ignition switch relocation mount kits. However I am a cheap bastard. Having already dropped $$$ on the bars and cable kit I decided to make my own coil and ignition bracket and gas tank lift tabs.
I had access to free material and a welder so I did it myself.
I moved the coil to the space under the gas tank between the cylinders and mounted the ignition switch to the bracket. The gas tank lift allowed me to run the control wires thru the handlebars and under the gas tank. The lift also allowed for room to install the ignition switch under the gas tank fuel line connection.
The Sporty with the highbars and gas tank lift.
The bars are at my shoulder level and legal.
A bit of “attitude” goes a long way. I’m gonna paint my house black this weekend.
Ride hard, ride fast and keep the rubber side down.
There more to the Church of High-Bars than meets the eye. If you need to know the evil spirit from the gypsy woman who blessed the first bars, check this article deep in the archives of Bikernet: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=9809. Even it can’t fully explain the transformation of the normal man into an evil beast behind tall chromed handlebars. Gives me the shakes to even discuss it.–Renegade
