Gauge and riser question?

[Crypto]

Just got my 07 sporty about a month ago, and one of my first mods was to put a 4" raise on the bars. I like having the bars a little higher and a little closer, but now the problem is that the mounting bracket for the speedo is angled, and with the riser installed its tilted at such a steep angle that the gauge is harder to read. Went to talk to the parts man at the dealership and he showed me an interesting speedo relocator kit that mounts it off of the fork, putting it below the bars. I like the idea, but I'm wondering if there are any other options out there, like after-market gauges or anything else that might let me keep the speedo where it's at, but just angle it back a little more.

Anybody ever put risers on their sporty and find out that it messed with the gauge position? What kind of work-arounds are there for it?

 

[Crypto]

Sorry to bump, just wondering if you could recommend someone to talk to, even if you can't answer yourself. Pics added for clarity, notice how high the gauge sits.

 

[Breeze3at]

The Harley parts & acc. catalog has a mount that attaches to h-bar clamp. Also try searching in J&P or Dennis Kirk on line catalogs for a bracket. Can your bracket be bent to change the angle?

 

[Randy007]

When I bought my 1995 xlh, it had 4" pulled back risers. The previous
owner mounted his speedo and tach on top of the headlight shield. He used
tube spacers for clearance and visibilty. It is a less expensive alternative
than buy new mounts.

Sorry can't give you pictures since I converted the risers back to stock.

 

[Crypto]

The Harley parts & acc. catalog has a mount that attaches to h-bar clamp. Also try searching in J&P or Dennis Kirk on line catalogs for a bracket. Can your bracket be bent to change the angle?

What page is that h-bar mount on? I could bend it, according to the dealership mechanics, but there's a risk that the instruments might not fit in afterwards (specifically the status lights under the gauge, since that's right in the area where the bending/ reshaping will be done).


@Randy007: How exactly were they mounted on the headlight? Did he drill holes in the headlight shield?

 

[Randy007]

Crypto,

No drilling necessary.....the mounting holes on the handlebar clamp is the same width as the headlight shield mounts. At least for '95 models.

Went through the same dilemma as you.
Searched the internet, shops, meets, etc. Finally bought some stainless steel sheet
and made my own.

 

[Crypto]

Thanks, Randy. The fixes they're offering me at the shop all involve buying a whole new set of bars, risers, and cables. Although the pull-back bars with the gauge built into the riser DO look nice, I'd rather work with what I've got.

Too bad you didn't take pics of your old gauge setup, wish I could see your work. :-/

 

[SilverFoXD]

Just got my 07 sporty about a month ago, and one of my first mods was to put a 4" raise on the bars. I like having the bars a little higher and a little closer, but now the problem is that the mounting bracket for the speedo is angled, and with the riser installed its tilted at such a steep angle that the gauge is harder to read. Went to talk to the parts man at the dealership and he showed me an interesting speedo relocator kit that mounts it off of the fork, putting it below the bars. I like the idea, but I'm wondering if there are any other options out there, like after-market gauges or anything else that might let me keep the speedo where it's at, but just angle it back a little more.

Anybody ever put risers on their sporty and find out that it messed with the gauge position? What kind of work-arounds are there for it?

While not real sharp, here is a photo of a similar setup on a Dyna. The speedometer was almost vertical.

The bar clamping surfaces tilt with the pullback in the risers. What we need is to have the surfaces remain parallel with the top of the triple tree so the speedo stays in the same relative plane as it was when stock.

If someone finds a solution, please post. I liked the pullback but not the speedo position and reverted to the stock setup.

 

[take2la]

I recently modded my risers and gauges this way. Its relatively easy mod. I'm tall so I don't have a problem seeing the gauges over the clamp but someone smaller might. This is the only downside to the mod. It looks cool, was easy to do and fit tight and snug.
You just expand the mounting bracket holes to align with the headlamp cowling bolts and space it. I used chrome spacers and about a 1/2" of rubber flooring material (unseen) to allow the harness and LED wires leads to breath. I'll link to a pick asap.
Best of luck

here's a pic of the mod
twitpic.com/3biwo5