Table of Contents
EVO: Body Parts
HANDLEBARS, LEVERS & CABLES
NOTE: Triple Tree info is here
HD Documents related to Handlebars & Risers:
https://mstore.harley-davidson.com/app-content/eStore/Handlebar_Riser_Dimensions.pdf
Handlebars
Here is a table of OEM handlebars:
Model | Year(s) | Handlebar Serial Number / Type |
XL 883 | 1986-2003 | (56082-83) Flat Bar 1) 2) 3) 4)5)6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) |
2004-2009 | (55845-04) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) | |
XL883C | 1999 | (56185-98) Drag Style 18) |
2000-2003 | (56185-98A) Drag Style 19) 20) 21) 22) | |
2004-2009 | (55840-04) 23) 24) 25) 26) 27) 28) | |
2010 | (55840-04A) 29) | |
XLH 883 Deluxe | 1986-1991 | (56082-83) Flat Bar 30) |
1992-1995 | (56081-82) Buckhorn (pullback) 31) 32) 33) | |
XL 883 Hug | 1988-1996 | (56081-82) Buckhorn (pullback) 34)35)36) 37) |
1997-2003 | (56081-82A) Buckhorn or Buckram 38)39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) | |
XL 883L | 2005-2006 | (56038-05) 45) 46) |
2007-2010 | (56051-06) 47) 48) 49) 50) | |
2011-2014 | (57209-11) 51) 52) 53) 54) | |
XL 883N | 2009 | (56014-09) 55) |
2010-2015 | (56014-09A) 56) 57) 58) 59) 60) 61) | |
XL 883R | 2002-2003,2005-2014 | (56085-83A) (black) 62) 63) 64) 65) 66) 67) 68) 69) 70) 71) 72) 73) |
XLH 1100 | 1986-1987 | (56081-82) Buckhorn (pullback)74) |
XL 1200 | 1988-1996 | (56081-82) Buckhorn (pullback) 75)76) 77) 78) |
1997-2003 | (56081-82A) Buckhorn or Buckram 79)80) 81) 82) 83) 84) 85) | |
XL 1200C | 1996-1998 | (56164-96) 86)87)88) |
1999 | (56185-98) Drag Style 89) | |
2000-2003 | (56185-98A) Drag Style 90) 91) 92) 93) | |
2004-2009 | (55840-04) 94) 95) 96) 97) 98) 99) | |
2010, 2012-2014 | (55840-04A) Pull Back100) 101) 102) 103) | |
XL1200C Anniversary | 2013 | (55840-04A) Pullback 104) |
XL 1200CA | 2013-2014 | (57472-11) Drag 105) 106) |
XL1200CB | 2013-2014 | (56079-93) Mini Ape107) 108) |
XL1200CP | 2012-2014 | (55840-04A) Pull Back 109) 110) 111) |
2012-2014 | (56079-93) Mini Ape 112) 113) 114) | |
2012-2014 | (57472-11) Drag Style115) 116) 117) | |
XL 1200L | 2007-2011 | (56051-06) 118) 119) 120) 121) 122) |
XL 1200N | 2007-2012 | (56085-83A) 123) 124) 125) 126) 127) 128) |
XL 1200R | 2004-2009 | (56004-00)129) 130) 131) 132) 133) 134) 31/32“ width, 4” rise, and 8“ pullback 135) |
XL 1200S | 1996-1997 | (56082-83) Flat Bar 136)137) |
1998-2003 | (56110-98) Flat bar (black) 138) 139) 140) 141) 142) 143) | |
XL 1200V | 2013-2014 | (56079-93) Mini Ape 144) 145) |
XL 1200X | 2010-2015 | (56014-09A) 146) 147) 148) 149) 150) 151) |
XL-50 | 2007 | (56004-00) 152) |
XR 1200 | 2009-2010 | (56085-83A) 153) 154) |
XR 1200X | 2010-2013 | (56085-83A) 155) 156) 157) 158) |
The MoCo has a catalog of handlebars, brake lines & control cables: 159)
https://www.harley-davidson.com/app-content/eStore/Harley-Davidson%20Handlebar%20Installation%20Requirements.pdf
Handlebar Pics and Specs
- Handlebars are sized:
- Overall length: Lay the bar on a flat surface and measure from left handgrip edge to right handgrip edge for total outside distance.
- Rise: Total outside distance as measured vertically from top to bottom.
- Center width: Total straight distance between the upsweep bends from left to right on area that clamps onto the risers from left to right beginning of the upsweep.
- Pullback: Total outside distance from the front clamping area to edge of the handgrip toward rider (front to back distance).
- Center spacing for risers: Outside distance (left to right) between both knurled areas where the risers attach.
Stock Bars
1998-2003 S Model Handlebars (56110-98) Flat Bar 160) |
Aftermarket Bars
See Aftermarket Handlebars, Risers and Mods in the REF section of the Sportsterpedia
Clutch Levers
98 clutch lever.
161)
Starting in 2007, the Clutch Lever had a switch implemented to allow it to be monitored. See the clutch switch function here.
Notes:
- 2004-2017 Clutch lever retaining bolt (42807-04) has a circlip (11379) on the end of it to keep it in place. The circlip is not listed in the hardware section of the parts catalog but an 8mm external circlip will fit it. 162)
Clutch Cables
See also Clutch Release Adjustment - Why & How including pics of adjusting the cable.
Brake Levers
Brake Cables
Grips
Installing Grips https://www.xlforum.net/forum/sportster-motorcycle-forum/sportster-motorcycle-accessories/59026-installing-nostalgic-grips-this-weekend-tips?t=321130
Throttle Cables
1986-2006 Throttle Cables For Carbs
(See the pictures below with regards to the cable system description that follows.) 164)
These Sportsters use a dual throttle cable system. The throttle cables connect the throttle grip to the carburetor. The first cable, the Throttle Cable, pulls on the carb throttle cam which is connected to the end of the throttle plate shaft. As the cable pulls on the cam, the shaft is rotated and the throttle plate opens.
The second cable is named the Idle Cable and is connected to the carb throttle cam in the opposite direction from the throttle cable. The idle cable only serves as a backup function; it is not used to close the throttle unless the throttle cam return spring should break. However, the idle cable does provide some balance of tension against the throttle cable to prevent the throttle tube from rotating past the idle point.
The throttle cam spring is quite strong & actually provides the tension on the throttle cable as you turn the throttle grip toward Wide Open Throttle (WOT). The idle cable is a safeguard in case this spring (on the carb) should break and the throttle plate remains open.
When installing the throttle/idle cable, the adjuster screws are turned all the way in to minimize the length of the sheath, in order to expose as much cable as possible, to make it easier to assemble the cable to the throttle tube & to the carb throttle cam. Each cable has a ball end (used at the throttle tube) and a barrel end (that is used at the throttle cam).
The ball end of the cable is passed up through the lower switch housing. If you have the screw-in type cable, it would now be screwed into the lower switch housing. Then, the installable barrel is placed over the ball end. This creates a barrel end out of the ball end. The barrel is now slid into the appropriate notch on the throttle tube with the side slot of the installable barrel to be inserted into the notch first. This will keep the cable from sliding out of the installable barrel.
The throttle cable is located on the outward side (away from rider) of the switch housing and the idle cable is located on the inward side (nearest rider). Install both cables in like fashion.
Now route your cables past the forks and thru the fuel tank mounts down to the carburetor.
The throttle cable is attached to the outward side (closest to the air cleaner) of the throttle cam and the idle cable is attached to the inward side (closest to the engine) of the throttle cam. There are similar notches in the throttle cam as those located in the throttle tube and the crimped barrels on the cable ends fit into those notches.
Once the ends are in the cam, route the idle cable up and into the side slot of the carb throttle bracket. Be sure to insert the spring (at the end of the idle cable) into the bracket cup so the idle cable sheath is buffered from the bottom of the cup.
Route the throttle cable in a similar manner into the side slot of the bracket and make sure the cable sheath fits down into the bracket cup (there is no spring on the throttle cable end).
Throttle Cables Bracket
The Sportster CV40 carbs (from 1989-2006) used a Tall Cable Bracket.
Stock Sportster Cable Bracket:
1989-2003 - 27316-88
2004-2006 - 27320-04
Sometimes carbs from other bikes would be swapped onto a Sportster and the new carb would have difficulty using the original cables. The swapped carb may have been from a Big Twin model that uses a shorter throttle cable carb bracket. Since the bracket is shorter, that requires that the outer sheath be longer (relative to the inner cable). Therefore, the length of the inner cable that is beyond the outer sheath of the throttle cables, often refered to as the free length, would be need to be shorter when using the Big Twin throttle cable bracket. Making the outer sheath longer also makes the free length of the inner cable shorter.
(Note the bent arm on the Sportster bracket to reach the Carb Top, at the slide diaphragm cover. It also looks like the shorter BT bracket always has two holes drilled above the stop screw.)
Adjusting The Throttle & Idle Cables
The concept of adjustment here is to prevent the throttle cable from extra tension when the grip is fully in the WOT position. This is prevented by making sure the grip is at maximum rotation (WOT) before winding the adjuster to make the throttle plate reach the WOT Stop on the carburetor cam. It is important to adjust the cables in the following manner and sequence or your throttle cable may be overstessed every time you go to the WOT position, eventually breaking due to excessive tension.
Be sure both cable adjusters are fully minimized. Set the front wheel straight ahead. Turn the throttle grip to fully open (WOT) and hold it there (using the throttle lock star wheel - or a helper). Turn the adjuster on the throttle cable, extending the outer sheath so that the throttle cam (pulled by the inner cable) is just touching the carb WOT Stop. Lock the adjuster in place and release the throttle lock at the grip.
Turn the front wheel fully to the right. Now, turn the Idle Cable Adjuster so that the idle cable sheath just touches the spring in the carb throttle bracket cup. There should be some, but very little play at the throttle grip in the idle position.
Check that the throttle snaps back to the idle position when you twist the throttle open and quickly release the grip.
Start the engine and make sure it idles properly with the throttle grip fully clockwise (closed). Now open the throttle and quickly release it. It should spring back with a snap and resume a proper idle. Turn the front wheel fully left to fully right. The idle should not change.
If, when moving the front wheel from left to right to left, the idle changes or the grip does not spring back into the idle position immediately upon release, readjust the idle cable adjuster to assure proper functioning and check that there is no tight bend or kink in the cable creating friction and preventing smooth operation.
The FSM has instructions for setting the CV40 throttle cables.
But here's another explanation of how & why to adjust these cables:
Chris Hajer of the XLForum - See Post#2 & Post#9.
2007-2013 Throttle Cables For EFI
2014-later Throttle Cables for CANbus
Some Throttle Cable Related XLForum Threads:
Cable 'Travel Distance' Too Long
https://www.xlforum.net/forum/sportster-motorcycle-forum/sportster-motorcycle-era-specific-and-model-specific/frame-mount-evo-sportster-talk-1986-2003-models/197132-throttle-cable-adjustment-question?t=2073727
Barnett - Custom Cables - Illustrations & Guide
http://www.barnettclutches.com/custom-cable-measuring-guide.html
Motion Pro - Custom Cables - Illustrations & Guide
https://www.motionpro.com/c/custom-cables