Installation of “Reduced Reach Bars”

[street2024]

My dealer wants $2k to swap handlebars from short stock to KST Customs “Reduced Reach” bars.
How could it possibly take 8 hours to do this job?

 

[Ianarian]

There are quite a few connectors that have to be chased down in the batwing. Fishing the wires out the old and in the new bars takes some time. If a wire from the throttle or any control gets pinched or frayed, Forget about it. Care must be taken. Im not sure if your new bars require extentions or not but that is a bitch all on its own.
Labor costs cover things like tools needed, know-how and WARRANTY crap. I agree, costs seem excessive. Seems like par for the course with the brand.

 

[BillyBob]

Especially if that doesn't include the bars. Check with another dealer

 

[BillyBob]

What did you end up doing??

 

[street2024]

I held off. Still plan to buy the reduced reach bars from KST, but dearly beloved, the labor cost of 8 hours at $150 per hour is crushing.
The guys at KST said they can do it in 1 hour, but allow 4 hours when at places like “Bike Week”.

 

[09 Softail C]

Was going to have mine changed at Leesburg Bikefest back in April. Dealer wanted $900 They said it takes an hour for 2 guys to do it. I bought the bars (Fat Baggers) for $459. Did it myself, took 3 hours. I took my time so as not to make any mistakes fishing out the wires and pulling them thru the new bars. $2,000 is way too much. I have a 2016 Street Glide.

 

[street2024]

Thanks for that perspective.

 

[Emily Smith]

Yeah, the job isn’t nothing, fishing wires through the bars and dealing with all the connectors in the fairing can eat some time, and you really don’t want to pinch a wire. But $2k is just crazy. Most shops that do bar installs all the time knock it out in a couple hours, and plenty of guys have done it themselves in three or so taking their time. A few hours of labor makes sens, eight hours and two grand doesn’t. Definitely worth getting another quote.