15" Street Glide upgrades part 1

I’ll be covering my reviews and some installation notes for the following items recently installed on my 2015 Harley-Davidson Street Glide:

10” Paul Yaffe Monkey Bars (black)
Harley Airflow heated grips
Performance Machine Arrow XL mirrors
Mustang Low-down 2 up seat
Custom Dynamics LED Amber/White Dynamic Ringz, 1157 rear inserts and RSG Strobe module
Kuryakyn chrome billet lens cover (smoke)
Fuel Moto H9/H11 LED headlight replacement
Saddlebag mount upgrade
Autotune addition to the Power Commander V
Redline Synthetic Oil
TechGripper by TechMount

10” Paul Yaffe Monkey Bars (black)

I picked these based on reviews from many riders that stated apes or mini apes helped with their back and had better pullback.  I always felt hunched over and uncomfortable with my stock bars.  I really liked the Yaffe signature look with the ‘Z’ bend, and after reading up on the Yaffe Bagger Nation website, I went with them.  I decided to go with black to better match the fairing and keep the chrome attention on the engine; it worked as planned.


While installing the bars I also replaced the riser bushings with Arlen Ness polyurethane bushings.  It’s recommended to upgrade the riser bushings whenever going with taller bars as the stock bushings tend to give out.  After removing the stock bushings I can see why it’s good practice, there’s not much of a stock bushing at all.  The polyurethane bushings are rock solid compared to stock, some riders mention too much road vibration but I think they are perfect.  They add a real solid feel and improve the overall handling of the bike.

The installation was challenging.  Granted, I think it was more difficult since I internally ran the wiring for the controls and my heated grips; wow did it take some work. Getting through the ‘Z’ bend was the hardest part, but with some determination and baby powder I got everything pulled through.  In the end running all the wires internally was worth it, leaving a clean look of my controls floating and ready to ride.

As far as handling goes, I feel so much more in control of my bike now, even two up, but I didn’t gain as much pullback as I had hoped.  The Yaffe bars are wider and don’t roll into you like the stock bars do.  To have good access to the controls and be comfortable I had to really angle the bars back. With the initial bend of the bars on Street Glides, I ran into the issue of the bars turning into my tank dash when locked left or right.  I ended up using a piece of thick cardboard as a spacer to adjust the bars with as much pullback as possible while still clearing my tank.  In the end it all worked out and I like them far better than my stock bars.

In hindsight I may have wanted to go with 12” bars.  I know 14’s would be too high since I’ve ridden a bike with them and didn’t like them.  I think comfort wise 12” may be perfect, but I’d have to ride someone’s bike with them to be sure.  The issue with 12” bars is anything over 10”, you have had to extend the clutch and brake cables.  With that extra cost and 12” bars putting my hands above the fairing almost eliminating the point of having a fairing on those colder rides, I’m happy with what I have. Again with most of my bike, I like a good balance of looks, comfort and functionality.

All in all these bars are awesome.  They look mean as hell and give way to an increased control of my bike with an ultra-clean look. 

Harley Airflow Heated Grips

After riding with these I’m asking “why have I not had these in my life?”  I was told once you get heated grips you’ll never go back.  I can never see myself not having them now.  Even riding at 45° I felt just fine with a thin pair of Mechanix gloves.  On a cooler evening ride, just the lowest setting provided just the right level of heat.  

I went with the Airflow based on a recommendation from a service guy at Harley; imagine that.  There are a lot of heated grips out there but in this instance Harley has the best thing out there.  I was going to get some plain black grips to match the black bars but he pointed out “if you’re going to spend the money, why not get some nice grips?”  He was right, I went with the chrome Airflow which match the grips on the CVO’s.  They feel really good and look amazing.

Installation.  These are the most confusing instructions I’ve ever seen…. ever.  I think because they are universal and have so many different ways to install based on which bike you have.  The actual wiring was easy once I figured it out.  The grips went on really easy I just ran into issues with running the wiring internally in the bars which they are not meant to do.  I had to notch the left grip to allow the cable to route inside the switch housing and into the bar, not fun but it worked like I wanted.  The diagram showed the switched power only energizes a relay so I pulled it from my Deutsch connector.  Based on my current draw tests it only pulled 3mA.  I pulled constant power from a harness I installed for my switches.  Harley states a harness is needed for the install but you could easily just tap the battery, pull switched power and be done.  

Performance Machine Arrow XL mirrors

With raising my bars I would no longer be able to use my stock mirrors.  After many hours looking, I found the Performance Machine Arrow mirrors installed on a Street Glide giving way to a clean cool look.  I had read some riders mentioning these were not good functional mirrors, they were for more of a bar hopper bike.  Other riders stated they were fine if adjusted correctly to see behind and they just checked over their shoulder for lane changes.  Being that I already had a blind spot with my stock mirrors at about 45° behind me and already checked over my shoulder to take lanes, I pulled the trigger on them.

Installation.  Some had mentioned mounting issues and that a star washer was needed while installing.  I picked up two round reverse star washers to keep a clean look then painted the washers and the mirror mounting bolts black to match the controls and bars. With the star washer, thread lock and a good snug turn on the mounting bolt they went on with no problems.  With minor adjustment, I dialed in position while riding and I’m really happy with them.

Mustang Low-down 2 up seat

 I did a lot of back and forth on the decision with this.  I looked at Saddlemen and some other brands but ultimately went with a well-known name in seats and that’s Mustang.  I originally wanted to go with their Sport Touring seat which was a little narrower on the passenger seat to keep a slim look in the back. But after talking with Sally at Mustang she convinced me the “Lowdown” was the way to go since the sport seat would raise me slightly in the saddle.  Being short and just barely flat footing at stop lights I surely didn’t want to sit up any higher.

The two up seat is 14” wide in the back. I tried to look at pictures to see how this would look but couldn’t really find anything that I was needing to see.  I thought about doing a solo seat with a narrower passenger seat but if I wanted a driver’s backrest I’d have to decide during the purchase.   The solo seat has to come with the backrest initially and it's more expensive getting two separate seats.  That, with the fact that I could add a backrest down the road, I decided to get the one piece and be done with it.  

Installation was of course super easy.  I ran into the issue that my stock seat had left wear marks on my side cover and tank. With the lowdown being narrower in the front it exposed these areas.  After some forum discussion with some auto body / detailing riders, I ended up rubbing it out with a cloth and polishing compound.  With a Mothers Powerball and a drill I was able to get most of the marks cleaned up.  I did still have some deep cuts in the clear coat but I got out what I could without having to get into anything more serious.

In the end, the seat is bulkier in the back than I’d like but perfect for comfort.  I primarily ride two up and what makes Momma happy, makes Daddy happy.  I love the fit of the saddle and there is noticeably more support for my lower back.   Also, I haven’t almost slid off the back during hard acceleration which is a real plus with how I ride.

Custom Dynamics lighting

LED’s are the best thing since frozen pizza; less current draw and way brighter.  I spoke with Amanda at Custom Dynamics who gave me the part numbers for what I was wanting to do. I went with the Dynamic Ringz in the front which are a white outer ring of LED’s and an inside cluster of amber. I chose them because they provide white driving lights and then become turn signals if they’re activated. I was wanting more light up front without the big bulky look of auxiliary lights and these did the job.  I try to keep things clean but yet very functional. The Dynamic Ringz provide the additional light and visibility without taking away from the clean classic look of a Street Glide.

I had looked at the Custom Dynamics Chrome Ringz which are an entire housing that function the same as their Dynamic Ringz.  The Dynamic Ringz were only an insert but had 24 white LED’s vs only seven on the Chrome Ringz (whole housing).  I wanted the best of both.  I used my stock housing with the insert while replacing the amber lens cover with the Kuryakyn chrome billet covers with smoked lenses; worked out perfect.

Installation.  The instructions mention having to sometimes trim the black rubber gasket in the stock light housing.  I found my front inserts to be very tight but they fit.  The rear inserts, however, required me to pull the inner fixture to trim the gasket ever so slightly, probably only about 1/32”, which allowed them to fit snuggly in place.  The strobe module has seven different strobe settings with the option to strobe tail, fender or both.  To keep things accessible I mounted the strobe control box behind the side cover next to the fuse box allowing easy access should I want to change anything down the road.  

Strobe issues.  I ran into some problems with the RSG Strobe module after installation.  I was getting a rapid flash on the cluster for my turn signals which, in general, is an indication of a bad bulb.  This is sometimes an issue with the low resistance of LED’s, often the BCM thinks the bulb is out.  With a bad bulb the BCM just turns off that output, I ran into the issue of my right rear tail light turning off.  I tried doing the load balance BCM reset but the bike still just kept kicking that right rear tail light off.  After contacting Custom Dynamics tech support and pulling codes it was determined I needed a CANBUS adapter which is really just an inline resistor to increase the load for the BCM.  They sent me the CANBUS adapter at no charge.

I installed the CANBUS adapter but I still had the rapid flash and my tail light dropping out.  With another call to tech support I sent my Strobe module back to Custom Dynamics for a bench test.  They ending up sending me a replacement module which after installation worked perfectly.  The whole process was a bit frustrating but Custom Dynamics tech support and customer service made sure the problem was solved; excellent product support.  I’m pleased with the LED inserts and the strobe adds the attention to the bike I was wanting while stopping.  

Fuel Moto H9/H11 LED headlight replacement
I looked at many LED headlight options.  If you’ve ridden at night with the stock halogen you know it’s dangerous to ride on low beam because you just can’t see.  To compensate, many to include myself, end up running high beam all the time which in turn blinds oncoming drivers and is equally as dangerous.  I looked at the phase 7, truck lite, etc. reading and more reading.  With the price tag on them varying between $250 and $300, I was looking at other options.  Fuel Moto had there LED replacement bulbs for $129 which I picked up on sale for $99. These bulbs install into your stock housing with LED light at 6000K.  I had done LED bulbs on my car which worked great, this was a cost saving option achieving what I wanted to do.

The installation was very easy.  I pulled the stock bulbs out, followed the instructions on which is low beam and which is high.  I paid close attention to the polarity since the plug was not keyed and then marked each plug with a grey paint marker for future installation / reinstallation.   After talking with Fuel Moto I did have to do some minor adjustment of the light down and away.  It was explained that the light is extremely bright to oncoming traffic and many riders get flashed with high beams. From the Harley Service manual I measured out 25’ and slightly away.  With a measuring tape and a few turns, it was an easy adjustment.  

After further use, I adjusted the beam further out and made the adjustment closer to center.  I think with my previous adjustment I went a bit too far to the right.  I’m still very happy with the clean white light.

After my first night ride I noticed a huge improvement.  The LED’s are amazingly bright making every sign and road line pop into vision and now I can actually see on low beam.  High beam is like an intense laser beam capable of reaching the moon only out powered by the sun.  Taking a dark exit ramp turning blindly into darkness is no longer an issue; this light is incredible.  

Saddlebag fasteners upgrade

It was alarming to read many reports of saddlebags coming off at highway speeds.  Not long after, Harley issued a recall on saddlebag fasteners.  Many riders had stated the recall replacement parts didn’t change much.  For the $20 at Lowe’s you can get some rubber washers, ‘u’ nuts, and fluted knobs to implement a far better fix.  

The Lowe’s part numbers are as follows: 881249 for the (5/16 by 18) ‘u’ nut, 884516 for the (5/16 by 18) fluted knob. I also picked up some rubber body washers, many suggested a lock washer but the rubber washer in contact with the rubber mount holds tight.  

Installation.  I primed and painted the U-nuts to keep them from rusting.  I also found the fluted knobs to be a bit long so I cut 3/8” off from them; worked perfect. Amazing how much sturdier the bags are mounting on the bike.  The knobs don’t take up that much room in the bag and they are much more secure. I couldn’t go wrong with fixing this known issue.







Dynojet Autotune module

With my Power Commander V and fuel map from Fuel Moto I was still getting some uneven acceleration.  I also noticed I was running rich at idle even after warmup.  Ideally you should get a full tune at a shop to perfectly match everything on your bike, but with the changes I had already done on my bike and what I had planned, paying $300 for a tune each time just doesn’t make sense. With simply riding, the auto tune can calculate fuel adjustments to be made to a base map and applied with a laptop.

The base map is a ballpark fuel table based from a similar bike with similar modifications which should be close, and mine was.  I added the auto tune not only to fix rich idle mixture but to really optimize the fuel ratio to get the most power out of my bike.  

The installation was pretty straight forward.  I already had head pipes with the necessary 18mm bungs (S&S Power Tune Duals) knowing I might do this upgrade down the road.  Installing the O2 sensors was easy,  I actually spent most of the time routing the wires and mounting the Autotune and Power Commander.  I always take the time to do things right and to try and keep that clean look.  After getting the cables to where I wanted, I spent a large amount of time mounting it all.  I wanted to keep the PCV port accessible so I could access it without having to unmount or remove anything, I wanted to just pull the cover and plug in. The PCV needs to be accessible to accept trims and make any other fuel table modifications.

With my first live session linked to the PCV and Autotune, I could see my front cylinder was running very rich at 12 -12.5 AFR vs the desired 13.7 – 14.7.  Other than smelling raw fuel while idling I had no way to quantify where my AFR was at.  With some adjustment to my fuel map in the idle range I was able to get my AFR where it needed to be.  After my first hard ride I quickly populated some trims which I accepted.  The base map wasn’t way off but I definitely needed some adjustments and the bike had more power to give, it just needed more fuel.  

With the Autotune installed I have smooth constant acceleration, overall the bike feels like it is running the way it should.  I’ll continue to review my trims and dial in my fuel map as necessary.  Overall extremely happy with it.

Redline Synthetic

I have always known the benefits of running synthetic vs conventional oil.  With an air cooled engine in the hot temps of where I live, upgrading to full synthetic was inevitable.  I looked at all the major brands but ended up going with Redline for my primary case, transmission and engine.  The price is a bit deterring but it's peace of mind knowing I’m running a high quality synthetic to protect my ride.





TechGripper by TechMount

I looked at getting a Street Glide Special initially but with the higher price tag and the fact I couldn’t get the color I wanted I ended up with a Street Glide.  One option I really would have liked to have and honestly didn’t think to upgrade in addition to ABS and security was the Navigation head unit.  If you have Google maps you can do turn by turn with Bluetooth through the head unit which worked in general, but if you need to see a map or change your route you had to pull over.  

I found in many instances I need to quickly glance at a map at a stop light and I was able to see what I needed to see.  I started looking at mounts originally thinking of mounting something directly to the fairing that would hold my phone.  I still wouldn’t mind this option but I wasn’t overly thrilled about drilling permanent holes into my brand new bike so I looked at handlebar mounts.

There are a lot of good options out there, Kuryakyn makes a few mounts, there was RAM mounts, but many started to get pretty bulky.  With my newly installed Yaffe bars, I wanted to keep that nice flowing clean look and not detract from the appearance of the bike.  In researching I ran across a video for a Techmount.  An obvious concern with riding at highway speeds and in general with a Harley is your phone falling out.  The TechGripper jaws open wide enough to hold a variety of devices to include a Garmin with enough pressure that my phone won’t even move when locked in.  It mounts right to the clutch control bracket, or brake, which puts the phone easily within reach and quick viewing at a glance.  

As with many things, I did some minor modifications with the installation.  There is a round rubber anti-slip pad that was bright red with a huge white “T” on it.  For me this was a huge eye sore that pulled attention away from the bike and emphasized there was a mount on my handlebars.  I removed the slip pad and painted it with some rubber / plastic primer and then a semi textured black paint before siliconing it back in place.  I also changed out some of the bright stainless fasteners with black fasteners from Fastenal, this relieved some of the attention from the mount and kept a nice black clean look that I was wanting to keep.  The bolts replaced the handlebar clamp for the clutch so as with everything on a Harley I used Loctite and torqued them to spec.  The Techmount works as advertised and accomplishes exactly what I wanted.

It took months of reading and research on everything but prior preparation and planning prevents pain.  I did run into some issues of course, some expected, some not expected, but everything worked out.  I’m very satisfied with the installation and investment.

I would like to thank: Jake and Pat at Harley-Davidson Rochester MN, Fuel Moto, Sally at Mustang Seats, Amanda and Custom Dynamics tech support, but most importantly my wife Missy.