Extended Softail Comfort

Extended Softail Comfort 2005 Hd Fat Boy

The owner stretching out and enjoying his new parts.

Getting out and hitting the road for a nice ride on your favorite scoot can sometimes have minor points of frustration. Once out on that road, shifting gears and feeling the fresh air envelop you, discomfort sets in as the mileage increases. Slightly shifting your weight on the seat and hanging your feet in different positions can only go so far to make your weariness subside. There had to be better options out there and we were determined to locate them.

We got our hands on our friend, Chad’s, '05 Fat Boy while he was in shopping mode for someplace to put his feet during his longer rides. A low, thin seat and 40-inch beach bars do nothing to help him stay relaxed once the odometer starts clicking through the higher numbers. His requests were for us to find a way to get his footboards moved out (not forward) and then add an engine bar with some cool way to utilize highway pegs. It didn’t take long to accommodate both his wishes, as we had the perfect solution for both requirements.

Extended Softail Comfort Floorboard Parts

01. Since swapping the brackets means removing the kickstand, some form of lift is necessary to safely hold the bike. We threw the Fat Boy on our Handy work lift. First up was the HG chrome footboard brackets ($159.95) and polished floorboard spacers ($49.95). Tom at HG even threw in two black and two pink skull facemasks to make our deal even sweeter.

01. Since swapping the brackets means removing the kickstand, some form of lift is necess

Combining parts from Harley Goodies (HG) and JBN Custom netted us a homerun for the Fat Boy in both form and function. Harley Goodies has a range of footboard extensions to fit ’83-later Touring models and ’86-later Softails. The 1-1/4inch extensions are available in black but we chose polished for this install. Beginning with heavy-gauge stainless steel, the pieces are tumbled, then hand-polished to a mirror finish, and shipped with stainless hardware. Additionally, we opted for the HG chrome exchange program on a pair of left and right chrome footboard brackets. JBN Custom developed a trick engine bar dubbed the Phantom Highway Bar. What makes the Phantom Bar so cool is the button-operated, spring-loaded pop-out footpegs. JBN makes the bars in triple-plated steel with a beefy look that can dress up your ’97-08 Touring bike (except the Road Glide) or ’86-later Softails.

Setting your Harley up with these parts is a simple affair with nothing but handtools required, but you will need an assortment of Allen and Torx drivers to accomplish the task. Swapping the footboard brackets requires removing the rear brake master cylinder, which will necessitate new crush washers for the brake line and the proper fluid to refill the reservoir. HB

The Lowdown
Man Hours: Two hours
Difficulty: Easy
Aftermarket Parts Used: Harley Goodies chrome footboard brackets Harley Goodies polished floorboard extensions JBN Custom Phantom Highway Bar
Total Cost: $558.90

02. With the left-side floorboard removed, this is what we found. The kickstand, heel-toe shifter, and footboard bracket all needed to come off. As we warned, this is where you’ll find three different fasteners to contend with.
02. With the left-side floorboard removed, this is what we found. The kickstand, heel-toe
03. Slipping the heel-toe shifter from the splined shaft is straightforward. Just be sure to keep track of the two O-rings sealing the shifter shaft to the bracket.
03. Slipping the heel-toe shifter from the splined shaft is straightforward. Just be sure
04. Next to the factory black, the Harley Goodies bracket is worlds nicer. There were some changes in the brackets over the years and we ensured a true match before continuing on.
04. Next to the factory black, the Harley Goodies bracket is worlds nicer. There were som