So I installed my mini-apes this past weekend at 5575 on the odometer; when I parked this morning at work I am at 5676. So my thoughts at 100 miles...

Fit and function:
Ride is easier on the hands and neck. Once I adjusted back 1/2 inch, stress on the clutch hand was eliminated
Control over the bike seem much better; in fact, scraped the left floorboard on a turn yesterday morning- a first for me ever- while on the way into work. Turning also seem a bit easier as well. Freeway riding also seems easier from a maneuverability standpoint.

Look and feel:
The 1.25 bars look good, like they are solid and meant to be on the bike. I am digging that people are saying that there is something different about my bike, but they cannot put their finger on it. Definite change in attitude while riding, a bit more at ease (but not much, a little fear is a good thing).

Retrospect on upgrading:
Wish I had done an Easy Clutch; as I had the xmission clutch cover off and was replacing the cable anyhow, I should have had enough forethought to add that. Oh well, I will do it when I do my pipes in a couple of months. Also, a bike life would have made some of this easier as well.

My best friend wants to do his Road King after the first of the year; will not be as much work as his electrical is on the outside of his bars and we will not need to pull the gas tank. Everything else should be fine (provided he gets off his lazy *** and gets a service manual).

Final Summation:
This was a ****-TON of fun to do! Really loving to wrench om my bike, cannot wait to do the pipes! The bars really look good, so glad I did this. In addition, I saved $700-$900 by not taking it to the dealer...not a heavy duty job to do, just need to have the resources and tools handy to do it.

New pics coming soon...

 

Hard to tell from that pic, are your apes on a tall set of risers?

 

Glad to hear that the apes make your ride and handling better for you. When I first put my apes on, they did the same thing for me. Like I've said before, apes aren't for everybody but for some of us, they are, welcome to the club.

 

Hey Shane, I have the Burly easy-pull clutch. There was a noticeable difference when I still had my Wild1's drag bars. But ever since I switched over to apes it feels like it's back to stock again and no longer easy to pull. I can only imagine what it would feel like if I put it back to stock.

 

Yea, the H-D Fat Mini Apes are billed as 12" apes, but the bars are really 10 inches; the risers are 2"

Yea, need some new pix...but the risers are clearly shown on my thread where I photo-log my bars change out.

 

Hmm...thats odd...wonder what the difference would be back on the ramp and the connection.

Supposed to rain this weekend, but if you wanna meet up Sunday, I will be around.

 

Welcome to the club. Fortunately my bike had apes on it from the factory. Stood them up a little straighter and they feel nice . This winter my bike is getting a taller set of apes.

 

God I really think I kind of maybe just might think about considering apes.


I like them. I like the riding position of them. I like the idea of them. I don't know if I like having them on my only set of two wheeled transportation.


Right now I can cruise down the interstate (when I do) with the OL (she loves when I call her that) on the back and we're comfortable, especially when the weather is a little colder. I don't know how much that would change with a set of 12"-14" apes.

 

I say go for it! I was on the fence for a couple of months and decided to take the plunge...glad I did

 

Why are you going to leave the wiring external when it looks sooooo much cleaner wired internally?