I'm referring to style of "Ride" and how riders ended up with that particular style. I just ever see myself using ape hangers or bunny ears.

 

I never thought I would have apes either, then I rode one....

Was looking for a bike that the wife would be comfortable on but yet something I still liked. Enter the Road King. The dealer had a stock one and one with 14" apes.

Road both and fell in love with the apes. So much more natural position.

 

My ride, my style - have no name or classification for that. It's me and I just ride. Bike's a 1200 C, pretty stock, but that's fine as well.

 

Biltwell "Chumps" mini apes. I have forward controls now. And I'm thinking of getting slightly taller apes. Like 12 inch or so. Also thinking about swapping the front 19 inch wheel for a 21 inch.

 

And that's what I probably need to do..... I have never ridden a motorcycle with Apes....

 

So I have a 72 and it's getting me some time to get used to the mini apes. I'm used to my r6 and think drag bars would've been the better transition..

 

I'm a down low, corner carving, hard accelerating, heavy braking son of a bitch.

 

Being old school (really old school) a Sportster just does not look right without Buckhorn bars. However these tiny 2/3 rd sized Sportsters that I see on the showroom floor don't look like Sportsters anyhow. Except for the 72 and I think that they are shrinking it too.

My 03 883R is tall and long. It fits my 6'3" frame with ease. Also with its 3.2 gallon tank and 66 mpg I can go as long as I can on a HD touring bike.

 

Lol I am wanting to get rid of the 21 for a 19. But I don't think they will swap.


I am a vintage style rider. Because I am old!

 

Ah, ok, thanks, now I can answer :^)

I'm one who happens to like the stock attributes of my '09 Iron like the bars, seat, and even rear shocks, but it's previous owner added forwards which are beneficial to me, since mids cramp my legs up.

IMHO, the stock bars aren't too low, too high, too far forward, or too far back. Their dimensions provide riding comfort and give me the ability, by virtue of their close proximity to the steering neck, to enjoy very direct control of the steering of the bike. Making tight and quick adjustments on the fly gives me the "flickability" I like, and the stock bars provide such flickability.

Ape hangers, on the other hand, by virtue of their shape and how they place the riders hands up and away from the steering neck, don't provide the same level of control as stock bars...example; have you ever seen a competition sport bike with ape hangers? No, not just because they don't provide a tucked riding position, but they can't offer the same control as clip ons, and super bike competitions are only about one thing; maintaining the line, travelling the shortest distance between two points as quickly as possible, and that demands the utmost of control.

Ape hangers are said to be comfortable by some, and they do promote that rough tough biker persona that so many people wish to project, and that's fine. But, there are those who've tried them and after a short period of time they realised that their arms were strained and/or their hands got numb, and caring more about their comfort than how they appeared to the masses, they switched back to stock or lower bars. All at the cost of the new bars, brake and throttle cables, and time, often filled with frustration and issues trying to hide the cables and wires.

I prefer to be in control AND be comfortable, and I find that the stock bars happen to do a very good job of providing me with both. And that's ok, because afterall, I'm not everyone else, it's just me here, LOL.

So decide for yourself what's more important to you...being in better control of your bike, or lolli-gaggin'-straightlinin' it down the road with your hands up high, legs spread eagle, your tiny sticker covered novelty helmet worn like a yarmulke, and your Sons of Anarchy t-shirt flapping in the breeze

=8^)