I have 12 in br new wave 2 bars on my bike. Had them made a little narrower so there almost like t-bars but actually apes. I love them bike handles great

 

I know that was probably meant to be sarcastic... but I will bite.

Actually, I know quite a few people who actually ride daily, and on long trips (Mo to Key West to Maine, back to Mo) with apes on their baggers, the stock straight bars suck hard (of course Harley stock tend to suck for a $$reason) on long trips /long hours for most folks. I had the small klockwerks ergo apes on my SG it had 35,000 miles in 2.5 years so it was ridden. And why would a sport bike have apes? Nothing to do with comfort there at all, it is all performance.

Oh, and leverage is not only horizontal.

And guys, in general applying "Racy Replica" "road racing" "knee scraping" logic on matters of seating , handlebars, cornering, etc to "Cruiser" subjects like for instance <<apehangers>> is kinda asinine. Kinda like hangin out in the Challenger forum telling em how the GT racers do things.

What next, lecture's on Sissybars, and Ride to Live medallions and their aerodynamic coefficient degradation... lol

Keith Code, "When I got into Scientology a lot changed right away." Oh boy.

 

From the OP:.....That's good stuff right there! ^^^What he said!^^^


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Couldn't agree more.

 

Maybe you forgot, but the OP did ask specifically about handling, and claims to love wringing it out in the twisties.

From his original post:
"I live near "The Dragon" in east Tennessee and I ride it often and love wringing out the twisties on my '14 SB with stock mini apes with 4" risers and it handles very well. My concern is that I may get a set of apes that make handling the twisties more difficult...or just awkward."

Cruisers may not inherently be super-handling bikes, but there are still any number of things which can make the handling better or worse.

 

I'm late to the party but after riding a sportster with 16 apes for 8 years I'll chime in....

My take....at first it felt really touchy to any handlebar movement. Longer bars...longer lever. First drive down gravel driveway was tricky due to the extra leverage of the bars. Once I got used to it and adjusted it was a breeze. It didn't effect my long distance comfort at all and actually improved my comfort level. Longest ride was from Kentucky to Missouri Ozark's and Missouri 19 is a long twisty road thru the Ozark's. I felt no holding back in the twisty Ozark roads because of the apes. Just a different posture and slight change of technique involved. Once you adjust to it you won't ever notice any holding back in reasonable conditions for a harley.

 

Just my .02 cents... My bike rides and handles "BETTER" now than it did with the stock bars! As far as long riding with tall apes, "YES" your fingers will tingle.You need to take them off the bars a lil bit,switch up hands!One hand riding. AND, without a windshield, it makes you a parachute on the highway! Fixing to ride mine on a 2000 mile round trip!!

 

The OP would have been referring to a Harley Davidson Dyna with apes not a superbike.

 

The handling on Dynas is immune to changes????

 

No.....BUT....

If you re-read my original post, I was not asking about "To ape, or not to ape".

I was asking about 3 specific style of ape hangers.

Let's review...I have 9" stock Harley apes with 4" risers and love it. Handles great. I just want to change the look from stock apes to custom apes but don't want to loose my current handling characteristics...(and in "handling", I mean, how well the bike negotiates the switchbacks using those specific bars...not how well it "rides" going down the road).

Remember, I owned a Ninja 800 for 3 years...so I know the difference. I rode the hell out of that banchee, and let me tell you, no one ever buys a sport bike for comfort.

I started this post to ask for advice on a specific style of apes, (which I listed), as to how well THEY handle the curves, over my STOCK set-up......on MY bike....not another.....and not a different style...such as Drag bars........just a different style of apes.

....and also about the hand numbing thing.......

If you have no experience with the type of bars I am asking about, or can't speak to their specific type of "handling" (see above definition)....then there is really no need to post here.

So, I hope that clears things up a bit. Not trying to be a jerk at all....just trying to eliminate unnecessary chatter that is not relevant to the original post....and I really appreciate all the feedback thus far......and please keep it coming, since I'm sure this Thread will help others in the same spot I am in.


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