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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
Considering having a pair installed. What is a good brand to consider. How do you know what size is comfortable for you. Do they make it harder to negotiate sharp turns
My recently acquired Sportster is the first bike I've owned with 16" apes. For me, and YMMV, it was more a psychological aspect as once I started riding and realized progressively more acute turns; it felt about the same. Parking lot speeds are still challenging but I think that will resolve in time.
I am 5' 9" and I had 16" Nash Gimps with 1" risers on my Sporty, and have to say that was the most comfortable bike I ever owned, so your height will probably dictate what size you are comfortable with, that; and your personal preference.
If you have to ask, you're not ready. Do some research (e.g. internet searching) to get familiar w/ higher bar options, function & features. Then start setting aside some $$$ as having them installed isn't cheap (bars, cables, labor, etc.). One of the biggest tips is knowing how to measure height (for comfort, not in inches).
Ok, have you looked at Dominator industries? Also KST customs. Also places like Revzilla . Best place would be a local bike night or dealer event to make sure you get the right height bars. Sorry, I’m a bagger touring guy. Can’t really help with Softail but someone will be along soon. If you can sit on someone’s bike with apes it makes it so much easier and takes the guess work out of it. That’s what I did with my 07 Electra Glide.
Handlebars are a very personal choice. Next best thing to sitting on another bike with apes is to sit on your own and close your eyes while putting your hands in a natural relaxed position. Then have someone measure rise height from your clamp to your hands. This will get you in the ballpark of what height you should be considering. I wanted to stay just below shoulder height for control reasons and ended up settling on 12" KST Straightjackets.
The one thing I did notice is that distance is more of a factor than height. Riding mine home over 50mi was painful as the grips were too close and most of the stress was in my abdominals to maintain posture at 65mph with no shield. Repositioning them forward helped and it's very comfortable
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