Opinions Please
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,444
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From: CYHZ
Opinions Please
I have a 2012 FLHTK Ultra Limited, just turned 100, 000 kms, which has had very little done to its aesthetics. I am thinking of putting a set of mini apes on it. Looking for opinion as to if its worthwhile to do that from a financial standpoint given the bikes age, along with the comfort factor and any other sort of information anyone cares to inject.
Club Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,922
Likes: 3,902
From: Cape Cod
All up to you.
They sit more upright if that's what you're looking for.
If ya got the scratch and feel like it's something you want to explore, go for it.
But you already have 60k miles on it, so you're used to the sitting position.
Ya might not like it..........you can always go back.......
How many more miles are you looking to ride in your life?
Looking to sell it and upgrade anytime soon?
Good luck with your decision, all up to you!
(I've got 12" bars on my bike.)
They sit more upright if that's what you're looking for.
If ya got the scratch and feel like it's something you want to explore, go for it.
But you already have 60k miles on it, so you're used to the sitting position.
Ya might not like it..........you can always go back.......
How many more miles are you looking to ride in your life?
Looking to sell it and upgrade anytime soon?
Good luck with your decision, all up to you!
(I've got 12" bars on my bike.)
Last edited by MURPHCC1; Jun 10, 2026 at 10:31 AM.
Supporter
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 446
Likes: 489
From: Montana
I have a 2012 FLHTK Ultra Limited, just turned 100, 000 kms, which has had very little done to its aesthetics. I am thinking of putting a set of mini apes on it. Looking for opinion as to if its worthwhile to do that from a financial standpoint given the bikes age, along with the comfort factor and any other sort of information anyone cares to inject.
Your bike is fourteen years old and has 100,000 km or 62,000 miles and is basically as delivered.
The market value in that condition can be easily established to trade the bike for a Center-Cooled M8 and make it the way you want it with the Mini Apes!
The new Center-Cooled M8s are a significant product improvement.
If you were to spend the money for the Apes (Parts & Labor) it would be a sunk cost that you may not recover.
I sold a 2010 FLHTK Ultra Limited with Apes to a friend, and his condition of sale was that I reinstall the OEM bars.
Conventional wisdom is that After-Market Parts & Accessories can have an adverse effect on resale value.
Last edited by Beartooth Rider; Jun 10, 2026 at 11:02 AM.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 723
Likes: 69
From: Billings, Montana Out in the Wild West.
Keep on mind that depending on the size of apes, you might also need longer throttle and clutch cables, or clutch hydraulic lines and throttle wiring (depending on the controls of your bike) which can add to the price, also higher apes can possibly make your hands start to go numb.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 296
Likes: 207
From: California
I have a 2012 FLHTK Ultra Limited, just turned 100, 000 kms, which has had very little done to its aesthetics. I am thinking of putting a set of mini apes on it. Looking for opinion as to if its worthwhile to do that from a financial standpoint given the bikes age, along with the comfort factor and any other sort of information anyone cares to inject.
Comfort factor, absolutely. Even if you're tall enough for 14" bars, any taller than OEM will feel better.
Took me a while to recognize that my house is in order, and this is what I do for fun. I'm not spending thousands on resort vacations; I'm riding my motorcycle & buying parts for it, so I don't sweat the idea of losing money on the stuff with wheels. They depreciate anyways.
Last edited by Bullwinkle58; Yesterday at 09:20 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,210
Likes: 11,336
From: San Diego, CA
Rule of thumb...
Accessories don't ad to the value of a bike. Most return 10% or less on the cost of the part, no tax or labor included. They just add value to your enjoyment of the bike.
Accessories are for you, not the next guy who owns your bike.
So IMHO;
If YOU want to have/try mini-apes, and the cost is something you can afford, install them.
If you want them thinking it will increase value for a sale or trade-in, you are wasting your money.
Good luck with your decision
Accessories don't ad to the value of a bike. Most return 10% or less on the cost of the part, no tax or labor included. They just add value to your enjoyment of the bike.
Accessories are for you, not the next guy who owns your bike.
So IMHO;
If YOU want to have/try mini-apes, and the cost is something you can afford, install them.
If you want them thinking it will increase value for a sale or trade-in, you are wasting your money.
Good luck with your decision
Last edited by hattitude; Yesterday at 09:23 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,799
Likes: 1,189
I have four Harley's, and the newest is 12 years old. I still mod them, and I never consider the age of the bike when thinking about a new mod.
Modifications should be thought of in terms of enjoyment and practicality. In my experience, few if any mods make sense from a purely financial perspective.
If you like the idea of mini-apes, try them. If you don't like the way they fit, you can recover some of the cost by selling them.
Modifications should be thought of in terms of enjoyment and practicality. In my experience, few if any mods make sense from a purely financial perspective.
If you like the idea of mini-apes, try them. If you don't like the way they fit, you can recover some of the cost by selling them.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,621
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From: backwoods
Not a huge cost.
Myself I think it's awful idea because it takes your hands out of fairing protection
Myself I think it's awful idea because it takes your hands out of fairing protection
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