I'm going to go ahead and get ape bars for my 02 fatboy when my income tax money comes in.I'm undecided between the mini-apes which are 10.5 rise and the 12.5 bars from wild1.I'm 6'1" 200lbs.What do you guys feel would be my best bet.I'm only going to get one crack at it and dont want to regret it.Too many cable changes($$$$) to go to apes.

 

18 inchers look tough and your reach will be fine at 6ft , it will look and feel more natural than the mini or the others you stated. get fat ones (larger diameter) to complement the fatboys "portly" style.

 

I think 16" For you would be perfect. For your size it would combine good looks with long distance comfort.

 

I have 16" 1 1/2" apes....it cost me around $1000.00+ for everything that was switched to chrome

[IMG]local://upfiles/3037/CA02ECDCC99E44218F9C3B57550E1A55.jpg[/IMG]

 

Wow,thats alot of moolah.I know labor alone is goin to cost me 350.I havent priced the bars and cables yet.Really not sure what amount of cables need to be changed as of yet.

 

Heres a pic of mine with Mini apes with stock risers 4" I think.........I love'em they turned out just perfect

 

I have the fat mini apes on my Springer and these were the first apes that I have ever used. I have never tried or even sat on a bike with taller apes, so I can't really tell you which apes would be the best for you, I wish that I could add to the above statements, but I think that the height of the apes will depend on the personal likes and dislikes of each individual. Are there any bikes around with apes on them that you could sit on and see how they felt to you? Just an idea, good luck.

 

I helped a buddy install apes last winter on his 2001 Standard. He's about 5' 7" tall. He went with Wild1 Chubby's and they were 16" and he added 1" risers. They fit him perfectly and are very comfortable. I would recommend you go at least with 16's for your height. He too struggled with wondering if they'd be too tall for him, but with the expense of doing it, no sense in being dissapointed afterwards. Stock buck horns were in the neighborhood of 12" if I remember correctly. It took 1 full day to remove his tank, cut the turn signal wires, solder on the extensions, take the old bars and hardware off, run the wires through the new ones, reattach the new bars and hardware, get the tank back on, bleed the MC, etc, etc. He ran all new SS cables. He went 6" over stock on all cables and it came out very nice. He spent right at $1,000 with the bars, risers, cables, wiring, odds and ends, etc. I did everything he did and then some on my 05' FXSTI. I added Wild1 Chubby T-Bars instead though, so didn't have to cut the wiring - just unplugged it from the connectors and ran it through. But I also upgraded to chrome switch housings, levers, front master cylinder, headlight, mirrors, grips, etc. Mine was harder to do (running the wiring through the T-Bars mainly), and a longer project with the extra parts added. Running the wires through his apes were much easier than the T-Bars. They were both easier projects overall than expected. If you have a shop manual, not a bad idea to save some labor and go for it at home........They quoted me $450 labor to just set the new bars and run the wiring internally at the dealership.

 

I would love to do it myself but i'm not that brave and rather be safe than sorry i'll have to pay for the labor.Besides i really dont have the time or patience.

 

i would check what the legal size is for your state. some states can't be higher than your shoulder.
as for the wiring its not as hard as you think. on my fxst the tank can be slid back ar enough to disconnect the deucth fittings without removing the tank and you can purchase wire extension kits from bikers choice to fit the proper length.