When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
After putting it off for a long time, I finally got around to putting apes on my Softail Slim. I must say, they completely change the bike. No more slouching over and having a sore back and shoulders.
I used 12" Khrome Werks handlebars (P/N 300821). The fit and finish of the bar is great. They are both dimpled and drilled for internal wiring.
As for the cables, I spent a little more and went with Magnum Shielding cables. I got all of the cables in their Black Pearl finish.
Personally, I am a big fan of apes. The ones you put on your bike blend in great with the rest of the bike and the part about your back and shoulders feeling better is one thing that I am glad to hear because I have been telling others that for many years and I see now that one more person has learned what I learned years ago.
I gotta ride a bike with apes some time. After 1k miles I'm starting to know what you mean by being slouched. I thought some street slammers might help, but my big and tall *** needs to be more upright.
Those look great on that bike. I think the Slim is made for mini-apes. I had 12 inch on my Heritage, saved me a ton of shoulder pain. When I got the fatboy lo, 12 inch wild ones were one of the first mods. They are SO much more comfortable.
I think the best part about getting the apes done was that I took it to a local indy mechanic to do the work. I work quite a bit of overtime over the summer, so my free time is limited. He charged me $265 for labor, transmission gasket, brake fluid, and whatever other miscellaneous parts he used. All of the HD dealers in my area (4) quoted me between $800-$1000 for labor.
Find and support your local indy mechanics!
Originally Posted by deezy139
I gotta ride a bike with apes some time. After 1k miles I'm starting to know what you mean by being slouched. I thought some street slammers might help, but my big and tall *** needs to be more upright.
I tried going with taller risers to eliminate the slouched over feeling, but it only helped to a certain point. I'm 5'10" and the 12" bars are perfect! You should swing by a dealer and check out some new or used bikes with apes just to get an idea if you'd like them or not.
Originally Posted by SPRINGER
Personally, I am a big fan of apes. The ones you put on your bike blend in great with the rest of the bike and the part about your back and shoulders feeling better is one thing that I am glad to hear because I have been telling others that for many years and I see now that one more person has learned what I learned years ago.
I was always skeptical about apes until I rode a friends Road Glide with 10" apes. It took me a while, but I finally did it and I could never go back!
I go back and forth with the minis for my Slim...being a new rider, I have ZERO experience with apes- how they feel, how they ride, how the control with them is. That said, I am intrigued at the notion of going that route.
I go back and forth with the minis for my Slim...being a new rider, I have ZERO experience with apes- how they feel, how they ride, how the control with them is. That said, I am intrigued at the notion of going that route.
This is my first bike with apes. The Sportster I had for 5 years prior just had the stock pullback bars.
Having apes on the Slim gives you a lot more control and leverage over the front end. With the 12" bars, I sit straight up, my arms are slightly bend and at shoulder height. With the stock bars, I was slouched over and my arms were damn near fully extended.
This was by far the best investment I've made yet for the Slim.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
New Slim Apes
