Hey guys,

I was wondering if you switched from drag bars to apes or from apes to drag bars, could you give me some feedback about the handling differences between the two setups?

I have an 02 883C with stock risers (about 5" tall) and drag bars. I love the control I have on the bike (very responsive) but I want my hands to be higher and I need more pullback (leaning onto the bars hurts my lower back). I always liked how apes look and I was hoping to hear from you. I want to get 12" super narrow apes or 12" t-bars but don't know if I would loose some of the riding quality of the drag bars for the comfort of apes.

The only think I can do now is read about the two types of bars and seat on bikes at the dealer but that doesn't really help

I appreciate any feedback (and pictures too!).

Thanks!

Vinny

 

Nobody?

 

Not being a smart ***, but did you do a search on apes.
my input would mean nothing, I like stock or drag bars.
.02

 

Apes will straighten your back up and I don't see any real difference in handling. My bike handles like a dream with the apes. Decision is all yours.

 

I ran drag bars on my Sportster for a year, with 5 inch pullbacks. I had no complaints. I switched from the stock buckhorn bars on my FXR to 16 inch apehangars, and the handling characteristics went to crap. In any kind of turn at over 40mph, it just felt too squirrely and unsafe. Plus, after about 20 minutes my hands started to go numb. After a couple weeks I put the buckhorns back on.

A guy I used to ride with had 16 inch apes on his Lowrider, till one day a wasp hit his armpit and slipped inside his vest. I swear he went from 60 to 0, got his kickstand down and had his vest and t-shirt off in less than 3 seconds. He still got stung at least 6 times.

 

Went from stock drags on mine, it handled very well but i had to lean and reach to them, hard to do for lots of miles, around local no problem.
Switched over to apes, and love them, but i wont lie, your arms catch more wind, they get blown around and this transfers into the bars and makes the bike feel a little wobbly and loose, then you tend to grip the bars hard and this makes the handling even worse. once you put a few miles on you begin to get used to them, and you begin to relax, and once you begin to relax, you quit fighting it, thats when things begin to fall right into place and you go from stressing to being freakin delighted and your grip loosens up and your hands quit going numb.
i only had my hands go numb once, and it was my throttle hand and i was still getting used to the bars, i had myself spooked and had a death grip on the bars, but i have put a few hundred miles on the bike and gotten used to them and they feel great. Im not going to dive into no twistys and push the bike hard like im in a race, but i can still cruise the twistys and just enjoy the ride.

Save Everything that comes off your bike, make the change, put some miles on to get used to the bars, if they are not for you, change it back and sell the apes and look for others bars to try out..Someone had a set of Carlini 14" gangsters on here for sale with cables and carlini risers for half what they would cost new.

 

Thanks for your comment. I wonder if my handling would change much if I either put 12" apes or 12" drag bars (re what you said about the hands getting caught in the wind and making the bike wobbly).

 

I love my Apes!

 

I seriously doubt that 14" would make much difference at all, and 12 I doubt would make any, both are under shoulder level, keep in mind a lot of bikes come out stock with 12" bars.

 

some 12" RSD vintage apes would look good on your bike!