The position of the bars will depend on your seat. My bars are positioned low but my seat is real low so my hands and arms are at a comfortable level. Set the bars where they feel right, if you lower them rotate the hand controls forward to get your wrist flat. Beach bars got my elbows down and my shoulder pinch went away. Its like sitting in a lazy boy reading the paper.

 

I have beach bars and can ride one handed at 75mph down the highway for miles.

 

I went with Bikini Beach bars. I have a couple of things mounted on the risers that I wanted to keep there as well as the risers. The rise was less on the Bikini Beach bars so I went with them. They are still fairly low even with the stock 4" risers. I haven't tried Beach bars but I find these comfortable.

 

The wider these bars are the more touchy your steering is. Fact. Slow speed is the worst (coming to a slow stop, mainly, especially on uneven pavement). Maneuvering in tight places is more of a chore.

Think of some cars you've driven where the power steering is SO sensitive, you have way less feedback when steering than you'd like.

Simple physics. You put your steer levers out that far from center and it's going to be more difficult to handle/steer as slow speeds. People can argue against this all they want, but at over a year with these bars, slow speed maneuvering is still way too touchy for my taste.

Of course, it's worth the trouble for the look and comfort. Absolutely no problem at regular speeds and I'd never go back to regular bars (on this bike at least).

 

For what it's worth steering isn't that bad at slow speeds with the bikini bars. You have to be aware of them and now that I'm used to them it's no big deal.

 

thanks Motown. that's exactly what I was thinking. I've ordered the burly beach bars 38.5" and a bare bones la pera to lower my ride height so can drop the bars low. good feedback from everyone. easy choice.