We all have different ideas on what looks cool and what is comfortable. Look at the pics of all our bikes - many different bikes, almost none exactly alike. Me? I don't the appeal of apes. Don't like the look, don't find them comfortable, but, it's cool with me that other people dig them. On a chopper style bike, to a point, for me, they work. On a Road King? I'd put them right up there with bolting a lawn chair to the hood of a Bentley as a hood ornament.
I have a '06 RK, and I went throuch 3 sets of bars befor getting it right with 14" apes and 4x1 risers (the 14" were too short). Nor it fits perfect. I have done many 400-500 mile days very comfortablt.
CHL
Have 14''apes on my RK ,very comfortable ,ride my wifes bike with low bars and it feels pitched over and I have to lift my chin alittle,not comfortable.
Not really. Harley calls them mini-apes, but then, that's like calling drag bars, flat-apes. In "the old days" the bars on my bike would have been called hi-rise, pull back bars, or something like that.
6'4" and i run 16" apes on my rk. love em, 8000 miles on them with no complaints. I have a bad back and the stock bars are to low and hurt me after 100 miles or so. I ride 8+ hours every month or so one way to my place in ga and never had an issue with them.
I'm making the plunge. I've got some 16" Chubby blems on order. I got the blems to powdercoat black, not to mention they were $60 cheaper. The bars are the cheap part. It's everything else that starts running up the total. It's an expensive experiment. I love the look...just hope I love the ride.