ApeHanger Bars?

[Exploreinman]

Just curious if anyone has ridden a bike with apehanger bars? I'm coming home last night and a rider on a Harley passes me with handlebars that are just about as high as he could reach. His feet were placed well ahead on forward controls. I have to think that this set up is difficult to control, if not extremely uncomfortable? I'm not downing any of you who ride such a bike, but I'm curious as to why someone would want to ride a bike that appears to be so unstable and uncomfortable?

 

Exploreinman

'05 R1200RT

[upflying]

It's a motorcycle outlaw old school chopper style thing, safety and comfort is secondary. Most commonly seen on Harley's, it's illegal in California to have handlebars higher than your shoulders when seated on the bike. You could assume that anyone who rides with "apes" may be seen as macho and "badass" to intimidated onlookers. This stereotype is reinforced when such a motorcyclist stops next to a family in a minivan and mom comforts, holds and hides the eyes of easily offended children. Visual "in your face" shock is all it is.

[bvaughan]

It's a motorcycle outlaw old school chopper style thing, safety and comfort is secondary.

Nah, it really is a safety/comfort farkle. Only way to get your rear off the seat when bouncing over rr tracks on your knucklehead hardtail and your feet straight out in front of you is to haul up on those high bars. Same reason hog riders don't waive, they know that if they let go of one of the handles the bike will crash and burn. It's all about safety.

[LuckyLeif]

...Nah, it really is a safety/comfort farkle. Only way to get your rear off the seat when bouncing over rr tracks on your knucklehead hardtail and your feet straight out in front of you is to haul up on those high bars....

One of the funnier posts I've read in quite a while.

[Carnadero]

Most commonly seen on Harley's, it's illegal in California to have handlebars higher than your shoulders when seated on the bike.

I'd hate to be riding an apehanger-equipped bike going westbound on I-580 through Altamont when the wind howls through there (as it does a lot of the time).

[Deadboy]

it's illegal in California to have handlebars higher than your shoulders when seated on the bike.

 

Law has changed, new language is as follows:

 

A person shall not drive a two-wheel motorcycle that is equipped with handlebars so positioned that the hands of the driver, when upon the grips, are more than six inches above his or her shoulder height when sitting astride the seat.

[mrduck]

Slight hijack-

Gotta kid here at work bought a new sportster and the passenger seat is held on to the rear fender by suction cups!!!

And all the other Harley guys all think that's fine!!!

 

 

I have no idea how they ride with them ape-hanger bars

[leikam]

I'm curious as to why someone would want to ride a bike that appears to be so unstable and uncomfortable?

 

Maybe because it is neither.

 

Why does anybody ride a race replica bike? Twitchy steering with your heels up to your ass.

[blkvelvt]

I work with a guy at work who just installed "Ape hangers" on his HD. His comment was "I got a little wobble at high speed because my arms and upper body are like a kite now."

I just walked away with a puzzled look on my face. Any aftermarket mod that introduces a "High speed wobble" to look cool does not compute in my mind.

[baggerchris]

Bought a new police overrun Harley in 1976. Old Snakebite was his name. About the 2nd year I had him, I got the urge to put Apes on. I found that they made my shoulders ache and I did not have good control. Man, after 100 miles on a long club trip, I was worn to a frazzle and couldn't even bring my beer mug up to my mouth, which was a serious problem. Took em off when I got back. My riding buddy of 25 years however likes em and continues to use em to this day, so go figure.

[Matts_12GS]

they're called "Phantom pads" or P Pads for short. Decorum prohibits me using the common anatomical euphemism for the stick on pads.

 

they're cool if you want to have that solo seat look while you're bar hoppin', but, if you gotta drag the ol' lady along, this way is acceptable cred at bike night.

[outpost22]

it's illegal in California to have handlebars higher than your shoulders when seated on the bike.

 

Law has changed, new language is as follows:

 

A person shall not drive a two-wheel motorcycle that is equipped with handlebars so positioned that the hands of the driver, when upon the grips, are more than six inches above his or her shoulder height when sitting astride the seat.

 

Well somebody forgot to tell the guy in Hollister last March as he rode past and could BARELY reach up to the handlebars on his hog.

 

Oh wait, he probably didn't care about "the law"

[Green RT]

Ape hanger bars seem to have just arrived in Colorado. I can't remember seeing any in the 4+ years I have been here until this spring. I have seen a couple in the past week.

[WURTY]

Those bars get the offenders arms in the correct position when you see him next week on Cops.

[KCSheila]

We had a patient come in our office and he had 18 inch apehangers. We asked him why he rode with them and he told us, "believe it or not, they are just more comfortable". My husband asked him if they were more comfortable, why we saw so many people alternating which hand was on the "hanger" while the other rested on their leg. Appeared to us, they had to bring their arm down to get comfortable. He just laughed and said he was thinking of raising his. We are in Missouri, so I am not sure how the law reads on that here, but common sense says it is uncomfortable to have your arms almost straight up in the air for long.

[pbbeck]

Oh, come on now!

 

Who among us has not secretly wished to have a set of apes on his or her RT, GS, or LT?

[Haynes]

I can't imagine why you'd choose apehangers. Anyone who claims them to be more comfortable seriously puts their credibility at risk.

Perhaps it's so they can ride standing on the seat.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I've owned and ridden a couple of bikes with "apes" on them. No control problems whatever, keeping in mind the design of the bikes to begin with. No, you ain't going canyon carvin'.

 

When coupled with the typical, feet forward, upper body slouch, they are not particularly uncomfortable either. A long stretch of highway riding will tire you as the wind pressure on the upper body results in having to do a mild pull-up for the duration. However, back when I had them on my bikes, 100 miles was pretty much a long stretch.

 

On one of the bikes, the only control on the handlebars was the throttle, spool front hub, jockey shift and suicide clutch. Made stopping on uphill intersections and interesting proposition. Before you gasp at the spool front hub thing, try a '50's era HD single leading shoe front brake. It really isn't much more than a large diameter spool anyway.

[JerryMather]

I loved mine on my custom Harley's.

 

I don't think I'd put them on anything else though. A lowered, streched out bike with forward controls and a set of Ape Hangers was very comfortable for me. I used to do LA to Big Sur regularly that way.

80 to 85 MPH is about the most I could do for long periods of time because for the wind factor but on the other hand, I've thrown on turbos on quit a few of these types of bikes for a lot of guys that have them and trust me...........they aint stopping at 85 MPH because of the wind.

As a matter of fact, it's not uncomman for them to keep it at a buck when they ride out to Laughlin from LA and that's a few hundred miles, only stopping for gas and maybe something to drink.

[Wyn]

ISYHTRAH

[wbrissette]

His comment was "I got a little wobble at high speed because my arms and upper body are like a kite now."

 

But most of these bikes aren't ridden at high speeds (or at least what I consider high speeds). The do it for the same reasons people I knew in HS started smoking, because it looked like the cool thing to do and other people were doing it.

 

Wayne

[Wyn]

Apehangers saved my life once. When I was 18/19 years old I had a 450 Honda with apehangers. Geez, what was I thinking.

 

Thought I'd be cool in front of a bunch of bikers. Poped my clutch at a light. Bike went right over backwards on top of me and would have done a number on me if it weren't for the apehangers. Sorta of a roll cage effect if you will.

 

Ah youth, what a dumbass I was!!

 

 

 

ISYHTRAH

[hopz]

I know you guys are just trolling for me, so I might as well throw-in.

 

Yes I have ridden bikes with Apes, and up to a certain point they are in-fact more comfortable. Most of the issue is style, and most of the time the rake of the bike is also altered. The combination or rake, Apes, forward controls and seat can make for a great ride. I do not endorse hard-tails...

 

There was a serious article posited several years ago that the radical difference between sport bike seating position

(that being leaned forward ass in the air style) as opposed to cruiser style ( leaned back, feet forward etc) was basically a sex thing.

 

The Sport guys think their butts are attractive while the cruiser guys like to show off their manly arms.

 

Of course that leaves open to discussion the BMW touring guys who distain both. I will leave it to the researchers to discover what our style says about us.

 

Your actual mileage may vary.

[wrestleantares]

I've owned and ridden a couple of bikes with "apes" on them. No control problems whatever, keeping in mind the design of the bikes to begin with. No, you ain't going canyon carvin'.

 

If your arms are perfectly straight on ANY bike, you are going to have some loss of ability to react.

[Husker Red]

There was a serious article posited several years ago that the radical difference between sport bike seating position

(that being leaned forward ass in the air style) as opposed to cruiser style ( leaned back, feet forward etc) was basically a sex thing.

 

The Sport guys think their butts are attractive while the cruiser guys like to show off their manly arms.

That's funny. I've heard it refered as the Proctology vs Gynecology position.