please explain apehangers to me

[Deano]

If you are an ape, you just gotta hang.

You'd really need to be a gorilla to hang on like that.

Judging by some of the gang members Ive seen with apehangers on their bikes, your description is probably pretty accurate Merv.

[scumdog]

the apehangers should be on the same angle as the slope of the front forks to give the bike a nice flowing look, they assist in the comfort of the rider keeping your arms at a natural angle, not stretching forward with your arms wide apart, and lastly they suit the style of the bike. and lastly as cruisers have a larger front wheel it makes it handle much better in corners.

Yep, nothing worse than a set of apes that don't line up with the forks, you see a lot pushed forwards on heavily raked front ends, looks like crap.

[scumdog]

Ive seen some bars on a Triumph that came back parallel (and only about 20cm apart) from the head set to a position much like that of a steering wheel on a car (in front of the riders chest) Didn't look like much control but who knows.....?

Likewise, saw the "ultimate" in ape-hangers once, the bars were so high the dude couldn'y hang on with both hands at the same time!!!!!

[FROSTY:Me]

what made me ask was theres a local guy with this set of really high bars on his harley.
he's a fairly big guy but his arms are at full stretch to reach the bars

[Skyryder]

Likewise, saw the "ultimate" in ape-hangers once, the bars were so high the dude couldn'y hang on with both hands at the same time!!!!!

Yea and his cuz was hanging on with his feet off the footpegs. Bit like the Bat bike where the rider was the cape.

Sksyryder

[fastford111]

me thinks it is a cheap under arm deodorant or arm pit dryers

[Mongoose]

me thinks it is a cheap under arm deodorant or arm pit dryers

ECHO ECHo ECho Echo echo

[dangerous]

The type of riders that are in as Jack Rat puts it 'clubs' I think that he might mean 'gangs' that use apehangers that are higher than the riders head simply crack me up.
If I'm out driving/riding and see this I cant contain myself talk about LOL..... they have to be the most stupidest dumb looking things you could ever put on a bike

[moko]

I ride with dirt bars all the time,each bike's different,they are fun - go on,expand your universe,there's more to bikes than what you are doing.

It`s very common in the U.K. to see road bikes fitted with Renthal dirt bars Motu,especially Bandits,Hornets and the like.I prefer them myself,trail-type bikes "fit" me better anyway,not only do I feel less cramped but great fun lugging on those wide bars around the country lanes.I`ve only ever ridden one cruiser,the much-maligned Suzuki Savage and after 5 minutes acclimatisation found it very comfortable,it was that bike got me hooked on big singles as well."Ace Bars" were really popular back in the 70`s,basically clip-on look-alikes that bolted on in place of your stock bars.Had them on my RD400 but no way these days,dont think my back could take it apart from anything else.Also big here a while back were Streetfighters,where the renthal craze started out.These are/were big sports bikes with the fairing binned,twin headlights up front and straight or dirt bars on,the bike of choice with the shades and black open-face helmet brigade.Who cares about convention,bloke in Plymouth rides an XL500 with CBR600 mag wheels and an underseat exhaust,only thing that pisses me off about that one is that it was for sale,I didnt bother, now I see it all the time and want it.

[Motu]

Putting on ape hangers or any sort of bar is a way to personalise your bike,say it's mine,this is what I ride,I like it.We see less and less of this now,riders just buy the lastest thing off the floor,ride it then trade up to the next one.Cruisers are a development of choppers,bikes built by the owner,a bit of personal expresion,sports bikes come from cafe racers,a bike built to look like a race bike,each one was different.Trail bikes are off road bikes on the road,I rode motocrossers on the street,same thing I suppose.

[Big Dog]

My 2c.
Just a theory but how about this.....
Most customisation styles are derived from a desire to take a practical consideration to the extreme. eg more horse power serves to make a bike more flexible so lets give it more power than the chassis can possibly deliver to the ground.
The chopper was designed with Yankee roads in mind.
Bear in mind two factors;
Corners were outlawed in the early 20s (or so it seems looking at their maps, movies etc) and the need to cope with local weather.
So the primary function of the bars would be to provide straight line stability. The secondary function especially in places like fresno and califoria would be the need to deal with searing heat in the deserts. Which would be cooler, arms at full stretch or tucked in out of the wind blast?

Is this were the notion of biker's being "cooler" than cagers come from?

[gav]

[Mongoose]

Quick way to rugry a Guzzi

[dangerous]

FFS........ now I've seen it all, Gav that photo should be sencered
man, that realy does nothing for the Massey Fergason reputation for Guzzi

[Jackrat]

Way cool,love it.
I'd rake them bars foward a bit an bend them fish tails up to at lest seat hight.It needs a high sissy bar,Fat sixteen rear,skinny twenty one up front,and a flame job just for a real taste of class.
Oh yeah way cool