Got a sporty with  8 inch pull back T bars, they look great but make me feel a little squashed and not much confidence in riding through the fast corners.  Only had the bike a couple of months just wondering if ( the handle bars can make a difference ) or do I just need to keep riding to get more confident with them.  Im running a metzler front tyre.

Should I purchase some stock bars or something else.

Apes !

Drag bars !

Any experiences or replies would be apreciated.

Cheers Pan...

Pan,

They make a huge difference and will either improve ya ride or completely fuck it up! I had 14' apes on my Iron for about 12months and hated most of it. They looked ultra cool, however I never really felt overly safe with them. They'd move, always struggle to get the tension right, they cornered shithouse and I found them really uncomfortable on bumpier roads.

Swapped the apes out for a very narrow broomstick and its a whole new bike, I tackle corners really well, feels much more secure and all in all just a much more aggressive seating position.

I have a mate who has a set of Santee drag bars, I think they're slightly too wide for a Sporty @ 32', however they are comfortable and really do the job well. I'd have a look at a set of drag bars, much better longevity and a really comfortable ride. Get rid of the risers your running and go back to a standard set (unless your a little shorter) which will move you away from the bars a little.

Hope that helps

Waz

If you're not comfortable or confident you tense up (even if you don't notice it) and that can lead to huge problems which may land you in a world of shit one day. Go into a HD dealer and ask to sit on a bike with stock bars (just pretend you're interested) and see how it feels... You don't have to go with stockies (lots of bars out there similar, but different) but, imo, drag bars and apes are kinda both extremes...so unless you can sit on a bike and try the feel I wouldn't go there...yet.

i changed my stock bars to 8" mini apes and love them, great position and handling, a little less responsive than stock. I have on order 14 apes as i think im ready to try something higher, and im getting a little too confident scraping my pipes and stand, so the apes should slow me down a little, as a harley really is a cruiser after all.......
T1

Pan, HD do a 30" drag bar, same width as the stock bar on my Iron, but with 0" rise & 4" pullback. I'm 5'11" riding with stock mid pegs & have no issues, comfy as.

Also remember a wider bar will give you better leverage/feel, something to consider.

Slap.

Thanks for the advice guys, going to look at some stock or drag bars I rekon.  Will post photos and let you know the results soon... Hopefully.

Pan.

I haven't changed the bars on my Harley, but my golden rule on any bike motorcycle or push bike, even applies to cars, is if your not comfortable sitting in the riding/driving position, then you won't be able to flow with the vehicle, and this makes cornering and high speeds dangerous. It might be something small such as clutch and brake angle, but it could be a combination of bars, seat, and controls. Try sitting on a few bikes, like others have said, until you find something you find comfortable, and try to emulate that on your ride. Sometimes it helps to have a mate eyeball you from the side and assist in adjusting things.
Cheers

 Put stock bars on my bike, comfortable on long rides & the Ikon springs & shocks made it handle well, still looks like a great bike, 2005 sporty 1200c 21" wheel & a big fat blue tank.

Got a sporty with 8 inch pull back T bars never feels good going into a corner but on the up side i have come out every time i am trying to source some good wide westerns on 6 inch risers but im a fat barstad so i like a wide grip

29" broomstick and love the riding position!

i changed mine to mid western....like the wider grip...made a more comfortabe ride. 

 

anychance i could get a pic please Als

Yeah no probs!

sorry for the delay....photo bucket problems......

 

like i said prior. I like the feel of these.

the ones on the bike were not the std but were very similar.

purchased them from the handle bar shop in New Zealand.  $110.00 landed.

originaly just had zip ties holding cable but purchased some clips from the stealer and drilled the bars to install.

 

cheers, 

Al.

bloody nice

Thank kevlad it's the bars