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Originally Posted by rmak
I rode a 70 Bonneville last summer and the stock bars almost felt like mini-ape hangers
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That's because the bikes destined for the U.S. market were equipped with "bucko bars", emulating the then-trendy chopper look (who says history doesn't repeat itself?). In retrospect, this is seen as a mistake, like the aforementioned polyester leisure suits and platform heels on men's shoes. People who restore bikes from that era typically re-fit the bikes with the European-spec bars and discard the U.S. bars.
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so higher bars might just look right.
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Looks and taste are often subjective. Swanson sells a billion dollars' worth of TV dinners in a year- doesn't mean it's passable as food... ;^P
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Could be a cool alternative to low cafe' bars.
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So maybe someone can clue me in here. I mean, clubmans or superbike bars work to improve handling by transferring weight to the front wheel. And maybe they improve performance by marginally reducing frontal area. The rider benefits by leaning into the wind, rather than having to struggle to keep his place in a mechanically-induced hurricane.
So what's the benefit, or point or whatever, of ape hangers?
Yes, I'm mostly just giving you a bad time...
