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[Twolanerider]

Wild 1 doesn't have any specs on their site for wrist angle nor much other geometry for their Reaper bars.  Hoping someone can offer a direct side-by-side or before-and-after comparison from their 10" or 12.5" apes to their 10" or 12" Reaper bars.

I know the wrist angle on their 8.5", 10" and 12.5" apes are all good for my particular personal geometry.  Have never sat a bike with their Reaper bars though and am considering a change on my Road King.  I like the looks of the Reaper bars; but not at the concession of them being uncomfortable compared to what I know works.

Also, if someone has done the deed, how much of a pain in the ass is it to pull wires in the Reaper bars?  I'll have a LOT of wires to pull.  Three more pairs than normal in the left side for a trio of aux switches along with the wiring for the Heat Demons heaters on both sides.  That all goes through the rounded curves on their standard apes; without even too many bad words.  I'm concerned about the sharper turns on the Reapers though.

[Yellow09SERG]

Can't help you with the fit of the Reaper but I say the wires will take lots of bad words....beer....and more bad words. Pulled the wires on my Monkey Bars with heated grips and the bends look about the same. Oh did I mention bad words?

[Twolanerider]

Can't help you with the fit of the Reaper but I say the wires will take lots of bad words....beer....and more bad words. Pulled the wires on my Monkey Bars with heated grips and the bends look about the same. Oh did I mention bad words?

Just looking at pics of the bars I was afraid the installation might require maybe even bad words in multiple languages and probably a few that haven't even been made up yet.  Hmmmm......   how bad do I want to do this.... ?

Was it bad enough any tools (or anything else) went flying?

[Yellow09SERG]

Just looking at pics of the bars I was afraid the installation might require maybe even bad words in multiple languages and probably a few that haven't even been made up yet.  Hmmmm......   how bad do I want to do this.... ?

Was it bad enough any tools (or anything else) went flying?

Well... I still haven't found my 9/16 wrench...lol.

Don I think it will depend a lot on your patience level on that day. I cussed in several different languages that I don't know when I first started. Walked away and came back the next day and only used one language. I ended up using a chain style dog leash that I could feed into the bars and by rolling the bars around it would fall through the bends, grouped the wires together and taped them solid with black tape to keep them as tight as I could and to protect them from a possible nick. Used wire soap and just started pushing and pulling a little at a time. The dang Moldex connections are a pain to unpin and repin too. Make a good diagram that you understand before you start. It might be easier for you to follow than trying to pull the locations from the service manual. Beer runs make.good breaks also

[Twolanerider]

Well... I still haven't found my 9/16 wrench...lol.

Don I think it will depend a lot on your patience level on that day. I cussed in several different languages that I don't know when I first started. Walked away and came back the next day and only used one language. I ended up using a chain style dog leash that I could feed into the bars and by rolling the bars around it would fall through the bends, grouped the wires together and taped them solid with black tape to keep them as tight as I could and to protect them from a possible nick. Used wire soap and just started pushing and pulling a little at a time. The dang Moldex connections are a pain to unpin and repin too. Make a good diagram that you understand before you start. It might be easier for you to follow than trying to pull the locations from the service manual. Beer runs make.good breaks also

I often use a small nut on heavy fishing line that I can then drop through and turn handlebars or crash bars whatever is necessary for gravity to get my nuts where I need them.  Then stagger attached wires and (hopefully) pull stuff through.  If the terminals have too much trouble making the bends I'll cut the damned things off if necessary.  Either resplice once through the bars or grab the crimp tools and replace.  Those upper turns of more than 90 degrees don't look fun for pulling terminated wires through though; especially as long as those terminals are.  Maybe if I start swearing a couple works beforehand to better prepare the environment it'll help  ?

[Yellow09SERG]

Yea depending on what height you go you may have to add wire anyhow so might be easier to just cut

[Twolanerider]

Yea depending on what height you go you may have to add wire anyhow so might be easier to just cut

10s or 12s.  Need some confirmation that wrist angles are comparable to their normal apes before I pull any trigger though.  So glad I don't have hair to pull out over this stuff.

[Yellow09SERG]

Bald has its advantages sometimes....

[hd-dude]

I have done many of the reaper bars. From memory they are not quite as wide and the wrist angle is a bit straighter. I really like them better than their standard apes. Pulling wires is a chore. We use a a throttle cable to pull the wires through. Loop the cable around the harness so as you pull it tightens up on the harness to avoid it coming off in the process. Lots of wheel bearing grease on the harness helps it move along as well. If you are not cutting the terminals off then stagger them when you tape them when you tape them together. Also pushing and pulling (inching it along) the harness helps get around the hard bends.

[Twolanerider]

I have done many of the reaper bars. From memory they are not quite as wide and the wrist angle is a bit straighter. I really like them better than their standard apes. Pulling wires is a chore. We use a a throttle cable to pull the wires through. Loop the cable around the harness so as you pull it tightens up on the harness to avoid it coming off in the process. Lots of wheel bearing grease on the harness helps it move along as well. If you are not cutting the terminals off then stagger them when you tape them when you tape them together. Also pushing and pulling (inching it along) the harness helps get around the hard bends.

Thanks Jim.  No one I know around here has them so never had a chance to give them a feel.  The comparison helps.

[Jbbrown73]

I had the 12.5" Wild One apes on a 2012 CVO Road Glide. I loved them!!!  I am about 5'10" tall and the height and wrist angle was perfect. They were just a little bit too wide for me, but after getting used to them I believe they are the most comfortable bars I've ever ridden.

I just put the 14" Reapers on a 2017 Road King. The reason I went with 14" this time is if you look at how they're measured, it's from the bottom of the riser bar to the grip ends. When I was measuring I felt the 12" would be pretty low. I think the 14" Reapers aren't a lot taller than the 12.5" apes. The wrist angle and pull back are more flat than the apes. The Reapers are about an inch narrower which I really like. I'm getting used to them, and I do like them quite a bit. In my opinion the apes would be more comfortable on a long ride than the Reapers. This Road King is my short hopper, and I really built it for cosmetics over function, so I'm very pleased with the Reapers. The look is fabulous!!!

[Twolanerider]

I had the 12.5" Wild One apes on a 2012 CVO Road Glide. I loved them!!!  I am about 5'10" tall and the height and wrist angle was perfect. They were just a little bit too wide for me, but after getting used to them I believe they are the most comfortable bars I've ever ridden.

I just put the 14" Reapers on a 2017 Road King. The reason I went with 14" this time is if you look at how they're measured, it's from the bottom of the riser bar to the grip ends. When I was measuring I felt the 12" would be pretty low. I think the 14" Reapers aren't a lot taller than the 12.5" apes. The wrist angle and pull back are more flat than the apes. The Reapers are about an inch narrower which I really like. I'm getting used to them, and I do like them quite a bit. In my opinion the apes would be more comfortable on a long ride than the Reapers. This Road King is my short hopper, and I really built it for cosmetics over function, so I'm very pleased with the Reapers. The look is fabulous!!!

Have experience on my own or others with the Apes from 8.5" through 14" and, like you, the wrist angles for me on all of them are very comfortable.  Also like you this change might happen to a Road King that I built with an idea towards somewhat more local riding while the Road Glide goes farther from home.  Having said that in the three yeas its been together the Road King has 22xxx some odd miles on it now.  So I'm using it more than anticipated.  Decisions decisions.....

[pvanwagner]

I don't have input on the Reapers except after looking at them I don't want to try and pull wires through them.  The Wild 1 Chubby Apes are easy to pull wires through. 

I recommend wire pulling jell from your local electrical aisle at the hardware store (works great as an ablative in silencers also, but that's another story) but the last two I did I used dielectric grease because it's what I had on hand.  The dielectric grease works great and didn't melt and drip out like heavy grease might in the dead of summer in the South.  If dielectric grease is good enough for the inside of the connectors being coated on the outside couldn't be that bad. 

I use a ton of purple or green painters tape on the outside of the bars to prevent scratching during work on the workbench (old sheet covering the workbench also) and then lots of electrical tape to bind the wires together and to keep the string attached.  Like it was said above, stagger the connectors so you don't have to cut them off.  A small pin helps you disassemble the Duetch Connectors.  I use butchers string tied to a nut to fish it through the bars.  Take pictures with your cell phone of the connectors before disassembling so you don't put them together backwards (I've done it) and write everything down.  The service manual is your best reference to ensure you have the wires reassembled correctly, but you'll be glad you took the pictures and digital costs you nothing.

.

[Twolanerider]

I don't have input on the Reapers except after looking at them I don't want to try and pull wires through them.  The Wild 1 Chubby Apes are easy to pull wires through. 

I recommend wire pulling jell from your local electrical aisle at the hardware store (works great as an ablative in silencers also, but that's another story) but the last two I did I used dielectric grease because it's what I had on hand.  The dielectric grease works great and didn't melt and drip out like heavy grease might in the dead of summer in the South.  If dielectric grease is good enough for the inside of the connectors being coated on the outside couldn't be that bad. 

I use a ton of purple or green painters tape on the outside of the bars to prevent scratching during work on the workbench (old sheet covering the workbench also) and then lots of electrical tape to bind the wires together and to keep the string attached.  Like it was said above, stagger the connectors so you don't have to cut them off.  A small pin helps you disassemble the Duetch Connectors.  I use butchers string tied to a nut to fish it through the bars.  Take pictures with your cell phone of the connectors before disassembling so you don't put them together backwards (I've done it) and write everything down.  The service manual is your best reference to ensure you have the wires reassembled correctly, but you'll be glad you took the pictures and digital costs you nothing.

.

Thanks.  Have done 12-15 of their regular apes so comfortable with that process.  My thoughts align with yours on the impression left by the reapers though.  Potentially a bitch.  Especially with my having so much more than the normal amount of wire to pull on the left side.

[bigredmaynard]

I have always had good luck with using dental floss and a shop vac. Block off holes do you have two ends, such through the floss, tie it to something stronger to do the pulling pull back through now attach wires to be pulled.

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