What Are The Best Handlebars For Street Glide?

Handlebars are one of the most essential parts of riding a bike, as they play an essential role in controlling where you will go. You may not realize this, but default handlebars can’t do everything needed for your personal needs and preferences, which means getting yourself some better ones that match your riding style!

If you are looking for the best handlebars to use when street glide-ing, then this post is going to help!

In it, I’ll show how each of these five options stacks up against one another. You won’t have any trouble finding what works well based on my detailed explanation and comparison.

By the time you’re done reading this post, you’ll know exactly what would be the best handlebars for street glide for you!

What Are TheBest-Handlebars-For-Street-Glide

How to Choose the Best Handlebars For Street Glide?

There’s a lot that goes into choosing handlebars for your bike; they’re pretty much the building block of your entire riding experience! The wrong handlebars would ruin the ride so much that you might not even want to use the bike anymore! But the thing is, the handlebars you might have might be the most expensive ones ever, but if they’re not built the way that works well with your body and riding style, they’re not going to work out for you.

Several factors play into making sure your handlebars are the best for you. To achieve the best street glide you can get, make sure you consider these factors.

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The right height

If you want to make your ride comfier, the height of a bike’s handlebars is an essential factor. Harley offers many different types of bikes with varying heights and shapes, including cruiser style, which can create bad posture if not handled properly!

The key here depends on how high or low one’s hands typically rest when sitting upright and at their typical resting position while out riding motorcycles, so they put themselves at less risk.

You should always make sure that your hands stay low enough while riding. Hence, they receive an adequate amount of oxygen from blood flow – if not, then you could risk getting numb fingers during long trips on hilly terrain, which would lead up into disaster territory pretty quickly!

The right width

Resting your hands on the handlebars is not an exact science. You should make sure that they are wider than the distance between your shoulders, but not so much as to stretch out and tire yourself! The width should be enough to sit comfortably, but not so wide that you have to use a lot of strength staying upright if you’re riding the bike for hours on end.

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The pullback

One factor that should be assessed when choosing a bike is the pullback. The longer your grip extends before reaching its limit concerning how far away from you it can go without getting uncomfortable or cramped up in tight spaces-the more comfortable riding will feel for you. Although if the pullback is too long, you might end up having trouble balancing on the bike itself!

The thickness

The thicker your handle, the more durable it will be. A strong-looking bike needs a sturdy grip that can take abuse when you’re into stunts and heavy braking because of its weightier importance in case this type of biking is what interests you most! Handlebars that are too thin won’t be able to fight the wind, and handlebars too thick might get so heavy that you won’t even be able to use the bike properly!

The shape

The shape of handlebars matters in terms of how the bike looks and how things feel throughout the ride, and how many changes you end up making to the bike later on. If your handlebars are insanely oversized, they’ll get in the way of everything. So you might want to give this one some thought before making the purchase!

The material

The handlebars of your bike should be made from a durable material that will last for years. The best options are stainless steel or its variants, which can withstand rust and corrosion-resistant environments with ease while still being weather resistant if you ride in different ways!

The wiring of your bike

When buying a new handlebar, make sure it can be used with your bike’s wiring. If the extra wires don’t match up or there is too much length on one side, you’ll need to do some additional work when you’re rewiring anything at all!

The Best Handlebars For Street Glide

How do you know the factors you should consider when finding the best handlebars for a street glide? Let’s jump right into our recommendations. Here are some of the best handlebars for a street glide!

Dominator Industries 1 1/4” Prewired 12” Gloss Black Miter Monkey Bar Apes compatible with Harley-Davidson Electra & Street Glide

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The Dominator Industries handlebars are known for their premium quality, which does not disappoint! They’re made of US-made steel, laser cut. Hence, they fit flush with your bar without gaps or overlaps while being fully TIG welded for durability. It’ll take more than just rain to break them down—and then deburred before getting beveled at just the right angles that make installation easy as pie.

The Dominator Industries apes come pre-wired with the control harnesses. It doesn’t get any more plug-and-play than that! All we’d to do was pull our existing grip sensor through bars before bolting on a handlebar, which took no more than 10 minutes total – tops (which is pretty impressive.

The Dominator Industries apes come ready to install and use right out of the box.

The ape hangers are unique in that they’re pre-wired for both control harnesses and battery clips, so all you need is your bike’s electrical system! Making this one of the best 12-inch handlebars for a street glide that anyone can use!

What do customers say about Dominator Industries 1 1/4″ Pre-wired?

The Dominator Industries 1 1/4″ Pre-wired 12″ has raging reviews all over the internet, 5/5 in most online stores. Users love that it comes with pre-wiring, so it’s easy to use straight out of the box!

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XFMT 14″ Rise Ape Hanger Fat 1 1/4″ HandleBar For Harley Dressers Baggers Touring 1982-Later

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The XFMT street glide ape hangers are made from iron and feel pretty solid. They feel a little heavier than the Dominator Industries handlebars, but that doesn’t impact performance once we hit the road! We got a glossy black variant which also comes with the silver option if you prefer that over the chrome one (which is my personal favorite).
It comes pre-drilled internally, so the installation process was relatively fast & easy – something worth considering!

This handlebar provides an excellent firm mounting surface for your bike with a wider than average central knurling. It was surprising to see how well it held up against other narrower options we tested in comparison!

What do customers say about XFMT 14″ Rise Ape Hanger?

These are the perfect handlebars for everyone. Most users love the fact that they’re not too big or too small, and their weight is pretty balanced, too, leading them to a 4.5/5 rating almost everywhere online!

XMT-MOTO 14 Inch Batwing Handlebar

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The tall stance of these bars gave us an upright posture when riding. We didn’t experience any back strain or neck discomfort throughout our two-hour adventure, which is impressive considering how much time we spent in this position! The beauty of these iron apes is evident, no matter what color you end up choosing!

The bars come with pre-drilled holes, making installation easy. They’re made of sturdy aluminum, so they’ll last for years without rusting or warping! And at just 1 inch wide (center section), these handlebar extensions offer plenty of space to fit standard bicycle control buttons into place – which is excellent if you don’t want any pesky clutter getting in your way when riding around town!

What do customers say about XMT-MOTO 14 Inch Batwing Handlebar?

For many customers, this is one of those handlebars that you need to study a little bit before installing, but since they do have holes to allow for easier wiring, once you figure them out, these are pretty great handlebars! These have a 4-5/5 rating all over the internet!

TCMT Chrome Ape Hangers Bars 1-1/4 16″

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Made of high-quality iron and equipped with a chrome, powder-coated exterior that is both scratch resistant as well as rustproof, these TCMT bars will last through all kinds of weather conditions. The mercenaries came pre-drilled, so installation was easy – even if you’re taking an extended bike trip!

The moderate 11-inch pullback provided a comfortable riding profile, so no complaints. The TCMT monkey bar also comes in 12, 14, and 18-inch variants to fit Harley Davidson Electra Glide Baggers or Sportsters bikes – we were pleased with their performance and durability!

What do customers say about TCMT Chrome Ape Hangers Bars?

Almost every person who’s ever tried these handlebars agrees that these are some of the most comfortable handlebars out there! However, you might want to get longer wires than the stock ones to install them quickly. These handlebars have a 4-5/5 rating almost everywhere on the internet!


14″ MERCENARY BARS HANDLEBARS FOR HARLEY ROAD GLIDES

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These custom 14″ Mercenary bars come in Satin Black and Glossy finishes. The sleek black finish on these handles or their shiny glossier version will make your bike stand out no matter where you go! These handmade pieces were made using 100% TIG welding, which ensures that each joint can take whatever abuse life throws at them because of how strong this type is when doing repairs like installing new tires after an accident etc.! So you could put these through the wringer and still be okay!

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These aren’t just beautiful to look at and super strong, but they’re also extremely easy to install and can be used by pretty much anyone!

What do customers say about 14″ Mercenary handlebars?

These are one of the most popular handlebars available right now, and the users that have tried them out say that these are the type of handlebars that don’t just look good but feel good too! They have a 5/5 rating almost everywhere online!


LA CHOPPERS LA-7361-12B Black 11/4″ Twin Peaks Touring Handle Bar 

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The flowing design of these handlebars is meant to be used with Batwing fairings, but you can use them without any if preferred. They’re also compatible, and their features together make it one great option for gliding around town!

Whether you’re an expert or a beginner, this handlebar will make your ride more fun and easy. Its parallel wrist angles let riders take turns easily without giving up control in tight spaces while also allowing stress-free riding for everyone!

What do customers say about LA CHOPPERS LA-7361-12B Black?

These are the type of handlebars that would pretty much work for everyone. One of the things that users love the most about this is that you don’t need to install any extra wiring! That, paired with just how good they are have earned them 5/5 stars almost everywhere online!

FAQs

What Road Glide handlebars come with the bike originally?

The stock Road Glide handlebars are a comfortable 1.25 inches in diameter, so they’re perfect for most people’s hands!

Can you use any Harley handlebars?

To help you decide which bike is suitable for your needs, it might be worth taking a quick ride on each of them. It’s also possible that once we get into more detail about how different types work and their specific benefits or drawbacks, this may change what type feels best-suited towards meeting individual requirements!

Are ape handles easy to use?

The ape hanger is an excellent choice for tall riders. It’s the most comfortable position to ride in because you’re able to use your bike’s handlebars as leverage when climbing hills or reaching high speeds on flat ground, which makes it easier than other alternatives like sitting upright (which requires much more effort). These might not be the best bet if you’re on the shorter side!

How to make sure the handlebars you get are the right size?

The “right” size will depend on the bike to bike. To make sure yours fit perfectly, measure the entire circumference of the bike, and then divide the answer you’ve gotten by Pi, or 3.14 to be more specific. The answer you get will be the perfect handlebar size for your bike!

What size are Harley handlebars supposed to be?

Almost every brand of handlebars makes them in their specific size, but generally, handlebars come in sizes from 1″ to 7/8″. If you’re looking for thicker bars, there are options available that measure at 100mm or 125 mm.

Is it necessary to have very high handlebars on a Harley?

Handlebars are very specific to every rider’s requirements. Some people prefer high handlebars and can’t ride very well without them, others can’t ride with high handlebars at all, so it’s all a matter of preference. The only necessity here is to make sure you’re comfortable!

You’re All Set

Choosing the best handlebars for street glide can be extremely difficult and daunting if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, you can get the best ones for your specific needs every single time with the correct information! With the tips and recommendations in this post, you’ll be able to find the right handlebars for yourself without a problem!

By Jacob - The Rider

Hi, my name is Jacob. I'm the founder of Backyard Rider Mag - a blog about motorcycles. I've studied engineering in college but decided to make blogging my career because it really aligned with what I wanted to do creatively - talk about bikes! I've been riding for 16 years now- everything from sportbikes to cruisers, dirtbikes or even dual sports. And after all these years on the road, there are still new bikes that excite me just as much as when I first started riding.

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