DK Unboxes Paul Yaffe Pre-Wired Monkey Bars

Looking to stretch those arms out on your bike? There’s no denying that ape hangers are a polarizing style and you either love ’em or hate ’em. If you love ’em, there are plenty of options out there to choose from, but many blend together. Legendary builder Paul Yaffe loves apes, but he wanted something different. That’s where his Monkey Bars came from.

The Monkey Bars are designed to specifically fit Harley Touring bikes. Paul wanted bars that not only looked custom with his Bagger Nation flair, but also to be comfortable on Touring bikes so their long haul capability wasn’t sacrificed. Every detail of these bars was gone over with a magnifying glass to ensure they met his standards. When you put these bars on your Harley, Paul not only wants them to look good, but to also feel good. Being pre-wired is the icing on the cake.

Ease of Pre-Wired Bars

One of the biggest drawbacks to oversized apes, or any taller bars for that matter, is the need for wiring extensions. A lot of riders just don’t want to deal with this. It can be confusing to figure out which extension lengths are needed (though the DK Tech Team is always there to help with this). The Yaffe pre-wired bars take all the guess work out of it. They are designed to fit your Harley with no extension needed.

The pre-wired Monkey Bars have all the necessary wiring built-in. The OEM twist grip throttle sensor is retained and the installed throttle side pull wire allows for easy twist grip throttle sensor exchange. Internal switch wires and connectors are all there as well. These bars are even compatible with Harley’s heated grips, so your hands can stay toasty on those cold rides. With them all pre-installed in the bars, there’s no hassle of routing the wires inside.

Harley’s R.D.R.S. (Reflex Defensive Rider Systems) is found on more and more Touring bikes today as riders want more electronic aid. Fortunately, R.D.R.S. doesn’t have to go by the wayside with these bars. That system is fully compatible with the pre-wired Monkey Bars.

Comfort with Style

Paul really wanted his bars to be comfortable, not just stylish. A lot of thought and engineering went into the design of the Monkey Bars to achieve that goal. It all starts with the natural grip angle. The angle allows your hands to be in a relaxed position, which reduces the risk of hand fatigue. No more shaking out your hands at stops.

Along with the grip angle, the Monkey Bars offer quite a bit of pullback. With the grips further back, there is no need to lean forward. You’ll be in a much more relaxed posture and your back will absolutely thank you on those long rides. To get the grips in the exact right position, the Monkey Bars are designed for max rotation, which allows you to set the bars in the clamps anywhere you need them to be.

Handling was also a big consideration when Paul was designing these apes. The narrower width that he settled on was to address handling. The Monkey Bars are several inches narrower than standard apes, which allows you to comfortably turn the bars without having to move from a stable riding position.

No-Hassle Installation

The Monkey Bars are a direct replacement for stock bars. And because they are pre-wired, you save time and frustration by not having to reroute longer wiring. They accept your stock grips, switch housings and controls. The wiring harness for the bars is completely plug-and-play with the stock setup. The connectors can then be tucked away in the bars to hidden out of sight.

There are a lot of options out there for ape hangers. Many of them are great and it can be difficult to choose the right bars. But on that list of apes to look at, the Paul Yaffe Pre-Wired Monkey Bars certainly need to be considered. Their look, comfort, and ease of installation make them a leading contender in our books.