Topic: low drop cafe bars

[zoom74cb]

WOW...the choices..well.the seat will be a custom one..it will be approx half the seat height of the OEM seat. So it will be lower...I wolbe using the stock location for the foot controls..no rearsets as of yet.  The euro clubmans seem like they would be okay..but where to find them??

[shinyribs]

 Offer up something based in fact, or science, or something other than "derp, it don't hurt me yet, derp". make a logical, researched, and valid argument justifying why your opinion is valid and not bad advice. 

Derp? You went with derp?! LOL.  OK,let's see if this sticks this time..

I used Bikemaster Clubman's on my 750. Fit good.

And,I'm 6'2'' with 36'' inseam. With clubmans and stock location foot pegs i was completely happy. I experimented with some rear sets,but never liked them. To each their own.

Yeah, I did my research. This was my result. YMMV...or did I say that already???....

[zoom74cb]

OH...just so you guys know i had a set of super bike bars mocked up on the bike ...BUT...for some reason they did not sit in the mounts right...like where the bars start to rise..i would have had to modify the mount..or bar. Which i am not going to do. The bar had the usual superbike bar specs/measurements

[goofy3392]

I think do whatever is comfortable to you, obviously if you put the club mans on your bike with stock pegs and your knees are about to hit your arms, its probably a bad idea.  You don't want to sacrifice steering just for looks. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[736cc]

  As for tweaking and modifying these machines, allow me to rant about 1 common "hop-up" I see in pics here waaay too often: EVERY time I see a stripped-down "cafe racer" w/o a front fender I shake my head and roll my eyes .
  Stand in front of your machine, straddle the front wheel and wiggle the bars. The amount of flex and twisting on a fenderless sohc4 is absolutely terrifying, like the front end is made of rubber. Then try it with an oem fender; the difference is like night and day. The pair of oem fender struts also add rigidity, so leave them on, too.

the bike you are going to have a bike that is 40 years old that goes, stops, and turns like a pig.  I have fun on my CB but after Ive been riding it for a while and I get on my Buell I realize what a pile of junk time and technology have made it.

  So, you have a HARLEY; I'm sorry to hear that! SOHC4 goes like a pig? Well, it really depends on the rider...maybe straight-line top-end speed is lacking (a nicely tuned, slightly modded CB750 won't go much over 120, which actuallty is pretty fast) but cornering speed combined with maintaning momentum by an experienced skilled rider on a bike he knows and rides all the time trumps a dweeby, overweight, neophyte riding a modern bike on a twisty road every day of the week.

[andrewk]

OH...just so you guys know i had a set of super bike bars mocked up on the bike ...BUT...for some reason they did not sit in the mounts right...like where the bars start to rise..i would have had to modify the mount..or bar. Which i am not going to do. The bar had the usual superbike bar specs/measurements

Did you measure the specs of the bar compared to what was advertised?  Could be a fluke set of bars?

[andrewk]

This old cycle mag article talks some about ergonomics, riding position, and why you want your body where it should be.

http://ridethe305.tumblr.com/post/30851383925/the-gentlemans-express

Bikes sometimes look like art, and they certainly have beauty and artistic design, but they're not just art, really. If you're building a chopper, then I get it- modify whatever the hell you want for whatever reason you please. But the idea that you're building something with cornering in mind, then intentionally ham-stringing yourself (by any of these terrible decisions listed above) because it's your art project seems short-sighted.  Are you building it to actually ride, or just to look at?  Or just to look cool and have something to talk about to strangers when you roll up to the coffee shop?  If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right- that's the advice being given here when people "criticize" these so-called "stylistic" decisions.

These bikes will never out run a modern sport bike, and nobody is saying they will.  But the handling of one of these old pigs is quite a bit better than you think, especially if you take the time to set the bike up correctly.

You all can keep building your art project bikes, and the serious people will continue to build and ride motorcycles.

[seanbarney41]

Shinyribs, let's see a pic of you sitting on/riding your bike.  Then maybe we can see how your set up might actually work.

[Rigid]

WOW...the choices..well.the seat will be a custom one..it will be approx half the seat height of the OEM seat. So it will be lower...I wolbe using the stock location for the foot controls..no rearsets as of yet.  The euro clubmans seem like they would be okay..but where to find them??

CycleRecycleII indianapolis on the web.  They have cheap clubmans also.  Good selection of SOHC mods and parts.

[shinyribs]

Shinyribs, let's see a pic of you sitting on/riding your bike.  Then maybe we can see how your set up might actually work.

No problem... ;)sorry,I don't have any.

[Henning]

I just don't get this Clubmans witch hunt. They work for me - no back/shoulder/wrist pains and I can reach all the controls just fine on my everyday rider. And I like the look of the bike with them. As I said, they work fine for me, that doesn't mean they will work for everybody. Pics.

P.S. I am NOT ShinyRibs.

P.P.S. I am going for the "survivor" look on this bike.

[jaguar]

^love those seats. 

[andrewk]

Henning,

Thanks for posting the pic!  I think this is a good way to start looking at this.

I would imagine you don't use your feet much, working the bike in the corners.  One of the biggest issues for me with clubmans and the stock controls is that if you get too much weight on the front side of the peg, which is kind of easy to do, it folds back on it's hinge.  Nervous feeling at highway speed.

Secondly, look at how your upper body is positioned.  If your feet were moved rearward a few inches, you would have a better "lean angle" into the wind and less sail effect, without putting all your weight on your wrists.  Your feet would also be in line with the center of your body, which gives you better balance and control.  The lower gullari seat you've got helps the geometry out I think.

btw, patina is cool- I like what you've got going!

[mono]

I just don't get this Clubmans witch hunt. They work for me - no back/shoulder/wrist pains and I can reach all the controls just fine on my everyday rider. And I like the look of the bike with them. As I said, they work fine for me, that doesn't mean they will work for everybody. Pics.

P.S. I am NOT ShinyRibs.

P.P.S. I am going for the "survivor" look on this bike.

thanks, Henning!   for the record, you do not look at all like you are f***ing a football (an american football).  i think your riding position looks quite comfortable for you.

per previous posts, i have to say that i agree with part/all of everyone's statements.  ergo *is* very important because riding these old bikes can put a lot of wear on the body.  i know that riding my stock 550 for more than about 50mi in a day (city driving) is about all i've got in me.  bumpy roads, frequent stops/starts, etc and i'm pretty worn out.  my butt and back need some rest ( i notice that i hunch forward a bit while riding ).

so if you're modding your bike, just keep things like that in mind.  obviously what's comfortable for Joe is not necessarily comfortable for Jack.  I think the primary thing is feeling confident in your riding position.  i know that personally, a forward-leaning position using rearsets is not comfortable for me.  i just don't feel as "in control".  i like sitting up.  because of that, i'm keeping my mid-controls and using superbike bars on my current build.  but i have considered getting/making some "not-so-rearsets" to see if i can find a happy medium for when i start my cafe build -- because it looks cool lol.  but at the end of the day i am not going to sacrifice confidence for looks, and i don't think that anyone should.

that's my 2 cents.  now let's keep helping the OP with his handlebar question!

[seanbarney41]

If my 'puter wasn't #$%*ed right now, I would pull up the interactive web page which lets you try out different bars, seats, footpegs, rider dimensions etc. on virtually any bike and shows you what the ergonomics will be.  Maybe somebody else has it and can do it for me cuz it's pretty cool and useful.  It has been posted on here before.

[ShermanPain]

http://cycle-ergo.com/

I have superbike bars and stock pegs and i agree with mono, its comfortable for riding around town and i feel in control, and i can still crouch forward if i need to on the highway and its not uncomfortable.

[shinyribs]

Using rearsets with low bars ( whether it be clubmans,superbike,moto gp...etc) does not take weight off of your wrists.

When your feet are under you (e.g.- stock pegs) you can hold your torso weight up with a mixture of balance and stomach/back muscles. When you kick your  feet backwards ( rearsets) you can no longer balance and it THEN forces all of your weight to hit your wrists.

Sit on a bike with stock pegs. Put your feet on the pegs. Put your hands in your lap. What happens? Nothing. You're balanced and you can sit upright all day without needing your hands.

Now,sit on a bike with rearsets. Put your feet on the pegs. What happens? If you don't put your hands out if front of you somewhere you're gonna fall forward.

This is why I went back to stock pegs with clubmans after trying rearsets. Less pressure on my wrists.

Granted,the bars are low, so you DO have to lean forward to reach them . How far you have to reach is dependent on your arm length,seat height... so naturally you will be putting more pressure on the bars,but not nearly as much as you would with rearsets.

Long story short,if you got rearsets,you're counting on your bars to hold you up. With stock pegs you just start out more balanced to start with.

[andrewk]

You're only putting all your weight on your hands if you put the rear sets too far back, which a lot of people do.  In henning's picture, he only needs a couple of inches.

I've ridden bikes where the rearsets are on the passenger peg mounts (too far back) and it sucks ass-  I imagine that your experience is the same.

EDIT- The goal of rearsets on a street bike is to get your feet to be under you.  A more prone GP riding position on the street isn't fun at all.  On my 750F I've just flipped the pegs (which works on 77-78 F bikes) which put them pretty close to the ideal location for my inseam,  which about 2 inches back from stock.

[mono]

i feel hesitant to criticize this girl's riding posture, though.

[Retro Rocket]

Now,sit on a bike with rearsets. Put your feet on the pegs. What happens? If you don't put your hands out if front of you somewhere you're gonna fall forward.

Depends on the bike, my gsxr1100J fit me like a glove, i could ride it all day,  but my mates 1100 Katana killed my wrists. I have ridden a couple of Honda's with clubmans and for my size they are crap, my wrists hurt in no time and the stock peg position combined with them made my back ache, on the other hand, i use super bike bars on all my 750/4's and love them, i have done lots of 1000 mile days and no problems at all, well a sore arse now and again...

[scottly]

I just don't get this Clubmans witch hunt. They work for me

1+ I've had Clubmans on my bike for over 3 decades. The attached pic was taken at 70 MPH; does it look like there is any pressure on my wrists? And for the record, my feet on on the passenger pegs.

[Retro Rocket]

I just don't get this Clubmans witch hunt. They work for me

1+ I've had Clubmans on my bike for over 3 decades. The attached pic was taken at 70 MPH; does it look like there is any pressure on my wrists? And for the record, my feet on on the passenger pegs.

Thats part of the trick Scott, at 70MPH the wind helps take the weight off your wrists...   With that tank and seat set up it looks like the ergonomics of the bike are different to stock..?  Seeley frame as well...

[seanbarney41]

yeah, that''s basically it...who wants to ride around town anyway...#$%* Chicago, fuch NYC...backroads in between with curves...m-43 Kalamaqzoo to Hastings...sitting at stoplights?...that is no good reason to ride

[matt mattison]

You're only putting all your weight on your hands if you put the rear sets too far back, which a lot of people do.  In henning's picture, he only needs a couple of inches.

I've ridden bikes where the rearsets are on the passenger peg mounts (too far back) and it sucks ass-  I imagine that your experience is the same.

EDIT- The goal of rearsets on a street bike is to get your feet to be under you.  A more prone GP riding position on the street isn't fun at all.  On my 750F I've just flipped the pegs (which works on 77-78 F bikes) which put them pretty close to the ideal location for my inseam,  which about 2 inches back from stock.

Other than ergonomics,Properly set rear seats  are meant to raise the peg position as well. If your really leaning the bike while on stock pegs, they will scrape the road.

[Geeto67]

I just don't get this Clubmans witch hunt. They work for me - no back/shoulder/wrist pains and I can reach all the controls just fine on my everyday rider. And I like the look of the bike with them. As I said, they work fine for me, that doesn't mean they will work for everybody. Pics.

P.S. I am NOT ShinyRibs.

P.P.S. I am going for the "survivor" look on this bike.

Let's start with the obvious, the clubmans you are using are are not the standard off the shelf bars people cheap out and buy from eBay or bike bandit for $20. They are the tomaselli style bars which are rarer, pull your hands further forward but also put them higher up. They don't seem to have a lot of the interference problems the $20 cheapies have. Last time I saw a set of new Tommie non adjustable clubmans they were $60 which is as muh as Clipons.

Second, looking at you position the places you are going to get fatigue first are your upper back and ankles. If you were to lean forward a few degrees more forward you upper body issue would resolve but you would start to get the mid and lower back problems common with this setup. I suspect your body isn't letting you lean those few extra degrees without slight discomfort. Looking at your feet they are too big to be cheating so far up on the pegs like that. I betcha it takes a lot more effort to downshift than normal. Also that toes pointed down with an upright calf position means fatigue in your calf over a long period of time.

To be honest, if your health is excellent (not overweight, physically active) you could probably get away with this position without anything more than mild soreness over time. However the one thing that distresses me is that with the upright body and the further forward clubmans your arms are almost locked and not bent. This means your reaction time is slower in emergency situations where you would need to change direction, or in performance riding. It's probably fine for the slab and other straight line work but if I saw you on a back road or a track attempting to ride fast I would think you were in over your head.