Topic: super bike bars on a CB500

[jvandyke]

Freakishly warm day here in Michigan. Got the bike out.  Love it but the clip ons have to go.  I lived with them last season but just too brutal on my hands.  I think I'm going superbike bar but am worried about the center/base section.  Some bars' descriptions say only 4" and it looks like that won't clamp on the stock tree, I'm measuring 4.75" minimum.  Recommendations?

[Stev-o]

Wanna trade?

[Retro Rocket]

Wanna trade?

You want clip ons Steve..?

[jvandyke]

Wanna trade?

Possibly, I was thinking black though.  Bars are cheap enough I don't mind buying them.  I'd just rather have 'em fit!
I love the look of my bike as is.  I love the riding position, for about 10 minutes, then I'm trashed!  and I feel it in my hands for about 6 hours!

[calj737]

Check out LSL bars. They're specs are online at spieglerusa.com

I noticed that your front fork axle clamps are installed backwards, by the way. The small "gap" should point to the rear.

As for the discomfort to your wrists, have you done much to the front suspension? I see stock rear shocks, but anything else to improve the damping? I ask because these changes (from stock) can also help by absorbing a great deal more road thrash and limit how much transmits to your wrists. Clip-ons will always be more stressful, and a proper seat will help keep the weight more neutral under your hips, but ultimately its hard to beat Superbike bars.

You can also try to fill the clip-on with expanding foam to eliminate some vibration too (since you're likely to abandon them). You'd be surprised by how much difference that can make too.

[jvandyke]

will check the axle clamps
front suspension; stock, fresh seals and oil
I've got the cushiest grips I could find on there, not much help.
It's not really my wrists that hurt so much as palms, right across the "heel" of your hand I guess you'd call it.
Too much of my body weight ends up resting on there.  I had assumed my butt would complain the most of my "brat" conversion and never really considered the hand issue.  The faster i go, the more wind I catch and the less it bothers me, can't always be going 100mph but can sure try.
I'm glad I didn't hack up the bar clamps, tried to leave myself and "out" and might have been a good thing.

i don't see the "base" spec for those LSL superbike bars either, probably not an issue, I just saw one guy mention it on the reviews at dimecity for these, description says 4.75" and that's what I measured so I'll not worry about it
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/7-8-inch-satin-black-supermoto-handlebars.html

to quote;
DECENT BAR BUT HEAVY AND WRONG BASE WIDTH FOR CB500
Decent cheap bar but double check the base width before buying these - they did not fit my 1972 cb500 triple tree. Need at least 5" base for these bikes... these handlebars maybe have 3.5-4" base width.

JFOO13   - 8/15/2014

[calj737]

scroll to the bottom of the page:

https://spieglerusa.com/controls/handlebars-accessories-157/handlebars-7-8-1.html

[jvandyke]

I still don't see the center width but I'm pretty slow.
It's been 15 hours since I went for a 3 miles ride and my hands still hurt.  Arthritis most likely, hey, don't laugh.  Getting old sucks.

[Stev-o]

Wanna trade?

You want clip ons Steve..?

Possibly....for my "Park Racer" project bike. Has a fairing so that limits it to clubmans and clip ons. Figured clip on may have more adjustability.
Clubmans arent for sissys!

[Old Scrambler]

Your seat is too 'high' for clip-ons. Changing the angle of the bars may give you some relief. They are meant to go with set-back pegs and controls with a race-type seat to move your butt back about 4-inches. You may want to look around for some type of 'heli-bars' from bikes in the late '80s and newer.

[jvandyke]

okay that makes sense too, no way to lower the seat besides start cutting up the frame and a hard tail bobber could very well be the next step, no I'm not kidding, well, not REAL serious about that and yet, I confess, I've looked into it a bit.
I'll swap in different bars and play with it this season and make a call in the fall.
I'm going to assume the 4.75" center section is good for my clamp and order up.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Tomasselli adjustable clubmans are another option.

[bwaller]

Get some 400F bars, or is that tough I wonder!

[jvandyke]

Well, I could cut the seat down too I suppose
I should look for better foam, used high density stuff from an upholstery shop but I'm sure there's other options, thinner but still a bit of cushion  Would only give me 1/2" lower at best though

[neal]

You riding with gloves on..?

[jvandyke]

You riding with gloves on..?

Sometimes.  Doesn't seem to matter. I ordered up some superbike bars and will try those, put the stock gauges back on at the same time I guess. Good thing is it's easy to fiddle around with until I find the sweet spot, hopefully I don't end up going all the way back to stock but if I do, well, that's fine too.

[jvandyke]

Gunna try super bike bars, keep the bar end mirrors, put the stock gauges back on (have been using iPhone for speedo, odo, maps and tunes but that's more hassle than it's worth really, seeing as how you don't any of those things if you can't stand being on the bike more than 1/2 a day anyway!...though it did work pretty slick).
Will likely rebuild my homemade seat with some thinner but firmer foam to hopefully lower it a tad without "bottoming out" (pun intended).
Off to search for foam sources (using high density from an upholstery shop now)

[jvandyke]

Bars on, always more work then you think.
Much improved. Might not look as "cool" but certainly more tolerable.

[firebane]

Renthal makes a set of ultra-low superbike bars that sit even lower than what you have now. It is another option if those sit too high for you.