For you guys wanting to strat a Cafe build up.
Do yourselves a favor and try the drag bars first before buying a clubman or clip on handlebar set up.
The look is still really good, but it is a lot more comfortable.
i gotta disagree a little here-- low bars are not the most comfortable, no matter what, but i think drag bars put the wrists at an unnatural angle which hurts more than what clubmans or clip-ons do to your back. when i've ridden long rides with friends running straight or drag bars, they always complain about their wrists hurting. i thought clubmans were the most uncomfortable thing in the world...for about a week. then i got used to them.
Depends on the rider.
The tendon that runs on the outside of your arm from the hand to the forarm have been seperated on both sides. It's a common injury but I can't have my hands at the angle of standard handlebars. It is far more comfortable for me to have the bars almost completely parallel. My clip ons are that way.
In any case, drag bars keep you a bit more upright than clip ons or clubmans. There is less weight on your arms to keep you upright with drag bars, stock bars or raised bars would be even more comfortable on your arms, less so on your back.
The biggest problem people with low bars have is no one taught them how to ride with low bars and end up putting their entire upper body weight on their arms to hold them up. This puts a lot of strain on your wrists and palms, not to mention lossing a considerable amount of manuverablity when your elbows are locked out.
The trick is to keep your elbows in and bent. Use your stomach and lower back to hold your body upright, (this is were a high back angled gas tank comes in handy.) or at a race angle. There is far less strain on your arms, wrists and palms, and alows you a considerable amount of manuverablity on your bike. The bent elbow also alows you to cushion your rebound (shock absorber) on a bump rather than only absorbing a bump with the bike's shocks.
My back never hurts when I ride. It just takes a bit of practice.
Cafe racers, or sport bikes in general are not designed for comfort. They are purpose built to be manuverable and agile.
Moving you possision on the bike chaging not only the response to your front wheel, but the comfort in how you ride.
My seat is back 4-5 inches as is the tank (extended like the CR750). It changes to CG and takes some of the weight off of the front wheel, thus making it more responsive. Rear sets are a must if you do this.
Rider comfort and bars, bar angle, risers, etc.. are fairly personal to the rider and the way they want to ride. I'm only suggesting that if someone wants to build up a cafe bike, to borrow or ride a friends bike with as many sets of bars, rear sets, etc as possilbe before commiting to something.