Topic: 350F - Clubman / Cafe Bars Advice

[OakBehringer]

1974 CB 350F - I want to put some cafe bars on there. I've never gone this route before, but I think that's the direction I'm going to go with this bike. Two questions:

1. Does anyone have specific bar to recommend? I don't want tooooooooooo extreme of an angle as I don't plan on putting rear-set pegs on the bike.

2. Is there anything more involved than bolting the bars on and the accessories to the bars?

Thanks!

[Shenanigans]

Most of the "clubmans" I have seen for sale/around are the same bars with the same angle. I know there are other manufacturers that make ones with diffrent shapes that are maybe less extream but not as common.

Yes, you will have to drill out a place for the peg (in the bars) and then drill out an entrance for the wiring and an exit for it.

[fastbroshi]

  Running wires in those things is a bear becase of that kink.  Don't overthink it.  For me, I said eff it, I can put up with a little wire showing and ran the wires right past the kink THEN put them in, then ran out through the center.  That was the right side.  On the left, I said mothereff it and zip tied them.

[Shenanigans]

+1 on not trying to get the wiring past the kink. Just make the exit right before the kink.

[OakBehringer]

Most of the "clubmans" I have seen for sale/around are the same bars with the same angle.

Where does the term "clubman" come from? Is there a different "type" of cafe bars I should consider looking at?

[JS550]

On my 550 I didn't run the wires through the bars. You may have to notch the control housings though if they don't already have a notch. Nothing a rattail file can't handle. The clubmans bend close to the head light & forks so the wires wont be in the way or really noticable. Zip tie em up. You can move them around to get a good position for yourself. I didnt do rearsets & dont think Im going to. I'm 6'1" and its comfortable for me how it is.

[JS550]

You could always do drag bars & angle them down a bit. Little less aggressive hand position. I think "clubman" was a class of motorcycle racing. Maybe? In England/Europe.

[MCRider]

1974 CB 350F - I want to put some cafe bars on there. I've never gone this route before, but I think that's the direction I'm going to go with this bike. Two questions:

1. Does anyone have specific bar to recommend? I don't want tooooooooooo extreme of an angle as I don't plan on putting rear-set pegs on the bike.

2. Is there anything more involved than bolting the bars on and the accessories to the bars?

Thanks!

re: #2: Ah for the good old days. Think back to the 50s and 60s when "Clubman" meant you belonged to a (British) motorcycle club. The front brake was a cable, and the brake and clutch levers had clamp on brackets. The sparse electrics were also clamp on affairs. No turnsignal, starter button. The headlight switch was in the headlight bucket. The horn was a simple button on a clamp. The throttle was one cable and the whole affair easily slid off.  During the week the bars were up for commuting. Then on Sunday, the "Clubmen" would meet for a race. In the pits, you unclamp your controls, flip the bars over, clamp the controls back on and tuck in for speed.

Not so now.  

PS: I was writing this when Mr. OakB was inquiring. I see he is 26 years old. I can remember first learning about the "clubman" thing when I got my first bike, a 1967 Bonneville when I was 16 years old, 1969. The end of the British era. Got my first CB750K1 in 1971 from my grass cutting money.

[Shenanigans]

...Not so now.  

Simple solution, dont put those back on 

[MCRider]

...Not so now.  

Simple solution, dont put those back on 

Yes I use the flat bar on my 650Hawk with risers for higher or lower position. My current sport project Phaedrus II has a low European BMW style bar. Like a US Superbike bar, but better.

[Shenanigans]

You know my 750 has a set of what I guess are slight rise drag bars and dare I say that those flat bars inspire just as much confidence, if not more, than the clubmans.

[OakBehringer]

You know my 750 has a set of what I guess are slight rise drag bars and dare I say that those flat bars inspire just as much cofidance, if not more, than the clubmans.

Got a pic?

[MCRider]

You know my 750 has a set of what I guess are slight rise drag bars and dare I say that those flat bars inspire just as much cofidance, if not more, than the clubmans.

On the old British bikes from whence the Clubmans came, the seat was lower relative to the bar. When your hip pivot is higher than where you grip the bar, like a CB750 with clubmans, its going to take some getting used to, if ever. Its just human ergonomics. a flat bar is just about right, or slightly higher with a down bend, is much more natural, for a CB750. Ideally at lewast to me and others who have studied it, the easiest steering inputs will occur the more your shoulder is pushing your hand. If your shoulder is too high relative to your hand, you'll feel discomfort.

With all the hub bub about custom oil tanks, and with this new welder guy I'm working with, (nothing phases him) I'm thinking about dropping the seat height on a CB750 by cutting the rails and dropping them. That would feel like my old Bonnie.

[Shenanigans]

These are the only two I can get to from where I am. From directly infront they have the slight down slope in the style of clubmans that I like. Best of both worlds.

[MCRider]

These are the only two I can get to from where I am. From directly infront they have the slight down slope in the style of clubmans that I like. Best of both worlds.
SNIP

Man that's a beaut!  And I'd say those are Superbike Bars. Superbike was a racing class back in the 70s/80s where Freddie Spencer played. One rule was the handlebars had to stay above the handlebar clamps. Other than that and a stock frame they were wicked fast and wiggled like a stripper.

Drag Bars are flat, period.

[Shenanigans]

Man that's a beaut!  And I'd say those are Superbike Bars. Superbike was a racing class back in the 70s/80s where Freddie Spencer played. One rule was the handlebars had to stay above the handlebar clamps. Other than that and a stock frame they were wicked fast and wiggled like a stripper.

Drag Bars are flat, period.

Ah, well super bike bars they are. I wish I had a picture of directly infront.