Topic: Handle Bar questions

[Jordan]

I would like some feedback regarding the different styles of bars people have used, I am contemplating a set of clubmans and a sport fairing like the one on a bmw r90s, but have only ridden bikes with stock bars. Stuff like installation ease ie wire routing using stock grips and controls, tank clearance and riding comfort as in riding hunched over seems to look uncomfortable etc. Thanks in advance Jordan

[Don R]

What bike?  The newer ones have the wires outside the bars thus they are much easier to change out.

[DammitDan]

The type of bike is kinda necessary... 

[ryder60]

Consider the ergonomics as well.  I ride with drag bars and often find myself riding one handed rather than two because it's more comfortable.  Two hands gets to my neck and lower back, especially on the highway.  On the highway the drag bars give me the forward lean I want but I still do a lot of one hand riding.

Clip-ons work fine on my 550 on the track but I couldn't ride the street with them for very long.

[andy750]

I was planning on getting the R90S for my CB750 with stock K0 bars. By the looks of the original bike the fit should be fine (and the fairing attaches to the bars). For cafe bars Id be more inclined to go with a read titan half-fairing or similar...or a small Guzzi fairing.

Andy

[Jordan]

Sorry, I forgot to write in that I am currently rebuilding a 73cb500k2 or four or whatever the nomenclature is. Although hope to have a 78 or 79 R100 beemer (first year for a dual disk front and single disk rear brakes) by the end of summer could be wrong on the year cause it has been awhile since I talked to my stepdad about it.

[Uncle Ernie]

I certainly don't think a '78 BMW is going to be sporting a rear disk.  Also, trying to put BMW bars on antother bike is going to be a PITA because they are 22mm- not 7/8.  If you do get BMW bars, you'll need to shim everything.

Personally, I've liked Superbike bars from Bikemaster as sold through Tucker Rocky.  A little rise and pullback.  The point of low bars is 2 things;  it gets your weight forward, and you lean into the wind- which helps support your weight.  Low bars and a fairing of anykind may look good to you, but it will be hard on your wrists and arms.

[Brown Bomber]

I like the setup on my 500T, Super bike bars, and Emgo 1/4 fairing.

[Jordan]

oh no I did not mean I was going to use bmw bars on the honda just asking about styles comfort and installation issues.

[Brown Bomber]

oh no I did not mean I was going to use bmw bars on the honda just asking about styles comfort and installation issues.

I see where your coming from, when I first put the superbike bars on my 500, I turned them upside down to see if I wanted to go with clubmans instead, and learned real quick that I'm too old for that, and regular superbike bars where sporty enough, yet went well with the 1/4 fairing. I wanted to do the same thing with my 750, but the headlight sits too low.

[Jordan]

Thanks for the feedback so far, I am leaning towards airtech stuff like the attached and want to add bars that are in a comfortable riding position. I may just go stock though as I am still putting the thing back together and alot of options are out there.

[8 Track]

I went from the standard 6? inch riser bars to the 2 inch rise and I love love love them.  Very comfortable in all but 100 mph riding.  I'm guessing not low enough for you though.

[Kframe]

What sort of riding to you do, mainly?
Commuting?  Putt-putting around town?  Canyon carving? 
How long/far do you usually go? 

That makes a big difference on bar selection.  (As does age, my neck/back can't take the abuse they could even ten years ago.)
-K

[Jordan]

I just take off and ride, when I had a running bike, city and back roads mostly sometimes Ogden canyon, I can't do more than a couple of hours at a stretch, not like the old days gas only from Sierra Madre to Santa Barbara or Mexico