Topic: Clubmans, does it get better?

[Chris Liston]

Well,  I re-fitted clubman bars on my 550 last week and was able to put about 100 grueling miles on the bike today.  As much as I love the way the bike handles with them they have to be the most uncomfortable bars I've ever used.  My hands were / are still tingline (1 hour later) from the pressure.  I'd think of swapping with clip-ons as I know they'll be more comfortable because they won't be so far forward. 

Does it get better as your wrists strengthen?  I'd tried shifting my weight farther back to take the pressure off and that helped alittle, but then my back hurt more.  I should be recieving Raask rear sets shortly; maybe that will help with seating position, not sure. 

Those with clubmans on a 550, how do you like them now and initially. 

[Chris Liston]

Wanted to aad, that I have a stock seat.  If it was lower that "may" help out as if as my arms would be more horizontal?

[lassenc]

Can you adjust your clubman bars? That's the hint of they day.

Adjust it, so you have your arms in to the body, so you use the chest muscles instead of the tricep, wrist and elbow for support.

I've just changed  my handlebars from clubman to a medium rise bar, it's the best, my throttle closes by itself now, and it's easier to start, because the throttlecable can sit well now

[Noel]

Just keep it above 90 MPH. Let the wind do the work. 

[78_SaltLick]

i put clubmans on my 78, hurt like hell. I got a 74 with clip ons, lower seat makes a big difference. Not a stock seat on mine. either get a lower seat, or try clip ons.

[Bodain]

Hee hee. Clubmans aren't likely to make your bike handle even a little bit better. Your just in a cramped jockey position and your feel more agressive.

Get some flat bars or drag bars. They still look low, but your back is spared.

[MotoRico]

550_ko, what kind of side covers do you have?  They don't look stock and the prices I am seeing on ebay are getting ridiculous.

[Chris Liston]

550_ko, Did you have to make alot of modifactions to get that tank to work?  Also, where did you get that seat.  I too am going for the cafe look/feel and would love a seat like that. 

I'll see if I can swing the bars more to me,  right now the part that mounts to the triple tree is pretty much horizontal to the ground if you can picture that.  This brings the bars basically as far out as possible. 

Do you think you could email me a larger pic of your bike?  The attached is pretty small. 

Thanks

[Phaedrus]

I have found (for me at least) wtih clubmans, you must have a cafe seat, something to keep your but from sliding back while leaning forward on the bars.  Also, some gel plalmed gloves help a lot as well.

[crazypj]

Clubman bars dont work too well below 80mph. Thats about where the wind lift and body weight balance out and they get real comfortable. They do make your bike handle better as you now have some weight on the front wheel at higher speed compared to being a parachute lifting the front.
PJ

[seaweb11]

78-750 with clubmans. I'm 6'2"
Bars worked a lot better after I put on the 1" foam seat, but I would have ridden on a stock seat with the clubmans anyway.

I like the "aggressive stance" I sure feel I am more in the game than if I were sitting up, that looks and feels just a bit too comfy.

TonUP

[theunrulychef]

I threw clubmans on my stock F2, and turned them upside down after a few days.  The high seat was absolutely horrible for my back, although they felt killer while in motion.  Now I've got my seat lowered to the frame and some inserts on the tank - just have to finish putting it back together so I can see how everything feels.

If you're planning on putting on rearsets & possibly a new seat, perhaps you could turn them around temporarily as they're lower then tall stock bars, but much more comfortable with a stock seat.  Then, when you've got your rearsets & seat, turn them back around.  Also, those raask's will probably help quite a bit as they'll give you some support from the rear, but I bet you're still gonna be in a world of hurt on a downhill stoplight  .

-Jay in Philly

[comcrx]

I noticed on saturday that my clubmans were killing my wrists after about half an hour of riding and I pulled them off and put the stock bars back on. the stockers were definitely more comfortable on the wrists, but it was really akward riding in that position, so I think I will be getting the clubmans back on and playing with some adjustments, or getting some superbike bars or something. the 'aggressive' riding position just makes me more comfortable when riding, even though my wrists don't like it

[KB02]

Wait untill your rearsets come before you take off the clubmans. I have the clip ons on my 750 right now. When I first started riding it like that, it killed my back. I found that if I moved my feet to the back pegs, my back instantly felt better. I am also building my own customer seat (with about 1" of foam) and with the stock pegs, it also feels better already.

If you still don't like the clubmans when all is said and done, try the clips ons or drag bars. The next bike I build will probably have Drags on it. We'll see.

When I first started riding sportsbikes, my wrists hurt like hell. Then I did get used to it. On occastions, now, my wrists will get a little soar, but nothing like it was when I first started riding sports.

[Chris Liston]

I think that may be the cause of most of my pain.  I used to have sportbikes and barely had any wrist pain, but since owning the cb with superbike bars it's alot more upright and I'm just out of sport bike position shape.  Definetely waiting until I get the rear sets on to see if that fixes things.  And, I've been planning to build a cafe seat.  I guess I just have to get on that now.

[78_SaltLick]

maybe ive just gotten use to shakin out my wrists along the way....... After about 30 minutes of solid riding i do have to get upright, shake my wrists out a bit, then hunker back down for the ride......i figured that was just normal.

[cben750f0]

i used to have clubmans on the F1, my first ride was a trip to melbourne(3hours away)... never again!!!... when i got there i went looking for another set of bars, cos i didnt want to ride them home!! i went with GS650 bars in the end, ..... though as everyone else has said, get the rear sets, and the lower seat pan, then make a decision...peace

[Terry in Australia]

Clubmans are just crap, full stop.

Clip on's are better, particularly adjustable clip on's like Telefix etc, although they're expensive. The answer is the "Laverda Jota" adjustable bars, you can use them for touring in the upright seating position, or racing in the "Greyhound having a crap" position.

They are fully adjustable for height and wrist angle, and are probably the sexiest looking bars ever put on a bike! Cheers, Terry.

[cbjunkie]

yo terr,
are they adjustable with all the gear attached or do you have to reconfigure your MC and switches each time...?

[Terry in Australia]

yo terr,
are they adjustable with all the gear attached or do you have to reconfigure your MC and switches each time...?

G'Day CBJ, all you need is an allen key, and you can do all your adjustments with your throttle, mastercylinder, clutch lever etc still in place, as the bars come completely apart. Cheers, Terry.

[cbjunkie]

  thanks old man! that's certainly interesting information...maybe i'll spring for a set.

[Chris Liston]

Where does one get those and how much?  Very trick.  Those would give you the best of everyworld.

[cbjunkie]

scott may know - he has the clipons...


STLrocker - the member here...pictured here on page two of this thread..

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=8400.15

[KB02]

... the "Greyhound having a crap" position.

 

yo terr,
are they adjustable with all the gear attached or do you have to reconfigure your MC and switches each time...?

G'Day CBJ, all you need is an allen key, and you can do all your adjustments with your throttle, mastercylinder, clutch lever etc still in place, as the bars come completely apart. Cheers, Terry.

Just make sure that your cables and hoses and wires are long enough for all positions, right?

[Terry in Australia]

I think the philosophy behind handlebar height in the US in the 1970's was "Sit up and be proud" or something like that, because I look at old bike test reports from the era and there are pics of American testers riding shiny new bikes with "Ape Hanger-ish" bars.

In Europe and Oz, most of the CB750's were fitted with lower, narrower bars which were much more practical for high speed riding, although I still opted for a pair of flat "drag" bars on my (homely but reliable) new F1, when I fitted a bikini fairing, in 1978.

The issue that I'm (slowly) adressing here is that it's not gonna be a case of having cables long enough to suit the multi-adjustable Laverda Jota bars, but rather, you'll probably have way too much. There is nothing quite as silly as a bike with (urrrgggghhhh) "Slugman" bars, with miles of surplus cables looping ahead of the bike in all directions.

You can buy shorter cables (Sean Condon sent me a shorter clutch cable last year) and best you do if you want your bike to look and function as good as you'd like it to. Cheers, Terry.