| Author | Message | ||
     Tbolt_pilot |
I have got to get the weight off my wrists when I ride. '03 9S had straight-ish bars on it with 1" riser blocks when I got it. Would like to have black stock height bars... CityX bars? Just no chrome please. Whatcha got? I'll try to post a pic tomorrow. btw, Need a front master cylinder rebuild kit too. | ||
| Hulagun |
T-Bolt, I am running lowish (superbike?) bars with 1" risers and like the riding position so far. One caveat, my horn button barely clears the air box cover. So, I'm looking for slightly higher bars but don't want them as high as stock. Wondering how yours are for height (since you are getting rid of them)? Unfortunately I do not have the stock bars. I hear they are actually pretty good. | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
Pics of my bars. Don't know what they are but they are too low for me. If you want the 1" riser blocks then the long stainless bolts will come with them. I need something in a stock bar variety. Whatya got thats not chrome?   | ||
| Boliver |
 You might have better luck with a better thread title."Stock' Xb9S 2003 bars were Chrome.You want the City X bars only.Or you could buy stock OEM "chrome" Lightning bars and paint them.I have a set of stock lightning bars.I also have a set of ultra low that I used with a 1" riser.I have crossroads now and love them.The picture represents stock lighting bars.Mine are just like these, well except they came off a 2005 lightning.The position on these are ok but after a couple of years I got tired of setting straight up in the wind at 70 mph.Here's my suggestion: buy/find some old stock bars and paint them.Buy find some City X bars.Or buy a 2 inch swivel/pivot( http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-prodshow/16108.htmlriser )from Al at americansportbike.com this will allow you to raise your bars and move them a little forward.Best of luck. Lesley | ||
| Hulagun |
@T-Bolt: those photos are tiny so hard to see but looks like you have a flat "drag" handlebar, with no rise. They look to be turned so they tilt upward! No wonder you don't like'em - that tilt may put a strain on both your arms, wrists, elbows and shoulders!  This looks like the ones I use, and like: * "European Handlebar" from BikeMaster * steel * tough black paint or chrome * 7/8" OD * $21.99 Measurements: * Width = 30" (mine are cut to 29" w) * Rise = 2.4" * Pullback = 4.8" * Center = 4.8" Local shops often have these in stock. Cheap thrills at $22 or so. Good luck and let us know how it works out. | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
Boliver, thanks. Your right, I guess the stock bars were chrome. Yes, I want CityX bars. Hulagun Thanx for the info, I'll check those out. Yes, the pics were small but I can't figure out how to get small files but good pics. Our camera takes poster-size pics it seems. And shrinking them to the 103k size limit for posting kills it. Yeah, mine are tilted up to clear the airbox. It's terrible and I have bad wrists anyway. | ||
| Boliver |
Tbolt, Just buy some Renthal's.You have lots to choose from.Just make sure the bars will fit your clamp.Heck call Al at americansport.com I bet he can help you find exactly what you want.I have a set of stock XB/chrome bars and I have a set of gold ultra low rise Renthals I bought from american sportbike.I am now using the crossroads and like them best.I have kinda long arms and my bike is actually an SCG.It took me way too long to realize my ergos were making me slouch as I rode.Now I can stretch my arms a little further and I am slightly leaning into the wind at highway speeds.I too think you may have the bars rolled up too far making your elbows bend.Stock bars are only gonna make your arm bend more which is gonna make you sit upright more so.I hate saying this but if you have chronic wrist problems then you may never be able to ride a sport bike with any comfort unless you put highway bars or ape hangers on it.And we all know that ain't gonna look right.It's all about what you want.I threw comfort out the window soon after I bought my bike.LOL Although I have managed to change things enough to make my old body halfway comfortable my bike still is not what I'd call a comfortable ride.After an hour or so I am ready to stop and stretch.I hope you have luck with your search. Safe journeys,Lesley | ||
| Hulagun |
Ergonomics are my friend. Getting them right makes such a huge difference in my enjoyment of a bike. It's not only bar height. It's width and bend (and drop or rise which the bar makers sometimes don't mention). Triple clamps are often different so the same bar isnt always the same bike to bike. Sometimes the problem is the handlebars, sometimes it's other factors. Try this: sit somewhere in a "pretend" riding pose, with feet close to where they are on your bike, and stick out your arms as if riding. Let the arms relax naturally to a comfortable position, even if they are out in space in front of you, you can feel what's right. Twist your forearms (not wrists) a little (thumbs rotate up, then back) you'll learn what angle your arms like. And what width. Then go do it on your bike. If the bars pull your thumbs up or down your elbows follow. That's a stresser. If the bars are too wide, they'll pull you forward which is uncomfortable if you arent riding real fast a lot. Likewise if your helmet eyeport is too low, you'll compensate by straining your neck, and possibly think your bars are too low. If you forget to ride with a loose grip, you'll get hand or arm pain quickly. One other tip... when riding, the wrist should ideally fall naturally behind the grip slightly below or level with it, never higher above it if possible. If you can move the bars, the seat, the pegs to get it all right, it's a huge help when riding fast and technical, or just a long ways. Hope this gives everyone some ideas to play with.  | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
Thanks to you both for all the advice. I'm going to have to do a little measuring and sitting there gripping the air to figure out what I need. These bars are turned up a little and it seems my wrists are turned out while holding up some of my weight. That is what bothers me most is the weight on my hands/wrists. My hands get numb after about half hour if I don't shift the weight onto my but often. Problem is that the bars are just too low to stay that way without concentrating on it or sitting on the airbox. I found myself rotating my wrists sideways to help too, like straightening the bars out. I remember my Firebolt test ride in 03 or 04 and I decided then I couldn't lean on my wrists that much So...no sportbike for me. Not that I even considered anything but Buell (I rode a 98 S3 then) The Lightning felt just like a dirt bike so I was sold on it. Unfortunately, there isn't a stock Lightning around here anywhere to try out so I gotta wing it. Maybe a trip to the Yamondakawsuz shop will be in order to ride some handlebars around the shop. | ||
| Rarebird |
I'm going to be selling a set of CityX bars (that could use painting) along with one new-in-package and one nearly new throttle cable in the next few days/ weeks. I love the height and width of the CityX bars on my Uly, but my once-shattered elbow and wrist hate the sweep- so it's back to stock. PM me if you're interested... -Mike | ||
| Ratbuell |
If I remember Dave's bike correctly - I did sell it to him, after all - he still has stock cables and lines on it (how ya been, Dave?). Stock CityX bars, or even stock Uly bars, will be a good change. CityX will bolt right up, Uly bars may need a cable/line change because of the height/length. In reality, though, any 7/8" bar will go right in the clamp, and fit the switchgear/grips. You're only going to run into issues if you make a MAJOR height change, needing cable/brakeline swaps and possibly wiring extensions. All easy enough to do - if you need a hand let me know - but time and $ consuming. | ||
| Tbolt_pilot |
Yes, Ratbuell, it still has stock length cables that are ill-routed. My master cylinder rebuild kit will be here in a few days and I hope to do the bars, rebuild, and rotor all at once. I might get a new clutch cable too. And I can fix all that routing. OK. Well after sitting on it and holding my hands out, making throttle twisting motions and engine noises, I think almost any bars that aren't flat will do. And with my weight sitting on my butt, my hands land about 2 inches above where the grips are now. These are 29" wide which is about avg I think. And normal bars won't have the rotation up to clear the airbox and make the awkward grip position. And I'll have the 1" risers to adjust higher if I want. Thanks for all the help. My wrists and hands thank you. |
