Changing bars

[badstagram]

So I'm planning on switching out from the stock bars on my 1980 GS850G to Superbike bars. Anything I should keep an eye out for? Reading the threads on handlebars it seems like my cables may end up too long.. thoughts? Also any recommendation on brand?

Thanks!

 

[Brendan W]

Things to consider are, lengths of switchgear tails for chafing, ditto brake hose, orientation of master cylinder and mirrors. Most times a few extra cable ties will sort going to lower bars. Going higher can be more of a problem.

 

[lurch12_2000]

So I'm planning on switching out from the stock bars on my 1980 GS850G to Superbike bars. Anything I should keep an eye out for? Reading the threads on handlebars it seems like my cables may end up too long.. thoughts? Also any recommendation on brand?

Thanks!

It's not just the cables that may be too long but the front brake MC may have to be angled and postioned so as to not create a sharp bend in the brake line. Be careful and check the throttle cable free movement too by turning bars fully end to end to see if it binds while running. Better to find out in the garage than in traffic that your throttle binds and sticks open. Your mirrors may not be as effective viewing behind you if the new bars are too much shorter and lower. You might look at the GP touring bars below for a better compromise of being about 3" lower than the stock G bars. I think the stock bars on the G are about a 6.5" rise. Remember too low of a bar will defeat some of the comfort of the 850G neutral riding position for the long haul, but I agree that the stock 850G and 1000G bars were a little too high and swept back too far which put you too upright for highway riding without a fairing.


http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/15393/i/bikemaster-gp-touring-handlebar

 

[Ray916MN]

Aside from the lengths and routing of hoses and cables, full lock clearance to the gas tank should be considered. Narrower bars typically bring the controls and cables into closer proximity to the tank.

Bars are specified with respect to rise, pull back and width. The lower the rise, the greater the pull back and the shorter the width, the more likely you have problems fitting the bars. The width of a bar is easy to modify by sawing some off the ends. Narrower bars less steering leverage, but require less arm movement to achieve a given steering angle. Pull back enables you to change the angle (lowering or raising the end of the bars) of the grip portion of the bars which is critical to getting wrist angle comfort. Rotating the bars in the mounts is used to adjust the wrist angle you get from a set of bars.

My favorite bars are BMW R100RS bars. I've got a set which I've literally used on different GSes for close to 3 decades. They have a bit more rise and pull back and are narrower than most superbike bars.

 

[limeex2]

I like Renthal bars. Check there web site. They have almost any bend you could think of. I have 2 sets of 754 bars,which for me have a comfy rise, neutral hand position and are a nice width.Wider the bar,easier it is to steer (more leverage). This bend is about the same as a ZRX1200.

 

[JTGS850GL]

Interesting bars. Might take a look at those if I can find a local location that sells them. The gold bars would fit in nice with my color scheme. I think I would lean more toward the "High" bend bars since I like a more upright sitting position.

 

[sachsaca]

The bars above look like the set off of my "L" model. Comfortable. I switched to a lower set also. Had to reroute my throttle cable and such. Took some time to sort out and make work smooth, be patiente.

 

[badstagram]

Alright and my last question may be a dumb one, do I get dimpled or non-dimpled bars?

(Sorry, clearly I'm new to this)

 

[Ecklund]

Alright and my last question may be a dumb one, do I get dimpled or non-dimpled bars?

(Sorry, clearly I'm new to this)

May I offer a caution from a self-induced problem this morning.

When swapping out the bars make sure you route the wires from the switches through the switch housing correctly. Evidently I failed to do so and caused a short that heated the front brake line, which is SS, and destroyed it.

Now I have to locate the damage I caused, fix the short, replace the brake line and bleed the system.

My painful 2 cents...

 

[matt1100]

Dimpled bars are for running the wiring inside of the bars. The dimple is a small section underneath the bar, where the grip would begin that affords for a switch set (that is made for internal wiring) to enter the bar. While a great look its tricky to do and easy to end up with a short. Especially if you are using the stock switches. I'm not sure its even an option for the Suzuki ones. I converted factory ones on my VMax from 7/8" to 1" and external to internal, but it was tricky

 

[80GS850GBob]

Honda CBs ran dimpled bars...a pain to remove the wires and worse to try to fish them thru..."non dimpled" will be easier...not as clean looking, but easier.

 

[WolfworksCustoms]

Contact www.motionpro.com for custom length cables (take it from someone who used to build choppers with apes, lol)....they have the best prices for cables and will custom make any length you specify.....Im actually gonna need to do that before spring, since Im adding 4" risers on my Vulcan....mebbe even the risers plus apes(thats 9"over what I have)....dunno yet....i gotta be motivated to do that stuff....45 degree fishtails in the rear....be nice fer summer....and I can easily switch back to the batwing and stuff fer the cold months....but yeah, MotionPro is THE place to go.....

 

[Joe Garfield]

I just put the Bike Master Daytona bars on my bike. I had to position the bars and controls just right to avoid hitting the tank, had to play with cable routing to get to work right, and haven't found a long-term solution for the brake hose (right now it's coiled up behind the headlight) - all due to the cables/hose being longer for stock bars. You should be able to compare the dimensions of the Suberbike bars to the Daytonas.

Personally I'd like them to be a touch taller and further back as I have back and wrist issues, but the riding position good: forward enough for sporty control, but my weak core is strong enough that I never feel like my hands are supporting weight.

Something like 850E cables/hose should work? I believe the E models came with lower bars than the G models.

I bought new OEM cables for a 1000s but they are a touch short.

 

[Guest]

I went ahead and changed bars without switching cables, had to re- route a few or zip-tie here and there. Original set up was pretty much same as yours. I'd say go ahead, give it a try. Not too difficult to accommodate imo.

 

[Ecklund]

It's not just the cables that may be too long but the front brake MC may have to be angled and postioned so as to not create a sharp bend in the brake line. Be careful and check the throttle cable free movement too by turning bars fully end to end to see if it binds while running. Better to find out in the garage than in traffic that your throttle binds and sticks open. Your mirrors may not be as effective viewing behind you if the new bars are too much shorter and lower. You might look at the GP touring bars below for a better compromise of being about 3" lower than the stock G bars. I think the stock bars on the G are about a 6.5" rise. Remember too low of a bar will defeat some of the comfort of the 850G neutral riding position for the long haul, but I agree that the stock 850G and 1000G bars were a little too high and swept back too far which put you too upright for highway riding without a fairing.


http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/15393/i/bikemaster-gp-touring-handlebar

This is an old thread, but do you know what the difference is between the Pro-touring bar and a Daytona bar?

Looking for something between the Daytona and a stock G. The Pro-touring bar may be an answer.

 

[aclaytonb]

I have superbike bars (very similar to daytona) on my 550e and they work but as previously mentioned, you'll have to sort the brake line a bit. My master cylinder almost touches the dash and the mirrors are difficult to use.

 

[jjbmxer]

Motion Pro makes custom length cables cool to good to know. I want to change my bars but it so hard to tell from a pic on some web site.