Handle Bars - ??

[getsum]

Ok ,
I have an interest in researching HANDLE BAR REPLACEMENT.

Help me out in my research.

I am interested in MAYBE changing the handlebars on the bike.

Guys have commented on :
SUPERBIKE BARS
EURO BARS

What have you put on ?
What do you recommend ?
Was it hard to do ?
Do the controls on the bars come off easily and are they placed on the new bars easily ?

Thanks men.

[KGB]

I have Superbike style bars on my 1000S.
Came with them. No reason to change them
The 1100E had drag bars. to low and long a reach for me.
I wear a 37" sleeve, but the ycaused me to move too far forward
on the seat, johnson and the twins were not pleased.

Something else to consider, bar height can effect seating position.


Here's your dilema, if you change the bar height too much, you may need to change cables also.
You can try re-routing cables, but usually that causes them to bind up and wear out faster/quicker.
The clutch cable may not "feel" the same or the throttle cable may bind up, sucks if it's under acceleration

Just a few more things to think about, from someone that has the experience. See Issac's threads, he has made changes to his bike :shock:

[J_C]

Make sure you read this article as well! http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_ergonomics.htm

[Bill C.]

What kind of bars

Went with superbike bars on an 80 gs850g. Had to change the clutch and throttle cables. Used the cables from a 80 gs1000s. Got them new from Bike Bandit. I wish the bars had an inch to and inch and a half more rise. My bars have a three in rise. Still way better than stock.

[KGB]

Doug--cragantler found some "risers" for his bars.
Ask him about them Was a simple bolt on and didn't affect cables

[pan]

My GS1000 was a US spec bike and came with higher bars than its UK counterpart, I did not like the look of these so started looking for other options.
I wanted bars that were wide and had a slight rise as I don't like flat drag bars. In the end I settled for a fatbar conversion, strong, weigh almost nothing and look trick:-)

Mark...

[Mike_H]

I have superbike bars on my GS650GL. Best Mod I have done. They are a 2 inch rise and 3 inch pullback. Gives me just enough lean into the wind at highway speeds, and they are still pretty good around town. No Problems with the "boys" either. I do need new cables though. All but my Choke cable work fine, but look really stupid sticking as far out from the bike as they do. I may have a picture of it laying around. If I find one, I'll post it.

[tkent02]

Do a little experiment...

Ride at the speed you spend most of your time riding at. Sit where you normally sit on the seat. Assume the upper body position that is the most comfortable, not counting your arms. Get the amount of forward lean that is the best as far as leaning into the wind, taking bumps, etc. Make your arms put up with all of the discomfort for now, they will thank you later. Move around a bit, try leaning a little more forward and then a little more back, scoot your butt a little forward and back, take your time and get it right. When you think you have the best position, take one hand off the bars and put it in the most comfortable place, from that seating position. Then look at the distance your hand is below your bars, distance back from the center bar mount, how far apart your hands want to be, and the angle that your hands want to be at. It might help to hold a piece of broomstick or something in your hand to help see the angle. Do this several times, maybe even on a couple of different days. Once you get the distance from your existing bars figured out you can determine what rise or pullback you want, and select a style bar close to that. For most normal size people, for all around riding, without a fairing a Superbike bend is pretty darned good.

[crayonjota]

I put clip-ons on my GS, so the bars were at the same height as the SUZUKI letters on the tank. After a crotch rocket I kinda likes the position, but unless you are planning on going flat bollocks out I will have to concur with the majority, and say superbike bars will not only enhance the look of your bike, but will make it all the more pleasant to ride...

CJ

[Billyboy]

I'm the Euro recomendation.

I'm 6'1". Long arms and legs. The euro bars are really comfortable for me. They're high enough to sit up, and low enough to lay on the tank. Good mix for me.

Oh yeah. I had to loosen and turn the brake bango bolt to create a loop of sorts, and adjusted the curves on the cables, but didn't swap anything.

[steely]

When I got my bike it had the dreaded "L" model wrist-killer on it. Five minutes of sitting on the bike with my hands on the bars (no, it was not running, yes, I am a dork) told me I wasn't going to like them. A buddy of mine who was helping me work on the bike has an '80 CB900, and he let me borrow the original bars from his bike to see how they fit. They were a lot better. I then went to the local motorcycle salvage and went digging through bin upon bin of handlebars to find the perfect ones. After comparing and discarding three or four, I found some with about an inch more rise than his.