Handlebar Suggestions '85 GS550L

[Anonymous]

I was on the bike for a couple hours Sunday, and the position the stock bars put my wrists in was killing me by the end of the ride. I need something straighter, but don't want to sacrifice comfort in another area.

The main pain is gone, but every time I get on the bike, I can feel it. I've got to get some new bars soon.

Does anyone have any suggestions for affordable bars that will give better comfort on my bike?

Thanks in advance,

Rob

[Nerobro]

I have superbike bars on my bike. Drag bars are a little wrist heavy for me, but I like the tuck I can get with them. There are a lot of options, however superbike bars seem to be the consensus. :-)

http://www.crc2onlinecatalog.com/handlebars.htm

Bars are cheap. at $25 a set you can probally afford to try a set or two before finally deciding. :-)

[Anonymous]

Also check out http://www.flandersco.com/ for a huge selection of bars.

Mark

[lhanscom]

With some nice leather tassles.

[mdole]

I had the same problem when I got my 750L and I replaced the stock bars with Daytona bars and they have been pretty good. They have a half inch more height and two inches more pull back than the superbike bars.

[KennyJ]

If memory serves me correct, they are a clip on style, i.e do not use clamp on bars. You could try some GS550E/GS700E bars as they were the tallest of the "sport" series of bars. About a 5 inch rise and they don't sweep back as far.

Kenny

[Poot]

I had the same problem when I got my 750L and I replaced the stock bars with Daytona bars and they have been pretty gooed. They have a half inch more height and two inches more pull back than the superbike bars.

i would go with this one ^^^^^. I'm 6-3' and i've got the superbike bars. They aren't quite right for me, although they are better (though less comfortable) than my original "buckhorn" (swept-back) bars on my 850L.

I remember the daytona bars as one of my choices.

[Nerobro]

IIRC, the 550l's are still classic styled bikes. not the clip ons.

[KennyJ]

Check em out...My manual shows them as a "clip on" style mount, but they have the buckhorn appearance. My 85 550 E uses the same triple clamp, but the rise and rake of the bars is dramatically different.

Kenny

Go to the gallery, there is a sweet picture of an 83 550L from the rear 2/3rds shot. It shows the cast bar risers quite well. I say try the 550/700/750 E clipons (not the ES they are lower). It should straighten out the rake a bit, and flatten them out.

[Anonymous]

bars

Thanks for all the input so far...

I'm not sure what you mean by clip on vs. buckhorn vs. triple clamp. The pic of the '83 looks about right, but the detail in that area is a little lacking so I 'm not sure.

Here is a link showing the handlebar assembly, it matches what I observe on the bike.

http://67.15.65.225/spst/1985%20GS550L/29.htm

And similarly, a link showing the stem, detailing how it clamps on.

http://67.15.65.225/spst/1985%20GS550L/49.htm

Also, can anyone point me to a dictionary of the standard terms for handlebar geometry? I don't have a lot of confidence that I'm intrepreting everything right.

If you place your hands flat on a table straight in front of you and then move your wrist such that your finger tips are as far apart as possible, and then a little more, that is the wrist position I'm in when I ride. This could be fixed if the bars didn't angle back so much, or if they were lower, or further forward, or a combination of just about anything. I just want to avoid trading the pain in my wrists for a pain in the neck (or back)...

Thanks again,

Rob

[KennyJ]

Well I can be wrong and admit it. I know the 83 used the Clip on style mount, they must have changed it to old style in 84/85 again.

Cool, now you have multiple options...
Kenny