Handlebar height

[DarkLeftArm]

Hey, fellas.

I have put about 1000 miles on the new bike so far, and I love it.

I only have one complaint about the way it fits me.

I am very long legged (38 inch inseam). When I am doing slow speed parking lot maneuvers, sometimes the bars go full-lock. That's when the clutch or brake lever digs into the top of my leg. I have tilted the bars all the way forward, and also tilted the brake & clutch levers as far as I can, safely, and the problem still persists. Also, after a long ride, I find my neck to be hurting more than on the old bike. I think I'm reaching farther forward on this one. I found these things all over the place online, and just wanted to check in here before laying down the cash:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200603911792?_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649&item=200603911792&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWAX:IT&vxp=mtr#ht_1052wt_1056

 

Anybody have any other suggestions?

I'm all ears.

 

Yeah, I know the "sounds like you're all legs" is coming. Thats ok. I can take it.

 

Thanks. Bert

[kyle]

The handlebar risers are well worth the money. they bring the bars back to a real comfortable postion. Don't worry about the cables,ect... not being long enough they will stretch to fit, however at full turn the throttle cable can be a tad snug, no big deal.

[CaptainJoe]

+1 on handlebar risers

 

Adjust you bike to fit you...

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/adjusting_your_bike/index.html

[wrenchrob]

I got them and fit great and no problems with cables

[playboy]

Thanks for posting this I have been wondering about this mod. also glad to know there are no changes to the cables. Ditto on the long legs haven't had the issues you have encountered. But I have the long arms to match.

[djh3]

Well just "officialy" joined today. I got my free trial a long time back when I first started looking at these bikes. Yesterday I pulled the trigger. So I traded @ a dealer that was 2hr 45 from the house on my old bike, some reason the trip home was a bit less. hmmm

Anyways I was wondering the same thing on the way home, my back and arms were telling my I needed to sit more upright. I'm not a big guy 5'6" 200# give or take a couple. My lower back was pretty sore but the time we got home. To me it felt like my 900 Vulcan did before I put a set of set back risers on it from scootworks. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem.

[steamer]

I had a 900lt vulcan and went to the RSV. I had the opposite problem. I could not get comfortable on the LT, no matter what i did to it. I hated those beach bars that came with it. Putting risers on it helped. Then I got the RSV, fits like a clove,love it. The only thing I did to make it better was to install a back rest. now I can stay on the bike all day and still able to walk at the end of the ride.

[djh3]

Mine has a utopia backrest on it. I need to adjust it somehow as it is way to far back for me to get any use out of it. I like the width of the RSV bars, it almost is like a "sport bike" feel over the wide bars the 900 had.

[steamer]

The utopia has an adjustment screw, behind and below the pad.

[djh3]

Saw that on a brief inspection yesterday. Didnt have any tools or parts with me so I'll probably mess with it in the next couple days. My Mustang seat backrest had an adjustment to it also, although this one has 2 screws plus a heighth adjustment. Thanks for the heads up though.

Researching risers now. Looks like a lot of hits for the Barrons but man are they proud of them things. I'm leaning towards the ones the first poster has linked. Even if un-polished I got metal polish and time.

 

(OK not missing any screws. It was the extra holes for heigth. I lowered it 1 hole and adjusted the set screw for fwd to rear and installed a lock nut so it would stay there)

Edited January 19, 2012 by djh3
add info

[Rick Haywood]

Well just "officialy" joined today. I got my free trial a long time back when I first started looking at these bikes. Yesterday I pulled the trigger. So I traded @ a dealer that was 2hr 45 from the house on my old bike, some reason the trip home was a bit less. hmmm

Anyways I was wondering the same thing on the way home, my back and arms were telling my I needed to sit more upright. I'm not a big guy 5'6" 200# give or take a couple. My lower back was pretty sore but the time we got home. To me it felt like my 900 Vulcan did before I put a set of set back risers on it from scootworks. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem.

 

Get risers!!!! They will help with the arms, back, butt and everything else. A 2 &3/4 hour ride will be nothing when you get it adjusted to fit you. We call that an Ice Cream ride:thumbsup2:

[Condor]

One of the big problems I found when moving from a 1stGen to a 2ndGen RSV was the limited amount of adjustment to the grip position. Even the risers don't offer much help unless your arm length challenged. They will move the grips up, but will also move them back. I'm a big guy and would like to get the grips farther away from me so that they're not sitting in my lap. I wish someone made a set of bars that came out about 6" to clear the dash, and then rolled up and out. The way they are now I'm constantly pushing back into the seat (pillow top) to make room. The first long distance ride my a$$ suffered big time. I've had Rick Butler rework the seat since then but haven't had a chance to test it out. On the 1stGen the designers made it so the grips could move in'n'out 3-4" and up and down 3-4". I rode tons of miles with them up and out and never had any discomfort. I know seat and grip position is completely subjective, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.....

[Carbon_One]

My solution was to swap out the stock RSV bars to the Flanders bars. They will not only have more rise ( same effect as adding risers) but also bring the grips back towards the driver too. The Flanders are also about 1 -1 1/2" wider at the grip ends.

Larry

[Condor]

My solution was to swap out the stock RSV bars to the Flanders bars. They will not only have more rise ( same effect as adding risers) but also bring the grips back towards the driver too. The Flanders are also about 1 -1 1/2" wider at the grip ends.

Larry

 

 

I've looked at the Flanders Larry, but I need some distance between my gut and the grips, not less.....

[djh3]

Ok so this risers sounded like what I would be looking for. Only ones I could find besides the ones the first fellow linked were Kyurakn and the like. Big $$$ So I looked around somemore. I found some more but they were either 7/8 or 1 1/8. How come? Are our handlebars an odd size? Surely other bikes have 1" bars and use a simular set back type deal. Not knowing what I'm working with (mount to triple tree and existing heighth) I am leary of replacing the riserer completly with a new set. But you can pick up depending on what your looking for heigth wise new ones for $30-40. And the 7/8 risers, $30 shipped. What gives only one company makes them or something?

[pegscraper]

Another possibility might be to find a seat that sets you further back in the bike. That might help get your knees out of the handlebars.

[DarkLeftArm]

All good suggestions. Thank you all. My leg length is mostly from my feet to my knees, so moving back MIGHT even make it worse...? I think I'm gonna try the riser adapters first, simply because they are the least expensive change I can find. If they don't help, I'll start trying other alternatives, I guess.

 

Thanks.

Bert

[Condor]

Another possibility might be to find a seat that sets you further back in the bike. That might help get your knees out of the handlebars.

 

That's my thought. The RSV seat is really dished out, deep, and it won't let you sit farther back on the bike. That's where I ran into my problems. When Rick reworked my Pillow he tried to keep the saddle as high as possible. Hope it works. If not I did see a seat on Ebay that looks like it might work.... then again it might be an opitical illusion?? Here's a pic I saved. It look like the seat has been raised up quite a bit.... The maker did have the pic under the RSTD heading, but it looks like it'd apply to the RSV as well. Notice how the saddle cup has been reduced....

[rickardracing]

Those risers won't work. I bought a set and when installed, the handlebar caps hit the ignition cover to the point that it deforms it at full steering lock. I returned them, got a full refund. The seller was supposed to check out the design and possibly make a change.

[Gary N.]

Those risers won't work. I bought a set and when installed, the handlebar caps hit the ignition cover to the point that it deforms it at full steering lock. I returned them, got a full refund. The seller was supposed to check out the design and possibly make a change.

 

As Carbon One said the Fladders G2 bars for metric bikes is the way to go especially if you want to avoid having the problem mentioned here. They aren't the cheapest way to go because you need 2" over throttle cables as well but IMHO they work the best. Although you can get away with the stock cables with the Barron's risers, it's so tight at full lock turn that I think it could be unsafe and I think you should go to 2" over cables with those risers too. I did have the throttle stick. That's why I got rid of them. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

[pickinfred]

I've looked at the Flanders Larry, but I need some distance between my gut and the grips, not less.....

 

Is your backrest too much forward?

 

Fred

[CaptainJoe]

Just a thought but are any of our members close to you that have risers installed? That way you at least get the feel of what they will do.

 

I know of at least one person that raised his forks in the triple clamps after they sat on my bike ... Right FRED?

Edited January 19, 2012 by CaptainJoe

[SMSgt]

With all you guys getting rid of your risers, does anyone want to sell me a pair cheap?

[pickinfred]

I know of at least one person that raised his forks in the triple clamps after they sat on my bike ... Right FRED?

 

Thats right Joe...............dropped the front 1in, had two aluminum supports for the inner flaring machined and added to the risers before installing the risers.....I couldn't believe the difference in riding comfort the 1 1/2" risers made. After the first coffee relief stop....a tank of gas is no problem.

Sometimes I wear a corset.......ya I know......but I don't have the belly problem like some people do:whistling: ...and no we don't do pictures!

 

Fred

[djh3]

Yea me too on the used set of risers.