The truth about handlebar risers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- After a full day of fitting and measuring riser to confirm what I have learned teaching riders over the past 27 years this video is about everything you need to know before choosing to put risers on your motorcycle.
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Bret: cut the bike in half and weld it back together to make it longer. not happening.
KLR riders: hold my beer
Perfect time to add the hoodickey and the thangamajob!
As a 6'7" tall rider...now I need to remove my risers and rotate my bars forward and see how that is. Thanks for the detailed video Brett!!
Let me know what you end up with and why...
@@BretTkacs I think he took your advice, then died in a crash and couldn't reply. 😃
Great stuff. One thing not mentioned is lowering the pegs. This can help in that you don't need as much rise, plus you benefit in the knee to footpeg distance comfort. Cable length can be an issue when using risers and lowering the pegs can impact shift/brake lever position. It all has to work together.
CONTINUED: X300: I lowered the pegs one inch, so with the riser almost vertical is fits beautifully - I stand a lot (73 yrs old, bad knees, and back surgery survivor, can’t bend knees or back for long). I use the x300 50/50 on road & off. My Vstrom 650 XT is 80-90% pavement, but I still stand more than usual. The 2” riser did not raise the bars enough, until I gut the RISER rotation AND the BAR ROTATION JUST RIGHT. it took me several tries on each bike (over 2 years of bike buying and bar adjusting) to get right what you explained in minutes. Thanks for ALL your vids !!!
The way I have set bars of my adventure bikes is quite close to my racing bikes (EXC & TE), that is, quite high up (even if I am quite short, 176 cm or 5'9"). Target has been to reduce need for muscle power when accelerating & braking, thus having hands high up rather than close to pelvis (think about push-ups having your hands on your shoulder line vs. close to your waist). This works for me, for my riding style.
This video plus your tall rider video spoke directly to me. I always tried to bring the bars up closer to me for a more upright stance. After watching your videos I set them on the furthest point away from me took out my peg pads and rose my seat by an inch and it made all the difference in the world . Now I feel that I can do challenging first gear maneuvers in Terrain that I might fear otherwise. Thank you so much!
So its best to be in attack (hunched forward) position rather than upright?
Thank you as a 1.85m with gibbon arms, did what you said on my 2021 African the rotation not quite 10° was enough to make it far more comfortable and gained more control standing.. BTW I have bad knees so the "only stand when needed " video helped me alot. Never to old to learn new stuff.😄😉 Recently turned 60, still riding big bikes of tarmac, however maybe a little less 'progressive '..
5:16 You just saved me $150.00 on a pair of Rox Pivoting Risers! Who knew that a 10 degree pivot in my handlebars would pretty much solve all my issues being a 6’4” rider on a 2018 R1200GS! Thanks!
I am going to watch this twice at least. Thanks Bret!
Thanks for the explenation. I am 6.2 feet and went in the last 6 years through this process. Changed bar risers height, adjusted rotation improved technic and recently dumped the risers all together, adjusted rotation and I am happy. Exactly what you had described but with trial and error.
I'm 60, 5'8" and just getting into Adventure riding from a lifelong love of dirt bikes. Beta 200rr is the current favorite. My new ADV bike is the 2022 850 GS Adventure, and the bar are waay to foreward for me. It's large bulbous tank doesn't allow mooching forward, so I went with w/ 2"ROX at 45 degrees. It's infinitely more bearable on longish pavement where my wrists are more comfortable in my 'ingrained' high elbow position. However, I'm not done yet. Next is videoing myself to see where weight bias is. This is a process. Thanks for pointing that out to all of us.
I’m going to disagree. I’m 6-3 and I don’t want to lean forward on long trips. I want the bar back toward me and a bit higher. I didn’t buy a crotch rocket for a reason. I’m coming from cruiser and dirt bikes and I got a tenere 700 now and for an adventure bike I’m leaning in too much
Good vid Bret. I think for standing, finding the right bars is the most important thing. The pull back effects the position as you say, but it also changes how your wrist aligns, and that makes a big difference standing, even as much as where the bar sits.
💯
Great video Bret. The MTB industry use's the term "reach" which I think could be useful to adopt. A couple of points to add. The slacker the head angle of the motorcycle the more reach you will lose if you add risers. Conversely the effect is less pronounced with a steeper head angle. Also bar's tend to have an upsweep and backsweep component, so it's worth keeping track of both of those figures when looking for handlebars.
Yes, coming from MTB this makes perfect sense.
When on an MX bike you probably want the bar be aligned with the fork, otherwise it might feel a little bit awkward when steering. Rolling a hair back is ok, but when rolling too much in front or back the steering will feel very strange.
Given that, you might want to consider a riser to create more space between your legs and your hands when you are tall, or use a different bar. But keeping the bar aligned with the fork should be the starting point.
The GS bar seems to be around 94 cm in width (sorry, metric country I live in ;) which is way too wide for women and smaller riders. So your conclusion of considering a riser for smaller persons makes perfect sense, as the bar is just too wide in the first place and you need to reduce the reach. Measure the width of your shoulders as a 176 cm person and then ask yourself what a 94 cm handlebar does to you ;) It´s just crazy wide!
Maybe consider using a narrower bar and things might change. Or just cut it down a bit until it works. Something around 80 - 85 cm might work for smaller riders.
It´s just a huge bike and adjusting geometry is key to have fun.
Great info- I am 6’5”. I have risers on all my bikes. I’m going to have to try a set of Rox now. I did put a rally seat on the T7 and risers. Moving the bars back a bit- allowed me to move further back on the seat. So when off-road, I don’t always have to stand.
Thanks for all the work you did. I am 6'2" and run the stock handlebar on my 790 Adv R in the most forward of the 6 factory positions and tilted slightly up (1st line).
Thanks for bringing up the ability to move the bar clamp forward/backward on the KTM. This wasn’t even mentioned even though it would have only lengthened the vid by an hour. 😉
I'm 6'5" with a lot of inseam. I stumbled on the rox vs block conclusions you found through very unscientific experimentation. without risers I find Im fighting to find a neutral stance that didnt have me in a literal wall-squat when I found it necessary to get up off the seat. block risers, as you saw, made it worse for both sitting and standing. I now have ROX risers set roughly 5 degrees forward of plumb. and the bars are rotated probably a lot further than you specify here (which I may revisit) I do find that this set up is very positive for me on the street and off. I had to make a 700 mile day back to Seattle for reasons and I was surprised how much I had left in my personal tank at the end. I was tired, but not wiped out. Standing I find I have better throttle control because Im not fighting as much of a a weight bias front or rear. and I can get my hips underneath my shoulders when I want to (well more underneath, anyways)
Just a data point. Its nice to see numbers confirming things Ive experimented with. I appreciate your delving into things useful for us sasquatch.
Thanks for figuring this out and posting this. After watching, I leveled the bars on my Tenere 700 and if feels like a different motorcycle, and finally feels like I found a motorcycle that fits me!
Mind blown! You have just quantified what I found out by trial and lots of error, plus I can now justify my purchase with my wife through science and fact. ;) I had a cruiser and didn't understand why it was uncomfortable to ride. I'm average size (5'8") and got a set of risers and holy cow what a difference it made. Fast forward to now riding a '22 KLR had the same "uncomfortable" feeling riding but now standing off road. (been watching your other videos) Risers and a different bar. Now I hafta try the 10* tilt. Thanks so much Bret.
On your advise, I checked those settings on my XT1200 today. Since im 195cm tall, I put 30mm Risers on, which caused in the Handlebar coming towards me as well. I took the measure, with the risers, removed them, tilted the Bar upwards and adjusted the Clutch and Breakingleaver to correct things. Now the Handlebar is 4cm closer to the Front, which gives a way better standig Position particularly driving uphill. At the same time I could reach 1,5cm more in Height than with the risers mounted. So now I have plenty more space to lean Forward and my Standingposition as well as the angle of my Wrists is way better than before. Thanks for your thoughts ;)
I'm a 6'4" guy and it took me a looong time to get my Africa Twin dialed in to what I'm happy with. I'd recommend to anyone in the process of doing the setup to make one change at time, then ride for 20mins. Make another change, another 20mins. I spent an afternoon (and 300km) doing this and it really helped me with my preferences.
With what changes did you end ?
@Jacques ended up flipping the factory clamps, 25mm/1" block riser and rotate the bars a little. It's a nice middle ground for me since I do a fair amount of road touring as well as dirt
Brilliant presentation!!! I am 6’3” but mostly legs. I have tinkered with 2” Rox Pivoting Risers on all 3 of my bikes. My Husaberg is a tall bike and perfect with the riser almost vertical. My Kawasaki Vereys X300
I put risers on my Triumph Rocket III about 5 years ago to shorten my cockpit, as I was tired of leaning over all the time due to being shorter. Never thought about it for my tall off-road bike. Thanks.
Wow , I never thought I'd hear you say this! after listing to you say for the longest time don't use them... I'm glad you tested out that thought. thanks again for all you have done over the many years of training riders to be better. 👍 in the 49 years of riding I have never stopped learning something new. 🧔
OMG we just came from a 3 day trip, and a tall friend was complaining about his handlebar setup, we just send him this video, because he was planning to put some risers!
Another excellent video full of valuable information. Unlike other videos that say "Risers are bad!" and offer proof by saying "racers don't use them". Different bikes and different riders, different riding styles, and so many other variables. I am 6'-4" and have always changed bars to help me fit the bike, then when risers were introduced they made it much better for setting up a bike for me. I have risers on all my dirt bikes and dual sports and I have many handlebar bends to experiment with.
I was amazed at how much difference the small difference in measurements (1/2", 3/4", 1", etc.) in sweep and/or rise makes. I could make a bike that felt tiny and cramped into a bike that felt roomy and comfortable just by changing the bars and/or adding rotatable risers. I haven't tried block type risers because they move the bars back that small amount and I always want more room, not less, but the risers that allow rotation (ROX and PowerMadd) have all ended up vertical (or plumb) on my bikes. I also have lowered footpegs on couple bikes but the handlebars make the biggest improvement in cockpit "size" as you said. Of course rotatable risers can also be used rotated back to make the cockpit a little smaller.
I have a pair (why pair when it is one bar???) of ProTaper ADV High bars and they are actually too high for the bike I was planning to put them on. I never would have guessed I would feel that way since bikes have always been too small for me!
Man, I've been chasing it for so long to improve comfort on long pavement rides- changed to a custom seat (mistake I think), added risers...tilted the seat, tilted the risers. I believe seat height and tilt are factors that weren't discussed here. the seat definitely changes the calculus. Of course, when you're up on the pegs it's not a factor. I think I'm gonna scrub it all off and start over with a stock seat and no risers, back to factory configuration. I'm 6' 0" and riding a 2017 R1200GS. Great video Brett- Thank you!.
Hello from Colombia!!. Love your videos. Now I understand why it felt so uncomfortable a couple of months ago before removing the Rox (pivot) handlebar risers. I have a 2015 tiger 800 Xcx, I'm 180 cm (think it's 5'11), but I have long arms, and I tried all the configurations I could imagine with the rox, but it wasn't working. In the end, I removed the risers and only rotated forward the OEM handlebar clamps (think that's the word in English). It gave me the space I needed and it felt awesome riding on and offroad.
Thank you for your dedication and I love the detail and the content. Please continue whit this excellent work. Greetings.
Your english is perfect...
I finally went and adjusted the bars a bit upwards on my Versys 1000. The slight change in height made a big improvement in handling, especially at low speeds. Thanks for your insight and guidance, Bret!
This video was the best....I'm 6'0" which I don't consider that tall but when I got my GSA 1250 the standard version (not the low version) all I hear about from dealers and riders from a height standpoint is 'Risers, risers, risers" so I kind of felt like I needed them. But I was always on the fence because ergonomically I feel great on the bike sitting and standing and the bike feels great to me. I was just about to give in and buy risers but this video gave me the information that I hadn't found anywhere else. When the time comes with my skills up a level or two off-road , when I'm standing more. I'm going with rotate the bars first. I'll be honest, as comfortable as I currently feel in the standing position, I don't think I need the full 10 degrees (am I wrong). Last concern....when / if I rotate say 10 degrees forward...do I have to I rotate / adjust the controls and mirrors back to stock position that they were in before I rotated bars.
This was a fantastic video. Love data and your explanation was crystal clear!
Was playing with my KLR and trying to figure out what to do for for a setup for a 5'-10" with a 32" inseam. Inseam and arm length I deem very important as some people are neutral, or more arms, or more legs, or more body proportional to others. (Side note: two buddies are 6'-4" but when they sit down beside each other one is a full head higher than the other due to body proportions)
The priority on the KLR was to get rid of the thin 7/8" OEM bar and go for a 1.125" bar.. On a KLR the top triple-tree casting has a very similar set up as your BMW so figured out very quickly that all I was doing was pushing the bars into me, like you said. When installing the RoxRisers plum and a T1 TAG handlebar, which has a very similar profile to the OEM, and rotating the bars forward it feels I have more cockpit room and a little bit more hight.
Wish I had taken measurements like you had done for a before and after standpoint.
Looking forward to taking one of your courses and getting properly set up. Just maybe I am full of it and OEM is better.
Keep up the great videos.
im a short rider and getting risers just made sense to me so I got one. best decision ever.
I put some risers on my FJR street bike to make it more comfortable. But it really jacked the handling, took too much weight off the front wheel. So, I took the risers off and had the seat reworked, that was better.
Best advice (still dialing in technique) best channel: thanks again Bret!
I'm 185cm and my back was calling me to seat a bit and relax during a ride where I was standing more than usual. After that I bought a riser(just like the rox) and put it vertical to give the rise without bringing the bars closer to me. It's bigger than the 1.5", I think it's 2" or so. It feels much more comfortable standing now without that feeling of being too far over the handlebars. For complimentary info you could make a video riding those bikes or the same bike with those different setups. Uphill, downhill, through rock section or whatsoever and make the comments based on riding them all. Just my thoughts on it
Love watching your videos. If you ever decide to visit Europe/The Netherlands, I wouldn't mind showing you around to show that the country is more then Amsterdam, drugs and the red light district. And can always do a little sidestep towards Luxembourg and the lovely region Eiffel in Germany. 😁
As for this. My husband is slightly taller and decided to stop using the risers a while back. I'm only 5.3ft tall and I do enjoy the risers on both my Africa Twin and my Suzuki DRZ 400. It helped me a lot to be able to reach the grips. Especially on the Africa Twin since the bike isn't lowered. It helps me to keep the relaxing balance when forced to stand still with it and hanging half of the seat to get a few toes on the ground 😅
What a great video. A lot of detail and great informtion. Thank you!
I am 5’11” and owned an BMW R1200RT with no risers nor lowering peg kit.. I sold the bike and regretted selling the RT and just recently bought the exact same bike which was owned by a 6’2” guy who had both risers and the lowering peg kit. I was tempted to remove them, but after riding the bike back from the dealership in Lakewood, CO to Scottsdale, AZ, I loved the riding position of the RT.
Interesting, as a 197cm rider my stock 701 was no fun to ride when standing up, I added 25mm lower footpegs which helped a lot but the bars were still too low. But added 20mm risers rotated the bars forward and bam standing up was actually comfortable. I also tried 35mm rox risers before all of this and it was horrible to ride with.
I'm 6'6" on a Super Tenere. I couldn't stand up without leaning way forward with knees bent too much. I looked ridiculous. With the ProTaper ADV High bars, I'm in a better position.
Though I needed longer brake/clutch lines.
All kidding aside Bret, a very detailed and thorough job there, and highly topical. Thank you for doing this, and shedding light on this topic 😊😁👍🏻
I was as surprised as you, that raisers not only can be the wrong way to go for us tall (6”5’ here) riders, but also that risers used correctly and as a part of the total package can actually both LOWER, and bring closer, the handlebar thus creating a shorter cockpit for shorter riders… fascinating 🧐👍🏻
Grazie Bret, questo video in effetti mi ha fatto capire il perchè ancora non riesco ad abituarmi alla guida con i riser rialzati. Son alto m. 1,88 , la braccia forse un pò più lunghe dello standard e sulla mia GS ADV 1250 non ritrovo ancora la posizione ideale. Precedentemente, ad una bialbero, con borsa serbatoio capiente, per esigenza di angolo di sterzo e senza alcun montaggio di riser , ho ruotato il manubrio di poco in avanti e avevo trovato la posizione ideale. La tua dettagliata spiegazione, mi ha fatto capire che al fatto di essere alto, molto alto, con i riser rialzati, bisogna aumentare lo spazio ruotando in avanti.
On my previous bike, a Suzuki Vstrom the angle of the handlebar was to close for me and it gave me ants in the forearms. Before buying risers I applied forward rotation and I had a far better position. I suspect the vstrom angle to be more than 19 degrees though
I owned a DL1000 and changing Handlebars made a huge difference
At 6 ft I am a fairly tall rider . (I have a gsx-s 750) I have a neck injury and use bar risers to sit almost completely straight up .
I have them facing aft closer to my body and fiind it helps with the pain . Math aside , even though i have long arms i find gripping the bike with my legs is more important for bike control than anything to do with the bars in a corner. I feel riding comfortable for you with less fatigue is better and helps you focus more regardless to angles as expert riders say hold the grips like a baby chick anyways.
The German Autobahn BMW (old) Motorcycle Police handlebar are perfect for me at an Africa Twin / Dominator. I'm 170 cm and ridning long days, and it's relaxed and rest my arms at the handlebar. That setting works at on- and offroad, for me!
Great video. I’m 6’5” and it answered so many questions I had 😁
I'm 5' 4" and looking to get another big bike, may consider this.
Being 6'9" it's tough out there to find a decent ride. Went with the African twin and this video has made me understand the physics with bars. Appreciate the indepth details. My arms are longer than Michael Jordan so hopefully ill figure it out here soon 😂
Thanks for this video Bret. So informative. 😀
Awesome information and provided with facts and numbers. I'm going to take off my risers and try the 10* on my GS
Let me know how it turns out
Great video and almost everything makes perfect sense to me. However, in my opinion, pivoting Rok risers slightly forward from vertical (plum) achieves the same as having it plum but using flatter bars with less rise and sweep. It all comes down to the position of the grips relative to the head tube or fork stanchions.
Wait, what… No helmet-hat transitions…!? 😁
No distractions from the lesson today 🤠
For people thinking that those small changes are irrelevant - they absolutely aren't. The bar being 1cm too close to you is like having a 1cm pebble in your boot. It destabilizes the whole riding triangle, making it much more fatiguing to stand up. Once i corrected my setup (my bike has adjustable handlebar mounting, you can literally make the bike longer) i went on a road trip and didn't want to sit down. Different handlebars aren't expensive either, if your run out of adjustments.
watching this, i wonder what to do for the short rider :) Would be nice if you can cover this as well, thank you!
Loving that moustache and beard, Brett! Never take it off!!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and competence. Very useful, clear and informative. Best regards
Indeed , a man like you could always use some more cockpit space
Great information, I'm 5'11.5" and my 2005 650 v-strom always felt like a little bit of a reach when sitting but perfect when standing off road. The rise on my bars is huge, and rotating them made the grips down swept and not good for holding on to, would you recommend risers in this case?
I'd reckon the downsweep is desirable , ergonomically.
Oh, my God. Sometimes I watch Bret's videos just to marvel at how he creates a tech talk out of the intuitively obvious. How is any of this complicated??
Thing that doesn't seem to get discussed in this very interesting video is standing. When sitting I'm perfectly fine at 6'4.
But I simply cannot reach the handlebars properly when standing, I'm too high up, I have to bend down like crazy if I want to reach them. It's downright dangerous when I break, I'm at risk of falling over to the front.
Am I concluding correctly that the way to go about this would be to install rox risers that pivot and pivot them forward to put them at the same distance as they were before, just higher, and leaving the handlebar at the same angle?
This may answer your tall rider questions
th-cam.com/video/H3LRe0JI61o/w-d-xo.html
Snowmobiles and their ilk have adjustable handlebar mounts fore-aft and up-down. They do have lower weight constraints however.
Valuable info in this video. Much appreciated.
Great video. Thanks. I think I'm gonna buy a handlebar riser
Really good video thanks Ash
i used a "Trek Bike fit guide" from the bicycle industry. those guys have spent a fortune in RND to keep Team Sky winning the Tour de France amongst other races. Pretty happy with the result, not perfect but good.
They better change something, but they haven’t won since 2018. :-). But I hear you. I’m a cyclist first, and a dual sport rider second. There’s SO much knowledge that can be transferred between mountain biking and off road motorcycling.
I need a rotator type handle bar raiser,as the handle is a bit far from my usual normal position,i need them a bit near to me so that i need not to lean forward...
6'5" here. I just added a 2" above stock seat to my 22' KTM 890 Adventure S and rode it a bit but it feels low especially when standing. I ordered the Rox anti-vibration 2" risers in addition but seeing this video... maybe I made the wrong choice???
Great video! I have a 2014 GSA with stock bars. I’m 5’8” with a 30” inseam. My hands go numb within minutes of riding. I’ve ridden the R18 and no numbness. It feels like my GSA’s handlebars sit low and because I’m on the low setting of my seat, I seem to be resting my weight on the bars. What would you recommend? I’ve owned the bike for 10 years, but have always had my hands go numb from day one. Thank you!!!
always interesting to listen to you. thank you and regards from andalucia...👏
Thanks Bret. Curious to know how tall you are to give some perspective on your setup?
6'
JUST CAUGHT YOUR VIDEO. I SPEND 20 YEARS RIDING YZF AND YAMAHA. WITH A FEW OTHER BIKES HERE AND THERE. I HAVE A GSXR THAT I JUST PICKED UP. I LOVE THE BIKE AND IM DEF FAR FROM A NEW RIDER. BUT IAM VERY UNCOMFTABLE WITH MY HANLE BARS. AT SPEEDS BELOW 70, I HAVE TO MUCH WEIGHT ON THE BARS AND GRIPS. ANY HELP PLEASE SUGGESTIONS?????
Great information! My question is:
Are the Rox risers limited to a certain degree of rotation for safety and handling?
What I mean is, can I install it just to have the handlebar almost 2" closer to my body and maybe a bit taller?
I have a Triumph Street Twin 2020. I am 1,64m tall. I feel unconfortable on long rides, because my body must be leaned forward, to be seated in the wider and more confortable part of the seat. Two Motone risers were installed, but the handlebar is stil far from me. After less than one hour I can feel pain in my hands and disconfort in my shoulders. Disconfort and some times pain is what I feel also in my lombar often.
With the handlebar risers the cables are in the maximum safe lenght.
Is there any solution that allow me to seat more vertically, with the arms slightly bent and relax in any ride?
Thank you in advance.
It would seem that rotating the ROX rider forward would effectively shorten the length of the bars moving the ends forward and only slightly up (assuming you don't rotate the bars themselves which you might do temporarily for standing on the pegs / off road trips). Not sure what you mean by making the steering funky. You would not notice any difference aside from the shorter effective bar length. As a taller rider I would like less sweep angle - personally better for my wrists.
What about if your are standing on your pegs? Fine if you are sitting, but just bring the handlebars forward will make standing more uncomfortable for taller riders. What is the consideration for steering geometry, rake of the fork? Don't Rox risers adversely affect steering geometry? Lots of discussion, what is the solution?
Rotating the bar cause more forward lean which puts you in a sportier position thus putting stress on the back. Putting pullback risers eliminates that issues especially for taller riders or even shorter riders.
And then you can get into how risers change rake and rotating the bars changes steering inputs and outputs.... its such a complex topic. I feel there is also an element of rider fitness which needs to come into play as well i.e. are your legs, hips, glutes, and core strong enough to hold you on to the bike in a proper riding position.
And technique... I did two videos on posture that apply before this should happen
Just excellent!
So would the rox risers be beneficial for a short rider?
That's all very interesting! Admittedly was a bit confused why you seemed to encourage people away from them, but it all makes sense now.
I'm 5'6 and use the Rox anti-vibe pivoting risers on both my Versys, and my G650GS and they really do make all the difference with being able to reach the handlebars more easily and not feel stretched out.
Hey out of curiosity - have you , or do you plan to do any sort of review on the Versys X 300?
Thanks for another great video!
Downside of rotation is the lever goes down and its even more painful and kill the ergonomics. Just do risers and keep the brake reservoir flat
What is the correct Riser measurement for a 6 ft guy?
Hi sir, what do you think of the sw-motech Bar back variable risers for Ø28 handlebars?
Well…..Im gunna try this…. Bloody good info.
Love this! I'm a tall woman (5'7") I just got a Honda Rebel 1100 and I'm still trying to figure out my ergonomics. Most of my height is in my legs so I needed the forward controls but now I'm hoping risers will help make the reach more comfortable. Is there a way I can do a consultation with you? Thanks!
Great video. I think this is going to be a huge help. I have a new 1250gsa and I find myself reaching for the bars. I’ve been pondering just block risers. My bars are at a +10 degrees. Will I get enough pull back if I leave at +10 or should I go with ROX? Thanks
Great stuff .. do you really recommend block risers ?
Seldom, except for short riders
My ktm exc has mounts that let you move the bars back and forward about 25mm by swapping them left and right, and changing the holes. I don't know why not all bikes are set up this way. It couldn't cost any more to make.
How is the 19 degrees of sweep you mentioned as typical for ADV motorcycles measured?
I have both higher bars and risers on my dual sport bike. It is set up for me, I am 63 with fairly severe arthritis, and there is no way I can safely ride with low clip on style bars. And when you need to stand on the pegs, you need higher bars to avoid standing on you head. Younger riders in better condition may be ok with slightly lower bars, but remember, a dirt, dual sport, or adventure bike is NOT a crotch rocket.
I am 6'5" 34 inch inseam, size 15 boots and 37 inches arms. got the height and the angle correct on the handle bars. 2" Rox risers straight up and 10 degree tilt. What I need is a shallower angle on the handle bars. The 19 degrees of the stack bar is too much. The fasst bars are nice but I need a way to figure out what angle is best for me. Any suggestions on figuring out the best angle?
12:48 Using risers to lower the handle bars
6’5” , Suzuki SV 650, stock bars at factory setup. I’ve been practicing good techniques and I am ready to tweak things for increased cockpit space. Soooo …. I’m looking for bars with a lower rise?; a decreased sweep?; lower rise and decreased sweep?
P.S. 650 first generation
Hello Bret, i have a bike that the total width of the handle bars is 740mm by 150mm of raise, i don't know how much angle could it have, i was thinking about going for a 780mm wide handlebar, with 120mm of raise, with less angle, but now that i see that you are using a narrower handle bar, what do you think is better for off road? wider and more leverage? or narrower? because i can play with my actual handlebar to make it "confortable" with the angle and the raise pulling it backwards, towards me, but i can't do nothing about wide.
Its a Benelli TRK, i had a GS 1200 Adv 2008 and a 790 before and i kinda miss the handle bars... and i even wanted wider handlebars on the KTM.
Thanks Brett. I am 6'4" and have the GS 310 enduro. It seems from your video that the easiest and best configuration for me is to just rotate the handlebars forward 10 degrees, and not use a riser. Is this correct? Appreciate your advice on this.
At 6'4" nothing will ever be perfect. Rotating the bars is a good start but you may end up with risers to increase hight and then bars with less pull back to correct the hand position by pulling it back forward
Thank you, interesting! I´m 6' 3,5'' - do you think a 10 degree rise is sufficient? And what about a lowering foot-pin? Thanks!
Very valuable informations ! Thanks a lot !
Hey Bret, did you have to reroute the cables using the 2" rox riser? Thanks for the info. I'm 6'4" so this is a great help.
No because the rise on the flexx bars was low. May risers correct that change in bar choice
This is really great research. Do you feel you've tested enough bikes to have a general rule? Can you post the numbers and related materials to reproduce the experiment?
I was looking for a general rule but there seems to be a variation between brands and models. I have genral rules I apply at training camps based on the rider (age, height ,etc) and bike but nothing easy to publish.
I did a video on setting up an OEM bikes (used a Tiger 900). Those are my general rules for setting a baseline