The truth about handlebar risers
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.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.
www.Patreon/join/BretTkacs
www.BretTkacs.com
If you want text notification for new videos, text "Tkacs" to 888-306-7782 (now say that 5 times fast... "text Tkacs to"
This is some FortNine level physics, good stuff! Being a short guy, I had recently stumbled across the benefits of using risers as a method of bringing the bars closer to me. Happy to see my anecdotal findings backed up by math and a professional!
They made a lot of difference for me on a Wee Strom. I really wish they made a decent Adventure bike for shorter riders.
@@Apollyon67 That is exactly how I found out they worked, by fitting risers to my wee strom! Totally agree that there isn't much option in the ADV market for shorter rides. The Wee and the Tiger are the best ones I've found - and even they feel like big bikes to me
@@PhilipBeresford After I bought my Wee, Suzuki sent me a survey. I filled it out and added into the comments that I would like to see them offer a proper Adventure bike to their lineup for shorter riders. I doubt it will do any good, but you never know. Do you have any advice on how to handle the bike better?
@@Apollyon67 I fitted the accessory Suzuki low seat and 2" rox risers. I didn't want to lower the suspension at all since its already low on ground clearance. Otherwise its just practice. I only use one foot down, not two. I slide one cheek off the seat a bit to get a flat foot on the ground. Otherwise I try and keep moving, keep momentum, keep my feet on the pegs. With reverse parking I just hop off and push it. No shame in that. 🤘
@@PhilipBeresford So far this has been my strategy. I did lower mine and used the lower Suzuki seat so I could at least one foot it. Once I get more used to riding it, I may raise it back up. I have had short cruisers up until now. The Wee is a whole different bike. LOL. I love it when I am moving, but the center of gravity change is a lot to get used to when I am stopped or trying to maneuver her in a parking spot. Thanks for the tips, I will give them a try today!
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!
Now this is what i call a serious analysis of the topic! Just the full, detailed process and explaining, is so comprehensive and clear! Keep them comming, you are one of the best TH-cam channels for adventure tips/info/lessons!
I'm 6'3" and on my GSA in the stock configuration I felt I was reaching for the bars with straight arms even though I was sitting next to the tank. I added ROX risers and brought the bars back closer to me and up. I now have the proper bend in my arms and am more comfortable. I do feel this comfortable position for sitting compromises my standing position.
same here ... 6'3" clearly isn't "tall" enough in Bret's books;-) Kidding aside: arm-length is probably just as important as body-height. For me now not only do the arms feel better/relaxed, but also cornering is soooo much more fun;-)
Thanks for posting this. I just bought a GSA and I’m the same height as you. I feel like I’m leaning forward about 1-2” to reach the bars from a neutral seating position , just ordered the 2” Rox pivoting risers.
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. 😃
Thanks Bret for all your contribution to help us be better off road riders.
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 !!!
Really sorry you didn't make this video six years ago....
But satisfied we come to the same conclusion. 👍🏻
I'm 6'5, and like gravel with my Honda. By adjusting handlebars and risers, I gained about 10 mm high, and 13 mm in space from my body.
But.... I had to buy 3 types of handlebars and five types of risers before conclusion was satisfying/confirmed.
And now I also ride a KTM and will be happy for how you describe, count and use. Reminder.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
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 recently bought a Honda crf300l and thought I needed risers. I wound up rotating the bars forward (not sure how many degrees) and it made all the difference. I'm 6'2" but with a very long inseam. (36") Thanks for posting.
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!
At 5'7", most bikes are really tall for me. I put ROX Risers on my Super Tenere last summer and it was amazing how much of a difference it made in comfort because my traps weren't so sore from reaching so far all day, however, control of the bike was not at all optimal. I met Joselin Snow at an event about a month ago and of all things I could ask her, I asked her about her opinion on Risers and she said she never uses them; she is way smaller than me! I pulled them off after that and the bike feels so much more agile and better geometry without; my traps are going to hate me on really really long rides, but having better control matters to me more.
So those riser bought the handlebar closer to you, did they also increase the height. Did you tried adjusting the handlebar's angle? What problem did you faced after using riser.
@@amitkrupal1234 Mostly it was steering not feeling as tight, like the turn radius felt like it was lacking when they were added. I actually have since put the seat in the high position and rotated the bars just a bit and my elbows have a bend in them now that they didn’t have before
@@elindenstein cool
Different strokes for different folks. I have a m90. Short arms at 5'7". I am looking to bring it closer to me to get more comfortable with my cruising. If motorcycling isn't enjoyable, then why bother.
@@f.c.9132 Well the reach to the M90 bars is like a half mile from the seat
At 6'4" this is the best video you have ever done!!!!!
Tall riders are most often overlooked
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?
This is brilliant. I have a Norden 901 and I am 6'1" and I find while standing that the bars are too low and I considered bar risers but after watching this I am going to rotate them 10 degrees and go from there. EXCELLENT video, thank you.
Bret, EXCELLENT explanation as always. This makes clear as mud, clear as ice…now that it’s been explained in a method that makes sense. I would never have thought adding risers would have improved the cockpit for shorter riders, but you explained it clearly.
Thanks for the great content and full in-depth discussion about this topic. I'm a new GS owner and your content has been awesome to learn from.
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.
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 '..
Great video. To anyone that is tall and doing touring or sport touring you also have to think about how risers are going to put you more straight up and down.
I got risers for my K1600GTL thinking it would help bring up my arms. And it did but what that did was lean me back to straight up and down or maybe even a little past that. What that did was put all kind of pressure on my tailbone. After even a not too long ride my butt was aching.
It turns out having the bars lower at stock level made me lean forward off of my tailbone.
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!
Thanks Bret! I found this quite interesting and appreciate your scientific, measured approach. I bought a used bike that came with a riser installed and recently removed it and the difference was amazing. I'm a small rider, 5'4", but the bike is also small, TW200 and I found the fit much better and felt more in control without the riser. Certainly bar setup makes a large difference in comfort and control!
At 5'6" I felt like I was reaching for the risers which gave me a bad riding position. I put on Helibars risers and while I wish it had a little more pullback it is more comfortable and gives me a better riding position. I've always thought that risers were probably looked down upon so I never mention it to anyone, thanks for the video and confirming I'm doing the right thing!
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.
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
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.
Very helpful, I'm 6'2" and was confused with block risers and angled block risers for my ktm adv 390.
Same bike here, same problem. I’m 6,3. I set normal risers and 10 degrees forward rotation. After watching the video I’m so confused. Apparently I did all wrong 😑
I had the same experience on my wr250r. I'm 6'4" and was running 1.5 risers. It made the bike feel cramped and was tight on the wiring harness. After looking at various bikes, I noticed that some bikes offered multiple mounting locations, offset bar mounts, or both. I ended up going with offset mounts, mounted forward, and a CR high bend bar, rolled forward as in your vid. The bike feels more spacious now, and is easier to handle because it's set up for my body size/geometry.
Been looking to do something on my wr as well, same height. But looking at the cables they probably won't be long enough. The brake being hydraulic is easy to deal with, but the clutch, do you get a custom cable made? I looked at converting it to hydraulic, but the space is so tight at the case that the actuator wouldn't fit. How did you deal with the clutch cable?
Thanks Bret.
Months after I began using my first GS, I started having pain in my left shoulder and elbow.
My doctor found inflammation in both, we treated it with medication, but so far we haven't found the cause.
I evaluated everything I could, such as posture in the office, at home, etc. Until I suspected the bike. I didn't test adjustments on the original handlebars, I immediately installed a new support (raising the base and moving the handlebars back), in a few weeks of use and until today (5 years later) I have no problems. By the way, I'm 1,75m tall (or 5,7 ft).
im a short rider and getting risers just made sense to me so I got one. best decision ever.
As always, showing the good/bad in everything and this case risers.What a great job explaining rise/sweep and the need to keep the bars FLAT. On my14 Vtrom 1000 it felt a bit too close blocking me in, more sitting than standing because I am 5'11" but can almost tie my shoes w/o bending with really long arms. I tried risers but they never felt right no matter the adjustment. Close but not right with the feel riding seated or standing. I removed them and found the right rotation up which works well for stock bars. I really thought just putting on risers would fix the issue but as you show it can magnify improper feel and I SHOULD have just adjusted my bars first! I just wanted some cool risers but it just did not give me what I needed as far as the good riding "fit" we all want from our bikes. Again, thank you for explanation along with fact to make riding more comfortable and safe. Be safe in your travels my friend!
I am going to watch this twice at least. Thanks Bret!
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!
Thanks Bret. As taller rider, this will be helpful a lot - tuning it... making it more manageable....
At 5'6" I found I was leaning forward on my Honda Rebel 500, I often had numbing hands etc after only 30mins or so riding. Since fitting a set of risers, about 20mm rise, but the important thing was it brought the handlebars 17mm forward, doesn't seem a lot, but it has made my riding so much better, my hands aren't going numb now.
when you say forward do you mean towards you? I just got a rebel 500 as well, and it feels like the handlbars are a little too far away. So you recommend risers.
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 ;)
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. 😉
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
Wow, Perfect. I just picked up a GSA, I'm 6'4" and I was looking at risers. Thanks for doing all of this work for me.
Thanks for the info Bret. I never felt comfortable standing with my VStrom 650. Rotating the bars has made a significant difference, much more comfortable when I need to stand.
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.
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.
Truly great stuff Brett. I’m 6’ 3” and i would have assumed a riser was an immediate change, even before I’d ridden a new bike. However that turns out to be the wrong move. Thanks for all your work and dedication to our passion. You saved me some work. 😀👍
So, what did you get finally? The ROX ones? Or just adding forward rotation?
Depends on the bars as well the figures stated here are with a fairly “ big” pullback. I bought some renthals That are almost straight this helps a lot but they are not as comfortable as it typical handlebar supplied by the manufacturer
I am 5’7, with short arms. Installed a back leaning riser and rotated the bar so as to bring the handlebars closer. Worked perfectly. No handling issues. As an added benefit, it’s more comfortable for me to stand on the pegs.
Good video! I had bought risers (not installed) because I’m 6’2 and wanted the comfort of height but have always thought about having the bars too close to me.
I’m going to rewatch this and make some measurements before I commit to the setup.
Thanks!
I installed bar-back riser and they helped tremendously.
Thanks for this informative video! At 6’ 4” I often felt I needed risers, but your point about dialing in your skills is well taken.
I've never come across such an analytical approach to bar risers. Lots of food for thought.
Thanks Bret, Günter from Nürnberg/Germany
Bret ..... This video just answered all my questions. I'm a numbers guy, and numbers don't lie. GREAT Video. Thank you !
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. 🧔
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...
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.
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!
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.
Due to a bad position on the pegs, and initial fear of having my weight back, I cramped the cockpit, had the bars cranked back towards me a bit, and sat up on the seat. As I improved my position, I noticed I couldn’t tip the bike in easily. I messed with suspension and positions, etc. Finally, I cranked the bars more line with forks and it made a giant difference. The front felt lighter, tipped in easier, felt more predictable, everything just improved. All that weight forward and cramping the tank was killing front wheel feel. point being, it can make a huge difference to the controllability of the bike. I also had risers for a while, but as I realized I needed to work on some muscle groups to maintain the correct position, I took them off. Riding much better now, but still tire easily off-road…tough getting old!
awsome awsome video! As a tall rider(6'5" tall) this is very helpful...
2012 GTL, I'm 6' and installed the block riser and am installing the foot peg lowers with the end game being a more sit up straighter long distance riding position. bars are up about 3/4 inch and back about 1 1/4 inch. feels better sitting still. Just now finished installing.
As a 6'2" rider, this is exactly the video I needed. I'm getting some ROX risers right now.
Excellent explanation Brett thanks! I'm a taller GS rider and initially bought risers. At a bmw affiliated training course they told me to chuck the risers but couldn't explain exactly why.
The instructor was way taller than me and didn't have risers, so figured he had a point.
I seem to remember then saying something about the rake and screwing up geometry, and making it dangerous for sand (which I was about to do alot of) I was sold.
Glad I did, don't miss them at all. Did rotate the bars up though. Again great video.
Same here Shaun. had risers on, but did not feel comfortable standing (sitting was OK). Went to the BMW GS course and the instructor was about my height. He did not use risers and suggested I do some circuit laps of the paddock on his bike. (made the same comments about bike geometry). Found his bike much more comfortable when standing. He told me about the rotation gauge on the handlebars, and he is set for just over the 10 deg mark. I removed the risers, re set the rotation of the bars and the result was a much improved body position for me.
Best advice (still dialing in technique) best channel: thanks again Bret!
Great video, changed the way I look at risers and handle bar egos
I've learnt so much from Bret over the last two years. I am very thankful for that. But this is one topic I wish Ryan from FortNine would cover. He would definitely add a creative flair to this and make it entertaining while also being educative.
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.
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
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.
I'm 6'9" and I'm using 1.5" Rox risers on my 500 EXC. I also have a Renthal FatBar installed with a very specific sweep (don't remember which exactly right now but I researched the topic thoroughly before deciding which to get), a higher seat (over 1000mm overall height) PivotPegs in the lower position (I can attest to them being virtually indestructible, migrating from my 990 Adventure R) and the bike is now quite comfortable to ride. Good for even 500km days.
What you didn't highlight in your otherwise very well made clip is the importance of the handlebar's sweep and how, when you turn them, if the grips aren't parallel (or close to parallel) to the ground, the wrists will suffer a lot in the long-run. This is of paramount importance when you need to chose handlebars and bends/sweeps. Rox Risers help a lot to adjust in an additional axis and that truly makes a huge difference vs regular risers.
I recently put new bars on my CRF300L Rally, but it required using an adapter mounts to go from 7/8" to 1-1/8" bars, which ends up acting like 3/4" risers. Based on rise, the new handlebars were technically shorter, but compared parallel to the OEM bars, they looked very slightly taller. With the slight forward tilt from inline with the forks, it's not a drastic difference, but it feels transformed for the better. I had my concerns about not getting tall enough bars, but sometimes all we need is a minor adjustment. Definitely glad I went conservative with rise and stayed short on the adapter mounts since cable lengths are limited without changing those out, too, especially on the ABS model.
I'm 5'9" just bought a 2020 V-StromXT and in the first test ride I knew I was going to need bar risers. Got cramps after 5minute on the bike. I have a VMax 1200 and never got wrist cramps on it but the bars are much more in reach. I hope risers do the trick because I love every thing else about the bike and it fits my needs exactly.
At 6”3 I felt too bent forward standing up on my T7, even with rotation of the bars, I put blockrisers on, and then felt too much ‘hanging’ on the bars and not in control. Then I swapped the handlebar mount which brought the bars forward again and now I feel much more comfortable and confident than before. Which confirms 100% your explanation. Mind you, sitting on the highway for extended distance it’s not very comfy for the shoulder blades and wrists any more…
Move forward on the seat, you may be sitting to far back when on the highway
I found the sweep of the stock T7 bar to be too flat. I swapped the risers for a Protaper EVO Adventure bar and it feels perfect now.
@@BretTkacs I think you are right. Seat is a bit wider back there.
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!.
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 Most informative channel. Thanks greetings and respect to all from Durango Mexico 🇲🇽
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.
this was extremely helpful. I'm short and find myself reaching more than I want sometimes on my bigger bikes. I rotated the bars neg10, but now they touch the tank sometimes when stored in tight quarters and dimpled the paint. I have considered risers, but never pulled the trigger because I thought they would create too much height. never would have thought they would bring everything closer! as you mentioned, changing bars could be a simple thing to consider as well. TY!
Just so it! I put pull back risers from mo-tech for my t7 and it was a new bike, i’m only 169 cm the stock felt to far away, and to much weigth on my wrist
Thank you, that was very helpful allowing me to understand how risers not only increase height but also reach. This in turn allowed me to reconfigure the setup on two GSAs I have for each's needs with one for general use which I returned to stock taking out the 25mm riser and the other spesifically for touring where I ended up with a 40mm riser and 3 degree rotation despite my 6'1". Still baffles me, despite the reach changing, how similar they both feel sitting and standing.
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.
Well done! The first not to curse the handlebar risers. The default of 'you need to be over 6ft to justify' is so narrow minded. what about if your arms are not as long - as in my case. I always have to have my first cuffs shorted by 2cm because my arms are 'shorter'. Watching this video, mounting 25mm handlebar risers made me feel much more comfortable - not only sitting and reaching my handlebars, but also when standing I don't fee to hunched over. Good on you Bret!
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!
Some block type risers are reversible, so you can mount them up and away to open up the cockpit. I'm 6'-3" and riding a 2022 CB500X and the "up and away" risers have definitely improved my standing comfort and balance on the bike
True
Im 5'5, and had to install some Rox risers on my Multistrada as my arms are not long enough. it makes it uncomfortable over time. Its perfect now as I needed to get the handlebar closer to me and rotated down a bit.
Thanks for the video! I am 6'7 and ride an 2020 Honda AT. I have my Rox riser set to zero plum, however I find that this is till not enough to allow me to comfortably ride standing up. I then got custom made foot pegs that were 2 inches lower. This allows me to ride more comfortably both sitting and standing, however at the cost of a significant decrease in available lean angle when on the road. Sometimes being tall isn't that great...
Next is to get a new handlebar. At 6'7" those two adjustments plus a new bend should be on every bike
Who did the custom foot pegs.
6ft6 and always messing with bars, risers and footpegs so found this very interesting 👍
Im 6 foot 5 inches and 60yr but i ride a bmw r1250gsa , this really really helped...Bret. thank you ...
You will want to change the bars and then combine those with risers. Make sure to measure them as a set to get everything to the right spot. You want forward space more than height
@@BretTkacs "Change the bars" to what please? I'm 6'5.5" and have a 2007 GS...
great explainer! So complex. Wish I saw this a couple years ago. I'm stuck with three sets of risers for my Vstrom (meaning to eBay them all this time).. The Rox worked for me in the end too.
Thank you. Can you put the short person version video out?
Just hold your phone higher😅😄😃🤣
Well I guess what we can take away is that short riders should use risers. The funny thing is when shopping for a motorcycle as a new rider, people say to look at seat height but nope, I need to look at the distance to the handlebar or else I am hunched over while riding.
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'm 6.5 and don't need em at all for my 990S but definitely for my XCW 300. I was always slouching with 300 initially & lower back strain on longer rides till other tall guys highly encouraged it. Made a huge difference. Obviously different frame geometry than the 990.
I hear you. I have a 450 husqvarna. Without the risers I feel like I’m bent over trying to peer into the headlight! Lowered footrests were the best change though for me at 193cm
Great video. I’m 6’5” and it answered so many questions I had 😁
On my KTM I moved the bars to the forward set of holes and left them flat. Works for me.
Loved this content. I struggled for years to adjust my mountain bike cockpit. This makes a lot of sense. Saving this video so I can properly fit the cockpit on my dual sport after I gain more experience and get better technique!! Thanks, Bret!
The mad scientist back at it! Very informative and surprised by the results for shorter riders though you made sense of it.
The topic I was waiting for a very long time, thank you Sir.
My Tiger came with risers fitted (bought it second hand) and I never got around to removing them and setting the bars up properly until I watched one of your previous videos on the subject. Best thing I ever did!
Thanks for this video too, good to see some actual science going into things rather than conjecture.
Would love to make it along to some of your courses one day. Bit of a trek from the UK though. Thabks for inspiring me to keep learning and be a better rider!
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
That is funny, risers for shorter riders. I am 6'3" and tried Rox risers and notice they sat back way too much, I removed them and went back to stock with a 10' tilt. Might think about changing my handlebars now. Great video!
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