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Handlebar Shopping

S

SummerLove

Tired SRE
Joined
May 17, 2011
Location
Saratoga-San Jose West
Moto(s)
'99 Ducati M750 (Gone) '04 Ducati MTS 1000 DS '09 Buell XB12XT
Name
Sam
So my Multistrada handlebars are bent pretty bad from falling over in the mud last month. I feel like an idiot because I've been riding with them like this since it happened like 3 weeks ago and couldn't figure out why I couldn't get my right mirror adjusted properly.
So I'm rapidly learning that shopping for handlebars sucks online. Maybe because I'm having a hard time visualizing what they look liked compared to the stock bars (which are okay but could use a little more pull back).
Any suggestions? I don't know who has a large stock of various bars to go look at and I don't want to run around to a million local shops. I also have a set of 7/8ths to 1 1/8th (IIRC) adapters so Fat bars are an option..
 
What do you want in a handlebar? Figure that out and go from there.

I've had excellent luck with Renthal, Protaper and LSL. A couple customers have used Rizoma bars as well with good results. Never ridden or used them myself though.
 
The newer 1st gen Multis come with better bars. Maybe go and sit on a 06+ Multi and see if you like the factory new and improved bar... it makes a big difference.
 
cencalballer said:
What do you want in a handlebar? Figure that out and go from there.

I've had excellent luck with Renthal, Protaper and LSL. A couple customers have used Rizoma bars as well with good results. Never ridden or used them myself though.
Click to expand...

Enough rise to clear the tank and plastics (the old stock bars off a monster I had laying around don't) , WIDE (one of the things I love about my Multistrada is that the bars are as wide as my shoulders which puts my arms in a very neutral position. An inch higher or an inch closer to me would be perfect but they are close as it is). I suppose I should measure the original bars and go from there. The stock bars on a MTS 1100 S fit really well but I can't find much information on them either.

Rob said:
The newer 1st gen Multis come with better bars. Maybe go and sit on a 06+ Multi and see if you like the factory new and improved bar... it makes a big difference.
Click to expand...
I noticed that, at least on the S. I've not sat on a standard newer than 05. I'll have to look into it. I suspect the stock bars will be pricey though.
 
most shops carry bikemaster super bike bars, they're only $22 and will get you rolling till you find better.
 
I mounted some ProTaper bars on my Versys because I wanted less pull back. Make sure any ergonomic changes are taken into account. For example: due to the reduced pull-back, and larger windscreen I attached, the handguards make slight contact with the windscreen at full lock and the switchgear has very little clearance from the tank. Just something to keep in mind. I removed the old bar from my bike, went to cyclegear and held a variety of bars before finding what I was looking for.
 
Try Road Rider...They used to have a rather extensive stock of Pro-Taper (1 1/8th) bars and a catalog that gives the rise and pull-back (how your wrists sit).

And...I'd highly recommend bars for mini MX bikes, vs the regular sized bikes.

Mini's are like 3 inches narrower than full sized dirt bikes..and that's perfect for bikes used on the street.
 
louemc said:
Try Road Rider...They used to have a rather extensive stock of Pro-Taper (1 1/8th) bars and a catalog that gives the rise and pull-back (how your wrists sit).

And...I'd highly recommend bars for mini MX bikes, vs the regular sized bikes.

Mini's are like 3 inches narrower than full sized dirt bikes..and that's perfect for bikes used on the street.
Click to expand...

I'll check those out. The stock ones are 28" wide from end to end and that's perfect width wise. One of the things I hated about my old monster was that the bars were shorter than the width of my shoulders and left my elbows in an odd position.
 
Grab yourself a Neken bar if it fits your Duc. The stock bar on the Multi 1200 is also a nice one.
 
Sounds like you want a higher rise(trying to rememebr the one multi I rode very briefly was like) with a mini width and its probably a fairly tame bend.
 
The bar on my '04 MTS measures 30.75" wide without bar ends, 33.75" wide with bar ends.

Although an inch here and there feels very different initially, for me it's always been a matter of getting used to what the bike comes with. They generally work fine one way or another.
 
I know what your asking.

'YZ-HI bend' is my favorite choice of handle bar bend. Use some risers to bring it up higher and some heated grips.. WALLA!

Edit- FYI- There is YZ High YZ low.. CR high, CR low.. YZ is yamaha, Cr is honda and so forth. I'm sure there's a Rickey Carmichael bend out there too.
 
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+1 on going to a local shop & just buying something that looks right. At least that's one thing that you don't have to pay the Ducati tax on.
Paid $20-something for the dirtbike bars on my Monster & was happy with them. And if I wasn't...they were $20.
 
check out flexx bars as well. ive seen a couple come through the shop for 990 advs and they look pretty nice and have a pretty decent sweep on them.
 
I'm really interested in this as well, since i'm shopping for my SV1k. I'm curious about what each "style" of bend is for, performance-wise. MX bars seem pretty much straight sideways, not much bend backwards, a little upward maybe...others are bent backwards so the hands point outward...can someone point out what the idea of each of those is?

Obviously, wider means more leverage, further back means more comfort but harder to steer (?) what's with the bend backwards vs. straight out to the sides?
 
tonedeaf said:
I'm really interested in this as well, since i'm shopping for my SV1k. I'm curious about what each "style" of bend is for, performance-wise. MX bars seem pretty much straight sideways, not much bend backwards, a little upward maybe...others are bent backwards so the hands point outward...can someone point out what the idea of each of those is?

Obviously, wider means more leverage, further back means more comfort but harder to steer (?) what's with the bend backwards vs. straight out to the sides?
Click to expand...

MX rider/racers stand up, adding their legs to the suspension...You plan on standing up, much on the SV for the street?

Bend backwards is not like, backwards. It's a bend that is right for sitting down, and being aggressive like a Flat Tracker rides.

The public road can call on Aggressive riding...Best to learn the finesse, before the event calls for it..
Cause if Ya ain't got it, You won't get it when Ya need it.
 
tonedeaf said:
I'm really interested in this as well, since i'm shopping for my SV1k. I'm curious about what each "style" of bend is for, performance-wise. MX bars seem pretty much straight sideways, not much bend backwards, a little upward maybe...others are bent backwards so the hands point outward...can someone point out what the idea of each of those is?

Obviously, wider means more leverage, further back means more comfort but harder to steer (?) what's with the bend backwards vs. straight out to the sides?
Click to expand...

On dirtbikes the shape of the tank and seat allows the rider to slide way forward toward the front end where you don't need much pull back on the handlebar. On a street bike the tank is longer and you sit much farther back, so you'd need more pull back on the bar.
 
tonedeaf said:
...Obviously, wider means more leverage, further back means more comfort but harder to steer (?) what's with the bend backwards vs. straight out to the sides?
Click to expand...

In the old days we had two bends that worked on street bikes (three if you count drag bars), anyway you had the flat BMW touring bars and the superbike bend bars. The BMW bars were flatish and narrow, while the superbike bars had a little more sweep. With bent elbows both bars were an effective bend and provided a good platform for braking and tucking in when riding the big wallowing bikes of the day.
 
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