Handlebar risers vs. heli-bars

Discussion in '6th Generation 2002-2013' started by Dani, Feb 24, 2011.

  1. Dani

    Dani New Member

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    I ride my 2007 mostly in the cities and occasionally on the highway. I came from a Yamaha FZ6 which was much more upright. Since I am on the shorter side (5'8") and proportional, reaching the handlebars requires some lean. Am wondering if the 19 mm rise in these TwistedThrottle.com : Handlebar risers (Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird, '97- & VFR800 VTEC, '02-) - pair - GM.H112 is enough to make me just that much more comfortable or do I need to switch to Heli-bars? Also, am lazy, don't have a garage and don't want to spend a lot of time with this upgrade. Any thoughts?
     
  2. JTC

    JTC New Member

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    Last year I bought Heli bars and a a heated grip set up from a member here, and total install took less than an hour. Yes, my bike is way more comfortable on 3+ hour rides. BTW: I'm 5'10.
     
  3. Dani

    Dani New Member

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    Thanks for the comment. I didn't realize it only takes about an hour. I was reading the instruction manual and was thinking it would take more to do the switch. Anybody has Heli-bar installation with pictures out on the internet?
     
  4. MrDen

    MrDen New Member

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    I am only 5'6", and I find the Heli-Bars to be the perfect mod for me. There is an install thread with pictures posted by a member here. A little searching should bring it up for you.
     
  5. TOE CUTTER

    TOE CUTTER Mullet Man

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    Not a fan of the risers as they tend to bring the switch gear in contact with the faring on some bikes and the Heli Bars are a perfect fit. There is at least one thread on here that has pics of install but as JTC said it is quick and easy to do.
     
  6. Africord

    Africord New Member

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    You will probably still have lean

    I am the same height with a 29 in inseam and I lean with Gen-Mar risers installed. I don't think Heli's will lift you enough not to lean. If you want to see relative ergos between your old FZ6 and your current bike, I suggest you check out Motorcycle Ergonomics. I came from an old style Ninja 250 and my ergos are actually more upright on the VFR as I'm not trying to tuck behind a too small windshield. This site actually let me confirm what I suspected.
     
  7. JTC

    JTC New Member

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    Raised bars are a disadvantage for me on any ride under 3 hours. Although after that, I definitely notice a reduction in fatigue due to the more upright riding position.
     
  8. ilovheros

    ilovheros New Member

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    You can slide the stock bars up and out of their notch about an inch and a half( maybe more). Square em up and tighten firmly. You won't get any pull back but it will give you a feel for a height difference. Check to be sure the bars don't hit anything. Helis give me just the right amount of forward lean and my back and wrists dont hurt after a 200 mile day. A sargent seat helps some also. Removal of the inserts inside of the stock bars is the biggest problem. I had to use a bench vise and a towel to get these out without tearing them up.
     
  9. Dani

    Dani New Member

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    Thanks for the great input and the web site! I understand that I will still have lean and I am OK with that. I am not really majorly bothered by stock setup, but am thinking that since most of my riding is in the city slightly higher handlebars and maybe closer to me would be good. I do know some people went to Helibars and then went back. I'd like to find a set for a reasonable cost so that if I don't like them I could resell them and not loose too much money.
     
  10. CharlesW

    CharlesW New Member

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    ilovheros suggestion sounds like an easy way to check out the riding position with risers only.

     
  11. Waffle

    Waffle New Member

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    I will definitely agree with MrDen, I am also height challenged at 5'7" and found that helibars worked wonders for comfort and reach. I even went as far as raising them up further by 1/2" without affecting handling. Not sure if it is recommended, but I usually make sure the bars are tightened down before each ride. This is the best picture I can get (throttle side) with the bike in storage. ...and yes, it was a PITA to get the weights out of the bars... Good luck with your search for comfort.
     

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  12. ilovheros

    ilovheros New Member

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    You can set your Heli'bars even higher. Even with the top edge of the fork tube with no problems. Just check throttle cable slack and clearance at the fairing and the tank. I have had mine this way for almost two years. I actually had them a little higher but the throttle cable starts to rub a little. Keep in mind, I did drop the front end down adout 5/6mm though.
     
  13. Dani

    Dani New Member

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    OK, so now where do I find a good deal on them? ;-) Wondering if there will be another group buy coming up....
     
  14. chris2711

    chris2711 New Member

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    There is always a grp buy on Heli bars around here. That's how I got mine.
    I see a couple of post mentioning having to go through the hassel of removing the inner bar weight/dampeners. Yes it is a major pita, a leason I learned the hard way. My leason learded is this: just order new ones for the Heli bars. They don't cost much and it's way easier installing a new set then mucking around with the old ones. Plus, if your an anal type like me, you can switch back and forth to compair the pros and cons. It only takes me about 35 minutes.
     
  15. Dani

    Dani New Member

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    Chris, that's a great idea! I agree that it seems like that is the worst part. I think I will wait to see if I can check out the ergos somewhere around Boston before I spend $300 and a bunch of hours on this setup. With this snow/ice I haven't been riding much this past week anyway... 8-(
     
  16. ilovheros

    ilovheros New Member

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    Wish I would have thought to do this!:redface:
     
  17. chris2711

    chris2711 New Member

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    Dani,
    I feel you pain. I can't stand all this snow! Enough already.

    I work at the Coast Guard station in the North End on Commericial St and ride to work often. Give me a shout when the weather gets better and you can swing by and check it out.

    C
     
  18. skimad4x4

    skimad4x4 "Official" VFRWorld Greeter

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    Hi Dani I am similar height and have found the helibars really worth the expense. Unfortunately second hand sets are rare as relatively few people ever remove them once fitted. Anyway if you are not sure what you are letting yourself in for check out this thread for photos of the install -
    http://vfrworld.com/forums/mechanics-garage/15496-6th-gen-heli-bar-install-see-before-you-try.html
    As others have mentioned issues with removing the dampers you may also want to see the fairly painless solution I found which is in post #60 on page 2 of this thread.

    Hope that helps

    skimad4x4 - 6thGen Militia #218
     
  19. Parker VFR

    Parker VFR New Member

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    I'm 5'8" w30" inseam, and have been considering going to handlebars, but I like the helibars when I'm in the curves - just not when going straight for awhile. I'm used to my previous bike (Ninja 650R) which sat very upright.

    Waffle - can you give me some hints on what is required to do what you have in the pic? I have Helibars on my 2007, but would love for them to be higher, and even a little bit would be more comfy for me.

    Anyway - is that some type of riser underneath the Helibar - or where did you get it and how much? Also, would you mind dumbing it down for me as to the steps to do this mod? Is it as simple as removing the nut on top of the fork, placing the riser/washer(?) under the Helibar, and replacing the nut? It seems like there isn't any room to place the extra riser under the Helibar as in you wouldn't be able to get the nut back on. I'm missing something here for sure as I can't visualize where the extra space comes from. I guess it compresses the fork more? If so, any special tools needed or things to be aware of before I attempt something like this?

    I love pics - I can almost understand if I have pics. :smile:
     
  20. CharlesW

    CharlesW New Member

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