Thank you very much for your input Spidey. Very helpful. I dont mean to be a pain, but could you tell me a bit more about clip ons. What exactly do I have to get? How much are they, and how hard are they to instal? Thanks in advance.
Sure. I know you're familiar with dirtbikes, but I figured if I was gonna go a long post, I'd write for a more general audience. Please excuse any part where I'm stating the obvious. Hope it helps.
Stock Monster Handlebar Components. In stock form, your monster comes with a one piece handlebar. It is attached to the bike above the triple clamp. The risers (which for a 620 are part of the triple clamp) come up and meet the handlebar. They "rise" up. The handlebar is clamped to the risers with the handlebar clamp. Here's a pic of a newer model monster. I've drawn a big arrow to the risers.
Other handlebars. You can change out your handlebars on your monster for dirt bike bars or other handlebars. Prices range from $20-$200. For example, a lot of people like to use suburban machinery bars. Depending on the angle you install the bars, you can change your body position a lot. Here's a pic of the Suburban Machinery bars, and two pics of the bars installed and rotated into a fairly aggressive riding position. I think they're about $150-175.
And here's a m5 Works bar from Ca-cycleworks ($50):
I find that monsterparts.com has a pretty good selection of different types of bars from the very cheap to the blingy.
Aftermarket Risers And Clamps. They make aftermarket risers if you want your bars to be higher. Here are some Speedymoto risers from ca-cycleworks.
Or you can just buy a new clamp (or handlebar top cap --whatever they want to call it).
Clip-ons. Clip-ons are different than handlebars. Rather than a one-piece handlebar, clip-ons are two separate handlebars. They are called clip-ons because they clamp--or clip-on--around your fork tubes. Why go with clip-ons? They put your weight farther forward on the bike and give you a more aggressive body position. This, in turn, will improve front-end feel and the added weight on the front end will improve handling. Also if you crash, you tend to bend bars. But with many clip-ons, you can just replace the bent tube as opposed to the entire bar or set of bars. The downside to clip-ons is that they can put more strain on your wrists and many people find them less comfortable. Also, you tend to have less leverage on the bars than you do with a handlebar. That said, I really like clip-ons for aggressive riding. Prices for clip-ons run from about $100--$500 if you buy a whole system of billet alumium including a brand new triple clamp. Here are some example of clip-ons:
A couple of shots from motowheels:
Speedymoto clip-ons from ca-cycleworks.com
Clip-ons can either be attached below the triple clamp or above the triple clamp. Below the triple clamp is most common, but it gives you more aggressive riding position.
Below the triple. There tend to be less expensive. Figure $100-$200 for the bars. Generally, you don't need risers or a new triple. Here's an example of clip-ons installed below the triple clamp. This is syd-monster's bike from his featured monster on TOB.
Above the triple. Above-the-triple clamp clip-ons are less common and sometimes require special hardware, which will come with the clip-ons. If you attach them above the triple clamp, you need something for the clip-ons to clamp onto. So, you either need to have enough of the fork showing that you can attach normal clip-ons (by pulling the forks up through the triple clamp; cost $100-$200) or you need some kind of attachment system, which comes with some types of clip-ons (more $). Here's an example from monsterparts.com. The Rizoma system comes with a a new triple with built-in tubes above the triple clamp. You attach the clip-ons to the tubes. Because you're getting a new triple clamp too (easy to install), the entire system is $430. Or you can just buy the clip-ons themselves for much less.
Here's a similar above-the-triple system (from Cyclecat). The bike is the FlightCycles ss2r from it's Featured Monster spread on TOB:
Clip-on Adjustability. As you can see, clip-ons (particularly below-the-triple clip-ons) can be adjusted. You can lower or raise them on the fork legs. And you can rotate them around. But some clip-ons also come with additional features that allow you to tailor the fit more. For me, adjustability is critical. I find that the less adjustable clip-ons just aren't right. They cause me to hurt all over. I'd rather spend the extra $ on something that fits better.
As one example of adjustability, motowheels sells its clip-ons with or without a built in riser, which means you can potentially get your clip-on height above the bottom of the triple. Here's a pic of Motowheels clip-ons with a built in riser:
Other clip-ons allow you to adjust the rise, the forward/backward position of the bars, and the angle of the bars. I have Tomasellis on my bike, and you can see the different means to adjust them from the pics below. They're $170 from monsterparts.com. Apex clip-ons have some adjustability as well, as do other brands.
Separate tubes and clip-ons. Also, something I mentioned earlier is whether the bars are made of a few pieces or not. Track riders and racers like clip-ons where the tube is a separate price from the clamp. That way, if you bend the tube, you only have to replace the tube (generally about $10-15) rather than the whole bar. For example, as you can see motowheels sells clip-ons separately from the tubes.
Clip-on Installation. Clip-ons take a while to install, but it's not brain surgery. A lot of it depends on which type of clip-ons you get. The most difficult part is getting all the cables and wires routed afterward and getting the bars and controls comfortably positioned. You end up spending a lot of time tweaking it to make sure it's comfy. As a general rule, installing clip-ons shouldn't require new brake or clutch lines unless you get above-the-triple clip-ons that raise the controls above their stock level. For most clip-on installations, you have to take off the bars, all the controls (it looks intimidating, but it really easy) and the top triple (again, looks intimidating, but it's two or three bolts and then you hit it with a rubber mallet from underneath. For under the triple clip-ons, you then just attach the controls, slide the clip-on over the fork leg, and put the top triple back on. Some clip-ons are designed so that you don't have to take off the triple. For example, (picture from monsterparts.com), Apex clip-ons ($100) have a two-piece clamp that makes installation easier. Speedymoto's (pictured above) are similar as are other brands.
