Clubman bars for Father's Day

[D8]

My only request for Father's Day was to be left alone long enough to install a set of Clubman bars I bought a couple weeks ago.  So, after many interruptions (they really did try though), I managed to get it done.

Before & After



Front


Close-up


Side


Rear (you can really see the difference here)


I'm sure many of you have been through this before with flipping the bars, clip-ons, etc...so I won't bore everyone with details.  Here's a brief list of what had to be done:
- Re-route the wires and cables.
- Drill the clubman bars for the controls locations.
- Re-locate the stock indicators lower and forward (which required more drilling)
- Get used to a much more aggressive position

I didn't have enough time for a test ride.  My first experience with the new bars will be riding to work in the morning.

[corey]

those look sick-nasty.
love it.
welcome to the world of form-over-function

the trick is... sell your stock bar REAL fast so you're not tempted to chicken out and put it back on

[sfarchie]

Nice! I almost went with clubmans but decided to get something a little less aggressive so I got suburban-machinery bars. Did you have to adjust your stops a lot? I still need to tweak mine a bit.

[D8]

those look sick-nasty.
love it.
welcome to the world of form-over-function
the trick is... sell your stock bar REAL fast so you're not tempted to chicken out and put it back on

The bars are as nasty as they look.  These things are pure evil.  I love them and hate them all at the same time.  I love the way they look and I love the position for accelerating and cornering but my back is screaming for mercy after 20 minutes

Nice! I almost went with clubmans but decided to get something a little less aggressive so I got suburban-machinery bars. Did you have to adjust your stops a lot? I still need to tweak mine a bit.

My stops were fine with the clubmans.  How do you like the SM bars?  I may still end up going that route.  I was also looking at the SM bars but didn't want to spend the money on them.

The Clubmans are really aggressive for the street.  I'm pretty much laying on the tank....which is great for some things but sucks for much of the daily riding tasks.  But, i'm gonna have some fun with them for now.  They were cheap and I wanted to try it.

So, I'm giving the clubmans two weeks before exploring other options:
- Flipping and shortening the stock bars
- SM bars
- clip-ons

[sfarchie]

I think your choice will be dependent upon how much you're willing to tolerate. The SM bars are definitely not as aggressive at the clubmans, but they are much lower than the OEM bars. BTW, I never updated my profile. I'm riding a Streetfighter nowadays.  When I contacted SM, they never sold bars for anyone on a SF, so I *may be the first*. IMHO, it fits the bike perfectly.

Over the past weekend, I went on a 2 day ride (300+ miles each day) with the SM bars on. No back or wrist problems, but I use my legs to squeeze my tank a lot. I would recommend these bars to anyone who wants something lower than OEM, but not too aggressive.

[D8]

So after my two-week trial, I'm back to the stock bars.  The clubmans were just too aggressive.  They put me in front of the forks and below the triples.  Being low wasn't too bad but they were just too far forward and stretched me out uncomfortably over the tank.  It was killing my back and put my head in an awkward position.  I was laying down on the tank and I didn't have a good view of my surroundings.  I was surprised a few too many times by cars coming up beside me.  So it began to feel a bit dangerous on the street and I wasn't enjoying riding the bike anymore.

So for now, I'm running the stock bars again although I've cut an inch off each end.  I've always found the stock bars are too wide for me.  At this point I've considered a set of SM bars but they're at a price point which can get me into clip-ons.  I haven't decided yet but I'm leaning towards the clip-ons (with risers) which will at least give some adjustability over another set of bars.

[Mojo S2R]

I already flipped my OEMs and the position is much better than stock for me.  Could just use a little more rearward sweep.

I just purchased these Laverna Style 4-way adjustable clubman bars (http://www.rearsets.info/handlebars.html) and will be putting them on next time I'm home.  I think they will be just what the doctor ordered.

[D8]

I already flipped my OEMs and the position is much better than stock for me.  Could just use a little more rearward sweep.

I tried flipping the stock bars as well.  They would have been perfect if they swept back more.

I just purchased these Laverna Style 4-way adjustable clubman bars (http://www.rearsets.info/handlebars.html) and will be putting them on next time I'm home.  I think they will be just what the doctor ordered.

Those look nice.  Post up some pics when you're done.

[Mojo S2R]

Will do