The truth about handlebar risers
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 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.
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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 RUclips 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. 😃
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.
Thanks Bret for all your contribution to help us be better off road riders.
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?
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 !!!
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.
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?
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 '..
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.
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!
I am going to watch this twice at least. Thanks Bret!
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
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.
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'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.
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.
💯
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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. 😉
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.
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!
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!
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.
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 ;)
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
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
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.
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.
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. 🧔
Thanks Bret. As taller rider, this will be helpful a lot - tuning it... making it more manageable....
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!
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!
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!.
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.
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
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...
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
im a short rider and getting risers just made sense to me so I got one. best decision ever.
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 advice (still dialing in technique) best channel: thanks again Bret!
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
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!
Played around with this on the AT. Best thing is to turn around the lower handlebar mounts to create more space without risers. But: The steering angle is so damn huge that any over/under rotation or bars with less sweep will smash your cockpit or tank with your barkbusters or controls.
awsome awsome video! As a tall rider(6'5" tall) this is very helpful...
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 😅
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.
What a great video. A lot of detail and great informtion. Thank you!
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.
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.
Interesting, as a 197cm rider my stock 701 was no fun to ride when standing up, I added 25mm lower footpegs which helped a lot but the bars were still too low. But added 20mm risers rotated the bars forward and bam standing up was actually comfortable. I also tried 35mm rox risers before all of this and it was horrible to ride with.
I'm 6'6" on a Super Tenere. I couldn't stand up without leaning way forward with knees bent too much. I looked ridiculous. With the ProTaper ADV High bars, I'm in a better position.
Though I needed longer brake/clutch lines.
Thanks for this video it helped me suss out how to make my CRF150R expert comfortable to stand up and ride on
I'm glad you addressed this issue and at 5'9" with my 2021 Pan America I've got a set of risers that supposedly raise the bar 2" and gives 2" pullback.
I have not installed these risers but I'm going to bring them to the training camp with me. When riding on the road I'm getting sore shoulders, and when I'm on the
pegs I'm leaning really forward and reaching down for the bars. I'll try the bar rotation and see what that does.
BTW the shop/studio looks great!
I am looking forward to having an opportunity to spend time with the Pan Am and work with you
@@BretTkacs It's going to be a great time!!
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!
All kidding aside Bret, a very detailed and thorough job there, and highly topical. Thank you for doing this, and shedding light on this topic 😊😁👍🏻
I was as surprised as you, that raisers not only can be the wrong way to go for us tall (6”5’ here) riders, but also that risers used correctly and as a part of the total package can actually both LOWER, and bring closer, the handlebar thus creating a shorter cockpit for shorter riders… fascinating 🧐👍🏻
The topic I was waiting for a very long time, thank you Sir.
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.
On my previous bike, a Suzuki Vstrom the angle of the handlebar was to close for me and it gave me ants in the forearms. Before buying risers I applied forward rotation and I had a far better position. I suspect the vstrom angle to be more than 19 degrees though
I owned a DL1000 and changing Handlebars made a huge difference
At 6 ft I am a fairly tall rider . (I have a gsx-s 750) I have a neck injury and use bar risers to sit almost completely straight up .
I have them facing aft closer to my body and fiind it helps with the pain . Math aside , even though i have long arms i find gripping the bike with my legs is more important for bike control than anything to do with the bars in a corner. I feel riding comfortable for you with less fatigue is better and helps you focus more regardless to angles as expert riders say hold the grips like a baby chick anyways.
The German Autobahn BMW (old) Motorcycle Police handlebar are perfect for me at an Africa Twin / Dominator. I'm 170 cm and ridning long days, and it's relaxed and rest my arms at the handlebar. That setting works at on- and offroad, for me!
This is great information Brett. Thanks for documenting all of this.
At 6"1" (but with the arms and inseam of someone probably 6'3"), I usually add risers, I often also have a taller seat to get more legroom, so when you raise the seat, you need to raise the bars, also though technically bar risers tend to reduce the cockpit space, it opens up the hip angle and makes the ergos more relaxed and natural, at least for me. When I combine bar risers, with taller seat and lower pegs, it really improves comfort significantly on long rides. Sometimes on stock bikes after 1h I'm done (hips, knees, back..) and once I relax the ergos I can go all day no problem.
I had old Africa twin with extremely high handlebar.
I wasn't too concern about that but that one one of first things i noticed when first riding it.
Handlebar was so high i felt like riding a chopper.
It was weird at the beginning but i liked it.
All proper/not proper discussion aside, it was the most comfortable bike i had and ergonomics where fantastic, it felt right when sitting AND standing.
My current 640 KTM adventure is exactly the opposite of that. I adjusted all controls and it still feels like crap in terms of ergonomics.
Did handlebar risers+4cm and its better but still could he higher. But thats not that big deal, the worst is oeg situation and triangle butt-knees feet.
Knees are bend way over 90* unless i seat on basically pillion but then handlebar is too far --.--
Its really terrible bike in ergo terms, will now modify seat to allow me to seat further back to reduce legs angle and then will try to move handlebar back.
Its so bad that when sitting in rider spot-max forward in this case, my feet on pegs are almost 45* rotated toward front, making reaching for brake impossible
Great video. I’m 6’5” and it answered so many questions I had 😁
I'm 5' 4" and looking to get another big bike, may consider this.
What gets me sore on long rides were my wrists were at a funny angle...I had to fiddle with the bars and risers and now 500 mile days are not so bad.
Being 6'9" it's tough out there to find a decent ride. Went with the African twin and this video has made me understand the physics with bars. Appreciate the indepth details. My arms are longer than Michael Jordan so hopefully ill figure it out here soon 😂
Very well elaborated Bret thanks for this in deep info and your great work. Safe ridding now
Thanks for this video Bret. So informative. 😀
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
Hi. I suffer from Dyslexia. So I had to run your Video numerous times to follow what you were saying , In fact once taken in, by me , it is extremely obvious as the forks and the head are already at an angle of say 15 degrees back , so to raise them does shorten the cockpit. Being 6ft 8 myself from your ( Dyslexic view point ) repetitive numbers I eventually understood. I ask if you were to re do this video you used visually explanations, The closest I can quickly think of is a small length of bike chain. Clap a bit of chain in a vice , and the next links you could manoeuvre to show the difference of just lifting a handle bar and actually rolling it forwards , which lifts and give more room in cockpit
Thanks 😊😎
Thanks for an informative video! Fortunately, without it I managed to more or less the same with my two last adventure bikes. Being 6 ft 6’ I went for tallest Rox risers and tilted the bar some 10 degrees forward (BMW R1200 GS Adv and a new KTM 890R).
This is handy. I'll try rotating my bars forward first (6'3") rider, as I want some rise and less cramped feeling.
Thank you Bret, I really appreciate your information. Congrats !
Great video and almost everything makes perfect sense to me. However, in my opinion, pivoting Rok risers slightly forward from vertical (plum) achieves the same as having it plum but using flatter bars with less rise and sweep. It all comes down to the position of the grips relative to the head tube or fork stanchions.
I am 7' 4" tall so I had to lower my pegs to get the highway maximum overhead clearance height down, Also I find the 2" Rox risers plumbed a little forward like the leaning tower of Pisa works really well for me, does not make my steering funky at all, but hey... I'm old school, back in the day we rode mountain bikes with 200mm stems.
7'4"... You live a difficult life 😬
Thanks Bret...I realise what’s wrong with my riser setup now!
Wait, what… No helmet-hat transitions…!? 😁
No distractions from the lesson today 🤠
For people thinking that those small changes are irrelevant - they absolutely aren't. The bar being 1cm too close to you is like having a 1cm pebble in your boot. It destabilizes the whole riding triangle, making it much more fatiguing to stand up. Once i corrected my setup (my bike has adjustable handlebar mounting, you can literally make the bike longer) i went on a road trip and didn't want to sit down. Different handlebars aren't expensive either, if your run out of adjustments.
watching this, i wonder what to do for the short rider :) Would be nice if you can cover this as well, thank you!
Loving that moustache and beard, Brett! Never take it off!!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and competence. Very useful, clear and informative. Best regards
Indeed , a man like you could always use some more cockpit space