Alternate handlebars for a top yoke conversion - options

[JBond]

Let's talk handlebars.

For my sins, I've fitted a top yoke fatbar conversion to a GSXR750-K8. http://topyokes.com/ http://www.streetfighterstore.co.uk/998cc The kit comes with a Renthal fatbar. Matt W (it sez here, with picture) is fitting a similar kit to a project Fireblade.

I'd really like a handlebar with a bit less rise, a bit more sweep back and a bit less width. The Renthal is quite straight and while kicking your elbows out might be good for control, it forces your hands into a mildly uncomfortable position.

I have an idea that the bars on a KTM Superduke, the Street Triple R, or Tuono might fit the bill. From sitting on them at shows and peering at them in parking bays I think these have a more natural shape. Maybe the Tuono is a wide bar but I think the other two are narrower. I think all these might be made by Magura.

Has anyone done something similar and tried something other than Renthal? Although Renthal make several different bends, as far as I can tell they only have the one fatbar bend.

[lorenzo]

I know you're asking for magura, but renthal drag bars. Proper bars.

[JBond]

Had a good look at a Street Triple R and a late Speed Triple in a car park. The Speed triple bars are about as wide and the same shape as Renthal fatbars. The Street Triple R bars are a bit narrower. Both of them are quite straight without much sweep.

Searching Triumph and KTM forums, it seem that there are a number of options.

- Stock Triumph bars. Expensive.

- Magura bars (OEM supplier to Triumph). The problem is the Magura website is confusing and they make quite a big range of bars. It's really hard to tell what's what. Venhill can supply and they're sending a brochure/catalogue

- Renthal. Again a confusing website. The only fatbars easily available are the ones I've got. High, wide and quite straight. I think they do others but it's hard to tell.

- Rizoma. A favourite of the Triumph forum people. Just slightly narrower than the Street Triple R bar but with more sweep.

Just to further confuse, nobody seems to be able to decide what diameter the fatbar clamp area is. I *think* this is just a case of mixed metric-imperial measurements and they are all 28.6mm and all the fat bars fit in all the fat bar clamps. but when people quote anything from 28.2 to 29mm and 1 1/8” It's worrying.

Rizoma fatbars £81 for a handlebar! Gasp!

[JBond]

If anyone else goes down this route, here's a couple of tips. The renthal fatbars are wide and quite straight. You can cut them down a bit but the sweep is quite uncomfortable on your hands. The bend means you can only narrow the bars by maybe 15mm each side because you can't push the brake and clutch levers any further inwards.

So don't buy the full kit from 998/topyokes. At a minimum you need:-

- Top clamp

- Fairing raisers

- Extended Clutch cable

The brake lines from Hel as supplied by topyokes are not quite long enough. With either of the narrow bars or a cut down Renthal bar you're ok, but they're really marginal with the stock Renthal bars. You'd be better off to fit everything and then order a specific measured length from Hel.

There are two choices of bar.

- Magura FX. This is the bend used on the Street Triple R and I think on the Superduke. Available from Venhill. The Speed Triple uses a wider version, but I'm not sure exactly which model.

- Rizoma. Cheapest place is http://www.vcustoms.co.uk This is almost the same width as the Magura but with a bit more sweep. The grip area of the bar is quite long so there's potential to narrow it a bit by as much as 25mm each side. This the one I've gone for.

As far as I can tell all these fatbars use the same 28.6mm clamp.

Routing the throttle cables is a bitch but that's specific to the Suzuki. There probably is an elegant route using the standard cables, if you can find it. The left hand control cluster doesn't need a drilled hole in the bar. Just cut the nubbin and put a little bit of tape under where it clamps. IMHO, the throttle side should have the nubbin in place for safety. Measure three times before drilling a 5mm hole. It only needs to be a couple of mm deep, not right through. There's a fine line between having everything just so and making sure the levers don't hit the mirrors, the M/C doesn't hit the fairing and nothing hits the tank, like the throttle cables.