Handlebar Alternatives

[Pig9r]

I am tired of my hands going numb and the strain on my wrists after longer rides on my '03 S3. What's sad is I don't have that problem on my '70 Bonneville which is about as smooth as a jackhammer. I was considering the Renthals Road Bike Lows. Anyone have any experience with them or anything else that might offer a little more comfort?

Thanks!

[bikeordie]

what is it about your current bars that are causing you all the discomfort? i looked on the renthal site and all i saw was motocross stuff. got a link to the specific bars you're talking about?

[Bryant]

I'm also interested in this topic as I'm not too crazy about the bend (angled back at you) in the 05 S3 bar.... it puts a lot of pressure on the outside of my palms, which I'm sure would get tiring after a long ride.

I thought someone already made a post on a high bend that they liked a lot...?

[jbt56]

Amazing, I was about to post a similar topic. I, too, am looking for new bars for my '03. The stockers cause a LOT of pressure on my hands under braking. Even my Thruxton w/it's clip-ons had less pressure while braking. I've been looking toward the MX styles, both for looks and comfort. I also don't really like the chrome bars, so will get black or anodized. Tomorrow I'm going to the local Cycle Gear to check 'em out in person.

As a side note, is there anything unusual about changing the bars? I've not swapped motorcycle bars before. Will everything simply slip off? Specifically the throttle ass'y?

[Bryant]

I think it's a little more involved than that.... I plan to have my dealer do it for me actually... but I am useless with tools.

Let us know what you find out, thanks..

[greenocktriple]

hi i fitted renthal bars to my speed triple ,a lot better than standard more comfortable ,you can see them if you go to member maintained photo album vol 2 page 7 greenock triple, they are gold look good with green, easy to fit, sometimes rubber grips are hard to come off try heating with hairdrier helps but apart from that all cables seem fine for length etc just keep the routing the same .hope this helps.

hey there, same thing alot of you are saying.
05 bars are too swept back.
i installed gold anodised moto bars.
perfect and easy to do.
i did have to reroute clutch cable as moto bars generally 3/4 to an inch wider than stock.
also about a 1/2 inch lower.
the switch housings on each side have a molded bump to index into a hole in the stock bars, just cut them off with a razor knife and clamp to the new bars.
also a note,the i.d. of the moto bars is smaller than stock or aftermarket steel 7/8" so i had to machine down some after
market bar ends to get them to go in the smaller hole.
p.s. yes the mirrors suck. i have`nt figured that one out yet.
all in all about an hour. end result is a naked hooligan supermoto kind of thing. i`ve dubbed it "ultimoto"
cheers,casperde

hey there, same thing alot of you are saying.
05 bars are too swept back.
i installed gold anodised moto bars.
perfect and easy to do.
i did have to reroute clutch cable as moto bars generally 3/4 to an inch wider than stock.
also about a 1/2 inch lower.
the switch housings on each side have a molded bump to index into a hole in the stock bars, just cut them off with a razor knife and clamp to the new bars.
also a note,the i.d. of the moto bars is smaller than stock or aftermarket steel 7/8" so i had to machine down some after
market bar ends to get them to go in the smaller hole.
p.s. yes the mirrors suck. i have`nt figured that one out yet.
all in all about an hour. end result is a naked hooligan supermoto kind of thing. i`ve dubbed it "ultimoto"
cheers,casperde

[Pig9r]

The Renthals that were recommended to me are the "Road Bike Lows" which I think are the same as the Generic Lows, on DennisKirk.com they are $61.00, stock number 75401. The measurements seem to be very similar to the stock bars, I think the angle may be a little more friendly. Also found that the stock barends won't fit, however I have not verified this. Renthal does sell barends that will fit though.

Greenocktriple what model of Renthals do you have fitted? Anyone else have these fitted?

[rat]

Bought my bike 6 months ago with Renthal bars already fitted. They’re silver anodised (match the frame) but I have no idea which model they are. There’s no cross brace fitted. Is the model number stamped on the bar somewhere I can easily find it?

Other than the bars the rest is stock - clutch cable, grips and bar ends.

With the stock footpegs and saddle I find the ergonomics ideal, though I tend to find myself riding with me nuts against the tank, mx style. I’m 5’9” on a good day...