Has anyone fitted M bars but then preferred the standard Bonnie bars so moved back? I am thinking about buying the NH M and most reviews seem to be very positive.
I have a bad right shoulder - pushing with my right arm isn't great for it and I am thinking that the M bars will have me bending over more and therefore more weight being on the arm and that causing shoulder pain for me
No, i did not do what you asked. However i did replace the clip-ons on a Thruxton with M bars mounted in the up or higher position. It's good on the road above 50mph but dose load the wrist around town if i get lazy and relax my core and depend on my hands to hold me up. On the T100 i didn't like the original bars and installed the flat track bars from Bellacorse and am happy with them, lots of pull back,about the same height as stock bars, batter angle for the wrist. just my $.02 worth.
Nope, I went from standards to M's and I, for one, will not go back. What I did find though was that I had to position the M bars to my ideal position as I had them set too low at first and it gave me a pain between the shoulders. So, armed with the right tools and a quick blast around the country side, I rode a bit and then adjusted them to get the ideal position. Now, they are as comfy as originals for me with the added bonus they look so much better.
I have tried a number of bars, I had upside-down m bars for the longest, and I did like them a lot, especially with the pullback, it puts your wrist in a nicer position, but you have to angle them down further than you think. In the end I felt too bent over, a bit too much of a race posture for me, even with them upside-down, and my neck would feel it on a longer ride, having to look up more. It wasn't uncomfortable (still the most comfortable wrist angle), just not my kind of riding - I don't ride like a racer. I'll caveat that by adding I have the slammer seat, which raises the seat height by an inch, so leans you further forward. I even tried the m bars with the risers, which was better, it just looks a bit odd.
I went for NB superbars in the end, more forward and sportier than stock, not as bent over as m bars. I suspect you might find more pressure on your shoulder with the m bars. At the end of the day you might just have to try them to see. Maybe get a used pair, there's always plenty floating about on here or eBay.
I went for NB superbars in the end, more forward and sportier than stock, not as bent over as m bars. I suspect you might find more pressure on your shoulder with the m bars. At the end of the day you might just have to try them to see. Maybe get a used pair, there's always plenty floating about on here or eBay.
I have put M bars on three models - 790 Bonnies; mag wheel Bonnies and t100. I am 5 ft 8 inches - 29 inch inside leg. Rider size matters to the ergos and any strain or pain. Also I put on rearsets with the M bars. That stretches the spine and is the only option I think for m bars, and the package works well for a faat twisty 100 mile run - not 150 on the motorway. Then last year I experimented with the standard bars on the t100 matched to the rearsets. It worked! I went to the Isle of Man and back and could ride comfortable on the motorway and get my foot down at stops much easier than with the stock pegs.
In my case, I think you need rearsets - but I am 5 ft 7.5 inches and 29 inch inside seam, relatively narrow in the chest (38). So the ergos of M bars with standard pegs just seem unnatural and give me terrible hip lock. The revelation was, as mentioned before, when I put the standard bars back on WITH the rearsets, - more upright, more view, zero neck strain. M bars encourage sporty riding; Standard bars with rearsets encourage enjoyable riding but an easy crouch down (cos your legs are back and you are slightly prone) if you want to press on a bit eg on a motorway (and I have the Dart Marlin). Finally, after 4 bonnies and multiple foot/bar configurations this one works! That said, I have the M bars on just now as I like to get out for a 30 mile motorway thrash to get rid of the cobwebs/.
I rode around for a few hours yesterday with my new M-bars and found them very comfortable. This is with the stock mid-controls on the T100.
I'm 6'5" for reference
On a standard Bonnie (or T-100), if you replace the stock bars with NH M bars OR Thruxton bars, do you need to use different height risers? I saw a video of a T-100 fitted with Thruxton bars but I couldn't see the risers, not were they mentioned. I assume with the shorter Thruxtons there are no issues with cable routing/overextension as I've read regarding the M bars?
No you can use the existing clamps just fine, depends on how low you want to be. You can add the 1" riser in if you want, but you kind of end up defeating the point of the low handlebars, m bars up high look like a Dutch bicycle
So which is the right way up - let me rephrase that. People often refer to putting these upside down. If I want the normal non-upside down way, which is that?
I would say normal is how YOU want to install them. Put them on without controls and sit on the bike, if you don't like that feel flip em' and try that. The put the controls on.
I found that if you put them on with 1" drop then the wire cable keeper under the tree should be pulled, it allows the cables to be much more relaxed
Can I just confirm there is no drilling involved to replace the bars? I called a garage to ask a few questions and they said most bikes you have to drill some holes into new bars.
The later efi bikes - mag wheel one I had - have nipples on the controls that lodge in locating slots in the bars to stop the controls moving around. You can just stanley knife them off, ie the nipples. This is not a difficult process. The Hyde sticker up is the normal - but upside down gives you a lift or rise of about half to 3/4 of an inch for a higher ride. It is all simple, just try the normal then flip em, then tighten up and rotate the bars for minor adjustment.
I have just replaced stocks with M Bars. I have them rising. First ride was not too comfortable so I rolled them up a bit and rode another 360 km. What a difference. Felt great. Much better for tucking in at higher speeds but not too much leaning forward. Easy to fit but I did remove the wire holding the cables behind the light. Look great too. I did notice a bit of mirror shake. I am leaving them on for the rest of summer and should have a proper view of how they compare then.
Same here... cables were fine, '04 T-100.
I much preferred the M-bars in the "high" vs low position... very comfortable,
great leverage. #51 in second photo, '03 Bonneville, also has M-bars, but in the low position.
I am going to chime in on this thread with a quick ride review for those that search M bar comfort. I had a run to do this weekend that was 120 miles away.
Two days 250 miles and and parade with the new riding position left me with no "old man" issues. Very comfortable riding position and actually better on the highway than stock bars. For the record 6' tall with 32 inseam:wink2:
Update on my M Bars. Went for a ride for over 400 km yesterday. Fantastic day. Twisties all the way. Bars felt great. Don't feel any need for rear sets and wrists and back were fine. Three rides and over 1,000 km on them so far and all good.
Thought I would chime in here with a report on the similar but narrower OEM Thruxton bars - I have to fit through a narrow fence opening for parking so it eliminated the M Bars I had long dreamt of. These are the 4th set of bars I've tried: NH Ace Bars, Stock, Some cut down drag bars... So far these are by far the best compromise of looks and comfort, it's freezing so I've only had a short shake down - but so far the ride is great especially at highway speeds. Pleased as punch, and I've fitted my cheapie $20 bar end mirrors - they were 7/8th expanders that I've shimmed with vinyl tubing on 1" bars, all I did was remove the expander and M8 bolt that was in there, replaced with an M6 40mm (I think) bolt which threaded right into the Thruxton bars.
PS I've read conflicting opinions on here of if these bars work on the Bonnie (the seller had bought them for his 2008 and said they didn't work even) - rise is up, rotated slightly up and I have mm's of clearance for the switchgear at full lock, if rotated up more you could gain more clearance.
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