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Handlebar risers

11K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  dfaomr  
#1 ·
I recently installed a second handlebar risers. These are made in Germany and not those cheap risers from China. I saw several pictures on Amazon of risers broken in half. You do not want that with handlebars. In America you can good risers too. They do cost more however they are made with quality materials.

I had to stack two risers to get the offset I needed to be comfortable. Two will lift the handlebars 60 mm (2.4 inches) and move them backwards 42 mm (1.7 inches). My elbows are slightly bent where before I was reaching. This is with the Corbin touring seat for two. The Corbin seat sits a little taller and farther back. I am just over 5' 7" or so. When I brake hard now I am pushing straight forward on the handlebars. Together they feel great!

Clutch cable and electrical routing is a little tricky. I have an Afrika Twin clutch cable which gives a tiny bit more reach however I think the standard cable would just reach if you route the cable to come up between the gas tank and the steering head dead center. I used this route since it gives the least binding on the clutch cable. Use a cable tie to hold the cable away from the tank. It is a little visible though. Most of the connectors had to be set free from the display unit. I made one mistake and zip tied them to the bat wing support frame. Now I have to cut all those ties if I remove that frame. I'll fix that when if I remove the frame. You will also need to find as much spare cable as possible for one of the connectors that is attached to the display unit.

Also Honda and I made a mistake Honda made two of the connectors keyed exactly the same, I mixed them up. Thankfully nothing was damaged. If you do make this mistake the throttle will not work and part of the display will not work.

Do not stack three risers or access to the gas tank will be blocked. I am not completely pleased with the display location and will likely engineer a new location when I have more time. There are also some expensive brackets to attach the batwing frame after installing the risers. You would need two of these or fabricate your own.

I can post some pictures if anyone would like.


Keep the shiny side up (y)✔🏁
 
#4 ·
Pictures:

Here you can see why I want to tighten things up. In my head I see the display moving forward to the cover.
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Here you can see the clutch and brake cable routing and the stacked risers.
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Side view
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I will likely not have time to move the display until fall. I am thinking it will take 2-3 days to move since I will likely need to fabricate a bracket. Paint takes time to dry after all.
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Hmm, maybe I could fit a small bag for glasses under the display?
 
#7 ·
In a nutshell,

Look at the last picture, you have to remove the master cylinder from the handlebars and loosen the headlight housing so you can pass the master cylinder between the fork tubes. Cover the black bits of the forks trees with tape to avoid scratches. If you have a bat wing fairing like I did then that has to come off which is a pain. Or you can disconnect the brake line from the master cylinder and add an extension plus bleed the brake line, keeping the unattached brake hose upright to avoid letting more air into the line. Also protect the paint from the brake line fluid since brake fluid eats paint.

You should also watch the videos on youtube, there is more than one, watch them all to prepare yourself.
 
#8 ·
I'm 75, but I can still cruise hundreds of miles comfortably on my 2012 Shadow Aero 750. No back, shoulder, neck, or arm soreness. I love my new 2022 Rebel 1100, but after putting only 423 highway miles on it, I have to stop. Everything hurts. Can seat and handlebar position make that much of a difference? I see a lot a discussion here about "risers." I don't even know what they are, but if you think they might help, I'll get me some. (Then prevail on my 30-year-old son to help me with the DIY part.)

other current bikes: 1994 Magna 750, 2006 Reflex scooter, 1972 Norton Commando 750.
 
#9 ·
I'm 75, but I can still cruise hundreds of miles comfortably on my 2012 Shadow Aero 750. No back, shoulder, neck, or arm soreness. I love my new 2022 Rebel 1100, but after putting only 423 highway miles on it, I have to stop. Everything hurts. Can seat and handlebar position make that much of a difference? I see a lot a discussion here about "risers." I don't even know what they are, but if you think they might help, I'll get me some. (Then prevail on my 30-year-old son to help me with the DIY part.)

other current bikes: 1994 Magna 750, 2006 Reflex scooter, 1972 Norton Commando 750.
Risers come in different lengths. There are different types too.

Watch these,