BikeMaster Clubmans & positioning?

[Watevaman]

 I realize the GS500 isn't a supersport by any means, but I've decided that I want to change out the bars for something with a little more aggressive and forward stance. Initially, I was looking at SM's type 1 bars, but quickly realized they were way more than I wanted to pay for a a bar. I threw out the idea of clubmans at first due to their old styling and didn't think they would fit very well with the image I had in mind. After looking at the wiki and doing numerous searches here, I've come to a bit of a standstill on fitting them to my 1990 GS500.

The wiki shows the BM clubman without any risers at a seemingly good angle, but a thread I found here shows them with risers:



  Can anyone with BM clubmans comment on their fit without risers?


And two more questions:

-Does anyone have tips for drilling holes and/or cutting bars as needed? I have a vise and was guessing that'd be the best idea.
-Do I need longer cables or should stock length work fine? I'm assuming since the bars would be lower, I'd have more than enough for each side.

[Bluesmudge]

This is pure conjecture:

They will work fine without bar risers, however they would be so low you will be wishing you had bar risers.

Cable length should be fine. You will have more slack to work with than with the stock bars.

[NoSecrets913]

I have them installed on my bike without the risers. They are LOOOOOW. It makes for an incredible ride though. Just don't expect t go on any 8 hour tour rides with these things on, or your back will never return to its natural shape

[wildcat333]

Does anyone have a direct link to this bar? I am now also interested in this.

[oramac]

The Bikemaster drag bars might be more of what you are looking for...and cheap.

[adam89]

i have a new set of clubmans im wanting off my hands...i thought they were uncomfortable, lets say 15$+shipping

[tt_four]

When I replaced my bars I just wrapped some masking tape around the bars under the controls. It would've been a pain trying to figure out where the holes should be drilled, and the masking tape worked well as a gasket to keep the controls from spinning once tightened, and you could loosen them to get them the exact angle you wanted.

The angle of the bars looks good. I hate when I see that people have mounted them so the bars are angled downward. They can obviously do whatever they want with them, that's always just been a nails-on-the-chalkboard thing for me. The height will be ok, they're still higher than the clipons I used to have. They're low, better for back roads than highway, but you'll get by. Try them out, and if they're too low you'll know, then you can buy some risers.

As far as the cables, the stock cables will be fine. When I had clipons I re-routed mine. You'll see where they come out of the frame, those little triangle holes behind the headtube on the frame. I just switched the holes that they came out of so the throttle cable went in the left side of the frame adn the clutch cable went in the right side. just play with them and make sure there's no binding anywhere when the bars are are full lock in both directions. The danger is if your throttle cable gets too tight when you turn the bars all the way to the right that your RPMS will jump when you try to pull a sharp right hand u-turn. Worst case scenario you'll have the bike lurch forward and you could get hurt, but at the very least everyone will look at you like you're nuts for redlining your bike during a u-turn. 

[Watevaman]

Does anyone have a direct link to this bar? I am now also interested in this.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/68/4917/ITEM/BikeMaster-Clubman-Handlebar.aspx

Those are the ones.


And I got them today. Don't want to put them on right away but laying them on the brackets they feel like they'll be really nice.

[wildcat333]

Does anyone have a direct link to this bar? I am now also interested in this.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/68/4917/ITEM/BikeMaster-Clubman-Handlebar.aspx

Those are the ones.


And I got them today. Don't want to put them on right away but laying them on the brackets they feel like they'll be really nice.

Sweet!

This might be a total nnob question, but I am still learning. How do Clubman bars compare overall to Vortex Clip-ons? Are Clubmans more aggressive/sportier than the stock bars? I assume you will have to drill the proper holes for wires, etc in the bars?

[Watevaman]

 I'm a total noob myself so I haven't done much about bars but yeah, these BM clubmans are totally free of any markings, so you need to drill all the holes and stuff yourself. Clubmans are way more aggressive than the stock bars.

Also probably gonna pick up some of Bikemaster's bar end mirrors to go with these bars. Hopefully they'll be a nice change from the huge wing mirrors that come stock.

[tt_four]

Bar end mirrors are amazing, I doubt I'll ever use normal mirrors on a streetbike again.

[ninjeff]

OP, i would love you forever if you did a walk through of the installation.

[Watevaman]

 I could probably take some pics/video when I put them on, but as I said, it's gonna be a few weeks. I'm just gonna throw these on when I pull the motor.

[alexmadden]

Consider looking at eBay for clubman bar kits if you're interested in replacing your bars, mirrors and grips at the same time.  I got one last summer for $60 shipped, and while the mirrors are not as fancy as the Bikemaster ones, they are cheaper and have worked just fine for me.  I used a little electrical tape to pad the expanding piece that fits into the ends of the bars, and they remained vibration-free for the three months I rode with them before putting the bike away for winter.

Regarding the bars themselves, I know it's against protocol, but when I switched the bars I was in a rush and I didn't drill holes in the new bars for the switch housings.  Instead, I removed the little tabs that fit into the corresponding holes on the factory bars and just reattached the switch housings to the new bars.  I was initially concerned that this would lead to everything being too loose or moving around due to vibration, but I have yet to see either side move from where I initially installed it.  Were I to do it over again, I would probably drill the holes, but if you choose to omit this step for the sake of convenience or to retain the ability to adjust the switch/grip positions later, it's not the end of the world.  Just make sure the screws on the switch housings are securely tightened.

Lastly, to echo what tt_four said, keep an eye on your cables/brake line.  The stock routing should work fine, but I had to play with the positioning a little bit once everything was buttoned back up to make sure there wasn't any tension on any of the lines when turning.

[Watevaman]

OP, i would love you forever if you did a walk through of the installation.

If you don't feel like waiting, here's a tut I found:

http://www.everydayriding.org/2010/06/gs500-handlebar-replacement.html

very straightforward.