I thought i would share my recent experience.
Last night i finally installed clip-on on my 2001 GS500. I raised the forks about and inch and a half and mounted them. After finally getting everything hooked up the way I wanted (couldnt get my bar end mirrors for some reason) I went out for a test ride.
First impression....This is sweet! The position is very aggressive with me almost hugging the tank. The forward body position along with lowering the front was great. I felt connected with every move of the bike and found myself leaning the farther that i usually did with lots more confidence. It was great.
The down side? Defiantly not comfortable. I may just need to get used to it but i do a lot of long rides. I have a superbike bar coming in the mail and used to have a drag bar installed. The drag bar was great but it go slightly bent. Maybe it is human nature to never be content, or maybe i need two bikes, one comfy and one sporty. :cool:
89 clip on's may give you the best of all options.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: ameen on October 26, 2010, 09:55:02 AM
I thought i would share my recent experience.
Last night i finally installed clip-on on my 2001 GS500. I raised the forks about and inch and a half and mounted them. After finally getting everything hooked up the way I wanted (couldnt get my bar end mirrors for some reason) I went out for a test ride.
First impression....This is sweet! The position is very aggressive with me almost hugging the tank. The forward body position along with lowering the front was great. I felt connected with every move of the bike and found myself leaning the farther that i usually did with lots more confidence. It was great.
The down side? Defiantly not comfortable. I may just need to get used to it but i do a lot of long rides. I have a superbike bar coming in the mail and used to have a drag bar installed. The drag bar was great but it go slightly bent. Maybe it is human nature to never be content, or maybe i need two bikes, one comfy and one sporty. :cool:
I have the '89 clipons on my '93 and they are a really good compromise between sport and commute. You have to use your core muscles more so as to not lean on your hands to much, but they allow much more control in corners when you want to have a bit of fun. :thumb:
Before the clipons I had the generic superbike bars you can get for $25. They are great for commuting, but I found them to be too twitchy in the corners when trying to get a good lean. My 2 cents.
I use my core, that why i think i was getting sore lol. With the superbike bars, what do you mean by twitchy?
I guess I see what I like now that I will have three options to play with.
The problem with the '89 clip-ons is that they are next to impossible to find.
Quote from: ameen on October 26, 2010, 09:55:02 AM
(couldnt get my bar end mirrors for some reason)
Are you talking about not being able to get the bar end mirrors to slide into the clip-ons? If so I had the same problem. It's because the aftermarket aluminum bars are thicker with the excess being on the inside making for a smaller inside diameter. I tried to open mine up with a dremel but that was a pain in the ass, and didn't work. I finally went and bought a huge drill bit and drilled the center. Worked perfect. Also now i can use standard bar end wieghts if I wanted to.
89 bars are hard to find yes, but I am not to blame any more ... :icon_twisted: ... back in 2007 I literally bought every 89 bar that came up cos there were a dozen GS guys in my area that wanted them. I would buy one and get it powdercoated all like I like it only to have one of em buy it from me. The standard was to powdercoat the headlight ears, the headlight shell, the guage plate and the triple all black and we'd swap em one day on someone's bike.
OK a dozen may be high, but 5-6 easy. That was just after I sold out the bars. Which actually did a decent job of thinking they were 89 clip on's.
Then I started doing kat FE's and I stopped buying 89 GS triples. Instead I bought 90-07 triples and hacked them. I got a dozen or so mutilated triples from that ...
BTW Euro clip on's are higher rise and they made em through 00 if I recall.
The top plate is the same, but the risers are not, bars need to be modded to use the higher rise. They are a steeper downward angle but higher overall.
Cool.
Buddha.
Sorry to butt in here but has anyone with back problems used clipons(89's or fork tube)? Any issues? I am seriously considering them but I have had constant back issues for the last 3 years after rowing on crew in college.
They are bad for upper back problems. I dont have those ... except in rare ocassion.
Lower back, they help ... to know if they would work for you ... sit in a chair with your elbows on your knees. Or like put a pillow on your knees and set your elbows on em. Feel free to flex your back etc ... just keep the elbows on the knees.
If after 20 mins you're not in pain you would like the clip on's.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: The Buddha on October 26, 2010, 11:12:21 AM
They are bad for upper back problems. I dont have those ... except in rare ocassion.
Lower back, they help ... to know if they would work for you ... sit in a chair with your elbows on your knees. Or like put a pillow on your knees and set your elbows on em. Feel free to flex your back etc ... just keep the elbows on the knees.
If after 20 mins you're not in pain you would like the clip on's.
Cool.
Buddha.
I agree. I have lower back problems and I have no issues. When I had neck/shoulder issues, they killed me.
The European factory clip-ons are a nice compromise between standard bars and the really aggressive after market clip ons.
While the 89's are hard to find, the European ones are readily available. I have extra sets for the older tanks (1989-2000) but right now won't have any more for the new larger tank for another week or two. While the bar angle is slightly different, they're pretty much like the 89's. Ghost came over one day and with 3 bikes in the carport, we had the 89's on one, and the other two had the two different European ones. All felt about the same, just slightly different in bar position.
Plus, the factory ones look like they belong there and are just a 5 minute swap with no change to the fork. Switch back to standard anytime in a few minutes.
Awesome thanks a lot. I will try that but I am not to worried, what really kills my back is sitting at work all day staring at a computer :technical:
The worst thing for your lower back is a bloody cruiser. I dunno who said its more comfortable ... probably some fool sitting in a barcalounger in front of his TV scarfing down a pizza and a beer ... oh wait ... hey ... I resemble that remark.
Anyway, cruisers kill your lower back. In fact I dont like standards either, but I can see how a standard can give someone wiht no back problems ... no new problems. The sporty bikes are much better for the low back ... they are murder on the upper back and wrists ... I couldn't run a GS with clip on's day after day wihtout hurting the wrists. 3 days a week is about par, then I do standard and cruiser 1 each ... when I used to run 100+ miles a day in traffic, splitting and speeds.
Cool.
Buddha.
Yeah my lower back used to kill me from hunching over forward if I sat at my desk on the computer all day. Riding with the clip-ons made it feel better because i could flex my back the other way and stretch it out.
I seriously do not understand the obsession with clip-ons.
I say this as a guy with a GS500 race bike that has them mounted about a centimetre below the upper triple, and the forks raised. Guess what? On the street, I ride a BMW with the bars at the highest adjustment position.
Quote from: burning1 on October 26, 2010, 01:08:50 PM
I seriously do not understand the obsession with clip-ons.
Less obsession, more personal preference. Just like it's your personal preference to ride BMWs with apehangers! :icon_lol:
You ride a 89-00 GS with 89 clip on's ... and you'd never go to anything else. BTW I am not including 01+ here just cos the 89 bars are a shade too tight to the tank.
No obsession required.
Cool.
Buddha.
One type of European fits the larger tank. The other type and the 89's don't unless you stick a washer under the outer screw holding the clips on to angle them out further (or put a slight bend in the bars).
No obsession. Its what you like. Its what you want. Its what you find more comfortable.
newb question...what are clip-ons??
and on the note of wrist pain...after a summer of riding, a 650 mile trip to school, and a fist fight, i developed a bump on the back of my hand. I guess it's called a ganglion cyst..has anyone had one of these before?
So does anyone have any 89 or European clipons that would fit an 05f that they are looking to sell?
Im not a huge fan of how the stock bars look and I would like to try a more aggressive lean.
I had the clipons on my GS for a while. Loved the position for serious riding. The handling feels so much more stable. I ended up going back to normal bars because the vibrations were too bad, but I can do either. Both of my bikes currently have renthals on them, but I think eventually I'll end up with one bike having renthals and the other with clipons. Upright bars are definitely fun though.
I guess I would have to ride a bike (GS) with them first to understand it. I like the bars where they are! :thumb:
The factory clip ons are heavy steel - not hollow aluminum like many after market ones. They also have heavy bar ends. Result? no more vibration than stock bars (which are also steel with heavy bar ends.) The material they're made from makes a difference. material of the grips also makes a difference.
OK so convince me. Why would I like them? :dunno_black:
When I was in Idaho riding on the Salmon river on a stock GS500F I ran down every bike I came across and I am an old guy that will only push the speed limit by 5mph. Most people will slow down under the speed limit in tight corners. I just kept like cruise control and kept me speed and caught even GSXR's. I was laughing in the helmet to my self. Check Google Maps and see where I was riding. Chalis Idaho to Salmon Idaho on Hwy 93!
You won't like them. Stay with what you have. They're not for you.
OK then why do you say that? Expound?
Quote from: adidasguy on October 26, 2010, 10:29:35 PM
You won't like them. Stay with what you have. They're not for you.
oh! burned...
Quote from: 007brendan on October 26, 2010, 11:39:51 PM
Quote from: adidasguy on October 26, 2010, 10:29:35 PM
You won't like them. Stay with what you have. They're not for you.
oh! burned...
Don't incourage bad behavior. It makes you sound as immature as the comment.
The clipons I had were steel tubes, but they were still hollow, not solid. I don't think that was the main issue though. I think the biggest reason the stock clipons feel better than aftermarket clipons is because of those rubber bushings between the top triple and the handlebar clamps. My clipons were off of a CBR f1 and just clamped straight to the fork tubes so the vibrations went straight to my hands. On the stock clipons at least those vibrations have some rubber between the forks and my handlebars.
It all depends what kind of riding you're doing. If you're happy with the stock bars then just stick with them. It's no different than the fact that when I'm at work I put my feet up on the legs of my chair and usually lean forward with my elbows on the desk, while some people lean back with their feet sprawled out infront of them. Some people are just more comfortable in different positions. Aside from that, next time you're out going 70mph just easily take your hands and shake the bars back and forth. You'll feel how easy it is to upset the front end, and the whole bike will be wobbling. Clipons don't do that. You can try the same on most bikes with clipons and the front end won't move. Getting that extra weight over the handlebar just makes the handling that much more stable. If you usually ride on roads where your speeds are 50mph or lower, it really doesn't matter, but it's a bit easier to be more confident at higher speeds with the clipons.
Yeah the vibs can be a bit rough with fork tube mounted clipons. I solved a lot of that by filling mine with bb's, and then later adding foam grips.
Well, a couple of minutes with a hammer and my bar ends now fit :icon_twisted:
Somthing else i noticed after driving around DC. Clipons are great for twisties, backroads and highway but not very good for the city. The aggressive stance is not as confidence inspiring when darting through traffic
Quote from: JPFL8 on October 26, 2010, 07:25:31 PM
So does anyone have any 89 or European clipons that would fit an 05f that they are looking to sell?
Im not a huge fan of how the stock bars look and I would like to try a more aggressive lean.
You can buy just the risers and the 89 top plate and mod the 89 tubes. I had a set of those risers somewhere ... but no use asking me to search, I have a whole GS motor I have lost and cannot find in my garage, my van/trailer and my welders shop, a little clip on dont stand a chance.
Cool.
Buddha.
I mean if I rode my bike any significant distance I probably would not be looking at them at all but my commute to work is about 7 minutes/4 miles on winding country roads, so I think I could put them to good use without to many negatives. Besides that, i only ride my bike on fun rides in which I spend more time on winding roads looking for other winding roads that I have not ridden on yet.
Quote from: tt_four on October 27, 2010, 04:30:00 AMAside from that, next time you're out going 70mph just easily take your hands and shake the bars back and forth. You'll feel how easy it is to upset the front end, and the whole bike will be wobbling. Clipons don't do that. You can try the same on most bikes with clipons and the front end won't move. Getting that extra weight over the handlebar just makes the handling that much more stable. If you usually ride on roads where your speeds are 50mph or lower, it really doesn't matter, but it's a bit easier to be more confident at higher speeds with the clipons.
Yes, for typical street riding, handlebars provide better control over the bike than clip-ons. Why is that a bad thing?
Not on a GS. Really, except under very very few situations 89 clip on's trounce the 90-09 bars.
Some rare cases of wrist and upper back/neck issues I can see 89 clip on's not being ideal, however I'd then venture to guess they oughta give the euro style a try. The only bad part of an 89 clip on is the fact that they are hard to find. Euro is even worse.
And nothing ever comes close ... I made those things in my avatar, still if a 89 clip on showed up @ my door cold and wet I wont ever turn it away.
I made true clip on's too, and on my bikes they actually worked, unlike the ones I sold that people had swivel etc ... 89 clip on's beat them too.
89 clip on's are the Chuck Norris of GS handlebars. That is it.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: burning1 on October 27, 2010, 01:37:55 PM
Yes, for typical street riding, handlebars provide better control over the bike than clip-ons. Why is that a bad thing?
I didn't say anything was a bad thing, just giving an example as to how clipons feel significantly more stable than upright handlebars. Upright bars are more comfortable, give you more leverage, and have some other benefits, but some people prefer stability and tossing their weight around a bike, instead of just sitting up and steering. I like both, it's just all preference.
Quote from: The Buddha on October 27, 2010, 07:01:22 AM
You can buy just the risers and the 89 top plate and mod the 89 tubes. I had a set of those risers somewhere ... but no use asking me to search, I have a whole GS motor I have lost and cannot find in my garage, my van/trailer and my welders shop, a little clip on dont stand a chance.
Cool.
Buddha.
So you get the 89 clip ons, bar risers and you bend the bars a little bit?
No ... 89 top plate, euro risers and 89 bars with grooves for the new risers.
It saves you on shipping the 10lb box from europe, its now down to a 3lb box. If you find risers by themsleves the ywill likely be cheaper too as they are not complete.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: JPFL8 on October 27, 2010, 09:43:13 PM
Quote from: The Buddha on October 27, 2010, 07:01:22 AM
You can buy just the risers and the 89 top plate and mod the 89 tubes. I had a set of those risers somewhere ... but no use asking me to search, I have a whole GS motor I have lost and cannot find in my garage, my van/trailer and my welders shop, a little clip on dont stand a chance.
Cool.
Buddha.
So you get the 89 clip ons, bar risers and you bend the bars a little bit?
Quote from: tt_four on October 27, 2010, 06:59:08 PMI didn't say anything was a bad thing, just giving an example as to how clipons feel significantly more stable than upright handlebars. Upright bars are more comfortable, give you more leverage, and have some other benefits, but some people prefer stability and tossing their weight around a bike, instead of just sitting up and steering. I like both, it's just all preference.
* Nods...
What I've noticed about clip-ons is that they provide much better wrist angle and leverage when I'm hanging off and really tucking in. For more common street body positions, the leverage just isn't there. Sure, the bike feels stable, but IMO it's akin to trying to steer your bike by grabbing the handlebars closer to the triple clamp.
Don't get me wrong, I've met people who are significantly more comfortable with clip-ons. This is especially true for riders with bad backs, where resting some weight on the front end helps to reduce pain.
my question is that.....whats the going rate for a set of 89 clipons? I'm in the progress of removing mine, switching to a standard bar. I found the clips to be to turned in for my liking, and wanted something a little wider. My clipon bars have been bent, drops by previous owners and one by myself so they may have to be replaced.
Quote from: burning1 on October 28, 2010, 02:47:12 PM
Don't get me wrong, I've met people who are significantly more comfortable with clip-ons. This is especially true for riders with bad backs, where resting some weight on the front end helps to reduce pain.
Heather likes them more on the GS because she thinks it makes the bike feel smaller. Size seems to be one of those things that's always based on opinion as well. I hear just as many tall people saying "I have long arms and can only use clipons" as I hear saying "I have long arms and can only use taller handlebars"
My observation is that a lot of the riders complaining about the ergonomics of their bike are suffering from poor riding form.
There's that, plus different setups are just good for different kinds of riding. You can love the idea of clipons, but if your most common style of riding is touring, it's just not gonna work. Since I only ride 1 bike 98% of the time, I leave the taller bars on it. When I have a second bike again that I ride a lot, my back roads bike is probably going to get clipons since it'll have a more specialized purpose and I'll be a little too busy to be worried about comfort.
i have a 2004 gs500f and i want to lower it the problem is that the stock handlebar setup is in the way. i want to put clip-ons on it but how do i go about eliminating the stock triple tree top/cover so i dont have the ugly old handlebar holders on it? any solutions would be great/helpful.
thanks
You kids and your Clip-Ons, even when I was in my teens I couldn't ride 5 minutes with them....Yay Bar-Back's!! :woohoo:
If you pull off the stock triple cover you'll have to make something to hold your speedometer, plus the real top triple under it is sooo much uglier than the part that holds the handlebars. Just keep the top piece, cut off the handlebar clamps and grind it flat.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4411156231_c6ac8903d9.jpg)
Quote from: waynef on January 07, 2011, 06:50:04 PM
i have a 2004 gs500f and i want to lower it the problem is that the stock handlebar setup is in the way. i want to put clip-ons on it but how do i go about eliminating the stock triple tree top/cover so i dont have the ugly old handlebar holders on it? any solutions would be great/helpful.
thanks
Hey man on my o4 I just cut off and ground down the part that holds the handle bars. You have to lower the bike about 1 3/8" I think with the clip ons I have. It worked great and I loved it. It can be a chalenge to route your cables and such but it's worth it. I recently converted mine back to regular bars though for comuting duty. If you don't have the clip ons yet I'd sell mine and the top plate.
With what you did, you could have saved the work of grinding down the top plate and just used the factory clip-on top plate. It is perfectly flat.
Yeah but i'll do a little work to save money any day, already had the clip ons. Plus i was told at the time the 89's would hit the tank.
Clip ons are great but there are more bar options out there to get the same feel of clip ons. Before I got my kat Fe, I used SM2's and they were awesome! If i bought another GS, and i couldnt swap in the kat off the bat i would go with another set of these or a set of drag bars.
Quote from: GI_JO_NATHAN on January 08, 2011, 11:53:39 AM
Yeah but i'll do a little work to save money any day, already had the clip ons. Plus i was told at the time the 89's would hit the tank.
There are 3 models. One works fine with the newer large tanks.
Average is right - if you look there are lots of bar options depending on the look and feel you want. I like the factory clip ons because, well, they're factory and look like they belong there. Plus the "aggressiveness" is mid way between standard bars and after market clip ons. And they look cool and really great.
yea i bought my 04 from my buddie he dumpd it on the left side nothing bad just had to straighten the fairing holders thats it but bike runs great and only has 2600 miles on it and i paid 1900 for it a yr ago so i think i got a good deal