drag bars

[brew]

im very interested in putting drap bars on my bobber project, but i was told by my mechanic that drag bars will hit the stock tank on full turn. of course thats because there is a pullback in the bar angle. it seems through my searches on the internet that there are different drag bars with different pullback angles. which drag bars can i run with the stock tank? what exact specs? pics would really be appreciated. thanks

[fredintoon]

Risers?

Hi Brew,
what kinda XS1100? If you are bobbing a Standard the smaller tank from a Special will give you more 'bar clearance. Or you could lift up the 'bars a bit with a set of risers.

[Dennyz]

It is tricky finding drag bars that don't hit the tank an XS. Risers help. I finally gave up on bars and came up with a way to use clip[-ons.

[brew]

sorry, i have a 79 standard. i dont really have the money to buy a new tank unless i could find someone local to trade straight up. im also not a big fan of the risers. i lke that low mean look. what about a completely straight bar? would that be too uncomfortable to drive/turn? do they make bars with very little pullback angle?

[fredintoon]

Ask Andreas

Hi Brew,
look in "parts for sale" in this list and check out Andreas Weiss' ad. He's usually had the parts I needed at affordable prices.

[81xsproject]

superbike bars are very close to drag bars and don't hit. In fact, I have so much room with mine, that I am thinking of shaving off some of the steering stock for more garage maneuverability.

[Dennyz]

I put special down tubes in my standard shock housing to extent the forks up above the triple tree to attach the clip-ons to. I did have to limit the turn angle just a bit to keep from hitting the tank (notice the dent in the tank).

I like the looks and riding position. The bar end mirrors provide outstanding rear view.

[k2j2r3]

Bars

You know i have the same problem with my special. I'm new at the whole modifying handlebars so can anyone tell me what a good height for risers would be??

[fredintoon]

You know i have the same problem with my special. I'm new at the whole modifying handlebars so can anyone tell me what a good height for risers would be??

Hi k2,
FWIW, if you are putting lower bars on your 850 Special, my son has installed Eurobars
(which have minimal rise & pullback) on his XS750 Special and there are no clearance issues.
Try this; shove a broomhandle in the clamps and see if it clears the tank on full lock.
If it clears you are golden.
If it hits the tank you can see by how much it interferes.
That's the distance the bars need to be lifted and hence the minimum riser height you need.

[rgoot01]

I had the same problem a while back with a KZ I had. What I ended up doing was going with a Flanders 7/8 broomstick. This is nothing more than a 7/8 piece of DOM which of course is chromed. If you can get your hands on 7/8 DOM you can cut it to your liking and than have it plated. I am 6'1" and the straight bar works great for me and riding position is comfortable.

[yamtom]

superbike bars

Can someone specifically define what superbike bars are? Is that a generic term for bars from bikes considered superbikes, or is it some brand name from somewhere. If its generic, please give me some models that would fit if you know.

[TDodge7]

if you need the extra rise you could get some T bars



I'm pretty partial to my euro bars (which are almost the same as super bike bars but a little lower )

[jwhughes3]

2in risers

I had the flatter drag/euro bars on Great Ranger before switching back to standard bars. I had 2 inch risers and they did not hit the Special tank.


John in San Antonio

[furious4]

I just took off a set of drag bars a few weeks ago. I used a 1 inch riser and they cleared but it was really close.I always loved the look of drag bars that was the first thing I did when I bought the bike .I put on a set of the superbike bars and kept the risers on. just needed to change the position of my arms due to my naging tennis elbow.

[oldyam80sg]

I tried the super bike bars years ago when i was a bit younger but could not ride long distance with them on-my arms are too short.Like the stock bars-can sit better in the seat with them.