Last night I tried a couple of different handlebars. I was unhappy with the look of the RT bars I have currently fitted, although I had gotten used to them ergonomically. And the bike had become a slow steerer as a result of no longer being able to fully account for the big 19 inch front wheel, i.e the fork stantion can now only poke through the top of the yoke by a 1/4 inch instead of a 1/2 inch
A mate of mine had a set of Renthals and a standard handlebar from a Honda Hornet, which I supposed were not too far off the look of the standard BMW Euro Bars.
However, although I could fit the Honda bars, they were too low, to far forward and not really wide enough - although everything could be made to fit - it just looks crowded.
I looked to the Renthals, which were very slightly higher and had a more rearward sweep. Although they were black and not the more desirable chrome, they were free. However I could not fit them as they interfered with the tops of the fork stantions - which if you remember poke up through my top yoke already by not enough to counter the fact that I am running a bigger 19 inch wheel at the front....Hoisted by my own Petard! Again.
Thats the trouble with modifying, one change always leads to another and another.
Soooo, I have to find a way to either lower the front a bit, or find some risers.
Risers seem to be inordinately expensive and far too much rise for what I need - i.e. 1cm or so. I could try a set of R80/100 handlebar risers that are fitted as standard to the larger airheads, to modify, but Motobins and the like want silly money for them.
Putting an 18 inch wheel in the front would be another expensive option - as I would have to rebuild the front wheel with a new rim and new spokes.
Shorter or softer fork springs? I do not want to cut the current springs. Its gash - not the proper engineering solution. Nor do I want to go down the road of trying to source something shorter. But I seem to recall, when I did this bike up in its Cafe Racer guise I fitted new springs in the fork legs, and I might well have fitted the progressively wound heavy duty type, I can sometimes feel them rebounding witha slight thunk when going over bouncy roads.... I might still have the originals kicking around somewhere....Or am I thinking of the R100 set I recently tripped over.....?
...Obviously more thought required. ho hum.
I put the RT handlebars back on with a slightly more rearward slant to them. This seemed to work well on the way into work this morning and the bike did not seem to be quite so slow steering - although I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I must be imagining it.
Form over function? I already know where I lie on that one.
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