Handle bar risers - do you like them?

[greenmonster]

I ride a BMW r1200rt so I’m not too bent over like a sport bike but I’m not in a straight upright position either. After an hour I start to get a pain at the base of my neck between the shoulder blades which could the the weight of the helmet. I just sort of put up with it but I’m wondering if handle bar risers might help. It’s a relatively cheap and easy fix. Who has ‘em? Have they made a difference for you?

 

[mrzuzzo]

Had helibars bar risers on my VFR800. Huge difference and much improved comfort. Really didn't notice any downsides except for the need for a bigger windscreen since I was more upright.

 

[bcj]

Made a world of difference on my K1200RS. Would do it again.
Mind you, the BMW clip-on risers were mad expensive for a couple alu. castings. ~ 350 or so.
Bolt on super cereal and no slipping though.

I took off the comfort wind shield and put the stock one back on for what that's worth.

 

[jwb]

I ride a BMW r1200rt so I’m not too bent over like a sport bike but I’m not in a straight upright position either. After an hour I start to get a pain at the base of my neck between the shoulder blades which could the the weight of the helmet. I just sort of put up with it but I’m wondering if handle bar risers might help. It’s a relatively cheap and easy fix. Who has ‘em? Have they made a difference for you?

The ergonomic benefit may be there but in my experience trying it out on one bike I wasn't convinced by the engineering and metallurgy of the risers and what seemed like a small rise had a surprising range of problems with the cables, wires, and lines, plus the clearance between the bars and the rest of the bike.

All of my experience with aftermarket bars and bar parts have been meh, including bars, bar risers, end weights, mirrors, and hand guards. A world of integration headaches.

What ended my back pain that seemed to originate from helmet weight and riding position was going to the gym more.

 

[GAJ]

I ride a BMW r1200rt so I’m not too bent over like a sport bike but I’m not in a straight upright position either. After an hour I start to get a pain at the base of my neck between the shoulder blades which could the the weight of the helmet. I just sort of put up with it but I’m wondering if handle bar risers might help. It’s a relatively cheap and easy fix. Who has ‘em? Have they made a difference for you?

I put convertibars on my TL1000S and it was a big improvement.

 

[greenmonster]

Looks like handle bar risers might do the trick for me . Good comment about possible cabling issues which I’ll need to consider. Hopefully I can find some good ones that aren’t in the $350 range as mentioned by bcj

 

[NoTraffic]

I have a pair that came with my RT when purchased used. I still have them on as I'm too lazy to get around taking them off to try and experiment what the OEM riding position is like.

The only thing I do not like about the position is when slabbing long bouts on the freeway. They are a bit too high for me and does not allow me to completely relax as my wrists sit above my elbow.

 

[ST Guy]

The stock bar height on my ST was perfect for me. However, some do use them. Avoid going too far up and back. You need some lean so that upper body weight isn't carried solely by your spine.

 

[ScottRNelson]

I have added two inch Rox Risers to both of my bikes, mainly so that I can ride standing up and not have to either crouch over or keep my knees bent. It makes a big difference for the type of riding that I do.

The ones on my XR are a straight two inch lift. The ones on my 790R are leaned forward at about 45 degrees with the clamps in the rear-most position so that the actual lift is about an inch and a half. I would have purchased the 1.5" risers if I were doing it again. Both sets are near the limit of what I can get away with on the original cables without looking for longer ones. I had to reroute one cable on the XR to make everything right.

The good ones (Rox Risers) are a bit on the expensive side (around $90), but they're high quality and I have no strength concerns whatsoever with them. And I can always easily put things back the way they were if I ever feel the need.

 

[greenmonster]

The stock bar height on my ST was perfect for me. However, some do use them. Avoid going too far up and back. You need some lean so that upper body weight isn't carried solely by your spine.

Good advice on the amount of “up and back”. That might be hard to gauge until they’re actually installed but I’ll keep it in mind during my search.

 

[dravnx]

Installed MV Motorad riser plate on my FJR1300. It moves the bars up and back. I had to reposition a couple of harnesses and brake lines.
Installed Rox risers on my first Vstrom. Rerouted some harnesses and brake lines.
Installed Rox risers on my present Vstrom. Rerouted a couple of harnesses and because I was upgrading anyway, a longer brake line.

 

[greenmonster]

A quick search shows Illium Works has risers for my bike for $105, no cabling issues but dealer install is highly recommended due to special tool that is needed?

 

[NoTraffic]

A quick search shows Illium Works has risers for my bike for $105, no cabling issues but dealer install is highly recommended due to special tool that is needed?

Prob. a torque and torx wrench. :laughing

 

[dravnx]

Man, there's got to be like 20 different BMW fori with all the information you would ever want.

 

[Gary856]

My thoughts on risers.

https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10713147&postcount=14

In addition, the 2" riser was a bit much for the stock throttle cable on my Ulysses. The throttle cable would kink where it exits the throttle housing at full lock, causing the throttle to stick.

You have to screen the response you get here. Those who say bar risers made big differences tend to have bikes with low bars in the first place. On upright bikes, I'd only put bar risers if I need to stand for extended period of time.

I've long suspected that higher bars put more strain on shoulders and can cause shoulder pains, but not sure if true or not.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

I put taller bars on my Hypermotard to allow me to sit a bit more upright, only raised things maybe a inch but the bike is super comfortable for all day riding. I have some shoulder issues from, of all things, my years in front of a computer so a work week followed by a long ride often causes those to flare up a bit but on multiday rides it goes away, guess maybe I relax or something...

I've been thinking about trying risers on my DRZ cuz apparently sitting when riding off road isn't cool and I find standing on the bike even with the taller bars I put on there to be awkward. I'll probably see how far I can go without needing to change cables.

 

[greenmonster]

Revzilla says Rox Risers are more for adventure and dirt riding where a lot of time is spent standing on the pegs, which is not me. There are apparently lots to choose from

 

[ScottRNelson]

Revzilla says Rox Risers are more for adventure and dirt riding where a lot of time is spent standing on the pegs, which is not me. There are apparently lots to choose from

You can get Rox Risers in multiple different heights. If you want to raise the bars and they match the type of bar that you have, then they're good regardless of what kind of bike it is.

My 1998 Ducati ST2 came with risers, although I'm not sure how much up they were over stock. It made a big difference in that bike to make the riding position a bit more upright. I think the Monster that I had before it already had a more upright riding position as part of the design. The Ducati Superbike that I owned had you leaning way down and forward, but you weren't supposed to spend a lot of time on that bike.

 

[greenmonster]

You can get Rox Risers in multiple different heights. If you want to raise the bars and they match the type of bar that you have, then they're good regardless of what kind of bike it is.

My 1998 Ducati ST2 came with risers, although I'm not sure how much up they were over stock. It made a big difference in that bike to make the riding position a bit more upright. I think the Monster that I had before it already had a more upright riding position as part of the design. The Ducati Superbike that I owned had you leaning way down and forward, but you weren't supposed to spend a lot of time on that bike.

Exactly, my last bike before the beemer was 2006 Kawasaki zx14 where the previous owner had installed a 40 shot nitrous bottle hooked up to the horn button - not meant for spending a lot time in the saddle but a lot of fun. The whole touring thing is still new to me.
That Kwai is where my “greenmonster” name comes from.

 

[dravnx]

Can't really say a Vstrom has low bars and bar risers are very common.