Ok, call me crazy, but I made a tiny change to my bike, and what huge difference.

About a month ago, I took the wife out for a 200 mile ride, with about 50 miles through a fairly winding canyon. I just was NOT feeling it. Was not feeling comfortable with my driving in the curves, was not hitting my lines like I wanted to, just did not feel quite right. I chocked it up to being rusty this year. (weather around here has prevented me from riding much so far this year). Or not having had her one the back with me very much this year.

Then I remembered something.

When I put a painted inner fairing on my SG, it was off another SG, so I had to go back to using the fairing mount mirrors. When I did that, I lowered my bars back down so I could see something other than my hands in the fairing mirrors. Ive always preffered the bars rotated just about as high up as they will go, leaving just enough gap so they would not hit the fairing.

Well, I rotated they bars back up, and holy crap! I feel back in control of the bike. I attribute it to the bars being so low that having to reach downward made it more awkward for me to countersteer the bars. I could not "push" forward into a turn, because I was reaching "down" to the bars. Instead of "push" on the bars, it was more of a "turn" the bars feeling.

Moving them back up, so I am now pushing FORWARD more than DOWN and rotate, made a HUGE difference. For lack of a better wording, it puts my grips closer to the position of a Road-Glides bars, albeit with a bit more inward bend to the bars.

One of the things I have always wondered, is if part of the Road Glides better handling is not so much the fairing, but the shape and position of the bars. Less downward bend/reach and a "flatter" horizontal bend to them. (closer to a drag-bar in shape) While Im sure that the lack of the weight on the forks plays a part, especially at low speed, IMHO the shape and position of the RG handlebar has a lot to do with its feeling of better handling. Just moving my SG bars up higher so Im not reaching DOWN to them but reaching FORWARD to them, has made a HUGE change in the "feel" of the handling of my bike.

Ive been looking hard at Klockwerks "ergo" bars, and some of the other usual bar choices, but one thing I don't like is they all are anywhere from 2-4" WIDER than the stock bars, which I don't think I want. I think I would love the Ergo Back bars, but I don't want the extra width.

Any thoughts?

 

I just changed out my stock bars for Krome Werks sweeper +2 bars on my road glide. Feels like a completely different bike. I knew I needed to change the bars when I bought it 10 months ago because I was leaning forward, and wanted to sit straight upright. Well, it's now fun to ride. Steering and handling is 100% improved. Now, a backrest and highway pegs are needed for 100% comfort. Can't believe just handlebars makes that much of a difference.... but it does.

 

We all are of different builds and heights. Any small adjustment for our comfort is a good thing. Now you have me thinking about these small adjustments on my E.G., which I am comfortable on, but what if a 1" movement in the bars makes it even better for me.
Gotta try it !

 

Looked at those, especially for the price, but the extra WIDTH Kinda bothers me. Wish I could find someone around here with some of the var bar choices on their bike.

So I guess Im not crazy thinking bars or bar position can have a huge effect on handling then?

 

not at all. we are the one in control of the bike, its just easier to do so and is a positive reinforcement on that effect. uhhhh....if you know what I mean.

 

Dude, ur avatar is freaking me out!!

 

I am of average height and my arms are 32/33 whatever that means (off my long sleeve work shirts)

I've installed the WO575s, the Ergo Back bars, and the Khromewerks +2 sweepers.

Sweepers are it....

575's are wide and block the mirrors - still comfortable though not "too" wide.
The Ergo bars are wide and the wrist angle is...kinda superman-ish. I didn't find them all that comfortable.
The sweepers are about perfect. Not wide, very comfortable (my wife all of 5'6" uses them too) and dude...they are super cheap.
Only thing is they don't rotate up real high with the batwing. Not low, but you can't get them real high. Still great bars.

Stock:


Sweepers:



Ergos:




575s:



And just for ***** and giggles, the most comfortable bars ever...515's (not for batwingers )




Hope this helps some.

lp

 

Did you have to change your clutch cable or brake line for the sweepers?

 

+1, dude, I just ate breakfast and this aint helpin me out............lol (and I think I'll try the bar rotate, hadnt even crossed my mind........)

 

You can straighten out the brake line and make it work, but I didn't like it, thought it looked like crap. You need a longer clutch cable, I think it was +2, plenty of info here on the subject to verify. I wound up going with all new lines and cables from Magnum.
I wish they would rotate a little higher too, like lp said, but overall I like.