Changing from clip ons to normal bars?
04-26-2015, 12:31 PM
#1
Senior Member
SuperSport
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Auckland, new Zealand
Posts: 932
Changing from clip ons to normal bars?
I think I have to accept Im not as young as I was. I love my Hawk to bits but it kills me to ride it. My legs and hip scream after a long ride. 
So much so Ive been avoiding riding it and been riding my 1200 Bandit which is boring as butter but I can ride it all day in comfort.
I dont want to sell the Hawk so am thinking among other things fitting normal bars.
What are the difficulties in doing this? I have a top clamp with mounts. Are the cables and lines long enough?
So much so Ive been avoiding riding it and been riding my 1200 Bandit which is boring as butter but I can ride it all day in comfort.
I dont want to sell the Hawk so am thinking among other things fitting normal bars.
What are the difficulties in doing this? I have a top clamp with mounts. Are the cables and lines long enough?
04-26-2015, 08:01 PM
#2
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
Not likely that the brake lines will reach. You can run steel lines of whatever length you want.
The rest of the stuff should be fine. Guys do that swap all the time. For some reason they call them superbike bars. Maybe to make it sound awesome.
The rest of the stuff should be fine. Guys do that swap all the time. For some reason they call them superbike bars. Maybe to make it sound awesome.
04-26-2015, 08:49 PM
#3
Rex Kramer-Thrill Seeker
SuperBike
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Brookfield, WI
Posts: 2,312
If you are worried about money, you can do it on the cheap. Get the billet risers off eBay for ~$30 and a used 7/8" handlebar for ~$20. The expensive part is the brake and clutch lines. However, if you want to do it on the cheap, then measure the length of the lines that you will need and keep your eyes out for someone that has those lines used, give or take an inch. If anything, you want the lines longer than shorter for obvious reasons. Otherwise, your turning radius has just increased dramatically.
I found an easy way to figure out how long you need for brake and clutch lines. It is to use some thick rubber tubing about the same diameter as the brake and clutch lines, and route them where they need to be, then take the rubber line off and measure the length.
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't see you had the "top mounts" already. These are the risers I take it? How tall are they?
I found an easy way to figure out how long you need for brake and clutch lines. It is to use some thick rubber tubing about the same diameter as the brake and clutch lines, and route them where they need to be, then take the rubber line off and measure the length.
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't see you had the "top mounts" already. These are the risers I take it? How tall are they?
Last edited by CruxGNZ; 04-26-2015 at 08:53 PM.
04-26-2015, 09:23 PM
#4
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: South of Live Free or Die & North of Family Guy
Posts: 1,456
As mentioned, brake lines will not reach, switches should not be a problem, just a matter of rerouting them, higher and wider bars can help allot.
Don't know if your bike is naked or plastics, but if you have the plastics, some trimming maybe required.
As for your legs and hips, I would consider also adjustable foot pegs, it is not the most ergonomically engineered bike.
Another thing you could modify would be the seat
Don't give up just yet
Cheers mate
Don't know if your bike is naked or plastics, but if you have the plastics, some trimming maybe required.
As for your legs and hips, I would consider also adjustable foot pegs, it is not the most ergonomically engineered bike.
Another thing you could modify would be the seat
Don't give up just yet
Cheers mate
04-26-2015, 10:53 PM
#5
Senior Member
SuperSport
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Auckland, new Zealand
Posts: 932
This is the top clamp i have, also have the blocks for the bars.
Remembered my braided lines are from a Honda 919 so I routed them the long way. They will be fine. Just my clutch line I need to worry about.
Whats the best way to trim the fairing?
Remembered my braided lines are from a Honda 919 so I routed them the long way. They will be fine. Just my clutch line I need to worry about.
Whats the best way to trim the fairing?
04-26-2015, 10:57 PM
#6
Senior Member
SuperSport
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Auckland, new Zealand
Posts: 932
As mentioned, brake lines will not reach, switches should not be a problem, just a matter of rerouting them, higher and wider bars can help allot.
Don't know if your bike is naked or plastics, but if you have the plastics, some trimming maybe required.
As for your legs and hips, I would consider also adjustable foot pegs, it is not the most ergonomically engineered bike.
Another thing you could modify would be the seat
Don't give up just yet
Cheers mate
Don't know if your bike is naked or plastics, but if you have the plastics, some trimming maybe required.
As for your legs and hips, I would consider also adjustable foot pegs, it is not the most ergonomically engineered bike.
Another thing you could modify would be the seat
Don't give up just yet
Cheers mate
No I wont give up on it, love it to much.
04-27-2015, 09:23 AM
#7
Member
Superstock
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Snohomish, WA.
Posts: 285
Trimming the fairing and adding plastic spacers between mirror mounts and fairing pics. I have Apex bars, there is a thread on it somewhere. It was pretty much necessary in order to get lock to lock, even had to shim lock stops 1mm each. YMMV
04-27-2015, 09:41 AM
#9
Senior Member
Back Marker
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 189
I did the 98 VFR 800 swap - didn't need to change lines, did disconnect the front brake line from the lower triple clamp, did add a couple stick on tire weights to the steering stops to stop the bars from hitting the tank.
Made a big difference for this old man, think I paid about $90 for the VFR bars, had to drill mounting holes in them for the switches.
All told the swap took about 2 hours.
Made a big difference for this old man, think I paid about $90 for the VFR bars, had to drill mounting holes in them for the switches.
All told the swap took about 2 hours.
05-03-2015, 08:09 AM
#10
Senior Member
Back Marker
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: San Antonio, Tx.
Posts: 181
Performed the superbike bar mod several years ago, made a BIG difference in riding comfort. I call them "superbike" bars, cause that what I grew up riding in the 70-80's. Using aftermarket Spiegler Teflon coated steel lines, 3 in. longer than stock. did have to shave the fairing.
05-08-2015, 09:19 AM
#11
Member
Squid
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Montreal, Qc.
Posts: 32
I think I have to accept Im not as young as I was. I love my Hawk to bits but it kills me to ride it. My legs and hip scream after a long ride.
So much so Ive been avoiding riding it and been riding my 1200 Bandit which is boring as butter but I can ride it all day in comfort.
I dont want to sell the Hawk so am thinking among other things fitting normal bars.
What are the difficulties in doing this? I have a top clamp with mounts. Are the cables and lines long enough?
So much so Ive been avoiding riding it and been riding my 1200 Bandit which is boring as butter but I can ride it all day in comfort.
I dont want to sell the Hawk so am thinking among other things fitting normal bars.
What are the difficulties in doing this? I have a top clamp with mounts. Are the cables and lines long enough?
05-09-2015, 08:14 PM
#14
Deals Gap is a Hoot!
Back Marker
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Louis, Mizzery
Posts: 104
A simple handle bar riser on eBay offers over 22k postings so you should be able to find what your looking for there.
I used these risers from ROK for my SH along with one inch Fat Bars with the High CR bend.
I have around a 5 inch rise from the upper triple and the two ROK risers work together to eliminate cutting on the fairing.
Get a set of OEM throttle cables from a 2006 Honda VT1100c off eBay along with a longer clutch line IIRC was 50 inches long from eBay for 50 bucks.
Look on eBay for Honda duel front brake lines, the older CBR600 used a two into one brake line set up the Tee's just below the bottom triple and have a new brake line made from the Tee to the front brake master cylinder, IIRC it was about 18 inches from the Tee to the M/C and cost about 50 bucks on eBay.
The wiring is a little tight but doable if you route it above the center fairing mount, oh and use the horn mount to bolt the caliper Tee in place.
Any questions give me a holler!
SIRR1
I used these risers from ROK for my SH along with one inch Fat Bars with the High CR bend.
I have around a 5 inch rise from the upper triple and the two ROK risers work together to eliminate cutting on the fairing.
Get a set of OEM throttle cables from a 2006 Honda VT1100c off eBay along with a longer clutch line IIRC was 50 inches long from eBay for 50 bucks.
Look on eBay for Honda duel front brake lines, the older CBR600 used a two into one brake line set up the Tee's just below the bottom triple and have a new brake line made from the Tee to the front brake master cylinder, IIRC it was about 18 inches from the Tee to the M/C and cost about 50 bucks on eBay.
The wiring is a little tight but doable if you route it above the center fairing mount, oh and use the horn mount to bolt the caliper Tee in place.
Any questions give me a holler!
SIRR1
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