CB650R CB650R Handlebar Risers

[58webbing]

To compliment the footrest position adjusting plates I made some weeks ago it was time to pay attention to the handlebars. As the position cannot be altered much if you want to keep the cable length standard I made these cresent shaped packers which have raised the bars 12mm and allowed me to rotate the bars rearwards by about 25mm without getting close to the tank. The dimensions are diameter 28.6mm circles (handlebar diameter) at 12mm centres and were turned on the lathe with a length of 23mm. The spacers at the front of the clamp are 12mm high, 20mm diameter with a clearance flat milled on them and all held together with m8 x 40 cap screws. Now the riding position is getting much more comfortable.

 

[Devilsfan]

You should put spacers on the rear bolts as well, if not for cosmetic reasons then for durability. Very nicely done though!

 

[58webbing]

I did consider hiding the exposed threads on the rear screws however decided against it because the threads are only really noticable if you bend down and look at them deliberately and I am of the opinion that anything that does not have a fuction other than appearance is a waste of space. The front spacers allow the clamp to be tightend down evenly hence their existance. I understand where you are coming from as long exposed screws and bolts on a modification may not be the most elegant, but this time it fits my design brief of being simple and using std parts as much as possible.

 

[The Earle]

They look good,

I’ve been debating putting risers in myself, however I haven’t bothered as I’m not sure if the cables have enough give in them for the after marked ones you get off Eblag.

 

[58webbing]

Using the std cables (brake and clutch) you can probably get an extra 16mm of "rise" with a bit of tweeking on the routing. Whatever method of repositioning, it is a lot of work for a small dimensional gain however I have found this small gain can improve comfort. The main reason I have found for fatigue with riding position is the lean forward so just by raising the bars is not going to help a lot. I rotated my bars rearwards and with the cresent packers I have managed to get the bars about an inch closer to me with no extra stretch on the cables and keeping a good clearance with the tank. I would guess the end result is grips 25mm rearwards and about 10mm higher. The only surgery needed is to chop off the anti rotation pegs inside the switch gear. The commercially available risers I have seen have to raise the bars a minimum of 30mm and for that the std cables will pose a problem if you wish to remain safe.

 

[Devilsfan]

They look good,

I’ve been debating putting risers in myself, however I haven’t bothered as I’m not sure if the cables have enough give in them for the after marked ones you get off Eblag.

As you can see above, they will fit.
I bought a set of Bike Master risers. $40 USD and they stack, meaning they can go from 1/2" to 3/4" or 1" by adding the pieces. I started at 1" then scaled it back to get my fit. (Eventually I removed them and went back to stock but tilted my bars a bit.) Anyway, for $40 you can't beat the price!

Or...if 58webbing starts mass producing...!!!

 

[The Earle]

As you can see above, they will fit.
I bought a set of Bike Master risers. $40 USD and they stack, meaning they can go from 1/2" to 3/4" or 1" by adding the pieces. I started at 1" then scaled it back to get my fit. (Eventually I removed them and went back to stock but tilted my bars a bit.) Anyway, for $40 you can't beat the price!

Or...if 58webbing starts mass producing...!!!

Do you have a link to where you can order them from?

I’ll have a look into it again.

Thanks

 

[Devilsfan]

Do you have a link to where you can order them from?

I’ll have a look into it again.

Thanks

Here's a link to their website. It's American but I'd bet if you call around to a few of your local shops they may have some in stock. And if not the Bike Master brand then something similar.

https://bikemaster.com/motorcycle-replacement-parts/handlebar-risers.html

There's also Rox risers that are more expensive BUT they can be adjusted at many different angles. I've used both Bike Master and Rox and they're both really good quality.

 

[The Earle]

Thanks mate.

 

[58webbing]

I have just returned from and extended wizz around some of Herts and Beds finest B roads and find an unexpected bonus with the risers. The std setup used to cause pins and needles in my hands with the vibration and now it is very much reduced. Whether it is a reduced amplitude of the vibration or less pressure of me leaning on the bars (probably a bit of both) I still notice the vibration but it is not annoying as before. So, the effort of repositioning the bars, for me, has been worth while.

 

[MrFritz86]

I have just returned from and extended wizz around some of Herts and Beds finest B roads and find an unexpected bonus with the risers. The std setup used to cause pins and needles in my hands with the vibration and now it is very much reduced. Whether it is a reduced amplitude of the vibration or less pressure of me leaning on the bars (probably a bit of both) I still notice the vibration but it is not annoying as before. So, the effort of repositioning the bars, for me, has been worth while.

Hello

I recently put risers on mine as well, 20mm and that's the maximum we can go without having issues. (I could not twist the bar towards me bc the brake lever was getting locked, I actually had to move it forward a bit from the original position, like a couple of mm, I was afraid of a wheel lock)

My main concern is that if I put some pressure on the handlebar the OEM risers are moving back and forth a little bit. I did try to tighten the bolt on the top forks clamp, but nothing has changed.

is happening the same to you?

I don't remember if it was doing it without the new risers. (kind of a pain to go back to stock since the risers got stuck to the bar)

PS: oh btw, I did the same foot pegs offset mount just like you did (20mm instead of 25, it's working great). Thanks a lot for the idea!!!!

 

[58webbing]

I was able to rotate the bars back by removing the anti rotation pegs in the switches. I consider moving the bars back more important than raising them, to raise the bars does not reduce the reach, however everyone is different. If your risers bite into your bars shows they are set up OK, the flexing is due to the rubber bushes, the more you raise the bars the more the flex will be noticeable. You might want to shorten your "hero blobs" by the amount you have lowered the pegs.

 

[Devilsfan]

Hello



My main concern is that if I put some pressure on the handlebar the OEM risers are moving back and forth a little bit. I did try to tighten the bolt on the top forks clamp, but nothing has changed.

is happening the same to you?

I don't remember if it was doing it without the new risers. (kind of a pain to go back to stock since the risers got stuck to the bar)

Hard to tell from your picture but I know there's a correct method to tightening the risers. IIRC, it's to "secure" the TOP LEFT, then BOTTOM RIGHT, the TOP RIGHT, then BOTTOM LEFT. Once set then repeat the process by tightening the riser bolts to spec. This may help if you feel the bars are moving.

Then again, you've increased the distance from the OEM risers/triple tree which may make them a little more "flexible", so to speak. Combine that with what 58webbing was mentioning about the rubber bushings.

 

[MrFritz86]

I was able to rotate the bars back by removing the anti rotation pegs in the switches. I consider moving the bars back more important than raising them, to raise the bars does not reduce the reach, however everyone is different. If your risers bite into your bars shows they are set up OK, the flexing is due to the rubber bushes, the more you raise the bars the more the flex will be noticeable. You might want to shorten your "hero blobs" by the amount you have lowered the pegs.

I did some fixings here and there and I was able to rotate backward the bar as well, huge improvements, even 5mm of rotation is night and day!
And yes I think since now the length of the risers is way more, it is more flexible.

I will shorten the hero blobs for sure, thanks for the advice.

 

[Gpartida]

@MrFritz86 @58webbing if i just wanted to rotate the bars back a bit would i need any extra equipment? Is it just a matter of loosening the existing clamps and rotating the bars back a bit in place and re-clamping or is it more involved? The main problem I am trying to solve is the distance to the throttle when I have the bike full-lock turning left. I find my arms a bit too short for the level of control at the throttle I'd like to have in this position and I was thinking maybe raising the bars would help me here but now after reading this thread it seems that for reach what I want is to just rotate the bar back. I'm actual okay with the height of the bar otherwise as I don't go on very long rides.

 

[MrFritz86]

@MrFritz86 @58webbing if i just wanted to rotate the bars back a bit would i need any extra equipment? Is it just a matter of loosening the existing clamps and rotating the bars back a bit in place and re-clamping or is it more involved? The main problem I am trying to solve is the distance to the throttle when I have the bike full-lock turning left. I find my arms a bit too short for the level of control at the throttle I'd like to have in this position and I was thinking maybe raising the bars would help me here but now after reading this thread it seems that for reach what I want is to just rotate the bar back. I'm actual okay with the height of the bar otherwise as I don't go on very long rides.

You don’t need anything extra
Just remove the silver covers on the hex bolt
Lose them and rotate the bar
You won’t have much room to move bc the brake line is kinda short
But you might get where you want

 

[58webbing]

It is a little more involved insomuch as you will need to rotate the levers, throttle and switches to match the revised handlebar position. This is fairly straightforward apart from the anti rotation pins / pegs inside the switches that engage with holes in the handlebars. These will need to be removed. They are steel pressed or moulded into the plastic housing. I have tried grabbing them and pulling / twisting them out without success. I used a Dremel and ground them flush however if you allow them to get hot it will melt the surrounding plastic. If you are careful and watch where the ground metal goes it does not take too long. Another method is to heat up just the pins until the surrounding plastic gets soft and pull them out, a bit more risk involved but no mess to manage.
The refitted swithes can be rotated on the handlebars which I quite like as I can adjust their postion to suit what gloves I am wearing. If you want them fixed then a small amout of electrical tape can beused as packing.
The only other precaution is not to forget to cover the tank with a towel or similar to prevent dropping tools etc onto your paintwork.

 

[Gpartida]

It is a little more involved insomuch as you will need to rotate the levers, throttle and switches to match the revised handlebar position. This is fairly straightforward apart from the anti rotation pins / pegs inside the switches that engage with holes in the handlebars. These will need to be removed. They are steel pressed or moulded into the plastic housing. I have tried grabbing them and pulling / twisting them out without success. I used a Dremel and ground them flush however if you allow them to get hot it will melt the surrounding plastic. If you are careful and watch where the ground metal goes it does not take too long. Another method is to heat up just the pins until the surrounding plastic gets soft and pull them out, a bit more risk involved but no mess to manage.
The refitted swithes can be rotated on the handlebars which I quite like as I can adjust their postion to suit what gloves I am wearing. If you want them fixed then a small amout of electrical tape can beused as packing.
The only other precaution is not to forget to cover the tank with a towel or similar to prevent dropping tools etc onto your paintwork.

Hmmm, that is sounding more out of my league mechanically

 

[58webbing]

You have nothing to lose by just slacking off the handlebar clamp nuts and rotating the bars rearwards while keeping an eye on the controls positioning. You should get at least 1/2" less reach without the switches pointing too far out of position. If it does not work out to your liking just put it all back to standard.

 

[Fjdj]

As you can see above, they will fit.
I bought a set of Bike Master risers. $40 USD and they stack, meaning they can go from 1/2" to 3/4" or 1" by adding the pieces. I started at 1" then scaled it back to get my fit. (Eventually I removed them and went back to stock but tilted my bars a bit.) Anyway, for $40 you can't beat the price!

Or...if 58webbing starts mass producing...!!!

But you have the f version. The f version cables are longer. I use to have the f. Now i have R and cables are vwry toght which i do not think 1inch increase is possible without affecting cables