Risers Help wanted please

[Laceyjay]

Hi - I would be grateful for your advice. I have a Blackbird '97. Been riding her since last September. I had a CBR600 before and recently sold her and had to ride her to the Buyers. The ride was completely different with my arms not being so stretch as on the Bird. I have read about the VFR Risers but wonder if this adjustment would be sufficient. I am 5'5 so the height is different to Norm with his bike and VFR adjustment. I do not want to change my Bird but cannot afford to keep trying different things so any advice you can give me on this and the various possibles would be great

[Ladybird]

Ok Laceyjay....

First off I'm moving this post to Out Patients....as there is currently a similar thread running in there....so hopefully Schlink will have some comments.....also I've another idea as I am of a similar height....I'll get back to you

[Ladybird]

Right so - here we go....

Raising The Handlebars On The CBR1100XX

These are the instructions the we picked up from another blackbird site. We have two birds and done this to both. Works good for us and is easy and costs ya nothing to try it.

Best thing is it aint permanent so if ya don't like it, it can be changed back in minutes.

The paragraph mentions making a small mark to ensure alignment - we did this with masking tape rather than a permanent mark. If you revert to standard the bars slide onto a groove so no worries there.

For your info I (Deano) pull wheelies on a regular basis (I know I shouldn't but cant help it Yeehaaaaaaaaa) and have never had the bars move on me - but be sure to tighten the allen bolts ok.

You simply loosen the allen bolt on each clipon, and raise it about 3/4" (you must remove the little wire clips at the top of the fork tubes first). There is still plenty of material to grip, even though the clipons end up higher than the fork tubes.

I recommend that you make a small mark before loosening the clipons, to make sure you align them the same way (or at least have a starting point to go from if you plan to realign them differently). I used a screwdriver to make a small dent in the edge of the fork cap in line with one of the edges of the clipons. It is not visible once you move the clipons.

So I have ridden the in this manner, since purchasing the in September 2000....and the bars have never moved...however the choice is yours

[Shlink]

I fitted bar risers last week but have only done a couple of short rides on it. Difference immediately noticeable and definitely less wrist strain. Doing more mileage this weekend (Derbyshire Peaks tomorrow anyone?) and France in a few weeks so will have a better idea as to real worth. I'm just under 6ft tall and getting serious wrist ache before, especially after four years on a Fazer 600 which is extremely comfy.

[zippy]

I fitted vfr v tec to my bird about 3yrs ago and they look the bis and make a massive differance in riding comfort

[Laceyjay]

Thank you all well hub bed some Risers out of Ebay - gonna see how they work but also been looking at the posts about dropping the foot pegs- thats also problem i have had - getting my dumpy little legs up on the pegs caused me to drop my on a slow maneuvre so now looking to get the Buell pegs - what a brilliant site this is - joined ages ago and havnt really explored up till now . Thanks and keep up the great work.

[Akuji]

8) I fitted vfr v tec to my bird about 3yrs ago and they look the bis and make a massive differance in riding comfort

was thinking about doing that too - just cos they look stock, ya say they are more comfy - how much more?? and do they affect ya in the twisties

[TESLACOIL]

jaws riser + 1 inch 75 (preload built in ) 112

vfr 2002 onwards up 1in+ and back 1 in 145 david silvehonda

can combine both above

not for headbangers

u can lower seat (bars come up to meet u )
and lower rear end

ive lowered my ride height 5inches in total --- cost nowt
rotate triangle plates
and drilled extra hole to mimic lowering link

by bird is like a 250cc to sit on -



also try lsr straight bars ,, helibars and vari bars -- all cost 250 quid though

[TESLACOIL]

OK HEAD UP BEEN THERE DONE THAT

IM 5FT 8 but im into confort over cool ..so here what u got to do

Jaws riser = pass too much money to little rise

VFR Vtec bars ...maybe ..they cost about 140 quid davidsilver inch higher + inch back towards you

every time i tried rising and bring the bars closer to me i REALISED I WANTED MORE OF THE SAME !

SOLOUTION = buy a set of fork yoke clips ..about 40 quid ipaid for mine (for 43mm forks)

then walk into any main bike shop and take yer pick from the 7/8th inch handlebar selection..between 25 and 50 quid

i have a set of semi custom bars ( like renthals but more kinked )

i have 3 inches of rise and 3 inches back to me and im still leaning forward a little....perfect

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

what also helps is lowering the bike so u can get yer both feet flat on the ground (ive not dropped my bird since doing this)

1 cut 1 inch off the front fork spacers (1 hour job ) pop fork caps off and lift out spacer tube attack with hacksaw 5 mins thsi part)

this will lower the front end 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch

now the rear - 1 take of the rear shock (1 hour ) take it to local bike shop and for a tenner they will adjust the preload settings....at 5ft 5 (unless u weigh 15 stone) u will want the preload wound RIGHT OUT TO MINIUMUM

SECOND STEP ON THE REAR

ok see those triangle plates the suspension was attached too - take em off...the triangle is slightly different length on each side(by just a few mm but makes a big difference)....rotate the plates so the longest side is now the shortest side

if u done it right the back wheel will be an inch higher off the ground when the bike is on its centre stand (best way to judge) THIS is a very easy job 1 hour at most (wd40 on the nuts) i can do this job by myself - u will need a brick under the back wheel while the bike is on the centre stand

DO ALL THESE THINGS and the bikes handleing and comfort will be transformed !

ps if u want the bike realy low ( drill an extra hole in the triangle plates (leave 1 cm metal in each direction as per original) and you can lower the back end by 2 3 or 4 inches....at 4 inches i got both knees bent with both feet flat on the ground
however 4inches lowering made it slower to steer at low speed but rock steady at high speed

-----------------------------------------------------
i loved the bike 4 inches lower - so much greater confidence i decided to cut the seat down by 2 inches - this meant i only had to lower the reaer suspension by 1 inch (rotating plates)

NOTE when the bike is 1 inch lower front and rear - it no longer dives at the front under braking - or goes light at the front under acceleration becauase the COG centre of gravity of rider and machine has been lowered

handling improves due to a steeper rake on the front forks - wheelbase is similar cos the swing arm is flatter and counteracts the shortening effect of making the front forks steeper as regards wheelbase
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so know i have it all

comfort (suspension set to soft ) can get away with this due to stability from lowering

stability - no pitching back n forth weight on yer wrists front going light = history

confidence - both feet flat on the ground - i no longer have to plan my landings (coming to a halt)

----------------------------------------
you may not have messed about to this extent with any previuos bikes you have owned but belive me - the MODS + THE BLACKBIRD ARE WORTH THE EFFORT

[TESLACOIL]

http://www.cbrxx.com

has pics & articles ref rotating triangle plates ( 10% of bird owners have lowered 2inches or more with this and other mods)

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seat height of modern bikes is just fashion ! JUST measure the seat height of bikes in the 80s and 90s and u will find they are a couple of inche slower in general

only the craze for sports bikes = arse in the air (yeah for racetrack use it means the riders weight has more leverage when flicking the bike violently from side to side)

the bird suffers from stoopid long and low stretch beacuse MR HONDA wanted the speed king crown and forcing the rider to hug the tank game MR HONDA an extra 7 mph
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oh and dont let any 6ftish "kernob" of a biker tell u you don't need to get yer feet flat on the ground

high heels are for women - NOT BIKER BLOKES

if u went round mr 6footers house in the middle of the night and jacked his bike up by 4 inches and added 80kg of weight to the pillion seat - he would cry like a baby wah wah wah !



short legs = less leverage
short legs = less strength
short height = less counter balance (your body weight)
short arms = less leverage of your body weight when u muscling the bike about

how do i know ---- cos i jacked up my m8s bike by putting bricks under both wheels and strapped on 2 sacs of spuds after almost coming to blows with him cos he couldnt get his tiny head round what i was trying to explain ...its only a couple of inches he said

after the changes i said go on then ....and he was WAH WAH WAH cry like a baby ....sorry m8 u were right all along
ill give you a hand to lower yer bike if u like, sorry for being an arse

nuff said !

[TESLACOIL]

note with the fork clip on conversion (40 quid jobbies - the best & cheapest idea and gives u choice of ANY BARS U LIKE..im gonna buy some flatter drag bars next for 32 quid cos i still get a tiny bit of wrist ache as the angle isnt quite right

(great tip for angle and bar position - hold arms straight out thumbs tucked in but touching...now move them apart arms still outstreched ...the angle that your wrists will be comfortable at when riding is the same as when u have them outstretched)

where do you want yer handle bars - ???

1 gra b a bit of wood and gaffer tape - tape them ontop of your current bars in different positions - to get a feel for how much height and closer to you the bars will need to be ( add one inch in hight and an inch closer to you from that position....why well cos in the real world u tend to lean forward a little into the wind...and u not thinking about the strain your wrists will are under when braking or just gentle declaration )

u can go up and back about 2inches in each direction without extending the wiring

(i wanted more than that ...im glad i made the effort )

extending the wiring is tedious but straight forward ( i added 6 inches to the wiring so nothing would be stretched and i could run the new wires where i liked )

u may have to free up the throttle cable - it get caught under the edge of the petrol tank at the front - most peeps never notice or see this - u will with vfr bars or greater handlebar positioning

-- oh honda has a daft metal tab on the clutch/brake master cylinders onthe handlers - size of yer pinkies thumbnail - u will have to hacksaw this off NO MATTER what handlebar adjustments u mak cos u will need to crack the banjo bolts to rotate the brake lines/clutch cables so they dont snag or stretch the cable

u can also loosen the front brake line clips on the run down to the front wheel - this gives u more cable slack

search the interweb for detailed pics and info on everything ive mentioned - its been done time and time again so everything is known and covered (google blackbird forums) i have 100s of posts on all the mods ive done

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over all at 5ft 5 unless u got arms like an orangutang i doubt that anything less than 2 inches rise and 2 inches back would be a big enough improvement - i realy think you gonna have to go for 3 inches rise and 3 inches back to get anything close to the word COMFORT

remeber pain is the opposite of comfort !....why spend money and time just to lessosn pain a little ....

when u spend the same time and effort and can get true COMFORT like i have

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yep all the mods ive mentioned will chew up a whole weekend and about 100 quid .... but u will never look back and only wonder why on earth u spent most of yer biking life putting up with bikes designed for runner beans

every time i run with my sports bike m8s they r the ones feeling butt n wrist pain....like a tarts in stilettos they are victims of fashion & ignorance - (yeah one size fits all ....NOT !

dont w0rk with socks - T- Shirts or Condoms .....why u think it would work with motorcycles....perhaps u bykers r 2 fik to think for yerselves

BUY IT

MOD IT

RIDE IT

n spastics humping plastix need not apply

[TESLACOIL]

final note

DO spend an half an hour adjust the angle of clutch,gear and brake levers

now i only have to twitch to change gear, stomp on the brakes or feather the clutch

i ride with the brake & clutch levers covered cos its comfy with them in the right position and improves reaction time in traffic

( one mod i not done yet is to loosen uo the throttle return spring , birds have an overly strong spring and adds to wrist fatigiue more than u realise)


-------------------------------

oh i got picked up a couple of ole school rubber knee grippers for the petrol tank - realy worth the effort when u on the brakes hard or charging around

ps dont bother with pazo levers - unless u got hands like Herman Munster...even on the shortest span setting (for small hands) they are the same distance as the original birds levers waste of 140 quid if u ask me (do look cool though)

i drilled out the hole (all the way through instead of partly) in the brass bushing on my clutch lever - way of cheating to get the clutch lever to come about an inch closer to the bar at the far end...helps a lot - but i coulda done that to the stock bird levers

because im woth it

[Tribal-Wolf]

SOLOUTION = buy a set of fork yoke clips ..about 40 quid ipaid for mine (for 43mm forks)

then walk into any main bike shop and take yer pick from the 7/8th inch handlebar selection..between 25 and 50 quid

Where can I buy these please as it sounds an interesting mod?

[iainm9438]

SOLOUTION = buy a set of fork yoke clips ..about 40 quid ipaid for mine (for 43mm forks)

then walk into any main bike shop and take yer pick from the 7/8th inch handlebar selection..between 25 and 50 quid

Where can I buy these please as it sounds an interesting mod?

there were some on eBay a week or so ago, but if you google 'blackbird handlebar raisers' you will find them.

personally, i would go for raisers that retain the clip on bars or swap to VFR Vtec bars to at least keep it looking like a blackbird.
i think if you fit superbike bars to a blackbird, then it's defeating the object and you may as well buy an X11.
(that's just my opinion and i'm sure some won't agree)

[Gray21]

OK HEAD UP BEEN THERE DONE THAT

IM 5FT 8 but im into confort over cool ..so here what u got to do

Jaws riser = pass too much money to little rise

VFR Vtec bars ...maybe ..they cost about 140 quid davidsilver inch higher + inch back towards you

every time i tried rising and bring the bars closer to me i REALISED I WANTED MORE OF THE SAME !

SOLOUTION = buy a set of fork yoke clips ..about 40 quid ipaid for mine (for 43mm forks)

then walk into any main bike shop and take yer pick from the 7/8th inch handlebar selection..between 25 and 50 quid

i have a set of semi custom bars ( like renthals but more kinked )

i have 3 inches of rise and 3 inches back to me and im still leaning forward a little....perfect

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

what also helps is lowering the bike so u can get yer both feet flat on the ground (ive not dropped my bird since doing this)

1 cut 1 inch off the front fork spacers (1 hour job ) pop fork caps off and lift out spacer tube attack with hacksaw 5 mins thsi part)

this will lower the front end 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch

now the rear - 1 take of the rear shock (1 hour ) take it to local bike shop and for a tenner they will adjust the preload settings....at 5ft 5 (unless u weigh 15 stone) u will want the preload wound RIGHT OUT TO MINIUMUM

SECOND STEP ON THE REAR

ok see those triangle plates the suspension was attached too - take em off...the triangle is slightly different length on each side(by just a few mm but makes a big difference)....rotate the plates so the longest side is now the shortest side

if u done it right the back wheel will be an inch higher off the ground when the bike is on its centre stand (best way to judge) THIS is a very easy job 1 hour at most (wd40 on the nuts) i can do this job by myself - u will need a brick under the back wheel while the bike is on the centre stand

DO ALL THESE THINGS and the bikes handleing and comfort will be transformed !

ps if u want the bike realy low ( drill an extra hole in the triangle plates (leave 1 cm metal in each direction as per original) and you can lower the back end by 2 3 or 4 inches....at 4 inches i got both knees bent with both feet flat on the ground
however 4inches lowering made it slower to steer at low speed but rock steady at high speed

-----------------------------------------------------
i loved the bike 4 inches lower - so much greater confidence i decided to cut the seat down by 2 inches - this meant i only had to lower the reaer suspension by 1 inch (rotating plates)

NOTE when the bike is 1 inch lower front and rear - it no longer dives at the front under braking - or goes light at the front under acceleration becauase the COG centre of gravity of rider and machine has been lowered

handling improves due to a steeper rake on the front forks - wheelbase is similar cos the swing arm is flatter and counteracts the shortening effect of making the front forks steeper as regards wheelbase
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

so know i have it all

comfort (suspension set to soft ) can get away with this due to stability from lowering

stability - no pitching back n forth weight on yer wrists front going light = history

confidence - both feet flat on the ground - i no longer have to plan my landings (coming to a halt)

----------------------------------------
you may not have messed about to this extent with any previuos bikes you have owned but belive me - the MODS + THE BLACKBIRD ARE WORTH THE EFFORT

SOLOUTION = buy a set of fork yoke clips ..about 40 quid ipaid for mine (for 43mm forks)
hi where did you get these fork yoke clips from? have you any photos? I did the rear triangle rotation nd now want to raise the front thanks