Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Helibars/risers

[Shonky748R]

As a follow-on question to my luggage question, does anyone know of the best way to relieve the good old wrist ache and make the boring bits more comfortable?

Did see a link that mentioned helibars, but I am not sure how good they are or where to buy them.

Thanks

[Steve M]

BDG has just bought some direct from the states and has use them before on 916 type bikes to cover some big distances, to Spain etc.

http://www.helibars.com/ducati.html

[BDG]

Always loved 748/9** bikes but my knackered wrist didn't. I have Helibars fitted and they work superbly for me, longest trip being around 2000 miles in a week around Europe.

I bought mine direct from the USA from Helibar themselves,

www.helibar.com i think, or a search on google for helibars.

Quick, effecient and pretty cheap with the exchange rate at the moment, around £170/£180 inc shipping and import duty.

[Shonky748R]

Thanks guys

[Shazaam!]

http://ducatisportingclub.com/xmb/vi...2026#pid100736

[MARTIN H]

Hi, the Helibars I found to be a lot better for long distance stuff, I did 2700 mile in 8 days with mine and my wrists were fine. If I did it again I would fit a higher screen as they do make you sit up into the wind a bit more. I am 6ft 5 ish so it may have been more of a problem to me than most. I am also a fan of the ventura system for luggage as it is so simple to load and unload. They only downside was that at high speed the bike developed a very slight weave nothing too scary just enough to make you concentrate a little more! Has anyone else found this? It may have been a combination of Helibars/ventura pack/my height? It was not too much of a problem as we pretty much avoided motorways and stuck to the backroads.

Also by taking the weight of your wrists it does place a little more on your arse and lower back. Probably not really a problem as such but on that trip many of the miles were in temperatures of about 37c which on the 996 means a very uncomfortable rear end especially going slowly through towns where there is little air flow to cool you.

Another plus of the Helibars and ventura combination is very easy wheelies! I am no wheelie merchant but it is so easy with the higher bars and a bit more weight over the back.

[BDG]

Martin,

I've had the same helibar/higher screen/Ventura combination on a 996, but am only 6'3" and had no problems with weaving and that included 160mph.

I did fit new tyres before the trip, so wonder if your slight weave may just be down to part worn tyres if they weren't new, or possibly 2" does make a difference. Ask the ladezz on that last point

[MARTIN H]

I wonder if it had anything to do with the rear ride height? I raised mine quite a bit when I first got the bike. I cannot remember for sure but I think it was maybe 2 or 3 turns of the adjuster. I got the settings out of performance bike a few years ago when Trevor Franklin ran the same bike as mine (996s) The rear ride height was noticeably higher than standard if I parked it near another 996. I suppose that would make it a little more likely to weave? The trip I mentioned was with some lads on Hayabusas and suchlike so you can imagine the scenario! It was noticable to anyone behind me and I swapped bikes a few times with one of the lads who had exactly the same thing happen to him. As I said it was not a violent weave just a gentle sort of thing which was quite comical at the time.

All this talk of 996 has got me hankering after one again! Anyone want a black Multistrada?

[al]

I've raised the handle bar height on my 748 at no cost. I took both of the bar assemblies off the bike, turned them up-side-down and swopped them over. Then I'd refit them back on to the bike this way and after alot of fiddling about, it worked. It took a while to get used to the new bar height because now, the bars are much higher and flat.

[the phantom pieman]

Do try Cycle Cat .... mine look great, feel great, and when it stops snowing I can tell you about the ride. High quality piece of kit. I bought from Spareshack, but you can probably buy direct from the States, and get a bit of a steal.

The customer service I have recieved from both Spareshack, and particually Cycle Cat, has been brilliant.