Keep in mind that the position of your body on the bike affects the overall weight distribution. Sportbikes are designed specifically to have a more forward riding position to place the center of your body weight lower and further forward, to better balance the bike and improve handling. But certainly for street riding it isn't the most comfortable position and the heads-down orientation isn’t the safest.
I installed Helibars on a 916 mainly to provide a more comfortable upright sitting position and to take some of the weight off my hands that helped solve a problem with numb fingers. However, after making this change I have mixed feelings about the new riding position. I prefer the factory handlebar position for more aggressive riding, but I like the more comfortable neck position and posture with the Helibars. Further, during certain riding conditions the angle of the bars just don’t feel right to me.
If I was to do it again, I’d buy bar risers with some range of adjustment. The Helibars can be slid down the forks and rotated front-to-back but they always keep their less-extreme tip-down bar angle. I’d recommend instead a riser bar similar to that sold by Cycle Cat that are quite a bit more adjustable (but quite a bit more expensive.)
Also, they allow you to switch back to a better position for track days.
http://cyclecat.com/home.htm For street riding and touring, bar risers won’t change the handling enough to be concerned about. Most of us would rather have a bike that handles slightly different than stock, but tailored to allow you to ride longer and sharper without physical fatigue (fatigue being a HUGE enemy of handling), rather than a bike that folds you into a full-race position meant for the track.
I know that some riders have moved/modified their stock bars to raise the bar ends but this also sets the handlebars at an arbitrary downward angle that I find to be weird.
[Edited on 3-11-2005 by Shazaam!]
Shazaam!
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