I'm in the process of installing convertibars on my 00 VFR and wondering how people have oriented their installation? Photos would be ideal, searching around I've seen some 6th gen pics, but nothing from the 5th gen.
I can only seem to get lock to lock steering with the cyclops clamps pointed back towards me so that the riser bars are closer to the rider than the triple clamps. While good for highway riding in that position, I can't lower the bars too far or the brake and clutch reservoirs are getting in the way of the top of the forks. I'd like to be able to have the bars all the way down so the controls are just above the fairings when I'm riding twisties.
I'd really prefer to be able to mount the bars outboard with the clip ons sliding up and down between the triple clamp pinch bolts, but that seems to rub the inner fairing rather more than might be a good idea. Placing the clip ons forward runs both into the dash as well as makes upper fairing/windscreen interference a problem when raised. Has anyone tried that successfully or have recommendations on what to do here?
Thanks in advance ... rjs
If you're looking to keep the up/down movement of the convertibars, you'll be quite limited in positioning the clamps, as you're apparently finding out. I used convertibars to move the bar position down & forward on my '98, and found I needed to cut the risers flush with the bottom of the cyclops clamps in order to locate the bars exactly where I wanted them to go. That killed the up/down adjustability, but I was only looking for a single, more stretched-out position for my tall-ish frame (6'3") - which I accomplished. It was a bit of trial and error dialing in the setup (measure twice, cut once...), but I've been quite pleased with the results for several years now. I have the -10 deg angled bars, installed as low as possible in the cyclops, with the clamps rotated slightly forward of the triple. There's a couple photos of my install on the Convertibars website, and I can either find or snap a few more if you want to see some added detail. -JM
Sigh, that's what I was starting to think having spent the last couple weeks trying any number of positions with the bars and orientations of controls. Looking carefully at the VFR photos on their site it's not apparent those are cut off but I sure couldn't figure out how to make that work on my bike without replacing the top triple clamp (so the pinch bolts aren't in the way) and modifying all of the inside fairings to provide more clearance.
I measured about 3/4" of side clearance and 3/4" of front clearance from the fork tube inside of the stock fairing at each full stop vs. about 1" offset for the convertibars clip-on down-tube plus cyclops clamp offset. After a lot of trial and error I basically found you could have the convertibars adjustable with between 4.25" and 5" of rise (top of the bar end versus the triple clamp) with 1.75" of pull back using the stock lines. Compare that to the stock bars with 3.75" of rise or helibars with 4.5" of rise and 1.5" of pull back.
Fool on me for buying these when they first came out, but I have to say I'm *very* disappointed in the usefulness of this product and it's fulfilling their marketing. "Up or Down, Forward or Back. Pick the riding position that's right for you!!" they say, but I don't see how that's possible at all.
... rjs
Oh, and even with the 90 degree bend speigler lines they sell with it you'd have the reservoirs hitting the top of the fork adjusters at 3.5" of rise, so basically this is adjustable only in the more relaxed than stock direction (1.75" of pullback has a much bigger effect than -0.25" of rise on the rider triangle imo).
I just finished the install on my 2001 and although it was a alot more labor intensive than I expected, and the adjustability isnt as great as promised I am still pleased with the overall result.
Besides, it forced me to change my brake fluid which appears to have been stock from the factory.
rjsjr,
Did you try with the extended lines? What kind of range did you have with those?
Anyone have pictures of their setups?