Hi folks,
Can i please get some feedback on the Heli Bars for the 06 VFR800?
I have owned the bike for 12 months now, and I'm thinking of getting bionic wrists fitted to alleviate the PAIN of a long ride ( 200 Klms + ).
I was wondering how much difference the rise and set back really makes.
I have read about having to remove the cast tabs on the brake and clutch assemblies and I appreciate how this will enable me to adjust the angle of the pull to make it more comfortable.
I would be interested on any feedback, be it positive or negative before I lash out the bucks.
I can ride all day with mine(I'm 65).... There are other types that will put the grips closer to you, but in a lot of cases that will require longer cables, also there can be turn clearance issues with the other types.
Also I have a custom seat that is a little lower which helps as well, and then added peg lowering blocks to straighten my legs more.
All three of these changes only amounted to mere inches each..... But each one makes a big difference on their own.
I don't know about you but, I'm 5'6 and have short arms; they not only raise the bars to take some load off the wrists, but because of the angle of the forks, actually bring the bars closer to you as well.
It will help your back positioning too.
The Heli Bars are a good improvement to the VFR. Install is relatively easy and the subtle change they make in the riding position is enough to add comfort without taking away from the bikes sportig charactar.
I think I had to remove the cast tab on the brake side only. I used a Dremel tool with a small cutting wheel. I highly recommend the Heli Bars.
I have enjoyed my set, definitely an improvement over stock. Having said that, at 6'2" with the Sargent seat (about 1/2" higher than stock) I still felt that they were not quite enough. This past weekend I installed the LSL superbike bars. They are considerably more complicated to install (the throttle cable rerouting was a PITA), but feel like they will be a second big improvement. Of course with 6" of snow on the ground, I can't test them on the road yet.
Heli bar install wasn't bad. Trimming the tabs on the clutch and brake is easy if you have a dremel tool with a cut off wheel. If you are careful with the wrench, you can move the lines without needing to bleed them. The most difficult part is getting the bar weights out of the stock bars.
This also means that I have a set of Heli-bars available now...
[image: View Post]Redneck, on 31 January 2011 - 12:05 AM, said:
Hi folks,
Can i please get some feedback on the Heli Bars for the 06 VFR800?
I have owned the bike for 12 months now, and I'm thinking of getting bionic wrists fitted to alleviate the PAIN of a long ride ( 200 Klms + ).
I was wondering how much difference the rise and set back really makes.
I have read about having to remove the cast tabs on the brake and clutch assemblies and I appreciate how this will enable me to adjust the angle of the pull to make it more comfortable.
I would be interested on any feedback, be it positive or negative before I lash out the bucks.
Before you shell out the cash for Helibars I would give grip puppies a try.
You can find them here and you would need the small version. http://www.casportto...ry/GRIPPUP.html
They go over the grips already on the back and enlarge the grip a little bit which does wonders for me.
[image: View Post]daemontrym, on 31 January 2011 - 10:09 AM, said:
Before you shell out the cash for Helibars I would give grip puppies a try.
You can find them here and you would need the small version. http://www.casportto...ry/GRIPPUP.html
They go over the grips already on the back and enlarge the grip a little bit which does wonders for me.
+1 on the Grip Puppies. I love mine. They won't help as much as Helis will, but for the money, they're great.
I have Heli's on my 5th gen and I like them. They were on the bike when I bought it. I do have a set of stockers. Has anyone looked at swapping the left stock clip-on to the right side and vise versa. Looks like out would work.
Where would I find a set of peg lowering blocks? I have Heli's on my 6th gen and a buddy still has the stock setup on his 04'. I have ridden both 150+miles and I can say that my wrists can't tell the difference, but thats just me
Although raising the bars up does help (And I'm a huge fan of my custom bar risers), it should be added that proper riding posture puts as ZERO weight on your arms and wrists. This is hard to do if you aren't used to it, but by taking as much weight off of your arms as you can you'll find you can ride a lot longer a lot more comfortably.
When in doubt, flap your arms to make sure they are loose. Looks silly but works wonders. :fing02: More info in the riding technique section.
[image: View Post]sunbugone, on 31 January 2011 - 04:46 PM, said:
Where would I find a set of peg lowering blocks? I have Heli's on my 6th gen and a buddy still has the stock setup on his 04'. I have ridden both 150+miles and I can say that my wrists can't tell the difference, but thats just me
[image: View Post]dr.toto, on 31 January 2011 - 06:18 PM, said:
I'm a believer in helibars and a throttle lock. I spend hours on straight road to get to anywhere. The lock is the best item for me.
Kansas..... You don't need a throttle lock..... You need an airplane.. :laughing6-hehe:
When I lived in Colorado, I'd ride through your fair state every two years for 30 years on my bike to visit my family in Virginia. After I learned to use that road about 20 miles North of I-70 it was a nice ride.....
[image: View Post]FalseFiction1, on 31 January 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:
I've got a set on my bike as well as a Sargent seat. Between the two, I can ride all day.
The install is pretty easy and as somebody else said, getting the weights out of the old bars is by far the hardest part.
I highly recommend them.
For the future, if someone wants to remove/install the weights, use rubbing alcohol...... Same thing with rubber grips.... works better than soaps- won't leave that sudsy crud (which could come back to haunt you in the rain).
The best mods I did on my VFR was Sargent seat, helibars, and a cramp buster. The Helibars made a huge difference to me. I originally had the Genmar risers, and they helped, but the helibars were worlds more comfortable. Well worth the high-ish price tag. Helibars with a cramp buster was super. I rode my buddies '04 with stock bars and no cramp buster and it felt like it was on a torture rack. I got used to the extra comfort I guess :biggrin: My vote: defenitely worth it.
Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.
I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..
I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.
Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.
By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.
[image: View Post]Redneck, on 01 February 2011 - 02:14 AM, said:
Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.
I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..
I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.
Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.
By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.
A crampbuster is just a paddle that slips onto your throttle to allow you to rest your palm on it to hold throttle position. It relieves you from having to grip the throttle constantly. Cheap effective rest for your throttle hand.
I've tried a lot of palm(actually outside edge of palm) throttle rests, and this one is the only one I've found that won't slip though time.
If you look at my pic in the above thread you can see that I cut the grip-puppies shorter(right-side), so that the TB will attach to the stock grip(makes a smooth fit for both TB & GP's. http://www.kuryakyn....l-Throttle-Boss
[image: View Post]Redneck, on 01 February 2011 - 02:14 AM, said:
Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.
I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..
I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.
Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.
By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.
It's a paddle looking thing that slips over your throttle. The right side of your palm near your wrist rests on the paddle, eliminating the need to grip teh throttle. You can just rock your hand back and forth to control t hrottle. VERY comfortable, and cheap. $10 i think
End of thread · 21 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 16 Jun 2011