SuzukiSavage.com - better handling with straight bar?

Kimito YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 17	better handling with straight bar? 04/08/13 at 14:10:12 Hey~ I was just wondering, do you think the handling gets better when straight handle bars are used instead of the stock?
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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #1 - 04/08/13 at 14:12:41 Depends... riser height, bar width, your physical stature... other modifications... For me, no, it would degrade the handling to the point of parking the bike until I could get decent rise bars back on it. Minimum 12" rise, set up perpendicular to the ground instead of following the fork angle.
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rfw2003 Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1108 Yantis, TX	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #2 - 04/08/13 at 14:16:19 to each their own, but for me I don't think I would be comfortable with a broom stick style handle bar. R.F.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28887 L.A. California Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #3 - 04/08/13 at 14:42:11 well I do find the drag bar setup better than the buckhorn.
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rfw2003 Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1108 Yantis, TX	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #4 - 04/08/13 at 14:56:49 verslagen1 wrote on 04/08/13 at 14:42:11: well I do find the drag bar setup better than the buckhorn. I didn't like the cramped stock buckhorns either, I've got a set of 10" mini apes on mine now that are also wider then stock and they feel great. R.F.
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oldNslow Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 2683 Rochester, NY Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #5 - 04/08/13 at 15:08:05 Effects comfort more than handling IMO. My 06 has the straight bars that come stock on the later models. They are OK but I wish they bent back a little bit. I've got short arms.
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Re: better handling with straight bar?
Reply #6 - 04/08/13 at 15:49:54

Bar height is a personal style/comfort thing,.. it does nothing for handling...
Bar width,...matters...
wider will give more leverage and make the bike steer easier, but, at higher speeds, wind buffeting against your shoulders will transfer to the steering and make you shimmy...
Narrower bars, will make steering require more input, but, will be better at speed... less wobble...
Apes, will also cause wobble,.. because they open you up to wind like a para-sail...

This is why,. dirt bikes have wide bars, and drag, street, and cafe' race bikes have narrow...
...and no performance bikes have apes...

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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #7 - 04/08/13 at 17:05:03 Yea it depends on your body and riding style as to what fits you best.
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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #8 - 04/09/13 at 07:31:20 One of the first things I did to my '02 was pull the stock buckhorns and put on some sporty style clubman bars. Much better for riding and comfort. It all depends on you
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Re: better handling with straight bar?
Reply #9 - 04/09/13 at 08:40:53

I had buckhorns on a Kawasaki 750 twin back in the 80's. Hated them, put some Ducati bars on & it was a whole new bike. Cornered much better. IN fact, have a look at the tracks around the world. Nothing like buckhorns on a single one of those bikes.
I couldnt handle a Straight bar, it would have to have some bend at the grips to make my wrists comfortable. My 40 has the drag bar on it.

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WD

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Re: better handling with straight bar?
Reply #10 - 04/10/13 at 10:21:25

Comfort...

Handling...

You generally can't have both. And with the 15" bars on the Savage, it went from 70+ mpg with buckhorns to 36mpg. There are always trade offs to be considered. I can ride the Savage all day with the apes, the tracker bend on the Honda is good for 20 minutes, tops, IF I'm having a good back day, otherwise, by the time the engine is warm (2 carbs, two cylinders) it is time to shut it off and go have a beer with a muscle relaxant and a Percocet. Miserable bars, too low, even with the track type seat and mid mount pegs.

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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #11 - 04/10/13 at 13:18:07 Ohh what's the green bike WD?
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WD

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Re: better handling with straight bar?
Reply #12 - 04/10/13 at 19:18:53

1963 Honda CL72.

248cc parallel twin Scrambler with CB250/305 pipes, CB77 (305) carburetors and twin leading shoe drum rear wheel, CL77 (305 Scrambler) spec Ceriani rear shocks and front fork, Suzuki T500 2 stroke (better known as a Titan) twin leading shoe drum front wheel, track bend handlebar, replica Brit bike perches/levers, replica early CBR grips and bar ends... and a seat off a scrapped exercise machine.

In other words, a money pit... Grin

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PerrydaSavage

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Re: better handling with straight bar?
Reply #13 - 04/11/13 at 00:34:32

I've owned an S40 with the OEM drag-style bar and a Savage with the OEM buckhorn styled bars and here's my take ... the S40 handled better. Why? The OEM bucks on the Savage kept my elbows tucked, which I can only surmise, allowed less leverage for good counter steering (push left go left, push right go right) ... after the S40 came out in '05 (still had the Savage at that point), I kept reading about how for many Riders the S40 handled better than the Savage ... it puzzled me ('cause they're literally the same Bike afterall) until I had a chance to Ride a friend's then newly acquired S40 ... lo and behold, it DID handle better! Sizing up my arm position while seated on the S40, I then went immeaditely to my shed, loosend the bar clamps on my Savage and rolled the buckhorns ahead until the grips were a good 1 1/2 to 2 inches higher. Tightened clamps, rotated mirrors & switchgear until in correct position, then test rode. Night and day! With the buckhorn grips rotated higher, it un-tucked my elbows and was like Riding a different Bike ... handled as well as the S40 I had ridden an hour before! Cool

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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: better handling with straight bar? Reply #14 - 04/11/13 at 04:50:10 I thought the tank looked familiar, I had a buddy back in NY who had one a life time ago
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