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Again, eyeballing this is usually relatively easy. I usually do it by looking at the bike from the front, holding the front wheel between my knees, lining up the rear wheel perpendicular to my body, and aligning the handlebars perpendicular to the frame.Whether it’s stock or aftermarket handlebars you can often adjust the them by loosening the bars clamps/risers and rotating the handle bars forward (away from you) or back (closer to you).
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Can you adjust motorcycle handlebars?
Whether it’s stock or aftermarket handlebars you can often adjust the them by loosening the bars clamps/risers and rotating the handle bars forward (away from you) or back (closer to you).
What angle should my handlebars be?
If you ride more upright, the angle at the shoulder may be less than 90 degrees. This less than 90-degree angle applies to road bikes, touring bikes, and indoor bikes. Comfort should be your guide when adjusting the height of the handlebars.
Should bike seat be higher than handlebars?
As a general rule of thumb, you want the top of the handlebar about as high (or higher than) the saddle, unless you’re a sporty rider looking to ride fast. Try touching your elbow to the nose of the saddle and reaching forward towards the handlebar with your hand.
Why do bikers smash mirrors?
Destroying a cars mirror will increase the chance of the car driver will hit someone because not being able to look in the mirror. Human error. People might destroy mirrors in frustration but to be real, the motorcycle driver who does this is a problem to society.
How high should handlebars be on motorcycle?
20). It again shows recommended riding posture with handlebars at a height that puts the rider’s hands on the grips below shoulder level.
How does handlebar height affect handling motorcycle?
When you increase or decrease the height of the handlebars on your motorcycle, it will affect the way you handle it. As an example, if your bike’s handlebar is lower, then you’ll have to lean forward in order to ride and reduce your center of gravity.
How do I adjust bicycle handlebars?
The first and easiest way to adjust handlebar height is by moving headset spacers. Headset spacers sit on the fork’s steerer tube and help pre-load the headset bearings during adjustment. Generally, most bikes have 20 to 30mm of headset spacers that can be moved freely above or below the stem.
bike fit – Is there a recommended way to center your handlebars? – Bicycles Stack Exchange
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How To Align Your Saddle & Handlebars | GCN’s Pro Tips – YouTube
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Motorcycle Fork & Handlebar Alignment: How To Straighten – YouTube
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How to position your handlebars properly – Brake Magazine – YouTube
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How to Adjust Motorcycle Setup | ChapMoto.com
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Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Yes, It’s That Ridiculously Simple! : 9 Steps – Instructables
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Introduction Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Yes It’s That Ridiculously Simple!
Step 1 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Buy the Right Bars
Step 2 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Loosen the Controls
Step 3 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Remove the Bar Clamp(s)
Step 4 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Swap Controls Between Bars
Step 5 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Re-clamp the New Bars and Center ’em
Step 6 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Adjusting
Step 7 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Adjusting 20
Step 8 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Adjusting 21
Step 9 Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Done!!!!
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Is your front wheel out of alignment? Are your handlebars straight? – Riders Corner New Zealand
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How to align handlebar? – Harley Davidson Forums
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to align handlebar? – Harley Davidson Forums RE: How to align handlebar? Loosen both riser bolts from the bottom. Turn the handlebars full left and have a helper continue to put pressure to … 2002, 2007, align, alignment, bushings, crossbones, davidson, fatboy, handlebar, handlebars, harley, misaligned, riser, softail, square, standard, How to align handlebar?, harley, forum, harley davidson, davidson, sportster, touring, classifieds, parts, sale ,reviews, guides,hdforums, harley davison forum,softail,dyna glide,VRSC,motorcycle, motorcycle forumSoftail Models – How to align handlebar? – O.K. I have another question: When looking straight down onto my riser I notice a slight misalignment. My handlebar is not square with my fork nuts. In the drawing below, I have exaggeratedthe proportionto show which alignment I am talking about. The handlebar on the left…
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Is there a recommended way to center your handlebars?
It sounds as though you have drop bars, and one of your measurements is to the brake hoods. Since those are independently attached to the handlebars, that measurement only tells you that something is off, not what it is (you have two measurements and three unknowns – the bar position in the stem, the left brake level position on the bar and the right brake lever position on the bar).
I assume there are no markings on the bar, and no bulge where the bar thickens to 25mm from 22mm, otherwise you wouldn’t be asking?
I suggest loosening the stem off and making a mark on the centre point of the bars, measuring from a point that has a sharp edge. If the bars are new the end of the drops is good, but on old bars one or both end is often bent a little. Even 5mm makes a noticeable difference here. If the bars have been taped the tape will also affect the measurement, which is why the bar end points are good.
But regardless, the next best way to measure is from the inside of the forward-swept part of the bars. Get a ruler that’s longer than the width of the bars and place it on top of the bars, at 90° to the bike’s long axis (across the handlebars). Line it up parallel to the bars, so that it’s just in front of the cross part. and the same distance forward on both sides. I find that lining up the forward edge of the bars and the back edge of the ruler works well. Then measure off the forward edge of the ruler, since that’s on the straight parts of the bars.
Here’s a quick top view:
Ideally your bars will not curve this much, or you’ll use a wider ruler 🙂
This lets you measure the exact width of the bars. Halve that, and measure in that far from one side. That’s the centre 🙂 Now make a mark there, or better still, mark the ruler and centre the bars in the stem with it in place. A couple of rubber bands can be used to hold the ruler in place while you do this – put them on the rule, put the ruler on the bars, pull a band under the bars and over the end of the rule. Repeat for other side. Now wiggle the bars in to position. Test ride, and make sure it feels right.
Mark with a permanent marker both sides of the stem so you can line it up easily next time.
Also, now if you repeat your measurement to the brake hoods you can twist one or both on the bars to get them symmetrical. If you prefer them that way.
This also works for most other curly bars.
How To Adjust Motorcycle Setup
Make it Yours: How to Setup and Adjust a Motorcycle to Suit You
The second greatest joy to owning a motorcycle besides riding it is customizing it. Whether it’s for style, performance, comfort, or all of the above, there are a myriad ways to customize a motorcycle. However, no matter if it’s a brand new bike or a Craigslist special, the first and most important thing you should do is make sure the motorcycle is setup to fit you and your preferences, motorcycle ergo is key.
What does this mean?: Basically you should carefully address four key areas on the motorcycle: suspension, handlebars, hand/foot controls, and seating positioning/seat height.
Why should you do this?: Making sure you are happy with these components and that they are tailored just for you will make riding the motorcycle safer, more comfortable, and enable you to get the utmost joy out of the bike with every mile that clicks away on the odometer.
For cost purposes and ease of manufacturing and assembly, manufacturers design and build their motorcycles to fit what they consider to be the “average rider”. This fictional rider may vary from company to company but essentially they all have a window based on the size and weight of what their idea of an average rider would be for each model. Beyond height and weight, they take into consideration other body measurements such as the arms, legs/inseam, and torso as well.
Unfortunately, not all of us fall into these average measurements. Heck, even two riders of the same height and weight can have completely different inseams which could mean the difference between not being able to hold the same motorcycle up at a stop flat footed or feeling too cramped in the leg area on long rides.
Things can be really off target when purchasing a used bike that’s been setup to fit the previous owner. That’s why it’s extremely important to spend some time sitting on the bike and taking mental notes of where and how everything is positioned, and then figuring out what you like or don’t like about the various components mentioned above. Fortunately, most motorcycle parts like the handlebars, suspension, and controls can be adjusted to suit your comfort and riding style. Or they can be replaced all together with aftermarket components.
So now let’s take a look and these four areas and talk about what you should consider and what can be done.
Motorcycle Suspension Tuning
You’d be surprised how many people are riding around on motorcycles with the suspension set at the stock settings even though they might not meet the manufacturer’s stock aka “average rider’s” weight expectations. It’s not just weight that is a sole concern when it comes to suspension adjustment however, you need to take into account your riding style, type of terrain you typically ride, and how you like your suspension to feel. Figuring out your suspension preferences is really a matter of experimenting and determining what is right for you.
Between sag, spring rates, valving, preload, compression, and rebound, motorcycle suspension can be a bit overwhelming if you’re looking to get really technical. That’s why there are shops and companies that focus solely on motorcycle suspension tuning. If you are not satisfied with the suspension on your new bike and don’t want to spend the time testing different settings have an expert dial it in for you.
If you are purchasing a used bike you should inquire with the current owner what changes have been made to the suspension and if any components have ever been replaced or upgraded. If the bike has a lot of miles and the owner hasn’t done much with the forks or rear shocks you may want to have a professional take a look. New or old, your best bet is to read the owner’s manual for your motorcycle and figure out which part(s) of your suspension can be tuned, where the adjustment points are, and how the adjustments are made.
As stated at the beginning, riding is the best part about owning a motorcycle. Experimenting with different settings and paying attention to how each adjustment affects certain characteristics of how the motorcycle feels and handles in different situations will help you gain a greater appreciation for your bike.
Most modern sport bikes and dirt bikes come with adjustable front and rear suspension. The adjustments you’ll typically find are for compression, rebound, and preload. Some bikes may offer all, while many cruisers, entry-level, and budget oriented motorcycles may only offer preload on the rear shock. Older bikes will be all manual adjustments with basic hand tools, while many newer, more performance oriented motorcycles may offer different settings that can be changed with the push of a button.
We aren’t going to delve deep into settings and tuning, but we will say that the first thing that you or whoever is working on your bike should do is to make sure the rider sag/loaded sag (the preload adjustment) is set according to your weight. With the sag set accordingly, it will help any compression or rebound adjustments jive correctly. Take a look at your owner’s manual and you should find the standard (or baseline) settings and then begin to adjust accordingly based on your weight and/or preferences. The manual may also offer suspension settings recommendations for different riding conditions, as seen with the Honda CRF 450X manual above.
Rear shock preload adjuster. Most have two collars, the one up against the spring is the adjuster, the other is to keep the adjuster locked in place.
On most motorcycles the rear preload is adjusted via a collar found either at the top or bottom of the spring. Tighten the spring collar for more preload or loosen the collar to reduce preload. Some bikes may have compression or rebound damping adjustment located either off to the side or at the top or bottom of the rear shock. On some bikes it will be marked with TEN for tension, as well as with arrows with H and S to indicate which way to turn for harder (more damping) or softer (less damping).
This CRF 450X offers High (1) and Low (2) Speed compression damping for the rear shock. At the bottom of the CRF450x rear shock you can adjust rebound damping.
The Honda CRF450X offers the ability to tune the rear suspension for high speed and low speed compression damping as well as rebound damping. The high speed damping is adjusted via the red hex nut while the low speed is adjusted via the valve found in the center of the hex nut. The rebound damping adjuster is located at the bottom of the shock.
Some bikes might have a large knob that sticks out the side of the bike that you can adjust by hand, like the one found in the Kawasaki H2 below.
The larger adjustment knob on the Kawasaki Hs makes it easy to adjust the rear suspension.
At the front of the bike you may find the preload adjustment on top of the fork cap. The rebound or compression adjuster may be located on the fork caps as well. Take for example the KTM 250 XC-W above which has the rebound damping adjuster on the right side fork cap and compression damping on the left. Again there will probably be arrows indicating H and S or as seen on these adjsuters +/-.
This KTM 250 XC-W has a rebound damping adjuster on the right side fork cap. The compression damping adjuster on this KTM 250 XC-W is found on top of the left fork cap.
The Showa fork legs on the Honda CRF450X has compression damping adjusters in the fork cap and rebound adjuster in at the bottom of the fork leg.
This Honda CRF450X has the rebound adjuster located at the bottom of the fork leg. You’ll need a flat head screw driver to adjust the compression damping adjusters on the fork cap of the CRF450X.
Familiarize yourself with where all the adjustment points are. Keep a note pad handy so that you can write down where all the settings were before you started tuning. You’ll also need to know if you’re your adjusters are measured in turns or clicks.
Before you start tuning, turn each adjuster all the way to either the left or right and mark down the number of clicks or revolutions until it stops. Then turn the adjuster all the way in the opposite direction and mark that number down. The first number will give you the reference point of where you started and the second number will tell you how much total adjustment there is.
Unless you’re a really experienced rider, you may not notice small, one step adjustments. So start by making more sizeable adjustments and then increase or decrease as needed with smaller and smaller adjustments until you’re happy. Also, except for the preload, don’t adjust both the front and rear suspension at the same time (unless a professional is doing the tuning). It’s much easier to dial them in independent of each other; otherwise you’ll spend a lot of time chasing your tail between the front and rear.
The handlebars, foot controls, and seating area make up the ergonomics of a motorcycle. They also create what’s known as the rider’s triangle or the riding position. The rider’s triangle is a series of imaginary lines that correlate to where your hands, butt, and feet rest on the motorcycle and would create a triangle if all were connected. The riding position varies from motorcycle to motorcycle. Sport bikes have an attack position with the rider leaning forward onto the bike, arms tucked in close to the body and top of the gas tank, and the feet slightly back or directly under the butt. The cruiser position is much more relaxed. The torso is upright, arms are out wider or stretched further, and the feet are placed several inches in front of the butt. Thankfully the ergonomics on pretty much every motorcycle can be changed or altered to better fit individual riders.
Handlebars
The type of motorcycle you own and the type of riding you do will play a big role in hand positioning. For example, the handlebars on a dirt bike will look much different than those on a sport bike. Cruiser riders can venture into the extreme when it comes to hand placement. Between wide sweeping beach bars to high flying ape hangers you’ll encounter some handlebars that might look downright uncomfortable to you be but be completely fine for other riders.
Dirt bike Cruiser with beach bars Sport bike
Whether it’s stock or aftermarket handlebars you can often adjust the them by loosening the bars clamps/risers and rotating the handle bars forward (away from you) or back (closer to you). Rotating the bars back towards your body can help with providing better control of the bike if the stock position feels too far away. It can also make for a more comfortable ride and help take pressure off places like the shoulders or wrists.
The key thing to remember when adjusting your handlebars is once you have the desired position, make sure you turn the bars all the way to the stops on each side to ensure free and easy movement without the ends of the bars or hand controls hitting the gas tank or the cables getting hung up. Also be sure that the throttle has precise movement and snaps back to the closed position when you have the bars fully locked to the left or right.
If after trying to adjust your handlebars you find that you still aren’t happy you may need to swap out the handle bars for something else. However, before you do so you need to identify what the issue is so you know what to look for in a new set of bars. You should familiarize yourself with these terms: height, sweep, overall width, center width, and bar end rise.
The height is usually measured as the tallest portion of the handle bar. The sweep or wrist angle is the angle the bar ends sit at in relation to the bar center. The overall width is the length from bar end to bar end. Center width is the length of the center section before the bars bend, rise, or pullback-this is the portion where the bar clamps secure the bars to the bike. Bar end rise is how high the bars ends sit in relation to the center section. Pull back is how much the bars sit back from the center section. If you want to know how to measure for new handlebars check out the article we wrote about the topic several years ago. The article focuses on measuring handlebars for a Harley but the principles can be applied towards most motorcycles.
Controls
One of the things you may run into when adjusting your stock bars is that once you get them set into a new position the hand controls may feel differently. On most motorcycles you can adjust the hand controls by simply loosening their respective clamp bolts and rotating the brake and clutch levers into a more comfortable position. Aside from rotating the levers up or down you may be able to move the levers further in or out along the handlebar as well.
Turning that dial will move the front brake lever closer to or further away from the handlebar.
Some bikes even have lever reach adjusters which can move the lever closer to or further away from the bar. Adjusting lever reach is a good idea if you have smaller hands and have a hard time comfortably covering the levers. If your stock levers can’t be adjusted you can always install a set of adjustable aftermarket levers.
Motorcycle boots are an essential piece of safety equipment and everyone has a preference for their favorite riding boots. Some are extremely big and bulky, while others may be slimmer. Why does this matter? Because depending on your boots size you may notice that your shift and foot brake lever are difficult or awkward to manipulate. If your boots are really big and your shift lever is short you may have a tough time getting the toe into an easy position to upshift. On the other hand, if you have smaller feet and your foot brake pedal sticks way out you may have to move your foot more than you’d like to sufficiently reach the brake.
Depending on the motorcycle, you might be able to re-clock or reposition the angle of the shift lever in relation to the footpeg. For example on Harleys, the shift shaft and shift lever are splined so all you have to do is make a mark on the shaft and the lever then remove the lever from the shaft and re-clock the lever so that the shift peg is either sitting higher or lower according to what you want.
The brake lever is another issue. It’s typically locked into one position. However, you can often find longer or shorter brake levers to accommodate your needs-same goes for the shift lever if re-clocking it doesn’t work for you.
Forward controls are big in the cruiser world-especially Harleys. Ideal for riders with really long legs, there are plenty of companies that offer extended forward controls that will relocate the foot controls several inches ahead of their stock location to provide more room for the legs to stretch out.
While most stock footpegs aren’t adjustable you can find some replacement pegs that will allow you to adjust the height, pitch, or even raise the angle so that the pegs tilt up and inwards towards the bike. If you own a dirt bike you may want wider pegs like the Warp 9 Oversized Pegs to provide a more stable platform when standing. Cruiser riders may want to add highway pegs to really stretch out the legs on long journeys.
This HammerHead Designs brake lever for dirt bikes has an adjustable tip to accomodate different boot sizes. Performance Machine Contour Extended Forward Controls Warp 9 Racing Oversized MX Footpegs
Seating Positioning/Seat Height
There’s much more to your motorcycle seat than how comfortable it is. The seat is the center point of the ergonomics of your motorcycle. By addressing your seat you can turn a bike that feels too compact at the arms and legs into a much more enjoyable motorcycle. Just like most other components mentioned in this article, seats and more specifically the seating area will vary from motorcycle to motorcycle. For example, dirt bikes and dual sports will have long, flat seats so that rider can easily slide forward or backward to shift their weight when handling certain terrain or obstacles.
Sport bikes on the other hand will have a well-defined seat pocket that is highlighted by a compact seat nestled into the bottom to keep the rider’s rear tucked into the bike under hard acceleration and aggressive canyon carving. ADV bikes have somewhat flat seats but will have a slight pocket for long highway comfort. Cruisers will have a seat pocket to provide back support for long distance travel and to give the rider that “in the bike feel”
So what can be done to your seat if you want to change up the ergonomics of your motorcycle? On some motorcycles the seat can be slightly adjusted higher/lower or forward/back. Otherwise you’ll have to look into other options such as modifying your stock seat or searching the aftermarket.
Factory Effex Tall Seat Foam
If you’re a DIYer and your seat is too tall or too short you may want to consider removing the cover and customizing the stock seat foam by either adding more foam or cutting foam out. For dirt bike riders companies like Factory Effex and Seat Concepts offer seat foam kits to replace your stock foam. The kits are available with taller, shorter, wider or narrower foam.
Sport bikes typically have much less foam in the seating area than a cruiser so your your ability to trim down the foam on a sport bike may be limited. An electric turkey carving knife is great for reshaping the stock seat foam. If the motorcycle is a little too tall and you can’t stand flat footed at stops you can try narrowing the sides or taking a bit off the top of the seating area. Or you can get some spray adhesive and add foam to the stock foam to help raise your seat height a tad. You may need to trim the excess cover material when your cutaway foam or get new, larger, cover material when adding foam. Your local upholstery shop can help you with foam and cover material as well as handle any mods you don’t want to try doing yourself.
Purchasing a new seat may be the best option. Some aftermarket cruisers seats can change up the ergonomics quite a bit, moving your seating position by as much as 3″. Mustang Seats offers a huge assortment of options such as the Mustang LowDown Touring Vintage Seat with Driver Backrest which moves the rider 1-1/2″ lower than the stock seat height.
Installing an aftermarket seat will allow you to not only find a seat that suits your ergonomic needs but you can also get one with gel or memory foam to make your derriere happy on those long rides. In addition, with an aftermarket seat you can opt for custom coverings such as exotic leathers, colored stitching, or specific designs or patterns to really make your bike stand out.
Whatever you do to setup your motorcycle to make it yours, just know that there’s no wrong way to go about it. It’s your bike; as long as you are comfortable, safe, and happy with how it rides and looks, that’s all that matters and will put a smile on your face for miles.
Changing Motorcycle Handlebars – Yes, It’s That Ridiculously Simple!
Now that the controls have been loosely installed, it’s time to re-center the bars or, in the weeks to come, you’ll always find yourself mysteriously turning left 🙂
Put the bars back into the clamps and put the bolts back in but keep them loose. If you have fairly straight bars you can simply measure from each of the bar ends, inward, to get your bars centered. However, and as I mentioned briefly before, most bars have these pesky things called rise and sweep that can prevent you from getting an accurate side-to-side measurement. A really quick tip is to use either the marks already printed on your replacement bars, the edges of the knurling, or just draw a Sharpie mark dead center on the bars before installing.
On the Honda, there’s one, big clamp that covers the centering marks so you can’t see them at all. So, what’s a guy to do? Slide the bars over to one side until the edge of your ‘mark’ lines up with your bar clamp. Make a mark on the opposite side. Then reverse the process.
Now, you have two marks that are visible, and, most importantly, equidistant (speaking remedially, that means the same distance from the ends). Once you’ve got these visible marks, it’s a fairly easy process to center your bars.
So you have finished reading the how to center motorcycle handlebars topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: motorcycle handlebar alignment tool, clip-on handlebars, dropped bike bent handlebars, how to align motorcycle forks, how to fit motorcycle handlebars, how to straighten handlebars on a road bike, how to fix bent handlebars on a dirt bike, how to straighten handlebars on a bike
