When I bought my bike about 6-months ago, it came with Helibars. These - eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace I didn't notice at first & had never heard of them. I first noticed that my throttle cables ran under the MC & that all other Blade pics had them running over it; so I worked it out. They are a bit wider & taller than the standard clipons & are designed as a comfort mod I think. I have been wondering how they compare with standard clipons, so with help from Scooby, I fitted some. These pics show the Helibar still fitted to the throttle side & the OEM fitted to the clutch side to show the difference. I will try the bike with the oem clipons at weekend (if its dry). If I prefer it, I will probably sell on the Helibars so if anyone is interested, please let me know. Its also possible they will go straight back on if I prefer the John McGuiness look.
Never found the standard bars to far away. and found it to be comfy to ride long distance. Do they make a difference when riding? or would they be better suited for people who are shorter?
Don't know how they compare mate; havn't tried the standard ones yet. I think they are designed to be easier on the wrists & back without loosing the sporty position too much.
Should be an interesting comparison, i have never really heard of anybody who has done this, most just fit them and then go away and don't report back, i will keep an eye on this post.
I am off touring late July , heard about helibars and thought it a good idea to have a more relaxed riding position for long distances 430miles first day lol , any way saw these on ebay and thought they looked real good quality , they are Woodcraft 1" Riser Bars , cost me £130 from the states + about £14 to our lot!!!!! , they are a good bit longer in length too , which I like as I tend to ride on the end of the grips
They look nice, when eventually i get my 2010 Repsol blade (got a 954 at present) then i will look what is regarded as the best ones.
I had a good run with the oem clipons yesturday; they felt a little strange at first. The Helibars do provide much more comfort & control & sensible speeds; although I didn't find the oem units uncomfortable either. When is a crouch, the oem bars make more sense; the angle allows you to tuck in nicely. The Heilbars left my elbows/arms in a slightly unnatural position when trying to tuck behind the screen. I also like to rest my outside forearm on the tank when cornering; this is easier with the oem clipons. I didn't realise that the Helibars could be moved forward & back to the desired place untill I was removing them; with hindsight, I should have experimented with this before taking them off. Its a tuff one, but on balance, I prefer the oem items as they help me lock into the bike better in the turns. The Helibars are excellent too & make for a more relaxed riding position.
Fitted today 1st impressions are good, loads more leverage and comfier on the wrists and neck, will report back once it drys up and i can do a 150 miler
I fitted helibars to my '11 blade because I am 64 YO and found the standard clipons a bit tiring after 250-300Kms. The helibars aren't a radical change but just enough to make longer rides comfortable. I dont see why they need to be wider though, thats my only minor gripe.
Hey ya guys, just thought I'd give an update to this thread and give my opinions regarding fitting helibars and alike. I'd been contemplating fitting some Helibars since last year when I started getting pains in my elbows and wrists, then diagnosed as Lateral epicondylitis in the elbows and carpel tunnel syndrome in the wrists. Riding for any decent mileage just weren't happening cos of the pain. I was struggling to do 50 mile continuously an there's no way I was gonna let go of the blade, I just hoped the pain went away - it didn't. Went out for a spin about a month ago on an odd decent day and again the pain started to kick in real soon. Next step - eBay for some helibars. I chose Helibars as they'd got great write ups and came pre-drilled for the controls. Fitting wise they were pretty straight forward and I ain't to good with spanners, took about 2 hours to fit. Initial feel wise sat on the bike I didn't think there was that much difference, there was 2ft of snow outside so I waited.... patiently.... Well having just recently had a couple of decent days I couldn't get on the bike fast enough. Straight away I knew they were better for me, instantly I realised there was barely any weight on my wrist, my position was better in a more comfortable way for me personally, I'm on the wrong side of 40 so not as agile as I used to be (jeez I sound old!). I personally feel now that because I'm more comfortable I can ride quicker than I could last year as most of the time I was in pain and I just couldn't enjoy the ride. It's not a vast difference, there is still a little weight on the wrists and to look at the bike with rider it's still a racer style position but as Helibars described them its more now Super Sports Tourer and that also kinda sold it for me. However, the proof to be was in the mileage, as said before even 50 mile was a problem but now the last two ride outs I've done I've managed 70 mile each trip and that's an achievement for me without a problem, brilliant! I've got to go further but I'll update on that when the proper decent weather arrives (hopefully) and I can manage a full day on it. It's come as a relief cos I was fearing the worst, the pain never really goes except when I'm not using my arms but even picking a pint up is uncomfortable, as we all do we adapt and I learnt myself to use my muscles in my arms in a different way, this wasn't working on the bike though. I had tried using my knees, tummy muscles, positioning etc but nothing took the pain away from my arms. I'm just really glad that these bars have helped and I don't now look at my bike before a ride out and think... This is gonna hurt Hope this helps if others are in a similar predicament and if anyone of you guys are contemplating Helibars
If you want a far comfier riding position that doesn't sacrifice bike control then forget the Helibars and go for the Gillies Riser Vario-bars. These alter angle and height by as much as 40mm. Got-em on my Blade and they are feckin ACE! Yes they are £330 but they have made an out and out Sports Bike doable for me when I shoulda bought a ZZR1400 or equiv' :: Performance VarioBar Adjustable Handlebars Inc Riser Extension - Black (Raises Bars by 40mm (Incluides Longer Brake Hose)) from our extensive line of Footrests & Handlebars Gilles Adjustable Handlebars Parts for 2012 HONDA CBR 1000 Fireblade ABS 0 Combine the above with a 'Comfort Seat' and Sports Touring Screen and ya good to go. Brucie Bonus is no one notices until you tell em!
Another option for even more height and adjustment are these HONDA CBR 1000RR 04-11 MOTORCYCLE CONVERTIBARS ADJUSTABLE HANDLEBAR BLACK | eBay
I always run helbars on my bikes as standard bars kill my wrist on long rides an the feel, riding position is much better id never go standard. Plus they hrc quick shift throttle helps a lot
I think I must be the only person to prefer the oem clipons. Some of you fellas must be well old & creaky!
