Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Bending Handlebars for my aching back!!!

well, went to the doc today, and found out that I have a C-spine strain (or tendonitis) because of the riding position on my bike (on the last leg of my ride to the Midwest, it felt like someone was plunging a hot knife into my shoulder just below and to the right of my spine!) I have already come up with a throttle lock for the ride, and did stretch and all kinds of stuff but it only helped a little. He is recommending new bars (he actually used to ride Triumphs back in the day), or to modify mine by adding risers and bending the bars a few degrees downward at the ends to give me a more "ergonomic" position for my hands. Well, already going to do the risers, sending the order out tomorrow, and hoping that is all that is needed, but fearing the worst, I am contemplating ways to modify my bars. Any ideas, tricks that have actually worked. Thinking large iron pipe (with tape to protect the chrome and a piece of rubber sheet or something like that where the end of the pipe actually contacts the bottom of the bar when I start bending downward), but if someone has done something similar, I'm all ears (or eyes in this case!) Thanks!!!!

Triumph Bonneville (not America) bars with stock SM risers & cables worked for me to relieve severe backache. Substantially increased rise and pullback over drag bars.

Palmer

The harley duece riser's with pullback worked for me. And are about as cheap to do as anything iv seen

I would imagine bending bars would flake or crack the chrome... Not front contact with the bending machine or whatever, but from the actual bend. I would think replacement or a combination of riser and tilt should do the trick.

Benny, I'm going to try the risers first. Then, I'll try rotating the bars downward about 5-10 degrees if that doesn't work, and hopefully that will be the end of that. I really like the look and shape of the stock bars, and am a little p.o.'d at my body for turning traitor on me!!!

Well, time to go do my excercises, yip-f'ing-ee!!!

You'd be amazed at what a couple degrees of tilt will do!!

I hope so, cause I have my bike EXACTLY the way I want it now, and to have this now be a problem, that I can't ride it for more than half an hour to an hour just ain't gonna fly with me!!!!!

Try the tilt before the risers... It's free!

J&P Cycles Metric Catalog, on page 291, has lots of different styles of 1" handle bars. The "Stock'82 Style Buckhorn" bars look just like what the doctor ordered for you. Coarse you would need to get new longer control cables. I am not real happy with our stock setup just on a styling issue.Been looking at the z-style bars on the opposite page,just have not made up my mind yet.I have reposistioned my stock bars farther down several times now, for my personal comfort. Good luck in your comfort quest! Al

Hey vegas,

Those are the exact bars that I have. Ranger turned me on to them and you do not have to change from the stock cables with the stock risers. I kept Jim's Spacers on so I did have to change the clutch cable and brake line.

The bars are 28" wide, 8.5" rise, 10" pullback, and a 6" center width. They are #5000055 (without dimples) and #5000056 (with dimples). I have the dimpled ones because I was looking for a channel to run the clutch switch and brake switch wires cleanly.

As for comfort, I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am with this setup. With the Corbin seat and these bars (with Kuryakyn grips), I am extremely satisfied. No more back pain, no more shoulder pain. I can literally ride forever....

Greg,

I have the Buckhorns and Jim's spacers installed and they do make a huge difference in comfort.



It did require longer cables and front brake hose but the impovement in comfort, and posture worked for me.

Hi Greg,
I've got the same bars as Grump without the risers ('82 superglide). No mods to cables needed. My clutch cable is showing wear and my throttle cables feel a little sticky, so I may order new ones with a 3" extension over stock. I think the wear is from 38,000 miles of riding, not new bars.
Ride Safe,
Dennis

The guys are right Greg. Break down and buy a set of Buckhorn bars. Stock Sporty or Superglide buckhorn bars work nicely and you can use your existing cables and wiring.

Thunderbird Sport risers will raise the America bars about an inch and move them back maybe 3/4 inch. That combined with a little downward tilt may help. If you need to go lower and a little more forward, the Speedmaster risers and bars may be just the thing.

Reshaping the bars without a pipe bender might not be a good thing. It is possible that it would set up stress points that would eventualy crack the tubing.

The handlebars may be the problem, on the other hand my back was killing me until I got a backrest. I haven't ridden for more than six hours at a time since I got it, but now the back pain is gone and just my butt hurts.

I would, but I just don't care for the buckhorns. Need to find something closer to what I have...

Greybeard, I've got Jims spacers on order, and will try that together with a little tilt, and then take it from there (really hoping taking it from there means, DONE!!) We'll see, should have them on next weekend if all goes well. Already tried tilting the bars but need the risers higher to clear the tank, so that's what I'm waiting on now. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I know they are probably more ergonomically correct, but I just don't like the buckhorns either...

Hej Greg,
I had the same problem a couple of years ago with the back so I dropped the standard bars about 6" and no more problems.Last winter I changed over to the Texas longhorns and there even better,no pain whatsoever and believe it or not they handle better than standard.

I am in the process of trying to find alternative bars as well. The problem I have is a sharp pain right between the shoulder blades ( don't think anyones trying to knife me ). So I am thinking of something wider with a bit of raise to them. The only constraints I have are the maximum width allowed is 900mm (35 1/2 " ) Any ideas on what may be best, Harley types etc ......

Cheers'
Nico

Be careful about that sharp pain Nico, doc told me it was tendonitis, so now I'm doing these really gay neck excercises twice a day! I think it's affecting my elbow as well. Is it kind of a burning pain, and a numb spot right in the center where the tendons attach to your spine at the base of the neck,that's what mine was. I'll post here as soon as I get the Jims Spacers and turn the bars down as Stewe mentioned, and see if that does it!

Greg,
Good luck with your bar adjustments. I've been nursing a sore back this week as well and the only time it doesn't really bother me is when I'm riding... But getting on and off can be an adventure.

Are the cables the same lenth on the BA and SM?

No, believe they are longer on the SM because of the risers.

Try sitting on a Bonneville or T100 and test the comfort of the reach. Those bars are a little narrower, and that might be what you need.

Well, one DEFINITE benefit of the risers is that now my Küryakyn Magnum mirrors are now JUST the right height, that I don't have to cock my head to get a better view out of them, they now sit at just the right height to give me an excellent field of view. Took an hour ride the other night, and didn't have any issues, but I have been doing neck excercises for a week, so can't rule that out. Need to take a good long 2 hour ride, THEN I'll know. Hmmm, maybe better make that 3 hours!!!