The Gilles VarioBar lifts it by 60mm. I have a set on my 999 and have just got a set to put on my Panigale. Well worth the cost.
I have the opposite problem. Holding my head up to see forward gives me a stiffening and painful neck and upper back. The support that comes with higher speeds is a welcome relief
I tried the swap over on the 748. It felt really weird and I could not get used to it. They looked as if they were still angled down but when sat on the bike it felt as though my wrists were turned inwards as if the bars were also turned up I have Gilles variobars on the 748 now. I have the Gilles bar ends and that makes the bars not only flatter but wider too. Very comfortable The best set I have are fitted to my MV but for some reason they don't make them for smaller diameter forks They look standard but are basically a rose joint and are infinitely variable
Wow. Is yours the 03 or 05 version and how easy was it to fit? Did you have to make any mods? Presumably the top yoke has to be separated from the forks?
Its 05, you have to remove damper and yoke slide stock bars off and put the new ones on. Very easy. No mods.
Thanks. So the top yoke will come off, leaving everything else in place. So you rode a 999r through France? Great to see not everyone buys them as an investment/ornament Looked up your age on your profile - I shall have to change my forum name now
Fitted some Helibars yesterday. I chose the Helibars because they seemed more plug 'n play than the Gilles version. They look standard and haven't altered the look of the bike at all. Sitting on the bike, they feel perfectly natural and I wouldn't have known they are not the oem bars but haven't test-ridden it yet, so can't give a verdict on improved comfort and reduced neck-pain. The instructions are reasonably adequate but a little vague when it comes to final adjustments of bar positioning. Having spent 300 quid, I was hoping that would have been rather more clear-cut. Height is simple, just snug up to the yoke but fore and aft positioning is much less clear, they just say to make sure you have enough clearance for your hands at full lock. Having done that, I'm not at all sure that both bars are even, so I will need to re-visit that before riding it. It took me much longer than an hour, more like 2-3 hours because it's a fairly simple job but rather fiddly with awkward access to the fasteners. I was initially disappointed to find that the bars have closed ends with a screw-thread in the centre, so you can't fit your favourite bar ends or my beloved Oberon Streetfighter bar-end mirror, as they use expansion fittings. However, I chopped part of the mirror fitting off and was able to bolt it direct to the bar, rather than using the expansion fitting. Similarly, I was able to use my existing bar end on the left-side by discarding the expansion fitting and bolting direct, so that was a big relief. This of course added to the fitting time, so maybe just 2 hours. I used Cillit Bang as a lubricant for the grips, as it's not oil based. It seems to work well - lubricating when wet and sticking firmly when dry. Will report back when I've given it a test ride.
Sorry about the delay. The weather took a turn for the worse and then I had a week's holiday in the Lake District. I have now given it a bit more a ride and can report that there is a definite improvement, although I still haven't ridden it far enough to give a definitive verdict for distance riding. The main difference is that the bars don't angle downwards as much as oem, which is why you can get away with not having to modify anything. It makes a surprising difference - I now find myself not jammed against the tank with straight arms. I can now bend my arms if I want to and even shift right back in the seat. I also find myself shifting sideways in the seat to take spirited corners, which is something that didn't come naturally at all previously. The fact I can now do these things also means I found myself actually crouching lower at speed on a 4-lane highway, so average speeds can be higher as there is less buffeting but it might be that much harder to keep a clean drivers' licence. It's hard to get something for nothing and there is some restriction to the available 'lock', mainly as a result of hands against the tank. Shifting hands to the ends of the grips provides a pretty effective cure though and this slight down-side is heavily outweighed by the benefits. I didn't even think about my neck on the ride I've just done, so that has to be a huge bonus, as previously I have always taken every opportunity to sit up and take the pressure off my protesting neck muscles, even on relatively short rides. All in all a big improvement and highly recommended.
Took it for a longer ride on Friday, one which would have previously been getting the neck stiff and painful. Brilliant! No pain, no stiffness and the handling felt absolutely fine - better if anything. It's hard to get something for nothing though and the lock is affected, there's no getting away from it. Well worth that down-side though to get pain-free riding. Looks-wise, you'd struggle to tell it wasn't a standard bike - you'd have to have two sitting next to each other and look really closely to spot any visual difference. The main difference is that there is less droop to the Helibars All in all, expensive but worth the expense for much-improved comfort. No handling penalty, except for slow speed manoeuvring when your hands can foul the mirrors and tank. Recommended.
