Anyone adjusted the handlebars?

[phishfood]

How can you tell which position they are in? I am not sure how they were when i got the bike. There doesn't look like any difference in turning them around. Any help would be appreciated.

On the left post there is a slanted line.  If the low side is rider side than it's stock.  If the low side is instrument side than it's been moved.

[perolaforss]

How can you tell which position they are in? I am not sure how they were when i got the bike. There doesn't look like any difference in turning them around. Any help would be appreciated.

On the left post there is a slanted line.  If the low side is rider side than it's stock.  If the low side is instrument side than it's been moved.

Hi! 
I would like to identify if my handlebars are in the stock position or not but can't identify the slanted line you mention. Maybe it's not on my bike. Can you please be more specific?

[texscottyd]

@perolaforss - See if this helps clarify. The front of the bike is to the left in the photo, and I have the risers rotated from the stock location, moving the handlebar farther forward on the bike. For the stock position, your risers would be reversed from what you’re seeing here.
 
Since the handlebar mounting point is offset from the vertical centerline of the riser, rotating the riser 180 degrees effectively moves the handlebar forward or backward.
 
I hope this is helpful.

[Panther6834]

Unlike those who have replied to this thread, my "problem" is that the bars are too far forward for me. Now that I know the risers can be rotated 1809 degrees, when I get home from work, I'll check to see if the dealer installed them backwards (ie. "already rotated"). Assuming they're installed in the stock position, then I'll stick with my original plan, which is to install "barback" risers, which will move the bar 1" closer to me, as well as raise them an additional 1" up. Even if the dealer did install the OEM riser "backwards", after returning them to the stock position, I will still, in all likelihood, install the barback risers, as I do not want a "sportier" riding position. That's part of the reason I sold my 2006 Suzuki SV650S, and replaced it with the 2017 Yamaha FJ-09 (at 50 years of age, I don't need to ride "hunched over"...besides, can't ride extended distances in such position).

[kijafasky]

Thanks for the pics and explanation as to what the stock position is.  I've felt like I was leaning a little more forward than what I would like and I ordered and just received the HeliBars Riser that I saw on another post. 
 
Reviewing the pics, it appears that my risers are NOT in the stock position.  That they have been rotated to the front position.  I'm wondering if this happened when I took it in for the recall on the painted bolt issues.  I'm going to try to go back to my dealer and see if they will correct it and restore it back to stock, and then add the new HeliBars riser.
 
 
 

[betoney]

I'm going to try to go back to my dealer and see if they will correct it and restore it back to stock, and then add the new HeliBars riser. 
 
 

By the time you go to the dealer and wait for them to turn them around for you, you could have done the procedure yourself 20 times.  
Seriously, it takes a few minutes, you loosen up the base bolts, turn the riser the opposite direction and tighten the bolt. 

[Panther6834]

Checked my OEM risers, and they were in the correct position. So, installation of the SW-MOTECH Barback Risers commenced...and now I am finally in an upright riding position.

[carlf]

Thinking of getting the Barback risers, too. Were there any issues with cables stretching etc?
 

[perolaforss]

@texscottyd - Thanks alot!
 
Now I know my bike has the handlebars in the stock position.
 
 
 

 

[betoney]

@texscottyd - Thanks alot! 
Now I know my bike has the handlebars in the stock position.
 
 
 

It looks like you have the original clutch cable, they are prone to fraying and breaking. 
Order a revised one, better safe than sorry. 

[nhchris]

Hi folks,
 
 
For those of you that have moved your bars forward I have a question...
 
 
 
Is there a significant improvement in position and/or comfort from the more upright stock position?
 
 
If 10mm is the change, I think that equals less than 1/2 an inch. Does not seem like much!
 
 
Thanks,
cb
 
 

[Panther6834]

Thinking of getting the Barback risers, too. Were there any issues with cables stretching etc?

It's funny you should ask that, as I was just about to post an update related to this very subject, and happened to come across your post. For anyone considering barback risers, I discovered something that you NEED to know. It doesn't matter which brand you get...that's more of a personal preference...the barback risers are outstanding. On that note.......... 
Unfortunately, installing the bar back risers with the OEM risers in the "default" (ie. bars closer to the river) introduced the very cable-stretching problem surmised by carlf. There wasn't any problem noticed when the bars were locked (full left), and when centered, the broken was minimal enough that I didn't think it would matter. It wasn't until moving the bike back to its "storage" location that, when the bats were full right, I realized the throttle cables were stretched tight, and the front brake line was fairly right. While rotating the bar into a slightly more upright position removed the tension on the brake line, it still wasn't enough for the throttle cables.
 
The "solution", ingeniously-enough, was extremely simple. Before installing any barback risers, first rotate the OEM riser 180° (bars further from rider). That 1cc difference (5mm forward vs 5mm back) made all the difference. After removing the bars from the OEM risers, loosen the nuts (underside of top triple tree) holding the OEM risers, rotate both risers 180°, temporarily bold the bars back into place, then tighten the riser nuts (these last two steps are just to make certain the OEM risers are perfectly straight). Once you've tightened the OEM riser nuts, you can remove the bar, and proceed to install the barback risers. Once the barback risers are installed the bar in position, and the barback riser's top clamp & boots in place, do NOT tighten the bolts. After centering the bar, rotate the bar back enough to provide the best upright riding position...but, at the same time, make sure it's rotated forward enough to leave slack on the throttle cables & front brake line, THEN tighten the bolts.

[carlf]

Thanks, Panther for a very comprehensive reply on how to fit the barback risers whilst eliminating any chance of overstretching cables.
I have the SW Motech risers on order and hope to fit them this weekend. Your detailed writeup will, no doubt, make fitting so much easier. Good one, mate.

[betoney]

Thinking of getting the Barback risers, too. Were there any issues with cables stretching etc?

 
The stock bars are extremely wide, raising them an inch up as well as an inch further back will pull the cables a fair bit tighter.  I bought narrower aftermarket bars and still cut them a bit narrower, I have the Helibars Bar Riser and all of my cables are stock length with no binding.
 
 

[texscottyd]

@nhchris - My experience is that the difference with the handlebars moved forward is small, but noticeable. I run the bars forward, and the seat in the tall position... that combination yields the most sporting configuration within the range of standard factory adjustments.
 
I would still like the bar a little lower, so am having an extra set of risers machined to take about .75” off the bottom... all I think I can do without running into clearance issues.