Honda Blackbird for Touring.

Hi all, my first post on this list...
Have just retired my trusty BMW K75C for a new CBR 1100XX.
While the Blackbird is ideal for a quick blast over short distances on the
highway,
as an older rider I find the weight on my arms very tiring on long trips &
in slow traffic.
Can anyone recommend or link me to a set of aftermarket handlebars that will
allow for a more upright riding position please?
Regards, Grump.

 

I never had a problem with Blackbird's ride position, but then I've
always owned sports bikes.

Go faster - let the air hold you up

Kevin Gleeson
Imagine It
West Hobart
Tasmania Australia
www.imagine-it.com.au

 

That works well on an open highway but not in heavy traffic or touring two
up on dirt roads.
I looked at buying a tourer at first but still prefer a lighter, more nimble
sports bike for daily use having owned several Suzi GSXs before the K75.

Also now that I'm a senior citizen, the arthritis from years of dirt bike
competition get-offs has caught up with me.
Guess I'm looking for a compromise between excitement & comfort...
Regards, Grump.

 

Can't remember the details, but there is a bloke, someplace in
Melbourne, who does handlebar re-arranging for bikes like the Blackbird.

The set I had a try of, were on a VFR800, and they were beautifully
made, and moved the grip up about an inch, and back just a wee bit.

Maybe ask at the Ulysses Club, not that there aren't old farts around
aus.moto, but most won't admit to it.

Another (expensive) alternative is http://www.helibars.com/honda.html

regards,
CrazyCam

 

google search for helibars should solve the problem, also take a look
at www.cbr1100xx.net (i think it was)

 

An FJR1300 would have solved the problem.
Goes hard, handles well and a good riding position.

 

Hmmm, yes, & so would a BMW K 1200 S at over $30G. as well as any number of
dearer & heavier tourers
However having just purchased a new Blackbird for $15G, I'm now looking to
adapt it to my requirements.
Regards, Grump.

 

Regards, Grump.

 

Thanks for the leads.
Regards, Grump.

 

No no! This is Usenet. We hear your plea for help, and shall
now proceed to painstakingly dissect, diagnose and address
a problem that you don't have!

HTH, HAND,

G

 

The two answers I have heard to this question are either helibars, as
someone else mentioned, or using the VF800 bars on the blackbird.

Bruce
CBR1100XX
ZR750 (for sale)

 

I toured overseas on a CBR1100 for a year and found it pretty
perfect... im 6'2 though, and have pretty long arms. How much extra
bar height do you need? A small bit can make a big difference... have
you tried lowering the bike down on the forks, try say 10mm, and then
raise the bars on the forks by another 5-7mm (which will leave the
forks slightly recessed in the bars). All you'll need is a spanner and
and allen key. This is free and you might find you like it. It will
make the bike a bit lower to the ground, and turn in a little faster.

I have weak wrists as well and at lower around town speeds they start
to ache pretty fast. I find if i make a conscous effort to squeeze the
tank with my knees and supprt my upper body with my stomach rather than
just leaning on my arms im a lot more comfortable. I also find i get
better low speed control this way and it helps get those washboard abs
my girlfriend is always wishing i had rather than my slight beer gut.
This isnt as painful as it sounds; just a matter of goot posture.

 

Thanks for this information..I've already raised the bars on the forks as
far as I can, but hadn't considered lowering the bike on the forks for fear
of an adverse effect on the bike's handling at speed at the reduced rake.
I'm only 5'11", 61 yrs old with arthritis in my neck & back (might have
left it too late to improve my posture & abs, lol), so was looking to lift
the bars &/or extend them rearwards at least 3cm.
Will experiment with your suggestion & have checked out the Helibar link.
Looking at the pic of the item on the site, there's not much to them... I
may even be able to knock up my own set out of suitable stock if all else
fails. The price of the Helibars is a bit steep for my pocket.
Regards, Grump.

 

you need glycusomine and condroitin up to 8 gms a day with non citrus
juice and some mild exercise . ( did I spell that correctly ?)

 

Thanks...been on the glucosamine for a while now & it helps.
Haven't heard of the 2nd item before...
Regards, Grump.

 

hope it helps a lot, and for what its worth, if you're not scraping
pegs (if you're scraping feelers then snap them off) its worthwhile
lowering on the forks. it will improve the handling. I've also found
that a larger tank bag can improve things too, because you can rest
your chest on it (not to mention the extra luggage capacity). go for
one of the really big ones.

I ended up dropping my cbr1100 down on the forks a little, and adding
one link to the standard chain and running it out at the extremes of
chain adjustment. It felt a bit more stable that way, and it suited my
style of riding which is high speed sports touring. I like to spend
whole days at speeds of 180~200km/h though there arent many countries
left where you can do this safely and economically. the cbr wasnt even
moving at these speeds and the DCBS which i hated with back brake
operation gave good results with front and excellent with front and
rear pulled it up in distances unimaginable. I often got up into the
230~250 range and occasionally into the heady 300+ zone, though at
these speeds i wasnt looking at the speedo. 100 metres a second is no
time to take your eye off the target. I went through a rear tyre
almost every month on my blackbird, and a front every other month. it
was worth _every penny_

Overtaking vehicles eventually became a problem, and this bike truly
redefined my idea of fast in the roll on speed of 100~200. This was
probably the ultimate reason that i moved down to an older cbr1000
hurricane; I would come around a corner at 80 and flit to the wrong
side of the road. summing up the situation quickly i would see 20 cars
on my side and one car on the other and i'd think to myself 'i could
take 18, maybe 19 of those before i reach that car'. nowadays i only
take 15.

 

What are you replying to?

GB

 

What are you replying to?

GB

 

Umm... just unscrew them. It'll be a lot neater than snapping them
off. But if you've got no feelers, the fairings will scrape before the
pegs.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

They work best together. The Glucosamine helps the regeneration of
cartilage, where the Chondroitin improves the lubrication and nutrition of
the joint. You can buy them in one tablet, I've got a bottle of Blackmores
"Joint Formula" hanging around somewhere. Hey, I'm on 25, but if you run a
shitload (like I used to) things get a bit sore.

Cam