Best 7/8 handlebars

D

DEX

Member

Jun 11, 2003

178

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• #1

I am looking to get new handlebars for my KX 85 I cant afford the 1 1/8 since you have to buy mounts and stuff.
What are the best 7/8 bars I am mostly looking at the Renthal 7/8, the Tag X5s, the Factory 909 bars, and I seen Pro Taper had new 7/8 bars called SE or something.
Whats the best bar and why?
I tried searching but couldnt find a good answer just people saying what bars they have mostly. And yes I seen that thing about Renthals cracking but people talk I am not certain whether it is widespread in the 7/8 Renthals.

 

Senior KX Rider

Super Power AssClown

Nov 9, 1999

8,575

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• #2

The cracking problem is in the Twinwall bars. I have had real good results with the 7/8 Renthal bars. They hold up well, but not as well as the 1 1/8 bars. If you crash very much, and most people do I would spend the extra money and go with oversize. You can pay now........or pay later :)

 

MXGirl230

Stupid tires and trees

~SPONSOR~

Mi. Trail Riders

Dec 19, 2002

2,358

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• #3

I went through 3 sets of the 7/8 Renthals before I bought the 1 1/8 oversized bars. I bought the Tag T2 Privateer kit for $175 (my price) I think they retail for $200. I've put them to the test and have failed to bend them, yet! That comes w/ the upper triple clamp, mounts, bar, bar pad and grips. Not a bad price at all. That might be kind of pricey, though. If you are on a budget, which it sounds like you are the Renthal 7/8 would be my choice. When I bent mine, it wasn't like the first time I had fallen on them. It was several crashes later before I would have to replace them.

 

D

DEX

Member

Jun 11, 2003

178

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• Thread starter
• #4

I almost got the Tag T2s or the Renthal Fat bars but I just couldnt justify right now when I am so short on funds and need so much to get my bike ready. Handle bars, radiator shroud, new graphics and seat cover, new tires, kidney belt and a EVS neck brace for me.
So I am sticking to the 7/8 bars.
I kinda like the fact the Pro Tapers and Tags are 5mm thick but 90% of people seem to run Renthal...I like to be different but dont want to end up with crap just so I stand out.
THey all seem o cost around the same some places have the renthals the most expensive and the Pro Tapers and Tags cheaper and others have the Rentals cheapest so it doesnt matter which of these 3 bars are cheaper they are all around the same price.
THe bends I will probably go Mini High with the Renthals, Mini Works with the Tags and Kawasaki Mini with Pro Tapers.

 

Last edited: Mar 18, 2004

M

Moto Squid

~SPONSOR~

Jul 22, 2002

853

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• #5

Renthals are a good bar...don't get the el cheapo wannabe's because they will bend really easy. I too have gone to oversize and really like them. The trouble I found with those is you won't bend the bars but instead the clamps and their bolt (cr rubber mounted) I've got 3 spare bars laying around, 1 taper, 2 renthals and have on new jimmy button bend renthals right now. I've gone two years w/o bending any bars and thats saying alot (well tweaked the renthals a while back but crashed again and that made them perfect again lol)

 

JWW

LIFETIME SPONSOR

Apr 13, 2000

2,527

2

• Mar 18, 2004

• #6

Renthals for 7/8"
Tags for 1 1/8"

 

D

DEX

Member

Jun 11, 2003

178

0

• Mar 18, 2004

• Thread starter
• #7

How long have the Pro Taper SE been out I am wondering if anyone has experience witht hese or they are too new.

 

M

MXP1MP

Member

Nov 14, 2000

1,845

0

• Mar 19, 2004

• #8

They are like all other 7/8 bars nothing special made purely so pro taper could have a bar in the 7/8 market. I have a sent of bent ones in my garage want'em ? :)

 

S

SND

Member

Mar 26, 2004

12

0

• Apr 2, 2004

• #9

DEX said:

I am looking to get new handlebars for my KX 85 I cant afford the 1 1/8 since you have to buy mounts and stuff.
What are the best 7/8 bars I am mostly looking at the Renthal 7/8, the Tag X5s, the Factory 909 bars, and I seen Pro Taper had new 7/8 bars called SE or something.
Whats the best bar and why?
I tried searching but couldnt find a good answer just people saying what bars they have mostly. And yes I seen that thing about Renthals cracking but people talk I am not certain whether it is widespread in the 7/8 Renthals.

Click to expand...

The Renthal 7/8" bars are the best 7/8" bars in the world. PERIOD. They are OE on teh Honda motorcycles and were even good enough for the Honda engineers! When it comes to 7/8" bars...Renthal is the answer. If you DO choose another brand, steer clear of 7/8" bars that are knurled at the center. This is very dangerous. (knurling where they are clamped)
:thumb:

 

nikki

Moto Junkie

Apr 21, 2000

5,802

1

• Apr 2, 2004

• #10

I prefer Tag X5 7/8" bars because they are stronger than Renthals. Across the mid-section of the bars, Tag's walls are 5mm thick compared to Renthals at 4mm. I've been running Tag X5's for 3 years now and have yet to pretzel a set too bad and I've had some good wrecks. We do have some severely taco'ed Renthals, though. I also prefer the Tag bar bend selections and easy color selections.

 

W

wibby

Mod Ban

Mar 15, 2003

997

0

• Apr 2, 2004

• #11

SND said:

steer clear of 7/8" bars that are knurled at the center. This is very dangerous. (knurling where they are clamped)

Click to expand...

Why is that?


I have a cheap set of aluminum Fly Racing bars (they have the knurling where they are clamped)
I've had 'em for just over a year, they bent pretty easily until I added some Pro Taper aluminum bark busters. Now they are rock solid, very hard to tweak with the busters, I've had numerous 3rd gear, hard hits with TREES, ROCKS and other inanimate objects and they are still holding up well.


A buddy has Demarini's on his KTM, they are supposed to be pretty good bars!
www.demariniracebars.com

 

M

Mike_socal

Member

Oct 1, 2003

189

0

• Apr 2, 2004

• #12

If you hypothetically had unbendable bars wouldn't something else eventually give like the upper clamp? I would rather bend a bar then the clamp. Bars are $80 but an upper clamp would be $$$. Maybe certain bars, like Renthals that are 4mm, are made to only withstand a certain amount of force before they bend allowing the upper clamp to stay in one piece. I would hope that would be engineered into the bar.