Handlebar And Lever Position

[duke]

I have read where there exists two schools of thought on how to set bar height, position and lever position; old school and new school. In essence "old school" means the bar is set high and the levers mounted low. "New school" denotes that the bars are a little lower and the controls are parallel. What the advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches?

 

[KelvinKDX]

I don't know about the "old/New school" thing but i think it really comes down to what you are comfortable with and what suits your riding style. I like a set up that makes it comfortable for me to ride while standing since i stand during most of any difficult or technical riding. I tend to keep my levers tilted a little lower than parallel with the ground. I usually like my bars higher than what a stock set-up would come with.

 

[COMBEN]

Interesting one this,

I didn't realise just how different I always set my bikes controls, they are the COMPLETE opposite to my friends.... does that make me wierd, excentric or clever, take your pick :whoa: . I know I'm NEVER comfortable unless I take time out to do my tweaks.
6 years ago with a new (to me) CR-125 I didn't bother setting up 'cos I couldn't wait and put myself in hospital and still carry the scars, so to me it's important, not a trivial part of the bike, as important as jetting, clean airfilters and all those go faster bits and bobs.

Throttle, 3 to 4 mm of cable slack...it helps me to stop 'popping' the throttle open over in the real tight woodsey sections.

Clutch and brake levers with no hydraulic slack ;) ( no more wire clutch) and set to 80' from horizontal

Gear lever, quite high...I always have a problem getting my boot under the lever otherwise.

Rear brake, oodles of slack so I have less chance of hitting my rear brake at the wrong time...not good when coming off the top of a jump.......... unless you like diving for a sport!

Whatever try loads of positions and see what YOU like....if it's odd, so what, set the bike for yourself.

hope this helps

 

[adam728]

Interesting one this,
Clutch and brake levers with no hydraulic slack ;) ( no more wire clutch) and set to 80' from horizontal

I am hoping you mean 10º from horizontal. If it were 80º your levers would be pointing almost perfectly straight down (or up). I don't know how you'd be able to pull them in!

 

[COMBEN]

I am hoping you mean 10º from horizontal. If it were 80º your levers would be pointing almost perfectly straight down (or up). I don't know how you'd be able to pull them in!

yes, I said I was strange or does that make me 'old skool'...hmm it maybe more like 70' looking at my protractor by my desk.....but I find I can pull the lever's easily this way and for far longer without getting tired, especially when standing in the 'attack' position.....or for me the just plain scared position....

....I think, for me, it's more important for the controls to be 'at hand' when standing and nailing it, or standing for hard braking into a corner with my arms quite straight, than when sitting and getting a breather :) and my hands roll further round the bar grips when I stand...sorry, I can't help it, honest

Try sitting on your bike with the bike on it's stand and have a loose clutch lever and keep pulling it in until the fingers pull in-line with the movement of the lever....mine just ends up in this position

If you think this is radical, something else I'm thinking of doing is to set my lever's so I can never get more than 2 fingers on them (2nd and 3rd) :nod: ...I only use two fingers on the clutch and brake and the movement is making 4th pinkie a little sore :(

I can feel a poll coming along here...lever's up/down......2 or 3 fingers!

 

[NM_KDX200]

Actually, I am fairly "old school", having been riding since 1974. Back in the day, we put the bars fairly low and the levers dropping below the horizontal. The idea was that you'd ride with your forearms parallel to the ground and reach down for the levers. When standing, the levers would be a straight reach for you. Only squids put their bars and levers up because that was a sure way to get arm-pump. You didn't sit on the tank because it was bare, unpadded metal (yes, metal) up there. "New School" puts the bars much farther forward and the levers even or above the bars, the thought being that this keeps you forward on the bike and elbows up. Back in the day, you didn't sit forward on the bike or the ill-tempered suspension would kick you right over the bars. I'm not sure what "Post-Modern New Millenium School" does.

Just take a look at some of the video footage from the 70-80's and you'll quickly see the transition period. Jimmy Weinert's riding with an upright back, like he's driving an office chair around the track or something. The first person I see approaching "New School" is Rick Johnson and definitely Jeff Stanton. McGrath, of course, was the guy who perfected a lot of front-wheel landing, forward on the bike, moving around, elbows up, preloading, brake tapping. You just didn't see that kind of thing in the 70's or early 80's.

 

[duke]

Gary and David Bailey really promoted the "attack" riding style that you speak of. Both through example and instructional tutelage. Their recommendation to move the bars up and levers down to facilitate the stand up attack style was still in vogue, or so I thought. I still have one of their tapes from the 80's and rely on it to this day. My question was incited from having read an article in the most recent issue of Racer X. As for old school, I am 48 and remember fondly of the old ways dictated by bike design. Nothing prettier then the series of Easter egg colored Husky tanks.

 

[FruDaddy]

My bars are in line with the forks, or real close. And my levers are slightly below level. I have been told that the best way to find out how wide you bars should be is to do a few push-ups then. While in the up position, have a friend measure from the outside of one hand to the outside of the other. To find out how tall the bar should be, and how it should be positioned, you can loosen the bar and push it all the way forward, mount the bike in your attack position, close your eyes, and put your hands where the bar should be. Your hands will end up where your ideal grips would allegedly be. Have your pal rotate the bar up to your hands and snug up the bolts.

 

[krazyinski]

WoW!! this is like jetting!

 

[NM_KDX200]

I have been told that the best way to find out how wide you bars should be is to do a few push-ups then. While in the up position, have a friend measure from the outside of one hand to the outside of the other.

I've read that hundreds of times, but the problem is that if you do push-ups as part of your training/exercise, then you'll have some "push-up strength" and you can do them pretty much anywhere from tight to spread. For instance, I can't tell much difference from 34" to 26". Just different muscles in play. Somewhere around 27" with my hands slightly under the point of my shoulder feels best to me. I should cut my bars to 27"?? :whoa: I'm only 5' 6", but I really don't think my bars should be that narrow. I run 'em at 30" for MX and 29" for woods and just get used to it (something that us short people do all the time! ;) ) .

 

[Ryan12833]

I just keep my bars and levers loose. Sit on the bike and tighen them when they are comfortable.

 

[FruDaddy]

I've read that hundreds of times, but the problem is that if you do push-ups as part of your training/exercise, then you'll have some "push-up strength" and you can do them pretty much anywhere from tight to spread. For instance, I can't tell much difference from 34" to 26". Just different muscles in play. Somewhere around 27" with my hands slightly under the point of my shoulder feels best to me. I should cut my bars to 27"?? :whoa: I'm only 5' 6", but I really don't think my bars should be that narrow. I run 'em at 30" for MX and 29" for woods and just get used to it (something that us short people do all the time! ;) ) .

I think it's pretty much a leverage thing, a lot of people that don't do push-ups all of the time, ten to shift their hands while doing them. After 15-20, the hands should end up where they have the best leverage. I find the result a little narrow myself, as does my son. I prefer the eyes closed method, but I have no desire to try to find a set of bars that meet the measurements. I just set it up as close as possible and go.
This does make me wonder how wide Ricky's bars are....