jmutiger

Member
Oct 10, 2001
169
0
I have a question.. I was looking at some applied rubber mounted bar clamps, which are basically stock replacements.. And I got to thinking.. If you move the bars further forward, can you get more leverage on the steering, thus reducing high speed head shake? Or a twitch front end in sand whoops with narrow bars?

Or is the only reason people go with a more offset clamp to open up the cockpit to fit them?

Also.. Does the applied one piece top clamp actually do anything, or is it all cosmetics?

Thanks,

Jon!

ps. Loving this 220 so far, but I already put 2 dings in the pipe, and bent a rad.
 

lightsts

Member
Jul 8, 2002
30
0
The forward offset IMO is a personal comfort thing. Myself and my 2 sons are all over six ft. When we ride we are racing so our body position is mostly standing in the attack position over the bars. With the standard mount I feel like the bars are too far back I can't support myself as well.
The KDX is going to headshake, it has a steep steering head angle. That's what makes it a good woods bike. For some reason the stock KDX comes setup for a 130lb rider making the front end dive while braking or even just deaccelerating. That's why when you make a high speed charge across a field it's great, then come off the gas you get the violent headshake. The front end drops and the steering head angle gets steep. Stiffer fork springs and/or dropping the tubes in the clamps with help. A steering stabilizer is the cure. As far as the clamp goes, I think they look great. It might be my imagination but I think we bend more bars with them beacause you loose that little bit of flex between the clamps to help absorb a hit.
 

Robcolo

Member
Jan 28, 2002
342
0
Moving the bars to a more forward position is going to cause MORE headshake for two reasons. ONe is the leverage aspect --Most bars [at least the grips] are located several inches behind the center of rotation of the steering stem. The further from this center of rotation you can position the grips, the more leverage you have to offset headshake. Moving the bar forward positions your grips CLOSER to that center. Secondly, it moves your body position and weight further forward, compressing the front forks, increasing the steering angle and increasing headshake.
 

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