Who all has raised their bars and how on the 51??
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Hoovy: I have been battling this bar raising issue for awhile. I picked up a 2" universal riser kit and a pair of 7 degree bars from Woods manufacturing on the East Coast.
I had to cut my fairing rear ears back two inches near the bars and install a stainless front brake cable as the stock unit would not work. Fortunately the throttle unit, cables and switch controls did work without modification.
The major pain was relocating the clutch rousivoir It has to come off the control lever perch or it will hit the aluminum fairing stays. They are the major source for the new bar fit problems.
You will also need to raise the back of the fairing where it meets up with the tank to get more clearance. Lots of work with this project.
End result: The bars are a bit more comfortable with the 7 degree angle and run about 1" higher than the Heli bars that I had installed earlier. I estimate I have a net height gain of 2" + using the riser and new bar combination. I could go a bit higher but then I would need to reposition those damn stays and cut the fairing a bit more.
I also have a VTR Super Hawk and marvel at it's fairing mount simplicity as compared to the RC-51. Fortunately, a Heli bar conversion of 1" was all that bike needed.............
I had to cut my fairing rear ears back two inches near the bars and install a stainless front brake cable as the stock unit would not work. Fortunately the throttle unit, cables and switch controls did work without modification.
The major pain was relocating the clutch rousivoir It has to come off the control lever perch or it will hit the aluminum fairing stays. They are the major source for the new bar fit problems.
You will also need to raise the back of the fairing where it meets up with the tank to get more clearance. Lots of work with this project.
End result: The bars are a bit more comfortable with the 7 degree angle and run about 1" higher than the Heli bars that I had installed earlier. I estimate I have a net height gain of 2" + using the riser and new bar combination. I could go a bit higher but then I would need to reposition those damn stays and cut the fairing a bit more.
I also have a VTR Super Hawk and marvel at it's fairing mount simplicity as compared to the RC-51. Fortunately, a Heli bar conversion of 1" was all that bike needed.............
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228 Posts
I used a set of stock clip ons from a cbr 1000 (04-06 I think), they raised them about an inch or so until I ran into the front fairing, I haven't been able to bring myself to cut it yet. I did the front SS lines at the same time figuring it would be an issue (and it would have been)
oh and like stated, the clutch will be your limiting factor, I've been keeping an eye out for a clutch with a remote mounted reservoir like the zx14 has. you can find them on ebay for less than $100
oh and like stated, the clutch will be your limiting factor, I've been keeping an eye out for a clutch with a remote mounted reservoir like the zx14 has. you can find them on ebay for less than $100
Thanks guys I was beginning to think I was the only one looking at this issue. The CBR clip ons sounds like a nice alternative to the big money parts I have looked at. Could both of you send me some pics when you get a chance. [email protected]
Thanks a bunch, this site rocks :thumb:
:thumb: Always useful info. :clap: Hoovy
Thanks a bunch, this site rocks :thumb:
:thumb: Always useful info. :clap: Hoovy
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95 Posts
Hoovy: Go to www.woodcraft-cfm.com Take a look at the 12-3550 50mm 2" riser universal clipon Assembly. They put it at my door for $192.99 delivered.
Their phone # is 978-297-2977, Winchendon, MA
Their phone # is 978-297-2977, Winchendon, MA
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228 Posts
The convertibars are nice but close to $300 before lines and everything else you'll need. The woodcrafts are cheaper, but unless your going above one inch, you can get the same thing with the cbr clipons at 1/4 the price on eBay. It won't be as fancy and you can probably make more adjustments with the woodcrafts, but you'll still get a good rise.
And remember that the rc's bars already sit below the triple clamp by about 1.5 inches (estimation from memory) so a 2 inch riser like the woodcrafts are going to bring it up 3.5 inches total.
My cbr clipons aren't even touching the triple clamp before I ran into problems with the clutch, so anything like the woodcrafts and you'll be cutting the fairing. The next thing you'll run into is the fairing brace, but you can do away with it if you go to bar end mirrors.
I'll post up pictures tomorrow maybe
And remember that the rc's bars already sit below the triple clamp by about 1.5 inches (estimation from memory) so a 2 inch riser like the woodcrafts are going to bring it up 3.5 inches total.
My cbr clipons aren't even touching the triple clamp before I ran into problems with the clutch, so anything like the woodcrafts and you'll be cutting the fairing. The next thing you'll run into is the fairing brace, but you can do away with it if you go to bar end mirrors.
I'll post up pictures tomorrow maybe
WOW the woodcrafts look really nice, and fairly simple. Thanks guys this is a huge help. I didn't realize the seat position was that low so maybe the CBR's will work. Maybe I'll try them first because if they don't work I can just put them back on ebay. Man I love this site lots of good useful information!
:thumb::clap::thumb::clap: Hoovy
:thumb::clap::thumb::clap: Hoovy
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95 Posts
As stated and agreed, raising the bars will require a fairing cut if you go above a one inch rise. The next hurdle is the clutch assembly bar perch. You will need to go to a remote unit like the ZX-14 but if you do, make sure your pumping ratios are the same. They are stamped on the units' outer sides.
You can also modify your existing stock unit and make it remote by machining out the current rousivour holding well and replacing it with a push in Nissan after market kit that makes the unit remote. This will give you the clearance you need.
Great idea with the bar end mirrors and getting rid of that fairing stay. I know this is a lot of work but most of us will agree that that bar set on the RC-51 was designed for something other than moderate or mid distance sport touring. Good luck with the project, I like the way mine turned out.........
You can also modify your existing stock unit and make it remote by machining out the current rousivour holding well and replacing it with a push in Nissan after market kit that makes the unit remote. This will give you the clearance you need.
Great idea with the bar end mirrors and getting rid of that fairing stay. I know this is a lot of work but most of us will agree that that bar set on the RC-51 was designed for something other than moderate or mid distance sport touring. Good luck with the project, I like the way mine turned out.........
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39 Posts
For all I can tell, the Gilles Tooling risers aren't made anymore. I'd have to call the company because I can't find anything on them. The engineering of them is amazing, though.
Does anybody have any images of their riser install?
Does anybody have any images of their riser install?
Just swap the stock bars L <-> R and upside down. Allows a much better angle of the wrist and you can get the actual grips higher than ANY other arrangement without modifying fairing etc. But you may have to get longer hydraulic lines, depending on how high you set them.
I liked it so much I did the same thing on my FireBlade. Both bikes are now infinitely more comfortable on the road. Not sure I'd do this if the bike was just for the track however.
I liked it so much I did the same thing on my FireBlade. Both bikes are now infinitely more comfortable on the road. Not sure I'd do this if the bike was just for the track however.
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95 Posts
Nice alternative but to truly raise the bars you must cut the fairing and remove the windshield fairing stay. Once you do that, go with the two inch universal riser kit for 50mm tubes from Woodcraft. When fully installed you end up with a 3 1/2 inch rise in the bars. That puts the grips right at or above the triple tree, just like on the newer bikes........
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OK guys, I got a full, solid 2" rise out of a set of Woodcraft risers in the 1.5" set. My RC51 sat in the middle of my garage for a week and a half while I worked my magic. That's a full 2" of rise with absolutely NO fairing cuts and NOT getting rid of the upper fairing stay. The secret? You need to CAREFULLY, and I mean carefully spread the upper fairing stay without breaking the welds. That's a $100 mistake if you screw up. Spreading those upper 'wings' is the key to getting the controls to slip past them when you turn the bars to full lock. You need a set of new brake lines for the front. The stock length is 700mm for the left caliper and 600mm for the right. Tell them to add 2" to those lengths. Talk to Brian at Speigler in Dayton OH. He'll ship you the right stuff. There's also another revelation I discovered in relocating the clutch reservoir. You need to order the outlet for the BRAKE side and its O-ring. It fits into the clutch master cylinder perfectly but there's no c-clip to hold it in like there is on the brake side. You have to machine a stay that allows you to use the stock screw to hold down the outlet and an MSD coil boot as a dust cover. You have to order a couple of new reservoirs. One for the clutch and one for the brake. Lose the stock brake reservoir and make brackets to mount the new reservoirs. The stock reservoirs don't even sit straight! My way looks absolutely factory. Actually, it looks even better because the new Brembo reservoirs (cheap on eBay) both set perfectly straight and in the same location on each side. This 2" rise completely transformed the stock, unnatural, ass-up-in-the-air position into a beautiful ride that I can go all day on. I'm telling you, this is all uncharted territory as there is no kit and there are no answers anywhere on planet Earth on how to do this. You have to machine perfect aluminum brackets for everything and pin the clutch reservoir so it doesn't rotate. I don't know if anyone else can do this but here you have a brief outline of all the hell you have to go through to accomplish this project. Good Luck!
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I also went down the route of fitting a remote reservoir on the clutch side because otherwise it fouls the fairing stay and I had already spread it upwards as described to gain extra clearance. BUT, it is entirely different if you flip the bars because instead of the levers and reservoir being so much higher than the actual grip (the important bit where your hand rests) and thereby hitting the stay etc, instead the inner end of the bar is kept MUCH lower for an equivalent height of grip. IOW you can get a HUGE raise in grip height, yet have no clearance problem of the levers etc and therefore I have reverted to the original fixed reservoir for the clutch as there is simply no problem.
The angle of the grip will appear odd at first and even feel odd because we have been forced to become accustomed to the way they normally droop down to the outside, but that causes an unnatural angle of the wrist when riding upright. This isn't a problem for everyone, but it kills my wrists (and many other owners) after a very short time. With the flipped bars, my wrists are straight and with the reduction in weight they now have to support (due to the more upright position rather than any dietary regime I may have followed) the effect is zero problem except after a long day and even then it's minor and largely just from inactivity for so many hours.
Thing is, you can try this out for free (apart from a few hours of your time), no need to buy anything until you're satisfied and then you 'may' need different hydraulic lines, but that's probably a good thing in itself.
Another simple and probably cheap alternative is to fit the top yoke from a CBR929/954 and then simply move the stock bars ABOVE the yoke. You will need to spread the fairing stay to do this, but again, this is free (BTW this is EASIER with the early steel stays, the later Al ones are much tougher to modify). This will get more than an inch of raise, but the angle is the same as stock and the result is nowhere near as good as flipping them.
I'm sure you can buy kits to achieve something close, but why spend money when you don't need to. Also, the end result of flipping the bars looks essentially stock, like the bike was designed and built that way rather than with some aftermarket bodge-up fitted.
The angle of the grip will appear odd at first and even feel odd because we have been forced to become accustomed to the way they normally droop down to the outside, but that causes an unnatural angle of the wrist when riding upright. This isn't a problem for everyone, but it kills my wrists (and many other owners) after a very short time. With the flipped bars, my wrists are straight and with the reduction in weight they now have to support (due to the more upright position rather than any dietary regime I may have followed) the effect is zero problem except after a long day and even then it's minor and largely just from inactivity for so many hours.
Thing is, you can try this out for free (apart from a few hours of your time), no need to buy anything until you're satisfied and then you 'may' need different hydraulic lines, but that's probably a good thing in itself.
Another simple and probably cheap alternative is to fit the top yoke from a CBR929/954 and then simply move the stock bars ABOVE the yoke. You will need to spread the fairing stay to do this, but again, this is free (BTW this is EASIER with the early steel stays, the later Al ones are much tougher to modify). This will get more than an inch of raise, but the angle is the same as stock and the result is nowhere near as good as flipping them.
I'm sure you can buy kits to achieve something close, but why spend money when you don't need to. Also, the end result of flipping the bars looks essentially stock, like the bike was designed and built that way rather than with some aftermarket bodge-up fitted.
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95 Posts
Sportrider and UKenGB : You both did well. Good to see the thought going into these projects and the good results. In reference to the "new" remote clutch reservoir retaining clip, any quality machinest can mill a retainer for you to hold down the outlet hose connected to the new reservoir.
Another positive is that the throttle cables do not to be lengthened during this modification and changing the front brake lines is very easy if you take your time. . The bike is just so much better to ride now.
Another positive is that the throttle cables do not to be lengthened during this modification and changing the front brake lines is very easy if you take your time. . The bike is just so much better to ride now.
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39 Posts
I'm hearin' ya Chal. All the while I was working this out I was thinking: "is all this going to be worth it?" Yea - it is. Amazing difference.
You don't need a machinist to do any of this stuff - it's aluminum and very easy to form.
And...UKenGB; I'll guarantee you right now that your way looks and feels completely ridiculous compared to my "aftermarket bodge-up fitment". UP swept bars? Please
You don't need a machinist to do any of this stuff - it's aluminum and very easy to form.
And...UKenGB; I'll guarantee you right now that your way looks and feels completely ridiculous compared to my "aftermarket bodge-up fitment". UP swept bars? Please
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95 Posts
Sportrider: I took a look at the two pics, now you have my visual learner attention. When you bend the windscreen stay, do you open it up side to side and then arch it over to clear the reservoirs? If so, who much approximately ?
I have the stay in my hands but will put it own awaiting your response.....Chal
I have the stay in my hands but will put it own awaiting your response.....Chal
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39 Posts
Just bend the two main spars up more about 3/4" (in line, no twisting - just more) and bend the mirror mounting tabs down to end up flat against the fairing 'wings'.
Be careful and don't stress any of the welds, and first, trace the stock curves to pieces of printer paper to check how far you get. the 3/4" is measured midway between the mirror mount nuts. Bending the mount tabs is tough because the way they're stamped they're very strong. 1/8" deep slits in those will help you bend them. Go until the slits disappear from the downward bend.
Well you'd be wrong. They do NOT sweep UP and you cannot deny the angle of the hand to the arm is now straight as opposed to the wrist being cranked sideways as with normal bars. This is not my opinion, this is just basic anatomy.
It is also worth pointing out that higher bars generally do not droop downwards but tend to be flatter, IOW just like flipped RVT bars.
I am not the only one to think this way. Although I only discovered this after figuring it out for myself, the late great Barry Sheene also had a penchant for flipping bars this way as he said it made much more sense for the road. But then he also said sticking your knee out when riding on the road was stupid and unnecessary and made you look like an idiot. Smart guy (NO sarcasm intended).
Look I don't care if anyone does this or not, but since the controls fouling the fairing is the limiting factor, the greater the distance of the grip below those controls, the lower the riding position. So if you can get the grip higher for a given position of the controls, then you've gained height where your hands hold and hence are more upright and with less weight on the wrists and isn't that what this is all about? You will NOT be able to achieve anything else as high any other way, unless the replacement bars also have the shame shape keeping the grip as high as possible. Yes it would be higher still if they genuinely did sweep up, but that would be uncomfortable. Flipping the stock bars however is not like this.
Like I say, they're your wrists (and it's your wallet).
BTW, the throttle cable can be retained. It's only the hydraulic lines that MAY need changing. I don't know for sure since I was fitting new kevlar lines anyway and never tried it with std lines.
Hopefully you can see the way these bars look here:-
Ken Gillett's Photos | Facebook
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