The choice is vast, and so are the alternatives! TONNYCAT, for example, offers more than 12 handlebar brands.
Major brands such as STARBAR, RENTHAL, NEKEN or PRO TAPER each offer dozens of different models!
Whether the choice is aesthetic or based on the search for comfort, the motorcycle or quad handlebars is the centerpiece of the riding position.
Your choice will depend on your size, your riding style, and your preference for certain brands.
To avoid premature fatigue of the upper limbs, back and shoulder pain, or tingling in the fingers and forearms, you need to choose handlebars that suit you.
Then adjust it to optimize your riding position.
A new handlebar can transform your motorcycle and, above all, your riding!
Motocross/quad handlebars: with or without bar ?
Handlebars with a 22mm reinforcement bar are a little less comfortable to ride, as they lack the flexibility of handlebars without a bar.
We offer a wide range of 22mm handlebars
They are available in aluminum or steel. Aluminum remains the best choice: lighter and more flexible. Steel is more fragile and easier to bend.
Many standard motorcycles are equipped with 22mm steel handlebars which are quite heavy, and can rust in the long term, but have the advantage of being produced in chrome finish, which is not possible with aluminum.
Almost all the major handlebar brands have opted for aluminum.
Known for its lightness, aluminum has the particularity of being rigid.
As a result, it provides perfect feedback to the front end. Aluminum also offers 300% greater flexibility than normal steel handlebars (which helps a lot at the end of a race when fatigue sets in).
Raw or anodized, aluminum can be used to produce variable-diameter handlebars (i.e. larger diameter at the bridge and standard 22mm diameter at the grips).
alu handlebars in 28.6mm without reinforcement bar are stronger, more flexible but also more expensive. But they're much better in terms of riding quality and efficiency!
We offer a wide range of 28.6mm handlebars
For leisure use, we recommend handlebars with a "high" curvature that makes standing up more comfortable.
Each brand of handlebar has several references with heights ranging from 90 to 100 mm, depending on your size.
If your machine is equipped with adjustable bridges, adopt a forward position for them.
For riders over 1.80 m tall, we recommend the use of bar risers (see below).
ADAPTOR BRIDGES :
The aluminum parts that hold your handlebars in place are called "pontets".
Many original bar mounts have a diameter of 22.2 mm. Nowadays, manufacturers prefer to use 28.6 mm bridges, to offer the more upmarket handlebars that customers are looking for.
You should therefore check the diameter of your current handlebars before making your choice.
It is still possible to fit your motorcycle or quad with original 22.2 bridges with handlebars made for 28.6 bridges. To do this, you'll need to consider the purchase of adapter bridges.
There are many models available, with varying heights. Be careful not to raise the cockpit too much when you're trying to lower it (or vice versa).
You'll find our selection of adapter bridges here.
RAISING BRIDGES :
Riser bridges allow you to raise the height of your cockpit, and some even allow depth adjustment.
A booster cradle can also be adapted to ! In other words, you can go from 22mm to 28.6mm,
This means you can raise the bridle by 15, 25, 35, 40 or 55 mm, depending on your size.
We also offer half bridges, so you can keep your upper bridges! More economical.
Find out more about our jumper enhancers here
PIVOTING BRIDGES:
These not only raise the height of the cockpit (from 50mm to 127mm), they also allow you to adjust the position of the cockpit precisely forwards or backwards. Combined with the rotation of the handlebars, this system is the most interesting and complete in terms of adjustment possibilities!
This type of trigger guard is best suited to quads. A pivot-mounted trigger guard can also be adapted to ! This means you can go from 22mm to 28.6mm, so you can mount 28.6mm aluminum handlebars on your machine.
CHOOSING HANDLEBARS :
Advice from the MXTEAM forum: Choose the handlebar that's right for you:
There are countless handlebars to choose from, and choosing the curvature that's right for you can be tricky.
Will you choose the standard bend?
The Stewart bend? The Dungey bend? ect... And for that matter, what's the difference?
These are all interesting questions, and what follows will give you a better idea of what you really need.
To begin with, you should ask yourself the following two questions:
Do you fly with your elbows up or down?
If you fly with your elbows up, you need a straighter bend. When your elbows are pointing upwards, your wrists turn, which flattens and straightens your hands.
A straighter bend will therefore suit your riding position better than a more pronounced bend. For this riding style, a 971 bend would be just right.
If you ride with your elbows down, you'll need a steeper bend. Indeed, if your elbows are pointing downwards, your hands are placed at a steeper angle backwards and downwards. A 966 or even 790 bend will probably be more suitable. (A 790 bend is the 966 bend with 7 mm less height).
Do you mainly ride standing up? Or do you spend most of your time seated?
If you spend most of your time standing, choose a higher, straighter bend (971 or 983).
If you spend a lot of your time sitting, a lower, more pronounced curvature will be better suited to your needs (966 or 790).
Mini riders now have the same options available to them as larger bikes.
Renthal now offers a 784 bend (a mini version of the 971 bend) and a 783 bend (a mini version of the 966 bend).
Using these handlebars will ease the transition from a 65 or 85 to a larger bike.
And, when you decide to switch to a KX125, you'll feel right at home.
At present, the original handlebars fitted to production bikes are designed for racing riders.
For example, the 2003 KX125 and KX250 feature handlebars with a curvature similar to Renthal's 983 curvature. The 983 bend is a tall, straight handlebar, better suited to an aggressive riding position. The 971 bend is similar, but slightly higher than the 983 bend.
FIND THE BEST POSITION
First of all, sit on the machine normally (neither too far forward nor too far back, in the hollow of the saddle), grasp the handlebars you have previously loosened, then find the position that feels natural to you by rotating them in their mountings.
NEKEN SFH technology:
Handlebars made from aircraft-grade 7010 T6 Aluminum, thanks to FSH technology enjoy Thicker handles for a huge gain in comfort and much less vibration while keeping a diameter standard exterior! Oversized bar manufactured with variable diameter and thickness.
Innovative hand comfort!
1 1/8" (28.6 mm) diameter in the clamping area (trigger guard) 40% lighter and more resistant than conventional handlebars.
All products using this technology are here
