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What's your h-bar width for the woods
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Got a set of KX high ProTaper Contour's from Blanco to try on my
KLX450.
They're cut to 29.5". I used 28.25 on my YZ250.
What's everyone else using?
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I use stock width, which is typically 30.5" on most bars. Barkbuster
ends add another inch to the overall width. I cut down my bars a
couple of times, but I came to the conclusion that it is a bad idea
all around. All it really does is remove the room you need to make
your controls and barkbuster mounts fit - god knows it's tough enough
making them fit with stock width bars.
Wider bars means more leverage and subsequently less fatigue, which is
the most important thing for me these days (being old and fat). An
inch makes NO difference when threading through trees, no matter how
tight they are. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.
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Ride in Louisiana much? Trust me an " makes all the difference. Even
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Ride in New England much? Take a tape measure into the woods with you
next time. I'll put money on it NOT making a difference. Seriously -
do it.
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Regardless of the measurment, you don't have to lean as much to get a
narrower set of bars thru a given width between trees. That equals
less fatigue in my book.
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with my 28.25's, I'd have to lean the bike some to make it thru some
single track at Breezy. Ask Jim, this dez boy needs all the help he
can get down here.
I've got triple clamp mounts for the Cycra's, so I don't have to worry
about fitting them in.
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That's cheating, plain and simple (said in disgust after mounting a
new set of Acerbis just yesterday).
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********************************************
Jay,
Some of the trails that I have been guiding Phlipper through (in
Louisiana) have sections where the trees are about 24" apart.
Size does matter.
Most dirt bike bars are 32" wide.
The special "Enduro" bend bars (Hawkins High Bend Pro-Tapers are what
I use) are usually 30.5" wide. Most of the time, I can worm my bars
(31.5" including barkbusters) through the trees, but that is my
specialty.
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I don't know... if you have to stop and worm through, then I'd argue
that it really doesn't matter what your bar width is.
I will say, however, that on my first ride-around, the full-width
Renthals on my CRF felt overly wide, at least wider than I'm used to.
I'm going to have to break out a tape measure and see whats up with
that.
JayC
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Phil and I had a great ride last weekend on the mountainous trails
of the TrainRobbers area last weekend. I'll be back up there this next
Sunday.
This Saturday, three of us are going up to New Blaine, AR, to work
trail in advance of next month's ISDT Reunion Ride'07. Instead of the
normal AHRMA cross country race, this race will be more like the new
"Qualifier" style enduros. It's going to be FUN!
Everyone come join us.
Wudsracer/Jim Cook
Smackover Racing
'06 Gas Gas DE300
'82 Husqvarna XC250
Team LAGNAF
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I agree with you on length/leverage/fatigue. On my YZ I had a set of
CR Hi protapers mounted in another set of bar clamps for moto. Made
all the difference in the world. Could swap bars in under 15 minutes.
Think I'll do the same with the stock KLX bars.
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Just cut the kid's 31s down to 29.5 plus the width the barkbusters
add which puts them back close to 31". I may lop another 1/2" off
each side.
Maybe.
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I'm at stock (31") on my Fasst Flexxbars. What I've found works well
for me is to pay attention where my hands want to be. For example, I
remember on my (now departed) XR, my thumb knuckle would rub on the
throttle housing causing a blister (on the thumb, not the housing). I
trimmed those bars until the grips were where my hands wanted to be.
I think people's personal preferred bar widths vary not only by
individual, but also by bend. I seem to recall in my enduro-riding
days, I'd run 29.5" (CR Hi/CR Lo? can't remember) and that seemed
right for the Lamson-bend Renthals I ran later too. Today I use, as I
mentioned above, Fasst Flexxbars and their (stock) 31" seems pretty
good, but sometimes I do find my hands hitting the inside "thick area"
on the Grab-On grips I use, so maybe 0.5" less would be optimal for
me, on those bars.
All measurements are on the bar, ignoring the effect of barkbusters.
OTOH, when I rode enduros in Western Washington (state, not the
District of Columbia), which frequently would offer VERY tight woods
work, I experimented with MUCH narrower bars, including mini-bike-type
bars so the crossbar would be shorter and allow room for the perches.
My advise would be to ride & see where your hands gravitate to and if
they're inside the center of the grips, trim off 05" and repeat.
If, on the other hand, you ride events (or "trail race") on trails
with very closely spaced trees, then trim say 0.5" off until you
notice your hands are starting to get near the barkbusters.
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Everyone other than myself must have small hands. :-) Measured just
now sitting at my desk and my palms are 4" wide, not including thumbs,
and not gripping anything. My hands are wider than the grips on my new
2008 KTM 450 XCR-W.
Nothing new to me as I have full sized ProGrip 714's on my 2003. The
problem is in having enough straight 7/8" bar space for grips and
controls. I don't like cutting brake and clutch levers because I want
the full length and leverage, partially for my big hands.
This topic has come up on KTMtalk where it was noted at least one
professional rider cuts his bars in the middle and welds the halves back
together so as to maintain grip space.
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On a related note, the bend of the barkbusters significantly effects
the ability to clip a tree and keep going. The original Bark Busters
(tm) had a single very sharp bend so the portion of the guard that hit
the tree was perpendicular to the direction of (intended) travel.
Today, most guards make a curving bend. I had a set (I don't recall
the brand) that made two ~45-degree bends ~4-6" apart providing a
~4-6" portion, oriented 45 degrees to the (intended) direction of
travel that would contact the tree. These worked great for the at
speed "bash and deflect" move.
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Read an article a month or so ago (in trail rider I think) about bar
lenght that made complete sence to me.
Do several pushup's with your hands level with your shoulders, move
your hands inward and outward to find the most comfortable distance
apart. Then measure the distance between hands and cut your bars to
the length after compinsating for where your hands ride on the grips.
I can't imagine one size fits all and this method made sence to me.
Blurry in Idaho.
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I use the Enduro Hi Pro Tapers at 30.5 inches with bark busters. They
fit me well and match up with my push-up stance just fine. I find
that I tag the occasional tree, but for the most part, the width is
fine for 90% of the riding I do. However, learning to wheelie the
front wheel ever so slightly allows you to squeeze through the
occasional tight fit just by turning the bars. It one of those things
you can practice using a broomsticks using road cones to hold them up
and in place. Approch them at different angles and try to get through
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I find that kids at school crossings work even better than broomsticks
and road cones.
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without tagging the sticks.
Mike Baxter
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