Opinions sought on Heli Bars for 06 VFR

[Guest Redneck]

Hi folks,

Can i please get some feedback on the Heli Bars for the 06 VFR800?

I have owned the bike for 12 months now, and I'm thinking of getting bionic wrists fitted to alleviate the PAIN of a long ride ( 200 Klms + ).

I was wondering how much difference the rise and set back really makes.

I have read about having to remove the cast tabs on the brake and clutch assemblies and I appreciate how this will enable me to adjust the angle of the pull to make it more comfortable.

I would be interested on any feedback, be it positive or negative before I lash out the bucks.

[Monk]

I can ride all day with mine(I'm 65).... There are other types that will put the grips closer to you, but in a lot of cases that will require longer cables, also there can be turn clearance issues with the other types.

Also I have a custom seat that is a little lower which helps as well, and then added peg lowering blocks to straighten my legs more.

All three of these changes only amounted to mere inches each..... But each one makes a big difference on their own.

[Veefer Madness]

I don't know about you but, I'm 5'6 and have short arms; they not only raise the bars to take some load off the wrists, but because of the angle of the forks, actually bring the bars closer to you as well.

It will help your back positioning too.

[johnmark101]

The Heli Bars are a good improvement to the VFR. Install is relatively easy and the subtle change they make in the riding position is enough to add comfort without taking away from the bikes sportig charactar.

I think I had to remove the cast tab on the brake side only. I used a Dremel tool with a small cutting wheel. I highly recommend the Heli Bars.

[SereniTTy]

I have enjoyed my set, definitely an improvement over stock. Having said that, at 6'2" with the Sargent seat (about 1/2" higher than stock) I still felt that they were not quite enough. This past weekend I installed the LSL superbike bars. They are considerably more complicated to install (the throttle cable rerouting was a PITA), but feel like they will be a second big improvement. Of course with 6" of snow on the ground, I can't test them on the road yet.

Heli bar install wasn't bad. Trimming the tabs on the clutch and brake is easy if you have a dremel tool with a cut off wheel. If you are careful with the wrench, you can move the lines without needing to bleed them. The most difficult part is getting the bar weights out of the stock bars.

This also means that I have a set of Heli-bars available now...

Hi folks,

Can i please get some feedback on the Heli Bars for the 06 VFR800?

I have owned the bike for 12 months now, and I'm thinking of getting bionic wrists fitted to alleviate the PAIN of a long ride ( 200 Klms + ).

I was wondering how much difference the rise and set back really makes.

I have read about having to remove the cast tabs on the brake and clutch assemblies and I appreciate how this will enable me to adjust the angle of the pull to make it more comfortable.

I would be interested on any feedback, be it positive or negative before I lash out the bucks.

[Guest]

Before you shell out the cash for Helibars I would give grip puppies a try.

You can find them here and you would need the small version.

http://www.casporttouring.com/optimizer/category/GRIPPUP.html

They go over the grips already on the back and enlarge the grip a little bit which does wonders for me.

[bryan217]

Before you shell out the cash for Helibars I would give grip puppies a try.

You can find them here and you would need the small version.

http://www.casporttouring.com/optimizer/category/GRIPPUP.html

They go over the grips already on the back and enlarge the grip a little bit which does wonders for me.

+1 on the Grip Puppies. I love mine. They won't help as much as Helis will, but for the money, they're great.

[Monk]

Here's a pic of the modes.... Heli's / puppies / manual throttle lock / and a throttle palm / also the peg lowering blocks.

DSC00022.JPG

DSC00358.JPG

[MuddDawg]

I have Heli's on my 5th gen and I like them. They were on the bike when I bought it. I do have a set of stockers. Has anyone looked at swapping the left stock clip-on to the right side and vise versa. Looks like out would work.

[Guest]

Where would I find a set of peg lowering blocks? I have Heli's on my 6th gen and a buddy still has the stock setup on his 04'. I have ridden both 150+miles and I can say that my wrists can't tell the difference, but thats just me

[Ryanme17]

Although raising the bars up does help (And I'm a huge fan of my custom bar risers), it should be added that proper riding posture puts as ZERO weight on your arms and wrists. This is hard to do if you aren't used to it, but by taking as much weight off of your arms as you can you'll find you can ride a lot longer a lot more comfortably.

When in doubt, flap your arms to make sure they are loose. Looks silly but works wonders. :fing02: More info in the riding technique section.

[Monk]

Where would I find a set of peg lowering blocks? I have Heli's on my 6th gen and a buddy still has the stock setup on his 04'. I have ridden both 150+miles and I can say that my wrists can't tell the difference, but thats just me

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/44940-peg-lowering-blocks/

[dr.toto]

I'm a believer in helibars and a throttle lock. I spend hours on straight road to get to anywhere. The lock is the best item for me.

[Guest]

I've got a set on my bike as well as a Sargent seat. Between the two, I can ride all day.

The install is pretty easy and as somebody else said, getting the weights out of the old bars is by far the hardest part.

I highly recommend them.

[Monk]

I'm a believer in helibars and a throttle lock. I spend hours on straight road to get to anywhere. The lock is the best item for me.

Kansas..... You don't need a throttle lock..... You need an airplane.. :laughing6-hehe:

When I lived in Colorado, I'd ride through your fair state every two years for 30 years on my bike to visit my family in Virginia. After I learned to use that road about 20 miles North of I-70 it was a nice ride.....

[Monk]

I've got a set on my bike as well as a Sargent seat. Between the two, I can ride all day.

The install is pretty easy and as somebody else said, getting the weights out of the old bars is by far the hardest part.

I highly recommend them.

For the future, if someone wants to remove/install the weights, use rubbing alcohol...... Same thing with rubber grips.... works better than soaps- won't leave that sudsy crud (which could come back to haunt you in the rain).

[Guest]

The best mods I did on my VFR was Sargent seat, helibars, and a cramp buster. The Helibars made a huge difference to me. I originally had the Genmar risers, and they helped, but the helibars were worlds more comfortable. Well worth the high-ish price tag. Helibars with a cramp buster was super. I rode my buddies '04 with stock bars and no cramp buster and it felt like it was on a torture rack. I got used to the extra comfort I guess :biggrin: My vote: defenitely worth it.

[Guest]

Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.

I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..

I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.

Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.

By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.

[Knobber]

Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.

I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..

I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.

Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.

By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.

A crampbuster is just a paddle that slips onto your throttle to allow you to rest your palm on it to hold throttle position. It relieves you from having to grip the throttle constantly. Cheap effective rest for your throttle hand.

[Monk]

I've tried a lot of palm(actually outside edge of palm) throttle rests, and this one is the only one I've found that won't slip though time.

If you look at my pic in the above thread you can see that I cut the grip-puppies shorter(right-side), so that the TB will attach to the stock grip(makes a smooth fit for both TB & GP's.

http://www.kuryakyn.com/Products/262/Universal-Throttle-Boss

[Guest]

Thanks guys, I have pretty much decided that the Heli's would be a good thing. I will invest in a set and see how they go.

I should have mentioned that I have already fitted a throttlemiester to the stock bars and yes, there was harsh language getting the weights out..

I will have to look into the sargent seats and the peg blocks next as they sound like good ideas. It's good to know these options are available to tune the riding position to help with fatigue.

Over here in Oz you almost need to sell a kidney to buy from the local distributors, so thank God for the web and Paypal.

By the way, what is a "crampbuster"? I'll have to check these out too.

It's a paddle looking thing that slips over your throttle. The right side of your palm near your wrist rests on the paddle, eliminating the need to grip teh throttle. You can just rock your hand back and forth to control t hrottle. VERY comfortable, and cheap. $10 i think

[VFRMAN]

Do the bar ends from the oem clipons fit in the helibars? I can remove the bar ends very easy so I don't see what the issue is, now finding a set of 2nd hand helibars isn't going to be easy, big cash for a new set.

I have decided against fitting straight bars, lsl/ hurricane etc because they just don't look right to me on the the vfr.

the heli still look like the oem clip ons,but give that bit more comfort. will they fit without changing any lines or cables? thanks.

[JNBarrett]

YES, you can use the OEM bar ends - and NO they are not easy to remove. You'll need a vise and maybe a little heat, and a lot of elbow grease.

No new cables require for HeliBars - just some rerouting.

I've now had both the HeliBars and the ConvertiBars - I'd take ConvertiBars any day of the week, but you do need cables if you extend them to their maximum length.

[Cogswell]

I removed my bar weights by using a sacrificial bolt threaded in to the weight. Once the retaining tab was released, vice grips attached to the bolt and the weight was pulled out. It's not a user-friendly system.

[STrider]

I've got the Heli's, Throttlemeister, Knight lowered pegs plus Lamm seat installed and while it has made a difference it's still not what you'd call "Wow!". Like others here have stated, subtle is probably the right word to describe the change you get. However, to be fair my alter ego bike is an ST1300, which is the ultimate in comfort. Ensuring that you have good core strength, remembering to relax and back off the bars is also important.

[MaxSwell]

A fifth gen I bought came with Heli's and peg lowering blocks. While it did result in a more upright and comfortable position, it reduced the feeling of control I experienced. I went back to stock setup and worked on proper body positioning.

A S-curved back, firm balls of feet on the pegs, knees gripping the tank, and working the lower ab's will build up one's core strength. It takes a while to get in shape at the start of riding season, but after a while I can do it all day with my elbows loose enough to flap in the wind (and I'm 66 yrs old). My Advanced Riders Course at a local track last May taught that having one's forearms parallel with the ground and loose elbows (indicating a lack of leaning on the grips) improves mechanical advantage and provides the ability to immediately change directions with out having to adjust body position. This has saved my bacon from the fire more than once.

True story: during a practice session after the lessons during the Advanced Rider Course, I was following a 6-cylinder BMW as we accelerated past a slower rider on a back straight. I was v close to him. Suddenly he was not in front of me, then he suddenly reappeared in front of me sliding from left to right on his side across the track. He'd gone off the track and (against the rules) tried, unsuccessfully, to get back on the track. His front tire got hung up on the 'curb' and he low-sided ten feet in front of me. I thought: "F#$K! Brake!" I thought I was surely going to run right over him. As I went buy him I heard and felt a Thump. (Luckly I was focused down the track through the whole think). I got stopped right away, dismounted and rushed to his side. There were no tire tracks on his body!

Later I examined my bike and found only a couple of scratches and a black streak on my right fairing. The black streak was rubber from the bottom of his boot.

My subconscience had performed the perfect swerve to avoid him; I have no recollection of any effort to avoid him. In my conscience mind all I was thinking was BRAKE! My subconscience did what it had been trained for to avoid the hazard. If I had not been in the "perfect riding position" there was likely no way I would have missed hitting him.