Comfortable Handlebars

Handlebars and comfort don't always accomedate one another. I was wondering what some of you riders in your sixties (like me ) Have found to be the best back saver bars. I assumed that a little higher with some pullback might be better than stock roadster bars but some say the drag bars are better. Any experience with either of these?
Rich

At 59, I like european bars (narrower and lower) with rearsets on my Interstate. With stock footpegs and US handlebars, the Corbin gunfighter seat puts me at a nicely relaxed position on my Roadster. The cafe racer/production racer replica will has Tomaselli adjustable clip-ons with rearsets and the Norvil PR seat. It's still on the work table, so I can't vouch for comfort yet, but at rest it seems much more comfortable than the Norvil clip-ons and fastback seat in its previous life.

Besides age, height and reach along with foot controls and seat all work together to find that just right spot. Personally, I have never been comfortable on a feet-first cruiser. Others are comfortable on nothing else.

I am 60, so, an old fart I guess... I put footpegs on a bar mounted to the 2 front frame tubes (just before the exhaust pipes) It is (for me) a difference between night and day. Soooo much more relaxed riding without getting fatigue in you legs/knees. I am a stickler for originality, but since I broke my knee 10 years ago, I can't stand bending it on the original footpegs for more then 5 minutes. I sit more straight up but what a great relaxed ride........ Its a '75 so the gear footpeg is on the left side. I switch gears with my heel now. Goes real smooth as well. The only drawback is that I have to move my right feet to the original footpeg in order to use the rearbrake. Since I use my front brake 90% of the time, it is kinda of a non issue.

I use the bars from a European Interstate, Lower and narrower. I have a set of Hyde rear sets, I have had them on and off over the years, they look cool but they put just alittle too much bend in my knees.

Ken G.

European bars, Corbin seat and regular pegs are pretty comfortable for me.

I'm 51 , 6'1" with relatively long legs . I concur with tpeever . The Euro bars , Corbin seat and stock pegs are all day comfortable for me . Might try a set of rearsets and my stock seat when everything else gets sorted out but suspect they'd be a little too far rearward just as the stock pegs are just a little too far forward for my tastes .

Well, so far I am the oldest so I won't call you all a bunch of fuddy duddies. I had a low set of black chrome bars on a Norton and it literally killed my back. They were replaced plenty quickly with the western bars. I find them to be most comfortable. I think any time you ride with your old joints "loaded" you are in for trouble. I sit pretty far back on the seat and reach for the grips. I thought about a Corbin Gunfighter as it looks super on the Commando but I am generally further back on the seat.
Thank goodness the Norton has a beautiful light clutch pull so that saves the hands a bit. Luckily, my legs are good and I have plenty of beef to kick the beast to life. Usually one stroke for the old girl. I can see at some time having the arms give too much pain to continue but until that time, ride like the wind.

Hi Rich,

My '72 roadster has western bars with stock foot rests...that's the way I like it for general short to medium distance and speeds below 70. Higher speed or into heavy wind is a struggle. I'm 5'9", 30" inseam. Need to ride fairly up right to save my back and shoulders.

On a prior machine 23 years ago, '73 750 with interstate tank and seat, BMW R90S type bars by Magura and rearsets were a good combination for longer rides and high speed.

Regarding clip ons and rear sets, my '74 JPN was the most uncomfortable machine I ever rode. It's in a collection in San Diego now. In my opinion it should be viewed, not ridden.

David

Hi, I am 52 years old and have had my norton since 78. I have always leaned forward to reach handle bars and sitting on corbin seat up against the tank like I'm squatting in the saddle leaned over with weight per say forward. However this position had begun to be a pain in the legs and my hands would go numb. So last year I decided to change handle bar to allow me to sit in the upright position with little or no effort to reach handle grips and its like night and day no leg pain or hand cramps probably associated with back position.... Doxford

I have regular pegs, and nearly flat drag bars. I am a bicyclist and leaning just a bit feels right to me. I find that even even for 50 milers or so I'm quite comfortable on this setup. My knees feel fine in this position AND I feel like I have good weight transfer between the axels........(I'm also not a lightweight) .......

have a great weekend, all

kfh

Time, Speed, Distance

I'm 60, and 6' 1" with a 30" inseam, I like the European bars, have them on the Norton, the W-650 and the Hypermotard; the pegs are all stock. I have found, for me, that this gives me the riding position that puts my weight (230) in the right place for "neutral" handeling, although with the Ducati a bit further forward would be better.

I find that I can spend most of the day at 40-50 MPH backroading, or significantly less time as the speed increases. When my time is up, it's up, the symptoms are the same: stiff neck and shooting pains down the back, they clear quickly enough when I get off the bike, but return equally as quickly if I get back on too soon. If I need to get somewhere 50-50 MPH on a secondary road gives me about 150 miles before I need to take a long break or call it a day and head for the martini shack. Since my heart attack, which I had while aboard a Kawasaki KLR 650, I haven't tried any more 300+ mile days.

A few years ago I had a R1200GS, the best I could do with it was 300 miles/day before the pain started; that machine had a real dead air zone behind it's Areo-Flow, at any speed, I spent zillions on different bar/peg combinations, some felt better from a handeling point-of-view, all failed me after 300 miles, or so.

RS

My last bike was a Harley Sportster with mini apes and forward controls. The bars were ok but those forward controls were very tiring. the clutch was so stiff even with the mechanical advantage thingy that 20 miles in traffic was all I could take before the cramps started in the forearm. On it I was most comfortable using the passenger pegs.
Rich

I love mids or high mid controls so stock with a drag or low rise Euro bar is just dandy. The Triumph chop/bob I'm working on will have stock mids with a low rise bar as well.

When I find a nice old Shovel Head it will have high mids and low bars as well. No forwards for me as it looks like I'm sitting in a lazy-boy.

I guess I'm just a kid at 50, but I like the Euro-style bar. Riding position is pretty comfy for me, even with the standard pegs. When going on long rides (over a tank's worth), I'll put my feet on the rear pegs for a change in position.

Reach on the '73 is just about identical to the reach on my '06 Speed Triple, and with my feet on the rear pegs, overall riding position is about the same.