Anyone gone from Helibars back to stock?

I know some of you advised me to ride the bike for a few thousand miles before buying Helibars. I didn't listen, and now I am pondering going back to stock bars. Has anyone made the switch from risers back to stock?

 

I like my helibars, I don't have to lean over so far. the stock bars are better for racing , not every day use.:banana:

 

I know that had I ridden a VFR with helirisers before I bought them, I would not have spent the money even though I got a screeming deal on them. But that aside, I did buy and install them. Having done that, I have absolutely no inclination to return to OEM even though I still have mine. What is it that makes you want to go back to OEM?

 

A couple things have made me consider returning to them. One, I have the optional wind deflector and when I turn the bars full lock, my fingers are pinched between the bars and the deflector. Two, tucking behind the windshield at higher speeds is more natural. Three, the shape of the seat compliments the forward lean. I don't know it I will make the switch or not, but was looking to learn from others that may have done so.

 

My 2007 bike has helibars and a touring screen. My 2008 bike has OEM clip-ons and screen. I've already acquired an OEM screen for the 2007 bike. I've been watching eBay for clip-ons but so far all I see are rashed up ones at 2/3 the cost of new. I have a Sargent seat on the 2007, which sits a little lower than OEM, so that makes it feel even more like UJM positioning to me. I like the feel of the OEM clip-ons better, but I'm 6'2" and have a long reach so YMMV.

 

Yes but just until the new Heli-bars showed up on my front porch. The older ones got bent from a tipover on fresh asphalt. I don't have those wind deflectors or ride like the fast guys all tucked in like I'm some kind of Ricky Racer with farkles..

 

In an ideal world Helibars should come stock... So no.

 

But not everyone agrees with that. Many have written that they feel they are unnecessary on the VFR. I was hoping to hear from anyone that has gone back to stock, if any. I like the helibars and may very well keep them, but I do wish they had retained a little of the downward angle the stock bars have. I just did a 2700 mile trip with the longest day being 14 hours in the saddle. During that trip, my arms and wrists were just fine, but my ass was complaining a lot. When I leaned a little farther forward, it helped... Made me think about how the seat was designed with the stock bars.

 

Your ass was hurting because the stock seat is terrible (I guess Honda assumed most of us would buy aftermarket seats, so they cheaped out on it). Changing the bars will only make your wrists hurt as well.

 

You could be right!

 

the sargent seat works well with helibars, perhaps the stock bars .might work ok with the stock seat but I doubt it.

 

Thank you. One reason I am resisting a seat change is that it is expensive and both the Seagent and Corbin seats get mixed reviews (here and elsewhere), but I may go that route. I was just curious if anyone had reverted.

 

I went from stock to Convertibars / Helibars ... I couldn't imagine not having them now.

As for wrists hurting with the OEM ones, it's all about posture. I rode from Saskatoon, SK to Winnipeg, MB without sore wrists on a bone stock '02 this past summer. I was OK, but I was definitely less fatigued riding with Convertibars / Helibars.

 

When SOW reverted he got a sore ass too. Preparation H is not the official name for Helibars.

Some of the design work is done with data input from Japanese Physical Anthropologists. Not too many Japanese are 6'+. Even Sumo dudes are not that tall. Or as Jimmy Reed sang, "You ain't so big, you just tall,thass all,"

Another case in point: Got a long hooter and hopefully we are thinking noses and not one big tittie even though for some that may be a turn on. Getting a Shoie or Arai skidlid to fit right can be a bitch no only for us "squareheads" and especially in a speedy sweeper the damn thing rides up and bangs agin yer hooter.

I am still trying to figure oot how this guy can construct a logical connect of a sore butt with handlebars.. It can be done but sounds a bit too kinky for most.

 

Thanks Jeff.

Billy, simply a matter of weight distribution... Pretty logical if you think about it.

 

I was mostly thinking aboot the kinky stuff. Between that and a sore butt, I'll take the metaphorical former...

The stock seats are just as described. Something to really think about is all the subjective and pricy mods that can be done to a VFR of any year if done at one time unless one has a shitload of pesos at hand or is just BSing about farkles wished for, much like the rara avis, the 180mph and 60mpg VFRs.

The bikes if treated right last a long time and IMO the good farkles as opposed to the bad (not really needed) farkles can be done incrementally.

Change out that seat.. Your butt will thank you..

 

Mello (or would it be Mr, Dude) ,

Thank you. Yes, the awkward angle is one of the things I have noticed and one of the reasons I have been considering reverting. I may give it a try just to see how it is for me, first hand. I can always go back to the Heli bars. I know Heli did the best they could given the limitations the bike places on handlebar design.

 

IMHO ... HeliBars are good, but Convertibars own them in every way possible since you have an infinite amount of adjustment angles and more adjustment height.

I miss my Convertibars ... I had to settle for a used set of HeliBars until I can get around to replacing them with some Converti's

 

Another one of those old Chinese guys once said that," some dudes use the term infinite infinitely". This particular old Chinese guy was from Canada.

I had a wine an beer making bud a long time ago. He was a kind of middle aged Chinese guy. His nick was "Buck". He was from Mississippi. His da was from the old country and had a couple of acres and a boat. He sold vegetables he grew to folks who lived near the river. Buck said some very wise things including one that really stands above the rest. This is a direct quote, "Y'all are full of shit". Some of those old Chinese guys are smart cookies.