has anyone tried these and care to comment on them? Or know someone who has tried them? You've got no excuse not to ride your bike
I've never seen these things but $100 bucks for a set of grips seems rather ridiculous to me. You get a lot of vibration in your VFR? I've always thought the VFR has very little vibration, respectively speaking.
The installation diagrams indicate you have to cut the damn handlebars off to install a set of grips? You better make absolutely sure they are what you want for the life of your bike, otherwise you're gonna be buying a new set of bars. Kind of eliminates the possibility of grip heaters too.... Pro's: None that I can see. Con's: Too many NCB Opinionated Product Rating (scale of 1-10): -10
They aren't so much grips as they are replacements for the entire end of the clip on. Maybe this page shows it better? Design Details - Ergonomic FlatBars desgined to kill vibrations before they get to your hands it looks to be essentially that they took a regular clip on, and pounded it flat with a hammer, and added a thumb cutout. Supposed to make it more comfortable. Never thought of it before, but last year when my company downsized, and they moved my desk, they put it together wrong and it took a couple of weeks to get it fixed, by the end I had quite a bit of pain in my right hand, wrist and elbow. Teh dreaded carpal tunnel. Thought it would go away once the desk was fixed and it mostly did, but not all the way. Even taking a few weeks off the computer didn't totally erase it. Furthermore I am very quick to experience discomfort and eventually pain in situations where I never did before. So I am worried about if I go on a longer ride. Talking to a buddy about going up Highway 1 from Stinson Beach, CA to the Canadian border in the Spring. That would be several back to back days of hours and hours in the saddle. In the past, not a problem. But now I don't want to get to like Yreka and be unable to get on the bike in the morning and be stuck. So I saw these and thought they might be better. Maybe even convertibars, which I always thought of overkill for me. Right now would be the time to do it, since I already have the handlebars off and am going to install heated grips. Would rather not install the HondaLine heated grips and sell them unused and in the packaging, then install them, then have to un-install them in 6-8 months to put on the flat bars and get squat back for them because they are used. Just not sure if they would result in any relief. It isn't so much the vibration that bothers me, the VFR is pretty smooth, but more the position and the bar grip. Supposedly the flatter bar alleviates some of this. Oh, and they sell a heated version of them, so you can still have heated grips.
Just looking at them tonight. Checked out their website about a year ago and it was so ambiguous that I shied away. Now they have an install video and more. Not afraid of cutting or re-wiring switchgear. Changed handlebars a couple of times on a couple of cycles in the last year and it can induce anxiety, but it is just as simple as everything else on my rides. Not enough testimonials on Hunter's website, though. I've searched the web for blogs and there is almost nothing except speculation. I liked the further info, and agree with their design philosophy. I'm a numb hands guy, and I'm going to try it (with the heaters). Ken Hunter better post my assessment or I will rip him a new ear-hole on this site!!!!!
I still have some residual numbness in my left thumb from a muti-day ride last Fall, so apparently it's permanent. These Flatbars interest me, and it's the first I've heard of them. Let me know how the installation goes and what you think of the finished product once you've put some miles on them. I'd like to put them on my Helibars if they work out for you. Thanks!
