So the start of a new riding season equals the start of more spending!
For ages now, the standard bar clamp has bugged me; it's a pretty basic casting and really sticks out against all the other billet stuff and the carbon, as yusaf has already noted:
The only alternative risers that caught my eye were the CNC Racing ones (
http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...9&postcount=21) but, for at least 18 months, only the black, red and gold finishes were available and I only wanted silver/titanium. As recently as the end of February, CNC Racing told me that they only had those three colours and didn't know when, or indeed if, they would be producing more silver ones.
And then, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found a place in France that apparently had the silver ones. I told them what CNC Racing had told me but they assured me that they could get a pair of silver ones to me in three weeks. I was sceptical but, sure enough, 26 days later, they turned up. So I doff my chapeau to
www.starshop-moto.com great service and excellent communication.
Installation is straightforward, if a little fiddly. Because these are individual risers, they rotate until they are tightened. If they're not exactly lined up, the bars won't sit properly in them. The difficulty is that they tend to twist slightly as you torque them down. Another pair of hands would help in keeping them straight.
I got the 59mm risers as those are the closest to the stock height. They also come in 48mm and 36mm versions but I didn't want to go lower; I've tried the 1100S riding position (20mm lower) and that didn't work for me.
The actual result is that they are 7mm higher than stock. Not enough to stretch cables and no change to the lockstops is needed. The switchgear is slightly closer but not enough to touch the tank. I also fitted button heads to the mirror clamps, which gave a couple of extra mms clearance.
I've not had a chance to try them out yet - it'll be interesting to see if the extra 7mm is noticeable. There does seem to be less of a reflection in the instruments than with the standard clamp.
So here they are, before and after...
As with all CNC Racing stuff, the quality is excellent - really beautifully machined - and just the effect I was looking for.
One point to note - these are universal risers and come with 65mm mounting bolts, which are too short for the Evo's yoke. I had to get some 90mm bolts before I could fit them.
Of course, the question now is: should I get some replacement bars too??