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2014 BMW S1000R Handle bars questions.

evoempire777

evoempire777

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Location
norcal bound. S OC.
Moto(s)
Present: S1000R Akra.
97 R1100GS Leo Vince.

Past:2011 ZX10R SC
2006 ZX10R Youshi
2000 ZX9R
Long story short. 10 years 100k miles on ZX bikes; 2000 9r, 06 10r, 11 10r. the front control and stability on the handle bars always been amazing imo (sbk platform) my 14 bmw S1000R with Akra titanium which drops 15lbs (I think) is such a fun bike! friendly, comfy, fast, torquey, easy to push...does it ALL.

I switched the stock bars to Rizoma MA009 black, still, wide long and not as stable on the front(Ordered Ohlins stabilizer for the infamous head shake) not saying I'm looking for sport handle bars. I'm wondering if anyone has tired narrower "sportier" bars?

This is a desperate post as I did my research and not many options, just wondering any owners out there feeling the same. any feedback would be appreciated.
 
The wider the bars, the less stable (or more sensitive) the steering inputs will be. If the new bars are wider than the previous bars, narrow them up a bit. Or give yourself more time to get used to them.
 
Also with a '14 S1KR, Don't know of anyone that has tried narrower bars. I'm also not sure why? You get decreased leverage, so I suppose that will lessen the effect of a tight grip on the bars and thus reduce head shake. However, relaxing your grip as it should be will have the same effect. When I put on an Ohlins steering damper it made a big improvement. Try that 1st.
 
I have a 2015 S1000rr and put on Helibars last month. It brings me up about 1.5 inches and back about .8 inch. They are an inch wider than stock too. I like them and would recommend them
 
Thanks for the input guys. Any wider I won't be able to lane split lol
 
I know a couple of folks who have replaced their bars a bit narrower and were very happy with the results. They made posts about it on the S1000R forum though may be hard to find. I've always felt more comfortable splitting on my VFR than the S1000R could be the bars or most likely the mirrors being more forward.
 
thepretender said:
I know a couple of folks who have replaced their bars a bit narrower and were very happy with the results. They made posts about it on the S1000R forum though may be hard to find. I've always felt more comfortable splitting on my VFR than the S1000R could be the bars or most likely the mirrors being more forward.
Click to expand...

Yes that's exactly what I need man I'll look into it đź’Żđź‘Ť
 
I'm one of those guys The Pretender mentioned. I swapped for a lower, flatter, straighter and narrower carbon bar, and have been super happy with the result.
 
Just cut a little off the ends of the bars you have, unless the bend/position isn't correct for you.
 
ST Guy said:
Just cut a little off the ends of the bars you have, unless the bend/position isn't correct for you.
Click to expand...

Yes great start maybe 2" cut ends and go from there. Gonna tackle one by one, 1st the ends. Because at this point it's all wrong, stock and Rizoma. Height and bend in correlation off. The lane split issue with that long horn width is my #1 problem.
 
Unless they are really wide, I would think 2” excessive to start with.
 
evoempire777 said:
(Ordered Ohlins stabilizer for the infamous head shake)
Click to expand...

Stabilizer will not cure head shake... new tires self dampening forces work better than old worn tires quelling the shakes...

Any bike may be induced into a head shake... head shakes happen under
acceleration as the front tire hits a bump or finds a rut... a slight
disturbance in front tire alignment occurs and the rider feels the
head shake... and if the rider stays loose on the bars they seldom
grow into the dreaded tank slapper... steering dampeners don't cure
the head shakes rather they lessen the degree the rider feels...
Racers employ steering dampeners so they don't have to back the
throttle off during the heat of battle... they don't mind if the head
shakes as long they can still accelerate... for the street use a
steering dampener will just make more effort in your steering with
little return of stability... before you consider a steering dampener
I think it's best to have your riding technique will sorted out or
maybe invest in a new front tire like Pirelli supercorsa SP

3-4-4505503168521.jpg
 
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Larry, the head shakes people complain about with the S1000R are from a combination of vigorous acceleration, too tight a grip on the bars, and uneven road surfaces. They never amount to anything, and most riders learn to relax a bit and they go away, or at least become non-frightening.
 
The little wobbles on acceleration and such are just what the bike dose and never bothered me. On one occasion I did have what was headed to tank slapper but relaxed and just shook a bit and went away.

I noticed that on the VFR the mirrors are wider than the bars. Bars 32" and mirrors 34" and the BMW the bars are 34". But like I said the mirrors on the VFR are further away from me so feel narrower but real world the bikes are the same width. Its like a lot of motorcycling its all in the head.
 
Back in the day on my gsxr750 I pulled out to pass a car and got a head shake so bad it warped the front wheel. Been a fan of steering dampers ever since. Although don’t have one on either of my current bikes.
 
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