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[quixotic]

With the clubman bars putting you down several inches, won't that put the box into your chest?

I suspect not.  I've been doing some rough tests with wooden planks laid across the frame members, and then the tank bag on top of the planks (and with the stock handlebars).  There would seem to be enough room when I change to the clubmans, but I'll find out for sure when they arrive from Amazon.

[emoowear]

Thanks for the updates quixotic!

[ZEM Tahiti]

I like the DS/DSR handlebar, and dislike the S/SR model, so we put it on our SR after cutting each end 15mm (still 30mm wider total). With raisers, nice and perfect position.

[quixotic]

Here's how I got the clubmans on.  Admittedly, it's a bit on the grunge side of things, but I tend to like that (you should see my car). 

The platform on the frame was made out of two layers of 1/8", 3-ply aircraft plywood glued together and then dried while clamped to the frame. Since the frame has a curve, I arranged it so that 4 of the 6 plies are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bike (easier to bend that way).  Leather was then attached to the plywood with nylon bolts and a strip of aluminium (a bit of personal nostalgia there, since the leather came off the pants that I bought for my Norton 850 back in the late 70's). 

Everything seems to work well. I took it out on the highway yesterday with an Oxford tank bag bungied to the the yellow platform. I felt relatively comfortable for the whole 90 km's, except for a mild discomfort on my throttle hand (I'll have to get one of those clamp thingies that my wrist can rest on, and which emulates a cruise control to a certain extent). 

I'm sure someone could do a better job than me with either fibreglas or carbon fibre, and some yellow dyed leather. With a downward lip on the fibreglas, it would also be much more rain-proof.  I looked at the Honda CBR1000 fake tank, and although it looks a lot better, I kind of like the flat surface, both for the tank bag, and just because it has proven to be a very stable little shelf to put my helmet on when I'm getting stuff in or out of the givi side bags.   

The clubmans are significantly wider than clip-ons would be (even after I chopped 1/5" off each end), but I like the added leverage for avoiding potholes, etc.

[mistasam]

Wow, that's different!  I dig it.  Do you miss having something to grip your knees to though?

[quixotic]

Wow, that's different!  I dig it.  Do you miss having something to grip your knees to though?

I'm only 5'6", so I'm pretty sure my knees still hit the frame (I'll have to check the next time i'm on it).

[togo]

What plastics are those?

[quixotic]

What plastics are those?

Plastics?

[MrDude_1]

I looked at the Honda CBR1000 fake tank, and although it looks a lot better, I kind of like the flat surface, both for the tank bag, and just because it has proven to be a very stable little shelf to put my helmet on when I'm getting stuff in or out of the givi side bags.   

Having owned that version of the CBR1000, I can tell you its also flat enough on top to hold a helmet, even when riding (Carrying spare helmet)
The CBR600 and a few other sportbikes also use fuel tank covers, so you have more options than just the literbike. some are even two pieces, so you could make storage out of them.

[quixotic]

I just ordered a clubman bar from Lossa Engineering.  I'm impressed with the business end of it.  They answered a question I had within 1/2 an hour, and they shipped the item within half a day-- on a weekend, no less.

The reason I ordered it is because it is about 2" narrower than the clubman I have on there now.  So my arms will be out of the slipstream a little bit more, and I'll more easily be able the park the bike in my crowded garage. 

http://www.lossaengineering.com/products/lossa-brand-7-8-1-cafe-bars

[Kocho]

I find the stock bars for the SR too straight out. My wrists don't fit quite naturally. Any suggestions for something that has the handle bars a little more angled towards the rear and perhaps maybe a bit down, but otherwise pretty much identical in terms of overall height? By "down" i mean pointing a bit  down instead of to the sides, not being lower overall. Could be a bit narrower as well...

[quixotic]

I find the stock bars for the SR too straight out. My wrists don't fit quite naturally. Any suggestions for something that has the handle bars a little more angled towards the rear and perhaps maybe a bit down, but otherwise pretty much identical in terms of overall height? By "down" i mean pointing a bit  down instead of to the sides, not being lower overall. Could be a bit narrower as well...

What about clubman bars flipped upside down, but with the handle elements still extending backwards?  Then, for height adjustment, play around with different risers (probably ones without quite so much height).

Z-bars also come to mind, but I don't know how wide they come.

[ZEM Tahiti]

The shortened (1" on each side) DS handlebar, with 1" risers works really good! The shape is far better (to us), and on top of that you have the zero logo on it...

[quixotic]

I finally switched out the clubman bars.  I originally had on a cheap bar from an Amazon vender, which is the one on the lower right in the photo, but now I have a fairly expensive Lossa Engineering bar, which is the bar on the top left of the photo (also shown as the installed bar on the bike photo).  The difference is quite pronounced.  The Lossa bar is more ergonomically pleasing -- somewhat like the difference between an ergonomic keyboard and a non-ergonomic keyboard.  My wrists are now less parallel to the ground, which is ideal.  The Lossa bar is also about 2" narrower, so the bike fits in the garage a bit easier, and I'm somewhat more out of the wind when on the highway.  And somewhat paradoxically, I now actually have a better view of what's behind me in the mirrors...though that may be at the price of having a bit poorer view of my shoulder check area (I'll have to have a closer look at that the next time I'm stuck in a line of traffic). 

But all in all, I'm quite pleased with the Lossa bar, even though it cost 3 or 4 times as much as the Amazon special.   When driving, I feel more crouched, and less splayed.  It now also takes less imagination to think of myself as being on a 250cc racer on the Isle of Man about 50 years ago.  Now all I need is a pudding helmet.