Heli bars? Gen Mars? Others? None?

Well, I got the gel grips, the exercises, and the wristbands. Seems like my new carpal tunnel situation might require changes to the clip ons as well. So -

What is the downside, if any, to aggressive (trackday) riding with higher bars?

And- who makes the best 'extenders' for the buck? Heli bars require a new throttle cable, do they all?

Any other experience or thoughts would be appreciated.

Helis come with new cables... but having had them on a 929 and a 954, I didn't have to install them, so no biggie.

2OHOH2954 : Helis come with new cables... but having had them on a 929 and a 954, I didn't have to install them, so no biggie.

Does this mean you made the stock cables work, or that someone else did the installation?

And do you notice any difference in the way the bike feels / handles? Is your riding position a lot different?

I made the stock cables work.

The change in position is subtle, but the change in comfort is significant. I don't know how these would be on the track, but on the street they're great.

I put the heli bars on my 929 and love them. The stock cables are retained, but repositioned. It too a few days to get used to them but i never regret it. I think track days would be fine since you can put the helis in a lower position.

I bought my Heli bars for my 954 after I was having carpal tunnel problems with my right hand, it hurt so bad that I could not pull the brake lever. The new riding position is great with the Helis. I have had no pain in my hands at all sense the switch. The Helis and my Corbin seat have transformed it into a different bike. I love it. They look so good that no one notices their not stock. I have also done several track days with them and have had no problems. If anything I think the bike turns easier now because the wider bars give you more leverage. I recommend them to all and 3 of my friends with a 954,929, and ZX 12R all say they are going to order some. I hope this helps.

OK, I ordered the Heli's this afternoon. Jamie was really nice and knowledgeable, says the 954 version is taller and swept back more than the 929, and therefore requires the new cables, so I'm taking the tank and airbox off now. Ironically, kind of a pain in the wrist, if ya know what I mean.

Thanks for the input, guys

CBRVFR : OK, I ordered the Heli's this afternoon. Jamie was really nice and knowledgeable, says the 954 version is taller and swept back more than the 929, and therefore requires the new cables, so I'm taking the tank and airbox off now. Ironically, kind of a pain in the wrist, if ya know what I mean.

Thanks for the input, guys

Unless you've got time to burn, and want a reason to curse for a bit, wait until they show up. I have the 954-specific Helis on, and didn't need the new cables. Yes, it's probably neater and a little better to use them, but certainly not required.

[ConqSoft]

WarpSpeed switched to the new cables with his Heli's but afterwards saw that the stock lines would have worked. Much easier install if you keep the stock cables.

Good choice on the Helis. I had them on my 929 and the little bit they were pulled back made all the difference in the world. Very difficult to notice them as being different than stock.

Take a look at the new Gilles Tooling adjustable clip-ons before you decide. *They are extremely well engineered ... just like their rearsets.

http://www.gillestooling.com/Data/en...r_900_rr.html#

Here's a better picture

http://www.gillestooling.com/Data/en...n/image011.jpg

http://www.gillestooling.com/Data...._1.html

Funny. I just got back in the house after taking the bike apart. Wasn't too bad, except the gas tank removal. They made a huge point of making sure the fuel system was depressurized. They could also have mentioned that it would have been far less work if you DTFT.

That'd be Drain The F$%#(*& Tank.

Live and learn.......

I think the Helis want to make sure that even if someone routes the cables improperly, there would still be enough slack so the bike wouldn't accelerate if the bars were pulled full left. ( Just a guess from having improperly routed the cables on a Heli mod on my VFR many years ago....)

Why did you have to remove the tank?

The throttle cables terminate under the airbox, which is under the tank. I'm going to like a fool if it turns out they're unnecessary, but I did that so I could replace the old ones.

Oh, man, I'm sure you could have just propped the tank up and got at the cables.

OK, all done.

I did change the cables to the ones they provided, and the connection at the throttle body required removal of the airbox. I was able to reroute the stock clutch cable and modify the horn bracket, as per Heli's instructions, so It's all good. Very comfortable, good quality product, and I'm optimistic that it will greatly help my wrist situation.

That was my first foray into the 954 flapper/cable network. Pretty complex. But it all went back together with no extra parts!

Thanks for everybody's input.

You will be happy with your Helis.

'We demand it.'*








*taken from the Animatrix, very cool DVD