ER6N/F/Ninja 650r clip-ons

[Fez]

Heyas,

Been considering getting a set of clip ons for my ER6N.

Just looking for opinions/experiences from those who've done it. Particularly for opinions on changes in rideability (comfort, cornering, etc).

[DarkNinja75]

I haven't done it but...

It will suck with comfort, depending on how long your rides are. The ER6N is pretty much upright so you don't strain your back. Clip ons will drop you down maybe 4 inches, which will have you hunched over the entire time. I can personally go about half an hour before I start to get sore on my SV, and after 2 hours I wish I was in a car.

It will feel like it turns in slower. Handlebars give more leverage, so it's easier to get the bike leaned over. The advantage to clip ons is two fold: aerodynamics and lower center of gravity. The first is pretty much pointless unless you're racing.
The second is almost pointless unless you want to go to a track. You can hang off further with clip ons (outside arm doesn't have to reach as far), getting your center of gravity lower and keeping the bike more upright. The end result is that you can take turns faster. But if you just sit in the middle of the bike then you'll have no advantage.

Clip ons can be cheaper to replace if you crash, too. Just replace the bar for $20. Those are all the differences I can think of.

[Fez]

Cool, thanks.

While I commute on the bike this is rarely longer than 15mins at most. I've been going more and more into the twisties where I live and am getting started on regular track days. Also working on knee dragging ATM (still not smooth though).

Think I'm gonna do it!

[DiGIT]

Everything DarkNinja75 said is 100% true, but for those interested in installing clip-ons I still want to say go for it! 

I installed clip-ons on my Ducati Monster several months ago.  I love them.  I can't promise that you will, but it's impossible to know unless you give it a try. 

I do love twisties, mountain passes, canyons, knee dragging, peg grinding....  but that's about 10% of my riding.  I don't have a car, so my Monster 900 is my commuter, grocery getter, etc.  Right now I am on a cross-country ride from California to Pennsylvania (3,000 miles) and on a Ducati, mounted under the crowns, the clip-ons sit several centimeters LOWER than on most japanese bikes. 

The point is, for my purposes, clip-ons are totally impractical.  The important thing is, from the bottom of my heart, I just don't care and you don't have to either. 

Leaning forward might hurt your back, it might wear out your arms, it might just be an unnecessary pain in the nuts, but it also might not.  Same goes for aftermarket rearsets, soft-compound tires, magnesium wheels, aftermarket suspension, or any of the other stuff people will tell you is a waste of money, not practical for a street bike, or only of benefit on the track.  Try everything, see what you like, sell the stuff you don't like on ebay!

One "practicality" suggestion I'd like to add is that you should take a good look at how your front-end is designed.  Some bikes (like my Monster) are sold with bars, but designed so clip-ons can be easily mounted...  but some aren't.  Be aware that your brake hoses, throttle cable, wiring looms... these all may need to be changed, re-routed, or modified.  I owned a naked SV650 last year.  I "could" have installed clip-ons, but I would have had to fabricate my own headlamp mount.  Just be aware this job isn't, cheap and simple on all bikes. 

[[1up]]

It shouldn't be a huge difference in how the bike rides, as your stock bars are pretty low already on that bike.
They are closer to mx bars than say touring bars.
But yeah your gonna have to reroute and mount things like digit says.
It would be a larger difference on the 650r because its stock bars are touring bars.
If your wondering what brand to go with, woodcraft seems to be the most popular option for clip ons with these bikes.
They also sell convertibars which allow for a wider range of adjustments but are more expensive.

[Fez]

Mm. Thought it was simply a matter of removing the original bars and simply clipping the new ones onto the forks. Didn't think the cabling would need work. I realised I'd need to remount some of the gizmos on the current bars over to the new ones.

I'll look into some woodcrafts. Will be a while before I can go for it now as the rim job (haha) I had done on the rear wheel was dearer than first quoted.

Spoke to the mechanic about it. He pointed out a major problem with clip ons on my bike. Due to the positioning of the tank and forks, clip ons would be constantly smacking into the tank. I know some peopleve got them on the er6n so there's gotta be a work around.

In other news my baby is better than ever. Amazing how much a simple sprockets and chain swap has improved the power and rideability.

[Fez]

Got the sport bars v3 from the ninja 650 shop. They clip on top of the clamps but are still lowered (to get around the fuel tank issue).

Now I just gotta wait for 'em to get here -_-

[RayMan]

Got the sport bars v3 from the ninja 650 shop. They clip on top of the clamps but are still lowered (to get around the fuel tank issue).

Now I just gotta wait for 'em to get here -_-

Cool, pics when installed please.

[Fez]

They're on and WOW! What a difference!

Knew they'd be low but holy hell, can quite comfortably ress my torso into the tank. Love the fact the wind isnt knocking me around anymore, my windscreen is finally doing something useful other than hiding that ugly abomination on top of the ER6N's headlight. It just feels so much better. I haven't grinned this much since... Well 2 weeks ago when I got the sprockets/tyres/chain replaced.

There is however a slight catch: I gotta get a shorter throttle cable for it. When the bars are locked to the left, the throttle loses a lot of its play because the cable is getting pinched (or something). To clarify: you can turn the throttle on, but if you let go it'll stick on and won't snap off. Not too much of an issue atm as the only time I'm locking them left is when the bike's off and parked. Still something to think about if you plan to get them put on your's.

And now, pics!

Note: These were taken on an iPhone, so quality isn't the greatest.


First, the old bars:


Here you can see the bend in my old bars. It doesn't look like much but it fatigued my left arm very quickly.


Side on of the old bars


Now the new bars


Side on of the new bars


Top down of the new bars

All in all I'd say if you're even considering the possibility of maybe potentially doing this at some point in time... Do it now! It looks and feels a hell of a lot better.

Link to the listing on the Ninja 650 Shop:
http://www.motospecialties.com/store.asp?store=ninja650shop&level=category&type=06-08%20650R&type1=Handlebars&type2=Handlebars&category=Sport%20Bars


Edit: Now the next part of the plan.... Orange wheel stripes!

[DarkNinja75]

Oh wow, you didn't go clip-on clip-on, you went with something that mounts...where the stock handlebars mounted? I've never seen that before. Standard clip-ons mount onto the fork tubes directly.

[RayMan]

Awesome man, glad you're enjoying them.

[Fez]

Oh wow, you didn't go clip-on clip-on, you went with something that mounts...where the stock handlebars mounted? I've never seen that before. Standard clip-ons mount onto the fork tubes directly.

Yeah I know. The problem with the ER6N (and Ninja 650 I believe) is due to the shape and height of the tank, regular clip ons would be constantly bashing the tank. This gives me about the same height without needing a new tank :p Can easily see this from the side on photo of the old bars; the tank comes out a fair bit at that point.

Just got back from a bit of a better test ride... Dear god, I feel like my cornering ability has doubled. At a few points it felt if I just titled my head slightly I'd be able to drag my forehead :D Everything feels far more precise and strangely I find the new position more comfortable than the old up-right one. It took a little while to get used to the throttle and indicator position but now it's sweet.

Edit: I'm not sure what was louder: the exhaust or my laughter as I did the bends. So glad I took the dive and got these things, completely changed an already great bike for the better.

And a full body shot of my baby: (Ignore the scratches... Always rember to tighten the clamps on your rear stand >.<)

[img height=500 width=700]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/ThilRose/ER6N%20New%20Bars/IMG_0093.jpg[/img]

Edit: NM, worked out my bike is Pearl Blazy Orange. Google ftw. Time to order some Ermax body work (belly pan and rear hugger)

[spectre]

Sweet! looks amazing! and I'm sure it feels sweet to ride! I just put lower bars on my bike to, and you're RIGHT it does make it feel like a whole new bike, even on a standard. Ride safe!

[Fez]

Sweet! looks amazing! and I'm sure it feels sweet to ride! I just put lower bars on my bike to, and you're RIGHT it does make it feel like a whole new bike, even on a standard. Ride safe!

With these things, riding safe is the last thing on my mind heheh :p