Renthal Streetfighter or Ultralow Bars?

[50dro]

I was thinking of picking up a new set of bars and was comparing the Renthal Ultra Low's to the Streetfighter's. I know the Streetfighters work on the Buell (Upthemaiden has them on his) but wasn't sure if the Ultra Low's would work or are preferable. They're defiitely lower (hence the name) which interests me. Here's the site that compares the dimensions...

Renthal Bar Comparison Chart (http://www.renthal.com/File/apps1.asp?tabtype=5&productid=0&appid=ROAD&zone=&biketype=&manufacturer=&model=&bikedate=)

Has anyone tried these? Is there a thread that I should be reading? Thanks for the help![up]

[mc4life27]

i have a set of pro taper Carmichael bend on my 06 xb12s and they fit just fine. look up the specs they are super low.

[xl_cheese]

When compared with the stock bars they really don't lower your hand position. The stock bars have a rear/downward sweep on them. The streetfighters have a rear/upward sweep on them. So while the inital rise at the bends is lower, the hands sit at about the same level.

I've gone back to the stock because I like the hand position better.

I wish I could do some welding/pipe bending. We need a half clubman. Something that sits between stock and the CR clubman.

[50dro]

Still more forward though right XL?

[upthemaiden]

Wish it was nice enough, I've gotta ride up to cranberry eventually, I could've just let you try riding my bike. I don't really feel like my hands are much lower, but I do notice that I'm leaning a bit more forward because they don't have anywhere near as much backsweep. The biggest difference wasn't so much the change in where my hands were, but just the angle they put your arms at. It's a lot more of an aggressive 'elbows out' position, as opposed to almost feeling like I was on a cruiser with the stock bars. I could sit completely upright with the stock bars which felt weird.

As far as the ultra lows, I considered those but someone said they were pretty close to the airbox, which they resolved by rotating their controls slightly, which I wasn't sure about, but I notice I do that with mine anyway. The bars are pretty much as far forward as they'll go before hitting the preload adjusters, and then the controls are at the right angle and everything works great. I assume it's pretty much the same way for both.

[firebolt020283]

i have the ultra lows on my bike and I love them. but then again I have never ridden with stock lightning bars ever so I have no way of comparing them at all I went from firebolt bars to renthal bars. It did not seem to make sense for me to by stock bars for almost the same price as I could buy top of the line after market bars for.

http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s351/cyclone020283/IMG_20110403_165744.jpg

[gtp3800]

where can you buy those streetfighters? I think asb has them, but anywhere cheap?

[buell54]

I have a set of streefightesrs on my 06 ss i love them best bar i feel you can put on and the look is sick

[BuellerPilot]

http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/7525_20110210110438_L.jpg

I have have Driven CR Low bars with LSL fat bar adapters. I Love them, a tad lower, less pull back so I lean over farther and less bend to my wrist.

~Mike....

[50dro]

Motorcycle Superstore Seemed like the best deal I've found although I haven't checked ASB yet

MCSS (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/68/28197/ITEM/Renthal-7-8-Street-Handlebars.aspx?WT.ac=SLIsearch)

Maiden stopped by tonight to let me try out his Streetfighters around my neighborhood.[up] I liked them alot and like the amount of sweep they have (or lack thereof). It sounds like more people have had problems with the Ultralows hitting the Airbox cover probably due to the additional sweep and sightly lower profile so I'm pretty settled on the Streetfighters at this point.

[gtp3800]

How much different were the steetfighters? just more forwards?

[firebolt020283]

got my renthals from moto super store. They are like $10 cheaper than any one else.

[upthemaiden]

Any time I look for that kind of stuff I just type what I want in google, and it'll pop up a bunch of options for where to buy it with the prices. That's a pretty good way to find out who has things without searching all over the place.

[2004xb12s]

I bought a set of New Takeoff Renthal MX bars off of a Kx450 in Graphite. They work great and the new stance is perfect....I will post pictures later tonight

[xl_cheese]

If you need streetfighters just PM me. I'll try to beat any price out there. :)

[50dro]

If you need streetfighters just PM me. I'll try to beat any price out there.

Doh! Sorry XL, I just ordered mine this morning...I was gonna check out your site too but I forgot to:( Next time...

[firebolt020283]

dang I forgot about your shop XL...I would have loved to have supported one of my fellow Hellbuellies (even though I am no longer in central texas)

[gunut75]

I have carmichael bend Pro-tapers on my XBR. they have to be low so I dont hit my mirrors with the levers, and high enough so the switches dont hit the air box.http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/3020_20110320061519_L.jpg

[gtp3800]

xl whats your shop? ill order mine from there

[50dro]

Pink Gorilla (right under the 5-0dro ad) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[gtp3800]

I didnt see any on pink gorilla. on motorcycle superstore they have the black renthal 7/8 bars size streetfighters, (which is what upthemaiden has right?) for 60 bucks. that sound right?

[50dro]

Except his are gold :D Black is what I ordered. Sounds like XL would get them for you even if they're not on the site...Send him a PM if you like.

[gtp3800]

yea im getting mine in black too, get rid of that stock chrome look:D

[upthemaiden]

Mine looked a lot better in silver. Someday when I feel like pulling them off I'll paint them again.

[xl_cheese]

Sorry about the delay in replying to this thread.

I can get streetfighter bars. Any renthal or answer bar actually.

They are not yet listed on my site. I'm adding products practically everday. I'll get there someday!

Just pm me and I can get you hooked up.

[50dro]

So do all the Renthal bars come with the cross brace? How many of you have removed them against Renthal's warning?;)

[xl_cheese]

I removed the cross brace when I had them on my xb.

[BuellerPilot]

Most of their motocross 7/8" bars have the cross brace. Their street bike bars don't and no fat bars come with the cross brace.

~Mike....

[upthemaiden]

Do they actually have a warning that says not to pull them off?? I had mine on for a little bit because I've always liked the look. The biggest hassle is that if you want to pull off the brace mounts you have to pull off all the controls. Otherwise I'd probably put it on sometimes.

[50dro]

The tag on my streetfighters warns against loosening or removing the cross brace.

[gtp3800]

I want to say no the cross brace, arent these them?

bars with no brace (http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/4/68/28197/ITEM/Renthal-7-8-Street-Handlebars.aspx?WT.ac=SLIsearch)

because these are what I was looking at.

[50dro]

Yes, but read the bold note at the bottom. It says:

"Please note that Renthal road handlebars do not come fitted with a cross-brace. The cross-brace is fitted to all Renthal 7/8" MX handlebars and the street fighter handlebars"

[upthemaiden]

They probably don't want people scratching up and gouging the anodizing off of them. I'd be very curious to hear Renthal's reasoning behind saying you need the crossbrace on the streetfighters but not any of the other road bars.

[gtp3800]

but you can take it off? I wouldnt want it on there.

[50dro]

Yeah you can. Maiden has his taken off. You may consider the ultra lows though since they're very similar and don't have the cross brace...plus you'll save $10 :D

[upthemaiden]

but you can take it off? I wouldnt want it on there.

These are the streetfighters without the cross brace

http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/5948_20101108135631_L.jpg

[2004xb12s]

I went with the 1 1/8 inch mx bars because I wasn't sure about the 7/8 with no crossbar.


These are the streetfighters without the cross brace

Do you feel any flex when riding?

[upthemaiden]

I don't feel any at all. I don't do anything too serious, but even when I stand up and lean forward to stretch, or do any amount of small wheelies I've never noticed any amount of flex to feel concerned at all. I rode them with the crossbar too, and really didn't notice a difference either.

[thunderstormgrowl]

upthemaiden, it looks like there is a scratch on your bars where the cross bar was, is that an illusion, or was there some damage from removing the bar? Not a big deal on silver or gray, but I would want black, and a scratch or gouge would stick our like a sore thumb.

[konarider94]

i just put a set of Carmichael 1 1/8 pro tapers on my bike with the precision engineering adapter. I love the riding position and the wide bars. Wide handlebars FTW. Its so responsive now. Even if you go with the 7/8" im sure you will be happy. I had to run the throttle cables under the stem though instead of going through the front module.

[gtp3800]

Ok, sounds good.


You may consider the ultra lows

how different is the riding position from stock? I have the stock bars now, and I tend to put in some pretty long day rides. (7-8 hour days) and I dont want to get sore. I figured the streetfighters would be the best way to go, but without the brace of course because im not a fan.

[50dro]

Based on the specs (on sweep) the Ultralows will be closer to stock than the Streetfighters would be...About the same height but a slightly more forward and elbows out riding position when compared to stock. I don't have any specs on the stock but I know the stock bars have way more sweep than either of the Renthals.

[gtp3800]

so basically the renthals are more of a straight type of bar leaned forwards more? so from what i could imagine, they sound comfortable and also capable of being pretty aggressive.... I wish there was another bueller out here where i could see this in person haha.

[50dro]

yeah...It was a big help to see maiden's in person and take it for a quick spin around the neighborhood. I think you'll like either though...Not much lower but a little more forward and thus more aggressive without going as far as clubmans, clip ons etc.

[gtp3800]

yea, my only hope now is that my bar ends will still fit in them.

[upthemaiden]

it looks like there is a scratch on your bars where the cross bar was, is that an illusion, or was there some damage from removing the bar?

It's not a scratch, Renthal put something on the bars when they install the cross bar clamps. Not sure if it was glue to keep them in place or what it was. When i pulled off the cross bar you could see it there. I spray painted right over it, and later when I used paint stripper to return them to the regular color the glue/whatever it was came right off with it, so it's an easy fix without hurting the anodizing finish.

There's definitely a change in position, but I wouldn't be the one to ask because I haven't ridden my stock bars in quite a while. They lean you more forward and without as much backsweep it puts your hands in a different position. It makes you ride with more of an 'elbows out' position, which feels a lot more aggressive. I'll probably put my stock bars on at some point towards the end of next month so I'll try to let you guys know how the change feels.

I do notice that the front of my shoulders can get sore if I ride for a while. I used to think it was the cold air hitting them, but I've started to think it might just be the riding position. I can't remember if my stock bars did it or not. I don't think it's actually the angle of the bars though, I think it's because I used to ride with clipons, but now that I have the upright bars and don't have any real weight on my arms my shoulders get sore just from having to hold my arms out foreward. It's the same pain you would get if you stuck your arms out like frankenstein with a slight bend in your elbows, and just held them like that for 15 minutes. Don't think it's related to the bars, but I thought it was worth mentioning. On sunday I went out for a good ride with my tall(05 9sx) seat and felt fine, but as soon as I got home and switched to the low seat my shoulders started to hurt. I think it was the change in height of the bars compared to the seat. I had a lot more weight on my arms with the higher seat. Once I put the low seat on I went back to the low seat I had to support my arms again.

gtp: what kind of bar ends do you have? The renthals have a much smaller inside diameter so it's different than the stock steel bars. It's still the same diameter as any other aluminum bar though so you shouldn't have a problem findind bar ends that work.

[thunderstormgrowl]

Thanks for all the info maiden[up]

[gtp3800]

gtp: what kind of bar ends do you have?

I have the cheapo ones off ebay. I had to bend them outward a bit to be bigger so they would fit in the stock, so if these are smaller in diameter, then i might be able to bend them back down.
great info though maiden. I think ill go with the ultra lows, from what i understand they arent really lower, just more forwards. And since it puts your elbows out more, i would assume they are longer (wider) and more of a straight bar....

correct me if im wrong..

[upthemaiden]

That's what's going on with my elbows, it's the change in the hand position that rotates your whole arm.

[gtp3800]

ok. so are the streetfighters lower then the ultra lows?

[firebolt020283]

gtp what kind of fitting does your bar ends use? I ask because I have bar end weights that use the rubber fittings and they wont fit inside my renthals but my mirrors fit in there just fine as long after I took one of the metal jackets it had to put pressure on the inside of the bar.

[upthemaiden]

What kind of rubber fittings do your bar ends have? I had a pair with rubber compression plugs and I just took an xacto knife and chopped them up until they were thin enough to slide in and they have worked perfectly since then.

I tried to copy and paste but it wasn't working, but you can see all the dimensions here...
http://www.renthal.com/File/apps1.asp?tabtype=5&productid=0&appid=ROAD&zone=&biketype=&manufacturer=&model=&bikedate=

The ultra lows are less of every measurement compared to the streetfighters, except for sweep, of which the ultralows have 5mm more.

[2004xb12s]

TThe rubber fittings on my bar ends didn't fit in my rental bars either. They are mx but still same concept. I just put them on the grinder until they were small enough to fit. Haven't had any problems yet.

[upthemaiden]

If I remember I'll post pictures of what I did to my bar ends when I get home. I can't get into my flickr account here at work to get at them.

[50dro]

I was just playing around with rubber plugs last night to come up with a quick and easy way of making a better bar end attachment. The ID of the Renthals is 1/2". Ideally, you could use a standard sized plug and drill a hole in it. I'm thinking size 0 or 00 will work but I have to try it out.

[50dro]

Update: Got the Renthal Streetfighters installed.

Here's what it looks like when you remove the cross-bar[sad]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5ganqzZwI/AAAAAAAAA6U/MSawbbb63-U/s512/IMAG0217.jpg

If you don't like the cross-brace you may want to consider the Ultralows unless you don't mind touching up the finish. I used a matte black wheel paint that I had and dabbed it in the chipped area with a brush. Looks OK...

Some comparison shots:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5f_ImPZ1I/AAAAAAAAA5w/Rsrr6keJAb8/s512/DSCN0270.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5f_4SAJ4I/AAAAAAAAA50/r8WnpBk7zkM/s512/DSCN0271.JPG

Rider's view:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5fvrgkL4I/AAAAAAAAA5k/6qyhqdsDmCU/s512/DSCN0265.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5gJrlSY_I/AAAAAAAAA54/ejpYk8-nqg0/s512/DSCN0298.JPG

Left lock
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5ftqhDTcI/AAAAAAAAA5g/W69RO9YbIng/s512/DSCN0267.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5gOL62HEI/AAAAAAAAA6E/43jfR5BpotY/s512/DSCN0301.JPG

Right Lock

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5fxfxv72I/AAAAAAAAA5o/fbzHLztWSaE/s512/DSCN0268.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5gNKUQGZI/AAAAAAAAA6A/iCIPSSyuPsQ/s512/DSCN0302.JPG
Pretty close but I didn't have to battle with it to clear.

Front View:


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5f60wcInI/AAAAAAAAA5s/SS-7PmMFoRM/s512/DSCN0269.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_43iiLI3T4AU/Ta5gRWlMO2I/AAAAAAAAA6I/5av-_Xb5aLY/s512/DSCN0303.JPG

It's been raining since I installed them so I haven't tried them out but they feel and look nice![up]

[thunderstormgrowl]

Thanks for the pics and info, it will help me make a decision on the bars. I probably wont go with the streetfighters knowing that the cross bar does damage to its coating.

[gtp3800]

Ok that is a pretty good comparison. Ill have to think about this.

[upthemaiden]

That really sucks about the coating coming off. I must've just gotten lucky on mine.

[gtp3800]

Ok so since my stock handlebars bent, I bought the renthal ultra lows. Those of you with them, how do you like them??

Also i figured if they are ever too low, i can always get a riser.

[thrstrmech]

gtp3800...how do you like the Renthal Ultra Low bars compared to the stock?