2015 Crossrunner Handlebar Risers Flex

[AndreyEvteev]

Hi All,

I have a new shape Crossrunner (2015) and not sure that what I'm seeing with the handlebar risers is normal.

Basically, the point where they mount to the top forks clamp is not very solid. There are rubber bits there to help with vibration but that does not explain it fully.

So, if I turn the bars all the way to the lock either way and push a bit more, the risers will move at these mount points. I even think it's possible to get the bars out of alignment when turning while stationary.

Feels like they need tightening from the bottom. Thing is, it's not easy to do at all - the nuts are hard to get to. And even if tightened I'm yet to see that it fixes the problem.

Has anyone else come across this and are there any known solutions?

Thanks!

[Skids]

Hi, never heard of this so unsure of a solution other than the one you suggest.

Sorry.

Please let us know how you sort it.

[AndreyEvteev]

Thanks, will do!

[fleky]

Hi folks 

I´m thinking of installing a riser bar too. I wath this 2 models in Ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Honda-VFR800X-Crossrunner-2015-2019-2018-Handlebar-Clamps-Mounting-Risers/352673587330?hash=item521cfbe082:g:k5UAAOSwkYFc4uNE#vi-ilComp

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-8-CNC-Offset-HandleBar-Risers-Mount-For-Honda-VFR800X-Crossrunner-2015-2019/184166218184?hash=item2ae12979c8:g:27cAAOSwooFeN-Dp


Has anyone installed some of them? I have doubts about centered or decentered

Comments are appreciated
 

Regards

[Haddo]

Have you had it since new? Previous owner may have had a different set up & removed it. Some clamps have different size threads & need drilling/routing which may be where the play is coming from. Having said that you lean into corners not steer I have no problems with my stock setup whatsoever.
Edit: cruising in upright position for me is OK but if I give the bike a bit of stick in the hills I have to lean forward a bit & transfere some weight to the front wheel for max stability. Maybe something to consider before raising the stock clamps.

[AndreyEvteev]

So I thought I'd provide an update and thoughts.

Firstly, the original problem was with the stock risers - the factory parts that screw onto the forks top brace and have the bar clamps at the top. The problem (hopefully now was!) that there are rubber pads between the fork brace and the risers; each riser is fixed using a washer and a nut underneath the brace, and the whole design just did not feel solid or stiff and would twist under load.

Need to add I've virtually never ran it without some sort of risers but more on that later.

I've tried tightening the nuts which fix factory risers but it would not eliminate the problem completely. I've ordered the new rubber pads from Fowlers and although it seemed to help to some extent, the thing was never as solid as the ones I've looked at and tried to twist in the showrooms - both new and used Crossrunners.

I was somewhat puzzled by why the thing was designed that way - since each riser is fixed using one nut only, it can naturally rotate; rubber pads do not help here. At some point though I think I got a bit closer to the bottom of the problem. The only element which is capable of making the whole assembly stiff and solid is the handlebars. I ended up loosing  the nuts from underneath the brace, mounted the handlebars w/o final tightening, aligned the handlebars and then tightened them as much as I could. It suddenly felt solid enough even without the bottom nuts. Which is kind of ironic but I think makes sense. I've tightened the bottom nuts and finally the whole thing feels very close or the same as the ones in the showroom.

Now, I think the original problem was that I had all sorts of bar risers and they just tend to add to the complexity and respectively flex in the whole assembly. If the bars are fitted without risers it's easier to align and tighten them and there are not too many mounting points which can cause flex. With added Rox Risers which are pivoting type risers it becomes way more difficult to both align and tighten all the elements of the assembly to make it really stiff. And this means flex at the factory risers/fork brace interface. This interface is not stiff by design, it becomes stiff if the whole combination of elements above it is stiff.

Hope this makes sense. To be honest I think this is rather poor design by Honda in the first place. I've fitted various risers to Versys 650 and Versys 1000 as well as Yamaha Super Tenere and never had this problem with those bikes. Reason being I think is that the whole factory risers assembly (just to reiterate - the parts which 'connect' handlebars and the top fork brace from the factory) seem to be either way more solid or designed like one part with 2 mounting points (Versys 1000) rather than 2 independent parts.

I'll see how it goes - I'd actually really prefer the pivoting Rox risers but the way the factory set up is designed using them may be way more difficult than it needs to be. Oh well :)

[popkat]

Not had my bike long and was riding yesterday thinking the bars look twisted, could see more of one fork top than the other. when I got home I turned the bars fully right then gave an extra yank on them and they moved, straightend it up and they are now inline, the movement was from the risers at the lower point so where they bolt to the top yoke. I haven't gone in and tightened anything yet as they feel solid but I will do it as i think they went like this over time and maybe the previous owner turning the bars static with a bit of a hoof..

Strange the this should happen then I come on here today and see this post 



.

[AndreyEvteev]

Originally Posted by popkat

Not had my bike long and was riding yesterday thinking the bars look twisted, could see more of one fork top than the other. when I got home I turned the bars fully right then gave an extra yank on them and they moved, straightend it up and they are now inline, the movement was from the risers at the lower point so where they bolt to the top yoke. I haven't gone in and tightened anything yet as they feel solid but I will do it as i think they went like this over time and maybe the previous owner turning the bars static with a bit of a hoof..

Strange the this should happen then I come on here today and see this post 



.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm talking about. The interesting side effect of 'straightening' the bars like this for me was that the bars itself tend to rotate towards rider a little bit with every straightening. This was what gave me a clue that the bars themselves are the source of stiffness.

It would have been much easier if Honda decided to put a single solid bridge type top clamp on the whole assembly rather than individual top clamps on each factory riser/bar mount. This would eliminate the problem completely I think and would really help with using all types of bar risers.

[popkat]

How many people when they put the steering lock on give a little check by turning the bars, most I reckon and I did it tonight without thinking but then thought repeatedly over time this could easily push the risers and the bars will go out of line. I won't be doing that check again and hopefully it'll all stay straight.