Do taller pros' use higher bars?

unknownmxr 3/18/2011 7:32am
3/18/2011 7:32am
Rolling the bars forwards will put the handgrips ahead of the steering axis, which leads to instability. You can visualize that the bars will pull one way or the other when looking down from an overhead view. The problem with tall riders is that the distance from the pegs to the handgrips is too short. Move the footpegs back and it takes too much weight of the front tire.
The only real solution is to lengthen the swingarm while moving the pegs back. The bicycle store has frame sizes to fit all shapes and sizes.
motodriller
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motodriller 3/18/2011 7:38am
3/18/2011 7:38am
I think the taller and wider your bars are the more flex you will have and your bike may feel sloppy compared to someone who run a tight setup. Any motox bike I ride seriously has to have the bars cut back to 30.5 inches the hieght I can adjust to. That's just me.
DrSweden
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DrSweden 3/18/2011 12:01pm
3/18/2011 12:01pm
unknownmxr wrote:
Rolling the bars forwards will put the handgrips ahead of the steering axis, which leads to instability. You can visualize that the bars will pull one...
Rolling the bars forwards will put the handgrips ahead of the steering axis, which leads to instability. You can visualize that the bars will pull one way or the other when looking down from an overhead view. The problem with tall riders is that the distance from the pegs to the handgrips is too short. Move the footpegs back and it takes too much weight of the front tire.
The only real solution is to lengthen the swingarm while moving the pegs back. The bicycle store has frame sizes to fit all shapes and sizes.
Good points. As increase the length of the swingarm, I hear it's popular to put wheel back to full stop on some bikes, especially on the CRF450s, some teams as in Geico did that on Canards CRF250 scooter? Even Dean Wilson alter his ergo on his KX250F like that, I think that was mentioned by Emig recently during the supercross coverage...

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climberbob1
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climberbob1 9/25/2013 12:19am
9/25/2013 12:19am
mx_563 wrote:
I'm not sure if they are still available but there used to be a Jimmy Button bend Renthal available that was pretty tall. I assume Jimmy...
I'm not sure if they are still available but there used to be a Jimmy Button bend Renthal available that was pretty tall. I assume Jimmy used it.

I've always been interested in this and tried to study the bikes of Larry Ward, Damon Huffman, and even Ryan Dungey. My observations suggest that few tall Pros are making major changes (Preston comes to mind as an exception). I think most guys have some subtle things modified but the bar bend itself (which seems to be the primary area of interest in this thread) does not appear out of the ordinary. Again, that's just my observation.

BTW: I'm 6'2" and use a Ricky Carmicheal Tall bend. I don't roll it forward much though (anymore). It's maybe a hair forward but almost straight with the forks. I also have a footpeg lowering kit. I've used tall seats before but not now. I noticed whenever I would go back to a regular seat, my cornering felt better...like my center of gravity was lower. Maybe it was in my head. I would consider using one again but it doesn't seem as critical as the bars.
I'm hoping MX_563 gets notification of this - 2 years after his comment. I'd like to ask him about the footpeg lowering kit. I've been looking and wasted my money on some nice billet pegs that really didn't lower the pegs much. I'm 6'4" and feel like Johnny Bench on my 2013 Husky TE511. If my leg were allowed to be a little less crouched it would make using my legs much less awkward. Anyone with lowering footpeg ideas (short of modifying the frame) I would greatly appreciate any ideas and sources.

thanks
Crush
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Crush 9/25/2013 3:03am
9/25/2013 3:03am
Fastway have them... the lowboy pegs, but maybe that is what you used? That's what I had...

They lower them about the height of the pegs and move them back about half as much.

Be careful tho, you don't wanna catch your legs in ruts and logs etc, if you're riding a husky I guess you're offroad?
Beast666
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Beast666 9/25/2013 5:49am
9/25/2013 5:49am
I am 6'4" with a 31" inseam so my setup is a little strange and most people don't feel comfortable on my bike.

I run a slightly lower seat height with bars close to stock height and my forks moved up 10 mm in the clamps. I don't use a particular bend of bars nor do I use Pro Tapers or Renthal fat or twin wall bars. The reason for this is my left arm is 2" shorter than my right. That being said I will take my new bars and bend back the left side to make the bars feel straight to myself.
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mx_563 9/25/2013 7:38am
9/25/2013 7:38am
mx_563 wrote:
I'm not sure if they are still available but there used to be a Jimmy Button bend Renthal available that was pretty tall. I assume Jimmy...
I'm not sure if they are still available but there used to be a Jimmy Button bend Renthal available that was pretty tall. I assume Jimmy used it.

I've always been interested in this and tried to study the bikes of Larry Ward, Damon Huffman, and even Ryan Dungey. My observations suggest that few tall Pros are making major changes (Preston comes to mind as an exception). I think most guys have some subtle things modified but the bar bend itself (which seems to be the primary area of interest in this thread) does not appear out of the ordinary. Again, that's just my observation.

BTW: I'm 6'2" and use a Ricky Carmicheal Tall bend. I don't roll it forward much though (anymore). It's maybe a hair forward but almost straight with the forks. I also have a footpeg lowering kit. I've used tall seats before but not now. I noticed whenever I would go back to a regular seat, my cornering felt better...like my center of gravity was lower. Maybe it was in my head. I would consider using one again but it doesn't seem as critical as the bars.
climberbob1 wrote:
I'm hoping MX_563 gets notification of this - 2 years after his comment. I'd like to ask him about the footpeg lowering kit. I've been looking...
I'm hoping MX_563 gets notification of this - 2 years after his comment. I'd like to ask him about the footpeg lowering kit. I've been looking and wasted my money on some nice billet pegs that really didn't lower the pegs much. I'm 6'4" and feel like Johnny Bench on my 2013 Husky TE511. If my leg were allowed to be a little less crouched it would make using my legs much less awkward. Anyone with lowering footpeg ideas (short of modifying the frame) I would greatly appreciate any ideas and sources.

thanks
I ride an 08' CRF450R and I bought my kit on the "CRF's Only" website. The kit helps but doesn't make a world of difference. I've considered adding some fastway low pegs to the equation but I'm a little concerned about strength and durability. The lowering kit uses a longer peg pin. Adding lower pegs to the lowering kit will move the location of applied load down along the pin and I don't know if the pin would "like that".
I also own a CRF450X and that bike has the stock pegs. I can't say that I notice a huge difference although the riding styles and terrain these bikes are used on is very different. So it's a little bit like apples to oranges in my humble opinion. When I commit to a rutted corner that I know is coming on an MX track, I know what to expect and I can really lay into it. This commitment requires that I'm very comfortable with my setup. Out on the trail, I don't know what's coming so I rarely lay into the corners with full bar dragging commitment. So a couple of millimeters of peg height difference is not going to be a deal breaker for me.

At 6'4", I think it's going to be hard to find a comfortable setup. Best of luck.
socalmx716
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socalmx716 9/25/2013 8:24am
9/25/2013 8:24am
I always felt more comfortable cornering with a Carmichael bend, and more comfortable jumping with a Windham bend. I finally settled on the McGrath bend which felt like it was somewhere in between.
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Spartacus 9/25/2013 8:27am
9/25/2013 8:27am
Crush wrote:
[img]https://cdn.vitalmx.com/photos/users/15018/photos/41526/s600_99132120_1288179535.jpg?1294316120[/img]I'm 6'6" ... I'm 6'6"... I run a extra tall SDG seat, fastways, bar riser at 20mm and the Renthal RC high fatbars... They are really...
I'm 6'6" ...

I'm 6'6"... I run a extra tall SDG seat, fastways, bar riser at 20mm and the Renthal RC high fatbars... They are really tall but less sweep than the CR bars...
1+ on the Rox risers for uber tall freaks. The also allow you to get the bars in a more forward position gaining valuable 'cockpit' room for the freakishly tall super humans.
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BAD10 9/25/2013 11:45am
9/25/2013 11:45am
CamP wrote:
I'm 6'-5" and run RC Highs with the stock seat on my CRF. The RC High is 119mm tall with 54mm of sweep.
Like you, I'm 6'5" and run the exact bars. My friends joke and say they look like freestyle bars. on my 2010 yz450, and now my 2014, I run the stock seat height, as I feel a taller seat hinders cornering by raising my CG too much. I do run the fastway low pegs. These mods make the bike completely comfortable for a tall guy like me.
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rmpilot 9/27/2013 6:20am
9/27/2013 6:20am
Beast666 wrote:
I am 6'4" with a 31" inseam so my setup is a little strange and most people don't feel comfortable on my bike. I run a...
I am 6'4" with a 31" inseam so my setup is a little strange and most people don't feel comfortable on my bike.

I run a slightly lower seat height with bars close to stock height and my forks moved up 10 mm in the clamps. I don't use a particular bend of bars nor do I use Pro Tapers or Renthal fat or twin wall bars. The reason for this is my left arm is 2" shorter than my right. That being said I will take my new bars and bend back the left side to make the bars feel straight to myself.
lol I would probably like since im so used to riding with bent bars.

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