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Best Cafe Racer Handle Bars for K2 ?

eenvader

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Hi all. doing the café racer conversion on my K2...... want to replace the stock handle bars....what is a good set of straight or nearly straight bars that you've used, a handle bar that I DONT need to swap out clutch / throttle cables nor the other control cables ? ...want to use existing cables etc..... if you have experience with a certain make / model let me know THANKS !!!!
 
I used a set of drag bars with a 5 degree sweep. Mine are from Dime City Cycles, but I think they were actually made by Emgo. Lots of other companies make them too. Most aftermarket bars require you to drill the alignment holes for your controls, and usually the holes to run internal wiring. I ran my wires externally, as I used modern controls.
 
Or you can grind or file the alignment pins off to set the controls at the angle you like.

You can look around for anything that approaches a 'superbike' style bar, or a low rising one that has pretty straight ends that pull back just a very little bit. Often you can maneuver the cables around on those enough to not have to change the cables and still looks good.

There are more radical ones that can imitate clipons pretty well, they will be harder to hide cable length on and more potential trouble with bar ends striking tank at full turned forks.

I've run both types and I preserve my oldschool K&N auperbike "Freddie Spencer replica' bars as they are primo on a DOHC F bike. Those and short stalk rectangular sport mirrors look really good on the bikes. I don't like dead flat bars, that last inch really works your back over. As do the clipon copy bars.
 
I guess it all depends how old and limber you are...lol! I like the low look for handlebars on a cafe bike, but at 44 years old and beat up, flat bars are about as low as I can go anymore. Clip ons are cool, but you usually have to relocate your foot pegs and controls with a set of rear sets to make the ergonomics of the new riding position work. I personally never have liked the look of clubman bars, but if you want to look period authentic, that's what most people used when cafe racers first came about. If possible, try different types of bar set ups to see if your original control cables, brake line and wiring will work, or just to see if you like a certain style before you replace cables, brake line and wiring.
 
If you do like clip ons, Tarozzi makes a set of high rise clip ons that are raised 70mm wich puts them about the same height as a flat drag bar. They are also fully adjustable for pull back angle and rise. Clip ons will leave you with the handlebars mounting studs on your top triple tree, so it looks a lot cleaner to me if you change the top triple out for one with no handlebar mounts. You can always buy one with holes for handlebar risers if you ever want to go back to regular bars, and it gives you the option of different heights of risers, or even the option to run 1" bars if you want. But, if you go to 1" bars, you have to buy all new controls that are made to fit the bigger diameter bar. I guess what I'm saying is, it's easy to open a big can of worms in a hurry if you get carried away. That's usually exactly what I do though, I'm great at making a lot of extra work for myself! Lol!
 
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