Virago 250 High Handlebars

[cgott]

The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by cgott
Are these bars comfortable,

Yes and no.

Post by cgott
or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

Yes and no.

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other smaller
bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like buckhorn
handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will they
cause fatigue in the long run?

Over the years I've ridden several bikes with buckhorn bars. Personally,
I find them uncomfortable, and to me, they make it more difficult to
steer or handle the motorcycle. Being uncomfortable contributes to
fatigue.

It is unnatural to countersteer with your palms facing inward and your
wrists twisted. It is so much easier to press on a bar end when your
palm is facing away from you, i.e. with a regular handlebar, than to try
to "pull" the bar end essentially toward the outside.

They are better than a single tiller bar, though.

[Albrecht via MotorcycleKB.com]

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

It's a cruiser with feet-forward controls. You ride it in the "sit up and
beg" position.

If you put a low European handlebar on it, you'd probably find you were bent
over too much at the waist.

Footpeg and handlebar position is very important to the riding position.

I once put a set of clip ons on a Yamaha 250cc twin, but I didn't get around
to
installing rearset footpegs, so my elbows were on my knees as I rode the
thing.

The rider who built this one put the foot pegs in the correct position for
the handlebars he used.

Loading Image...

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[Sean]

Post by Albrecht via MotorcycleKB.com

Post by cgott
The Virago 250

It's a cruiser with feet-forward controls. You ride it in the "sit up and
beg" position.

??? I thought "sit up and beg" means your feet are more under your
body, such as on the Triumph Bonneville:

"The seat is a retro-bench which eliminates both cruiser slouch and
racer-boy crouch. You simply sit upright. It looks geeky, but once
underway, it all makes sense.

"The foot pegs are placed directly below your knees; reinforcing
the kitchen chair position."

http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/reviews/review43.htm

SQ

[B-P]

Post by Sean
??? I thought "sit up and beg" means your feet are more under your

"Sit up and beg" has more to do with a high handlebar position that
seats the rider vertically

The typical wide western bar favored by Americans is a few inches
higher than the lower wide Europen bar that allows the rider to lean
into the wind.

[Seth Hammond]

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance. You can
minimize the effect with even a small windscreen, but the basic problem
remains. Hanging your arms off high bars is tiring. God intended you
should have at least a slight lean on your bars. With such, you never get
tired or arm sore. You lean IN to the slipstream, which helps hold you up.
Your bars are made for travel to bars - that's it. Good luck.

[Ken Abrams]

Post by Seth Hammond
ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.

Basically true but it depends on a lot of things.

Post by Seth Hammond
You can
minimize the effect with even a small windscreen, but the basic problem
remains.

I find that the combination of a medium size windshield and properly
positioned bars and a 75 cent "cruise control" that allows you to stretch
both arms occasionally (but not necessarily at the same
time)..............results in a stop for gas or an ass cramp before the arms
are any kind of problem.

Post by Seth Hammond
Hanging your arms off high bars is tiring.

Well, I'm not sure the bars on a Virago 250 really qualify as "high", not in
their stock form anyway.

[unknown]

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

[Polarhound]

Post by unknown
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

Most for me was 750 in a day on my old XS750 with buckhorns. No major
fatigue either.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Polarhound

Post by unknown
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

Most for me was 750 in a day on my old XS750 with buckhorns. No major
fatigue either.

908, on a Kawasaki KLR650.

[Seth Hammond]

Post by Polarhound

Post by unknown
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

Most for me was 750 in a day on my old XS750 with buckhorns. No major
fatigue either.

"Why, once when I was a boy, I (Fill in as desired)"

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by unknown
That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

And a Savage cruises at... what, 60?

[unknown]

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 22:35:37 +0100,

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by unknown
That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

And a Savage cruises at... what, 60?

It'll handle 80 quite nicely, but I stayed at or below speed limits.
Speed doesn't affect the position of the hands/arms on the handlebars.

[Seth Hammond]

Post by unknown
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

Arms & shoulders like an ape? Good for you, but not everyone's as manly.
Some of us are mere mortals.

The riders I see at the side of the road are almost always flexing their
sore and tired arms.

[unknown]

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:34:54 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by Seth Hammond

Post by unknown
On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:32:17 -0700, "Seth Hammond"

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

Arms & shoulders like an ape? Good for you, but not everyone's as manly.
Some of us are mere mortals.

nah.... I'm a 60-y-o who has *never* exercised. I have never in my
life been able to do more than 7 pushups -- including when I was in
the Air Force. Riding is not physically taxing -- hands and arms are
just lightly resting on the bars.

Post by Seth Hammond
The riders I see at the side of the road are almost always flexing their
sore and tired arms.

More likely just stretching to ease the kinks of not having moved much
while riding.

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Post by unknown

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or
will they cause fatigue in the long run?

ALL such bars cause fatigue when riding any serious distance.....

That's bullshit. Did 2700 miles (LA to/from OKC) last month on my
Savage with it's stock buckhorn bars. Fatigue was not a problem.

2700 miles last month? Hey, that's only 90 miles a day! <lol>

[Sean]

Post by cgott
The Virago 250 has different handlebars than most of the other
smaller bikes on the market. They're higher and pulled back, like
buckhorn handlebars from the '80s. Are these bars comfortable, or will
they cause fatigue in the long run?

I never felt fatigue from the bars, but the feet forward riding
position caused me lower back pain after ~50 miles. Sometimes
I would ride with my feet on the passenger pegs to ease the strain.

Sean_Q_