The idea to raise handlebars did not start just like that, and if you are thinking about it too, there must be a good reason! Whether it’s an off road riding position or not – doesn’t matter. What matters is that if the bike’s handlebars height, angle or whatever that is, bothers you – it should be adjusted to fit you!

Standard XT660Z Handlebar Setup

I’ll be honest, standard height on xt660z is not that bad, as well as handlebars themselves, however the wrong height, angle, lack of length on the controls area and overall length made my wrists hurt! I tried different angles for controls (brake and clutch levers), shifting handlebars forward and backward to try and see what fits me best, however none worked and I started looking into different handlebars.

Handlebars, oh so many handlebars!

From the first look – all aftermarket handlebars look more or less the same, however they are not! Each and every model is slightly different. Different lengths, different angles and bends! There is a right handlebar for each rider the same way as there is a right pair of underwear for every woman! So treat yourself!

My Handlebar Choice!

Personally I chose ProTaper EVO Adventure (normal not high!), because of the angle, as well as the width and the height of them! They are wider by a couple of centimeters than XT660Z standard bars, as well as higher by 2cm or so and it has the angle in the Sweep area more suitable for my needs!

Here is a sample picture of the ProTaper EVO Adventure. Most manufacturers will give similar measurements to this one! However if you are not sure, i would highly suggest to pay a visit to your local motorcycle parts shop and try them all out, there will be one for you!

How to choose handlebars!

To understand if handlebars are at the right height won’t take much, however to determine if they are at the right angle is the different story! My top suggestion would be to place your hands naturally on your handlebars, and ask someone to push the pen or some long object on your 3 knuckles (right hand last 3, left hand first 3 – left to right). If whatever is placed on your knuckles isn’t parallel to the handlebar – it’s not quite the right fit for you, and it needs adjusting or replacing for more comfort!

Handlebar Risers!

What fits best – is up to every rider individually. There is an endless list of different kinds of handlebar risers out there! Different companies make them in different ways, using different materials and processes too, so don’t be fooled buying cheaper stuff that you are getting quality items – the last thing you want is your handlebar clamps falling apart in the event of an “off”, and tracing back to some manufacturer in Mamas basement located somewhere no one knows – will be next to impossible!

My choice for Handlebar Risers!

Personally I knew that I wanted my bars around 4cm higher than standard, so my choice was RAID style clamps with adjustable height bushings from the company called OffTheRoad.de (Click Here to open their website). Since I already had ProTaper Evo Adventure handlebars that are higher than standard by a good couple of centimeters, I went on and picked a couple of sizes of spacers / bushings from OffTheRoad. Settled with +3cm rise (Standard XT660Z handlebar clamps are 4cm height, OffTheRoad with spacers – 7cm high).

Problems encountered!

Obviously rising handlebars at this height, had to be more complicated than just fitting all the bling! And it was! Despite all the cables being long enough to reach all the controls without binding and stretching – the throttle cable was a bit short. I could have bought another longer throttle cable, however the one i had was fairly new and i thought i’ll see if i can reroute it in a different way, and it worked!

Standard cable is routed on the left side of the frame and it wraps around the headstock before reaching throttle controls. My solution was to route it on the right side, and it just barely was enough! It did take a bit of playing around to find a good position for the cable, but eventually it stopped binding and became nice and smooth as it should be!

Additional info:

I had Barkbusters that should be the right fit for XT660Z – VPS Storm, however they never really fitted as they should, simply because the backbone was too short! My closest Barkbuster dealer (adventurebikeshop.co.uk) were nice enough to let me try different ones before buying, and I came back home with a hardware set that should be for some Ducati! Much better fit, and Storm covers did fit on them just fine too!

Handguards: loose or solid?

Heard riders say that handguards should not be super tight, i assume because there is always a risk of riders hands getting trapped in between handlebar and handguard and in the unfortunate event of flying over the handlebars – that might end up with broken bones. Personally I tighten handguards as tight as possible, so they are rock solid! As if they move out of the way in a fall, what will they protect?

Top tip:

Wrapping the handlebar with teflon plumbers tape Before fitting Clutch and Brake levers will do two things: 1. it will let the rider to adjust the height of the levers quickly with no tools, 2. If the handguard will let go in an off, there is a chance that the lever will shift out of the way instead of snapping off!