Last week I borrowed a set of fork yokes from a friend in order to make some new stainless top nuts. It's a lot easier to have a pattern and to make things at one's leisure.



As it's been chucking it down with rain today and the Vincent is cleaned and ready for this weekend's camping, I thought I would use my friend's yokes to see if I could come up with a simple way of making 'bar risers. I don't actually need any, I like my bars as they are, but it may be of help to someone out there.

This is the result. A pair of 40mm diameter blocks, 25mm long, drilled 10mm clear and chamfered 30* to fit the taper on the existing clamps. And a pair of extensions to the thread, tapped M8 internally, 40mm long overall, with 15mm of M8 thread externally. I used 7/16" (11mm ish) to give a bit more 'meat' around the internal thread.



An advantage of lifting the complete clamp assembly is that the switch pad stays in the correct relation to the handlebars.



I used acetal for the risers, because I had some, but steel, stainless, aluminium, nylon or whatever would be suitable.

Of course this will only work for K's with the ignition switch fitted to the handlebar pad and although I wouldn't expect any problems with cable lengths, the front brake hose would probably need to be longer.

So that's today's playtime over,

Cheers,

Paul.

But not K75s as they dont have any vibration dampers. I used a set of top clamps and longer bolts and extended the dash mounts 20mm.

Handy work Paul, like RickG My k75 has old style metal clamps so i used a set of rd400? barclamps that simply unbolted to give me the uppers and lowers in one go. though it does beggar tthe question? are dog bones still legal. remember them? I wonder how many breaker yards we would have to run through to find a set of 22mm old style jap dog bones off of someones old honda four choppa. They came in any sizes up to 8 or 10 inch i reckon maybe more

For those of us who lack the skills or tools to make up Paul's risers, I can recommend a set specifically for the K100 from Red Luna Racing in California.
Cost just under £30 including p&p and only took 4 days to get here. CNC machined from polished or painted T6 aluminium and complete with longer stainless bolts.
Find them on eBay.
You do have to make a couple of small brackets to raise the dash. Small piece of metal with two holes 1" apart. Within even my engineering skills.
All cables and pipework fits fine. Mines an RT but don't see it making any difference for other models.
Is it worth it?
Well, an inch can make a big difference. (Said the actress to the bishop. Sorry, couldn't resist it.)
I have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and the difference is noticeable. Hands don't go numb as much as before.
May help back sufferers too.

Comberjohn wrote:For those of us who lack the skills or tools to make up Paul's risers, I can recommend a set specifically for the K100 from Red Luna Racing in California.
Cost just under £30 including p&p and only took 4 days to get here. CNC machined from polished or painted T6 aluminium and complete with longer stainless bolts.
Find them on eBay.
You do have to make a couple of small brackets to raise the dash. Small piece of metal with two holes 1" apart. Within even my engineering skills.
All cables and pipework fits fine. Mines an RT but don't see it making any difference for other models.
Is it worth it?
Well, an inch can make a big difference. (Said the actress to the bishop. Sorry, couldn't resist it.)
I have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and the difference is noticeable. Hands don't go numb as much as before.
May help back sufferers too.

Hi I couldn't find the Red Luna site, do you have a link, also a couple of piccies of your installed risers would be great, my back is aching

Welcome Shack!

Don`t know which kind of model you got, but here you got some alternatives.

Hi Shack.
Go to ebay and search for 'K100 risers' or try this link Red Luna Racing

I took a couple of photos of mine. Reminds me to have a bit of a repaint over the winter!
I find the risers a great job and this company do all sorts of stuff like this and it doesn't seem expensive despite the quality of parts.
Like I said 4 days from the States is pretty impressive too.

[img][/img]
[img][/img]

With most risers you'll have to drill and tap (or rivet) a hole in the lower saddle for the original dashpad to fit. It's easily done. Be sure to order 22mm risers and not 7/8" which is 22.25mm and will require shimming of some sort to work effectively.

Touratech, Creative Cycle Concepts and others list basic black or silver 22mm risers that give a 25mm (about an inch) rise. I have them on my K100RS too. Along with my handlebar's wideners (22mm internal inserts to increase the handlebar's width) it makes a big difference to handling and comfort over the long road.

As TWB says, you can drill and tap the lower clamp.
Bear in mind that the original tapped hole is on a spigot(?) away from the original bottom clamp and is at a different angle from where a new hole would be.
Hopefully you can see what I mean from the photos.
It would mean bending the metal bracket running down from the dash.
My solution, while not very elegant, is easy to do and is out of sight. The flash makes it easier to see in the photo. Normally you can't see very much.

Comberjohn wrote:Hi Shack.
Go to ebay and search for 'K100 risers' or try this link Red Luna Racing

I took a couple of photos of mine. Reminds me to have a bit of a repaint over the winter!
I find the risers a great job and this company do all sorts of stuff like this and it doesn't seem expensive despite the quality of parts.
Like I said 4 days from the States is pretty impressive too.

[img][/img]
[img][/img]

Thanks for the info and great pictures, I jumped on the site and didn't specify the RS model (newbie time) will this fit the RS model? if so I think it will be time to dig that card out and put an order in.

I have a 1991 K100RS in Yukka (see avatar) only had it for four days so getting a feel for it and working out the niggles:pirat:

Help needed. I am trying to make extensions but dont know what is diameter is hole in rubber blocks inside upper triple clamp. 11, 12, 13 mm?

[/quote]I jumped on the site and didn't specify the RS model (newbie time) will this fit the RS model? [/quote]

Buy a riser for 22mm handlebar diametre and you will have to drill and tap or rivet for the dashpad, as mentioned previously. There is no RS-specified riser. You will use a generic riser for BMW bolt spacing.

Nino, the shafts on the handlebar clamps are 10mm dia with an 8mm threaded end but 11mm will also go through the rubbers.

Remember to make the extensions the same length as the risers to keep the original tension on the rubbers when the 8mm nut is fully tightened.

Paul.

So, how do you avoid having to buy a longer front brake hose?

Make a longer banjo bolt and spacer. Simple!



(I like to have a bleed screw in the top of a vertically mounted banjo bolt to get that last bubble of air out.)

I may even try these risers now I've got this far.

Paul.

Can I ask a newbie/ numpty question, are the bolt spacings standard across different makes, I've found some that move the bars up 30mm and back 22mm but didn't specify any make.

I've emailed the company so it depends if they can be bothered/ are able to get the tape measure out!

I emailed the cycle link listed above, but they haven't replied to either of my emails, so lost confidence in them, and the red luna weren't happy to say if it would fit the RS and to check with a dealer (they did reply which was nice)

Ta muchly

Can I ask a newbie/ numpty question, are the bolt spacings standard across different makes, I've found some that move the bars up 30mm and back 22mm but didn't specify any make.

I've emailed the company so it depends if they can be bothered/ are able to get the tape measure out!

I emailed the cycle link listed above, but they haven't replied to either of my emails, so lost confidence in them, and the red luna weren't happy to say if it would fit the RS and to check with a dealer (they did reply which was nice)

Ta muchly

sidecar paul wrote:So, how do you avoid having to buy a longer front brake hose?

Paul.

But if one didn't want to turn up that nice little spigot (and if one was thinking about replacing 23 year old break lines anyway) does anyone make a 2" over top hose ('89 RS + ABS) ? Or is there a drawing out there anywhere ? I don't want to pull the existing hose & send it away with a note saying "like this but 2 inches longer."

If you are only raising the bars by an inch you don't need longer brake lines or cables. The original lengths are okay but you can change them for new standard length lines.

Don't worry about making up spigots or widgets for this. Paul is just showing off.
These side car types are always having to make up special bits for their outfits and they can't help themselves. Us mere mortals just have to muddle through with what we can find or buy.

Regarding the risers fitting the RS. Can't see why not.
I would say that Red Luna are doing the American thing and covering their ass from potential law suits from gorillas with spanners.

As far as using a K with risers, highly recommended.

Comberjohn wrote:If you are only raising the bars by an inch you don't need longer brake lines or cables. The original lengths are okay but you can change them for new standard length lines.

Ah. But. And there is a but. I have already fitted the wider KI100RS bars, and I think that has eaten any slack there was. Hence my question :-)

There's always one!

In that case, what about the standard K100 (naked) or RT/LT brake lines?

Plenty available off the shelf.

I would guess that one from a naked or RT/LT would be way to long.
The hose from a naked K100/K75C (low bar) is only 23 mm longer.

But afterall it`s standard fittings, it should be posibble to find one with
the correct length.............or one custom made.

10mm banjo fittings, 15^o in one end.

Standard length:

Who's looking for some risers, then?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-K100RS-K100-K-100-RS-85-Top-Upper-Yoke-/380492091208?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item5897188f48

Cheap enough?

Paul.

Wow. Someone has been busy.
Would feel like riding a Harley with a rise like that.
If you used the dashpad you won't be able to see the clocks.

sidecar paul wrote:So, how do you avoid having to buy a longer front brake hose?

Make a longer banjo bolt and spacer. Simple!

(I like to have a bleed screw in the top of a vertically mounted banjo bolt to get that last bubble of air out.)

I may even try these risers now I've got this far.

Paul.

Paul, do you happen to have drawings for those ? Have stainless, have mate with lathe & workshop :-)

I put a set of RHK bar risers on mine. Cost $29 from local suzuki bike shop. They rise the bars by 22mm and one part goes under the bars and they come with a new top clamp as well. You simply put the spacer under the bars and it bolts to the standard bottoms then put the cap on. The spacer has its own thread to accept the top clamp. They come with new bolts with loctite stuff on the threads. Made of alloy and come in range of colours.
I have used them on a couple of bikes now and had no dramas.
The 22mm is just enough to ease the bars up and back a bit. No probs with cables etc either.

Hi John the Hat,

No I don't generally make drawings, in this case I just copied the standard banjo bolt but added 1" (the same height as the risers).

So, give your mate the stainless and an old banjo bolt and tell him how much longer you want it.

Paul.

Have handlebar risers. Now to find someone who will make me up a custom hose...

:-)