How to Pick the PERFECT Handlebar - MX Handlebar Guide!

[@johnkenney6238]

These setup videos are so helpful. Keep doing them!

[@JeffWalker84]

Aye aye captain🫡 glad you enjoy

[@cadencornett726]

@@JeffWalker84what pegs do you run?

[@Brap.Bryant]

Day 103 of Cheering on Jeff: GO JEFF!

[@Audfile]

Thank you so much for this incredible video. Ive been scouring KZbin for months seeking this information out. Every other video is either "Hi Im McSpugeon we got Renthals, red, blue, and green!" Or, "hey.... got the new Renthal.... thought id talk about it...had to extend this cable and..." Even though Im slapping one of these on an SV650 im sure it all applies. Awesome man.

[@AUSTIN_RIDES]

6’3” guy here running Renthal 822 with 5mm risers. Recently ran no spacers and felt better sitting but worse standing, going to try some 5mm down pegs with no risers next. Something for the tall guys to remember, your arms are longer too so no need for ape hangers also if you have your bars in the correct roll the higher the bar the closer grip to peg distance becomes which can also feel cramped.

[@jhcrides8763]

Go with the 10mm lowered pegs by raptor or FLO the extra 5mm will help you, your 6”3 you could use it, your the targeted crowd for lowered footpegs

[@peterjennen99]

In regards to handlebar roll: If you leave the clamps loose and grip the bar while in your riding position the bars will rotate to match the angle of your grip. Changing the roll has an effect similar to moving the clamp forward/reverse. I don’t know the proper terminology, but I call it ark/swing. For example, a bmx bike has a different ark/swing than a dirt bike, and that’s different than a standard street bike. I like the back of my bar to align with the back of the stem and I set the roll as described above. I’ve found this is really nice if you have more that one dirt bike. With the same bar bend and install parameters it makes it easier to change bikes. Just remember: The Good Book says you can only have one wife. It doesn’t say anything about how many motorcycles you can have.

[@billybob1773]

Wow, I've just finished watching this and your suspension alignment video, such great detail for relatively overlooked things, probably the best videos on YT regarding these subjects.I can appreciate the amount of work you had to put in to make these. My hat tipped to you sir for your obvious talent and effort

[@rclmxshift]

I went through 3 different bends and brands before I found a bend I am comfortable with on my bike. I am using the Pro Taper Fuzion Henry/Reed bend in the unlocked position. I have never gone through that many bars before I found a good fit for myself. Thank GOD for MX Locker.

[@josephelefante9617]

i have the same ones i’m 6’6 and helped me

[@rclmxshift]

@@josephelefante9617 I'm only 5'10" riding a 2022 KTM 350 SXF

[@cooganbeggs4942]

mate, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge on this topic! I literally just changed my stock bars to the 827 fatbar. It’s unbelievable the difference it makes. To me they feel really wide compared to the stock bars. I was struggling at first on my oval track to get used to them and then I went on the motocross track and was like, oh yeah! now I get it. They felt so much more stable in corners and easier to initiate the lean.

[@DM-nx4px]

Love the content, man. Bought a 2023.5 450 FE in February of 2023, took alot of your advice on proper bike setup. Always looking forward to your videos and advice

[@TheRealSkeptyk]

Best content in our sport, thank you for what you are doing. These tips and tricks and educational aspects from your experience have greatly helped our decisions and purchases. Switching to Renthal going forward. Thank you!

[@JeffWalker84]

That means more to me than you know. Cheers man🍻 hope you love the bars

[@pags1981]

Winham bend is my new favorite, used by RV2 and most of SX in the 2011-16 era.

[@desert-timber-outdoors6577]

As a woods/enduro guy, I run mini style bends like the schoolboy low bend…. A few mm narrower makes a huge difference in the enduro and woods world… big game changer 🤙🏻

[@ketofn]

Dude you’re for real make Ig me scratch my head from all the information in this video. I’ve been racing competitively for 8 years and I’ve NEVER heard anyone explain bar bends and the cockpit triangle this well!

[@mxslick50]

Since I started riding and racing in late 1989 I found that the WORST bend is the stock Yamaha "YZ" bend. Back then I rode a friend's CR125 and found that the Honda (CR High) bent felt a LOT better. My first Renthals (7/8ths) that I put on my 1990 YZ125 felt great. I run them rolled back towards me a bit, and they have never let me down. My current ride that I got from my buddy last year is a 2006 YZ125 with a 2008 YZ250f front end on it, it had ProTaper Carmichael bend bars (IIRC, it is snowing out as I type this so I'm not keen on going to the shed to check) and they were ok, but still felt odd to me. I switched to Renthal Fat Bars in CR Hi and the difference was amazing. I am 5'9", average build, average arm length and 32" inseam. The trick I use to set up how far to roll the bars is simple, and has worked well for other riders I suggested it to. It is as follows: With the bike on a stand, sit on the bike in the neutral seating position, feet on the pegs. Hold both arms out horizontal, palms down and fingers open. With eyes closed, drop you arms down without bending your elbows. Your hands should land on the grips with your palms centered without needing to shift your palms to close around the grip. Adjust the bars forwards or back to get them lined up that way and it will work great. Of course, everyone is different so that initial setup may not work the best for you, but it does give a good starting point. Tweak the roll to suit what feels best to you. Proper bar setup, including bend choice, width, and roll will result in more comfort, better control and less arm pump (assuming you also grip mainly with your legs and not your hands, and ride "loose" , not all tensed up. )

[@lexprue]

I just bought a Yz250f this summer with stock bars, and every time I ride it, i think about how uncomfortable they are

[@mxslick50]

@@lexprue Yeah the stock bars and the YZ bend are not comfortable at all. For all the years I've been around racing, I could count on one hand the number of YZ/YZF owners who kept the YZ bend beyond one or two rides. Virtually everyone changed the bars before the first ride. Maybe Yamaha should get the hint on the YZ/YZF series bikes and provide a voucher or coupon for new owners to buy the bars of their choice, and send the bikes with no bars at all lol.

[@Papparratzi]

Wow, you got an OG here. Just a simple high school education. Jeff, this was truly my first day of college that kicked ass buddy. Thanks.

[@_.momjeans_9219]

Let’s go it’s finally here 😊 Question: with you being a taller/lanky rider has the new bar bend you’ve been using helped with preventing elbow tuck/drop?

[@lijkie1]

Best handle bar video out there 💪🏼

[@brentyancich]

I missed this video when it was first released. KZbin saw my search history, then threw it in my feed, and I'm happy they did.

[@matt_geary]

Great production value and information! Can't help but to want to see the rest of your garage... Can you take us on a tour and show some of the key aspects of your workspace?

[@travisfletcher900]

Jeff. I’m digging these videos bud. . You’re covering a ton of info and putting it in terms that are easy to comprehend. These are a huge help for the beginners and even for the guys who’ve been at it a while. 🤘

[@robbys_pipe_repair]

Never knew about that renthal tool. Thanks brother 👍🏻

[@brutus6328]

Loving these tech vids!!! Keep them coming as they are so important for us amateurs to learn! THANKS!

[@austinhooper4584]

Mannnnnn can’t wait to see Jeff get back on that big orange machine, love the video style man, keep ER up

[@JeffWalker84]

You and me both, brother!! Thank you for the kind words💪🏼

[@austinhooper4584]

@@JeffWalker84 yessir, you’ve done nothing but give us the best content you can and we love you for it, go Jeff go!

[@11NickMartinez]

Thank you brotha ! Keep them going I’m pretty sure there’s so many things people wouldn’t even think about but is so common to you.

[@tylerbryant8012]

I'm 6'4. Never had any luck with bar combos. Found Protaper risers that go into existing clamps. Along with Protaper Fuzn bars..... GAME CHANGER

[@sdb92]

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all this. Super helpful! 🤙🏻🇺🇸

[@ryanCallander214]

this helped so much thank you mate you just earned yourself another sub

[@JeffWalker84]

Welcome! Thanks for the kind words and support💪🏼

[@jpracing_fab1348]

Asked and received, Jeff is the man.

[@Jinxxfn]

W video ( I’m still watching the first add)

[@JeffWalker84]

My. Man.😤

[@isaacmuro2588]

Video on the best tires in your opinion

[@TSandback595]

Super helpful Jeff, been riding 20+ years and will use that Renthal tool to compare to my current Pro Tapers. Keep it up!!!

[@CappsCustoms7]

I’m 6’1 and just started running reed/windham bend from pro taper. I was under same impression taller guy taller bars but it made me for more unstable. My seat is about 5-10 mm lower than stock that made a huge difference for myself for my urge to wanting to feel always in the motorcycle and part of it. So in a sense puts me lower in the bike and makes me feel more stable and less of a teeter totter.

[@jackmedford8369]

I am a shorter rider at 5'6 and I have experimented with a couple different bends some tall some short and I have found that the Mgrath 827 bend is definitely my favorite, I ride an MC 250F

[@ExclaimMediaDotCom]

Jeff you always do excellent videos and just want to say how much you are appreciated! Thank you!

[@harryjohnson347]

That was the most indepth video on handlebars I've ever seen. Good job!😎🇺🇸

[@lmcbfx]

keep it up boss I will always support you

[@JeffWalker84]

❤️❤️

[@ralphboelen4807]

Perfect in time, thank you for all that info !

[@brutus6328]

Regarding @15:00 Actually it's really easy to figure out if the tips of the bar are going to "upsweep" or not. It's the difference between height ("B") and rise ("C")....ex.....if you have a bar with a height of 90mm, and rise of 70mm (the "B" and "C" measurement in the tool) that is a difference of 20mm between the two therefor that bar will have little upsweep to the ends....conversely, a bar with a height of 90mm but rise of just 50mm (40mm difference) that bar will have much MORE upsweep to the ends of the bar (which also kicks the elbows out more). To summarize, the greater the distance between height and rise, the MORE upsweep the ends of the bar will have, the closer those numbers become, the "flatter" the ends will be.

[@justinfritz3635]

Always needed a video like this

[@HVAC544]

Thanks for pointing out how a few bars tip upward on the renthal tool. Currently have a 672 bend on my bike dropping them from neutral to +1 makes it harder for me to keep elbows up. Thinking of trying a 999 mcgrath bend since the bar has an upward tilt.

[@BikesandBlickeys]

Yup super lanky 6’3 here. I have found tall bars to be horrible, completely throws off my attack position. Whenever I see tall guys running ape hangers I try to talk to them about it. Made me stand up too tall and vertical, increases fatigue and arm pump, not to mention just put me in a bad position on the bike. Been running 996s for years, just switched from Yamaha to ktm, now the 996s feel a little tall. Gotta ride the new bike more and get used to the new ergos. Biggest thing for tall guys in my opinion is sweep, less sweep = more open cockpit.

[@hightower005]

Great video 👍🏻 you said about dropped foot pegs, I found I would catch my heels on ruts and G outs 😬 so my new bike I kept stock and modded the levers so far. I run the Renthal 827 as you said it opens the bike up and raises my elbows. Im 6'7.

[@Ocstance733]

This helped me a tremendous amount! Got my bars setup for my liking now and man do the slight adjustments make a world of difference! The bar-to-fork neutral spot was key in my case after adding risers with renthal 605 fatbars that came with the bike. Thanks Jeff! #protips

[@samuelpratte201]

excellent content ! you are the only one that explain those ajustement !

[@jeremiesparrer5650]

Great video Jeff, very informative. Been racing riding and training my son for years and some of these things I’ve never thought of

[@jannep6772]

Thank you for a great video! I´m quite short guy around 175 cm (5ft 9in) but I have long lower parts of my legs (from ankle to knee) and short thighs for my height. Then my upper body is also "from a longer body" so my reach is longer vs. my total height. Long hands etc. So I have +30 mm taller and hard seats in my bikes so it´s easier for me to switch between standing and sitting position without the need to "squat" as much. This is very good setup for me. I have now Renthal Twinwall 999 low handlebar in mx bike Husqvarna TC 250 2018 and same bend but a taller Renthal Twinwall 997 in my enduro bike Husqvarna TE 250 2015. 999 is also a bit wider than 997. It also depends of the bike how tall handlebar mounting position it is originally in that bike. I had these handlebars swithed like this and it´s now much better for both bikes. Before I had the taller 997 in TC 250 and the lower 999 in TE 250. It felt like 997 in TC 250 was too high and 999 in TE 250 was too low. But now it´s perfect for me. It´s also very important for me to have Pro Grip 788 narrow grips as I have short fingers.

[@007Darin]

Hey jeff…what about width? Back in the 70s our bars were 34” wide and quite high, the advantage was being able to get your bike significantly lower in the corners….also wider bars helped for guys with wider shoulders. Love your videos

[@chestertownelectric6290]

Yes. And, for woods racing, cutting an inch off of each end helps you fit between trees.

[@House_of_Zodd]

Loving the tech videos brother keep em coming & thanks for the info

[@keithkeller698]

I recently bent my Ricky Johnson bend renthals on My 1985 cr250. The 998 reed 7/8 bar is nice for me. I'm 5 foot 10.

[@justinza6365]

These videos are so helpful👌. Would love to see a video on how to setup suspension clickers like compression and rebound

[@ThomperBeThompin]

This is great, thank you for taking the time to make this video. I learned a lot

[@cooper_elmore]

loving these videos! so helpful for people who are just starting out like me. keep up the great content.🤙

[@morganpeckenham7802]

Thank you!

[@blandos9581]

Thanks broski. :) deffo getting fat bars :) and I’ll set mine just below neutral too :) perfect for the front end handling :) I’ll be running both the same bars on my ktm as my new Honda aswell 😊

[@stevenkilleen8149]

Great advice once u find what u like it really matter I can feel if my bars are few mm off

[@MrNuggetDust]

Love these videos! Helps so much with my dirt bike development!

[@TommyK030]

Awesome and helpful video. Hope your recovery is going well. Had a similar procedure 3 weeks ago.... its soooo slow... ready to see some riding vids soon

[@brianmartindale2221]

Excellent information! Thank you and thank you for the entire setup series, which is really helpful

[@nickdoney7554]

Ape hangers brother😂😂😂 I always noticed something looked different on ferandis bike but now that you pointed it out😅

[@brendonchase9460]

Great content and advice 👌

[@yamaman2711]

You could do a video on gearing. What happens when you increase or decrease the number of teeth on your rear sprocket and the differences between an o ring vs. non o ring chain.

[@tonehow6967]

Great vid..but b good to hear your option on the handling affects of bar Bolting postions...6.1 on sherco 300 2t felt so cramped...had to put bars in full forward hole position and lower pegs....new bar position is more comfortable but makes it turn a bit to quick..but needed to increase the triangle that way 👍👍

[@guloggarry5380]

If you get a chance can you do a grips video

[@BraydenMully]

this video helped me a tun thank you😄😄😄😄😄

[@timgustafsson9498]

sick vid man. Keep it up!

[@chrispayne1029]

A really in-depth video. Keep up the great content Jeff 💯❤️👏👌👍

[@MacMackay]

Contrary to what many people believe, a crossbar actually makes the handlebar weaker and the only purpose of a crossbar is to add rigidity and possibly help with vibration. Handlebars without a crossbar have more of a flex yield or "give" compared to a handlebar with a cross bar, meaning if you fall and the crossbar-less handlebar will flex further and return to its original state, where a handlebar with a crossbar reduces the flex yield and creates a leverage point that casues bending and even braking/snapping more often due to the handlebar not having any "give". This is a big reason why Roger Decoster does not allow any of his riders to use a handlebar with a crossbar.

[@squiretomasie7003]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. You have turned it in to a science!

[@nicktobin2840]

Classic JWalk video, love to see it!

[@damarpo5467]

WOW! great inside information! thank you so much for this very important info!

[@Ransom_Pauleyx2]

Thanks man!

[@harryjohnson2]

Another awesome video, Jeff. The tech videos are fantastic!

[@jpg109]

Thank you, great video, subscribed ✅

[@MatthewBurgess25]

Could you go into some detail on foot peg placement. Moving up/down/ back/forward?

[@alexarmstrong1134]

15:20 the spec your talking about is rise I think (end of bar rising up), height is from clamp upper bar then, sweep

[@alexarmstrong1134]

997 👍😎👍

[@georgewarshington1230]

idk wth windham bend means because i'm not a nerd, but i bought a marketplace bike with them on, and i was just like heck yeah, i dig this.

[@dawsonogorman]

Review different rental grips

[@Cougar139tweak]

I needed this! Much thanks! Subscribed!

[@trevorhulin2631]

I’m one of the weird ones lol I’m 6’1 & run PT Carmichael which is pretty close to Mcgrath I’ve tried all the other bends & found that I like to be over the front of the bike a lot so the lower bars just feel right to me

[@bobbytruck8959]

Great vid can you go to Tampa MX on November 19th

[@stevesmith775]

Really enjoying the bike setup videos!

[@TrevorWilliamsIsAgodDamnBoss]

The ape hangers comment at 8:05 had me dying lol

[@lukestambaugh5238]

Thank u for doing these tech tips greatly appreciated 😊😊😊😊😊

[@anthn281]

Love the standard husky bar on my 350 would be keen to know the comparison from Renthal to give them ago

[@jimgootjes5648]

I’m same config lol. Cursed with long legs but normal torso. Would like lowered pegs at some point.

[@jakelange7024]

I was literally telling my friend today I have no idea what handlebar to get

[@JeffWalker84]

Hopefully this helps steer you in the right direction!

[@YoshimuraUSA]

Great info Jeff!

[@Roberts-239]

How do you figure out what a good width is for you? I am struggling and don’t want to cut my bars down and then realize they are now too narrow?

[@cjmckinney5684]

Man this was awesome!! Thank you!

[@RealCrouchen]

Ur the man, Jeff! Thank you

[@mxcollin95]

Great video man!

[@oscarwanth9024]

Thank you for the advice

[@robertwetmore5655]

Damn good content Jeff. Just got started listening to your tech talks. Keep it up. Do you have anything in regards to tire selection?

[@Nerff554]

This is quality content bro

[@kruse1105]

Great info ❤ I ride 2strokes that vibrate, so i use fatbar (Pro-Taper). I'm 5'9" and run the lower/flatter Charmichael bend, rolled back a cunthair from neutral (fork angle). I cut my bars to around 30 inches or so, don't like em too wide. Seems to work for me ?

[@andrewmapes8205]

very helpful, thank you

[@jvanschie942]

Thankyou very much . Very good info .

[@rickydavis597]

Love it

[@andreesterhuizen7707]

Great video, but what about the other thing that no addresses bar width?

[@rochellestanley9532]

Renthal Fat Bar, CR High Bend 🥇