K bike handlebars come in four basic shapes/styles:
Standard (a.k.a. "C" bars) | These are the "middle of the road" handlebars between the leaned forward riding position of the S/RS handlebars and the upright riding position of the RT/LT handlebars. They give the rider a moderately upright riding poistion. These came on the basic Euro K75 and Euro K100 models as well as the Euro USA K75C. |
S/RS | These handlebars sweep down and back and have a forward leaning riding position. These are good if you like to ride turns aggressively as they let you get your weight in over the tank and "kiss your mirrors." There are some minor dimensional differences between the two and four valve models but they are essentially the same shapewise. These handlebars came on the K100RS(2 valve and 4 valve), K75S and K1100RS. The K1100RS handlebars have bar end mounts welded onto the ends of them. |
RT/LT | These are the touring handlebars and give the rider a very upright riding position. In terms of their shape and dimensions they are the same for the K100RT, K100LT, K75RT and K1100LT. The K1100LT handlebars have bar end mounts welded onto the ends of them. |
K1 | Like many styling things with the K1, these handlebars are unique to the K1. Shape-wise they are in between the C bars and S/RS bars but with the seat and rear set peg ergonomics they give the rider a leaned forward riding position similar to that of the S/RS handlebars. |
The following table shows the approximate dimensions of each type of handlebars in inches. The tip to tip measurements are from the tip of the "usable" part of the handlebars and do not include bar ends or bar end mounts. The setback measurements are from the center of the handlebar mounts in the upper fork tree to the center of the tip. Given the different shapes and angles of the various styles, comparing the measurements is, to some extent, an apples to oranges comparison, especially for the setback.
All of the handlebars are 22 mm in diameter. (about 0.866 inches)
Type | Tip to tip | Setback |
Standard(C) | 25" | 7" |
2 Valve S/RS | 23" | 3" |
K1100RS | 24.5" | 2" |
RT/LT | 27" | 10.5" |
K1 | 27" | 7" |
Handlebar part numbers: The number stamped into the handlebars themselves generally is not the same part number found in the BMW parts catalog. The best way to make sure of what you're buying is by getting pictures.
SWAPPING HANDLEBARSBefore going though the expense and effort of swapping handlebars or adding barbacks consider the following:
Change Your Riding Position: This can take some effort and practice because chances are you never thought about your riding position, you just hopped on your bike and rode. Due to this your current riding position may have ingrained some bad habits in your muscle memory. Dick Frantz of the BMWRT forum came up with some principles and techniques known as the Master Yoda Riding Position. Though originally written up for riding a K1200RS it can be applied to any motorcycle. I have attached a PDF of it to the bottom of this post. Even if you're comfortable riding as things sit now (pun intended) it is still worth a read.
Experiment With Different Angles of Your Current Handlebars: This is fairly easy to but best of all it's free. You can change the angle of your handlebars by removing the center cover (dash pad) at the middle of the handlebars and loosening the 6mm handlebars clamps. Experiment with different angles to find what works best for you. Once you've found the best angle, retighten the handlebars clamps. You can then adjust the angle of your clutch and throttle perches.
On the back (front really) of the clutch and throttle perches are 4mm Allen bolts that clamp the perch to the bar. Loosen these to adjust the angle of each perch on the handlebar. When you retighten them do not use he-man torque as that can break the clamp.
Control Cables and Brake Lines: When swapping in a different style of handlebar or adding barbacks you may need to also install longer or shorter control cables (throttle, clutch and choke) as well as change the brake line coming from the master cylinder. (The combination switches are not an issue as those have the same length wiring for all handlebars with any slack being taken up under the gas tank.)
On some swaps between S/RS and standard(C) bars you can avoid changing the brake line from the front master cylinder by loosening the banjo bolt and changing the angle at which the brake line comes out of the bottom of the master cylinder and then retightening the banjo bolt. (18 Nm, 13.3 ft-lb, 160 in-lb)
Swap Handlebars Without Disconnecting Master Cylinder: If you find that you don't need to replace the front master cylinder brake line then you can save yourself some work and a mess of brake line fluid by not removing that brake line.
1) Unscrew the two 5mm Allen bolts that secure the center cover (dash pad) to the expose handlebars in the upper fork tree.
2) Remove the left combination switch by unscrewing the Philips machine screw near the bottom of it. Use a good screwdriver as sometimes that screw is sticky and you don't want to strip the head. Then disconnect the choke and clutch cables.
3) Loosen the clutch perch clamp bolt. (see photo above)
4) Pull the clutch perch off of the left side of the handlebars.
5) Loosen the throttle perch clamp bolt.
6) Remove the 4 6mm bolts that hold the tops of the handlebar clamps onto their bases.
7) Pull the handlebars out of the throttle perch.
8.) Installation is the reverse.
Barbacks: If you're not buying them from a BMW source then before purchasing them make sure they have thread holes in them for mounting your center cover (dash pad.) Also make sure that they're for 22 mm handlebars. not 7/8".
My personal opinion and what works for me: If you want to get rid of S/RS handlebars in favor of standard(C) bars then try the Master Yoda stuff or changing the handlebar angle first. I've tried both C bars and barbacks on an RS bike and went back to the stock setup right away. The stock bars are the way they are for a reason - to optimize your riding position for handling performance.
While we're on the topic of handlebars, go
here for a recommendation on grip rubbers.