Money for one more mod for awhile - bars or levers?

[ericpev]

Hey guys. I've got just enough funds for one more mod and then I have to take a financial breather for awhile. Getting new parts and installing is the best but the wallet can't take much more haha. Anyway, I'm deciding between new handlebars+grips+bar ends vs. new levers. Gonna have both eventually but what do you guys think?

[SkH]

Handlebar combo for sure.

[Beemer]

This is what I think.
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Aluminium-Clutch-Levers-Handle-Yamaha/dp/B00UVJAT0G/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1427568440&sr=8-19&keywords=fz+07+grips
 
Personally, I wouldn't change the bars, I think they're fine, IMO.  Do what makes you happy.

[so1102]

Do what makes you happy.

This.

[ericpev]

Hahaha in that case, looks like I'm getting both

[jbird]

I'm doing lever guards and new levers, I heard CNC levers. are reputable, but are shorty levers harder to pull back ?

[so1102]

I'm doing lever guards and new levers, I heard CNC levers. are reputable, but are shorty levers harder to pull back ?

Shorty levers should be easier to pull back, as they are designed to be used with only two fingers

[jbird]

 

I'm doing lever guards and new levers, I heard CNC levers. are reputable, but are shorty levers harder to pull back ?

Shorty levers should be easier to pull back, as they are designed to be used with only two fingers

 
So if someone prefers using 4 fingers, or is used to stock levers, would shortys be a disadvantage!

[ericpev]

Lever length is a preference thing. It's my understanding that shorty levers require more work just due to physics and using less fingers. I've been recommended to get long levers if stop and go traffic is regular

[jeremy]

I just put a set of CRG shorty levers on this afternoon. They seem like a very good quality product . Much easier to pull and I noticed its much easier to control the clutch. I have stubby fingers and this is a huge improvement over stock. They look great too.

[cborcafz07]

I tried shorties. Felt like I had to relearn where to shift the bike. Plus I'm used to using 3-4 fingers, I kept pinching my pinky finger. I ended up going back to the original levers and have long aftermarket levers in black coming.

[Riverfox]

You can still get all four fingers on the shorty if you need to. When coming to a complete stop I use all four fingers. Once moving, I just use two fingers to up and down shift. Problem sovled.

[Beemer]

Shorty levers should be easier to pull back, as they are designed to be used with only two fingers

So if someone prefers using 4 fingers, or is used to stock levers, would shortys be a disadvantage!

Don't hate me for saying this but anyone that uses four fingers in the first place to shift or brake is asking for trouble. You always want to keep a couple fingers and a thumb wrapped around the grips. For instance, if you were getting on it and shifted it could jump forward or wheelie and you wouldn't be holding on to the bar any longer and easily endo ... not good. If you do shift with four fingers I highly advise to start practicing with two. It's easy once you get used to it and you'll feel more secure when shifting. Happy trails! 

[mjh937]

When I took the MSF course they were very much against using two fingers on the clutch or brake lever. They said you do not want fingers behind the lever if you go down. I have never had any trouble using all four fingers.

[Beemer]

So what happens when you go down and you aren't shifting, just holding on with all four fingers. Jeez, you could have ALL your fingers crushed. They didn't think about that did they and I should listen to them??? The instructor at my MSF class told us to use four fingers as well but they aren't the gods of cycling. Watch the pros race, they either use one or two fingers to shift and brake for one good reason, you have to be holding on at all times or your bars may cross and you'll go down hard, face first. I don't think they care too much about what the MSF has to say about the subject and neither do I. I've never crushed fingers going down. It could happen but it's not guaranteed it will and then again (as mentioned before), you could lose your grip on the bar shifting with four fingers and that could end up way worse than crushed fingers. Either way could get you hurt so it's a personal choice, I say do what makes you happy and make your own educated decisions. I have never had trouble using two fingers in 45 years of riding nor have my friends who raced motocross.

[mjh937]

I am not saying not to use as many or as few fingers as you like. I am just putting what I was taught out there for consideration. I have not had any issues using four fingers but I have not been racing either. Perhaps as I get more experience I might change how I do it.

[ericpev]

I decided to go with the levers as they would affect the bike in the most significant way for me (never liked where the friction zone is on the non-adjustable clutch). Bars will come later when I decide the direction I want to go. Personally, I like three fingers on the clutch and two on the brake but am going to go with regular length I'm pretty sure. I just think longer levers look right on motorcycles but to each their own