Das Mototec Bars

[F344]

Well my Das Mototec bars arrived. It took a while. They received my wire transfer on the 9th of June and the bars arrived in California on July 3rd.

 

The bars are as well made as anything I have seen. Very nice.

 

After looking at the bars I've prepared the photo below to give you all an idea of what these bars can do. Alas, most of the talk here is about moving the bars up and I am moving mine down. So my photos of the installed bars aren't going to be much help to you all. But this first photo with the stock bars has been annotated with an indication of what you could get if you were going up instead of down.

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Here is a photo of the bars installed on my bike - lowering the riding position.

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Front view - stock config.

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Front view with Das Mototec bars in lowered positon.

[docc]

How about a view from the rider's seat?

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For those asking for more info...

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From above.

[dbdicker]

this is the first I've heard of the stock V11 bars being too HIGH and for a rider wishing to drop the bars down and forward beneath the triple clamp. Very interesting. I wonder, why would someone prefer a lower and more forward position unless you were thinking of racing the bike exclusively??

 

Dan

[F344]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we have a lot of twisty roads. I never ride far... and now, with this new riding position it feels like a tank of gas lasts FOREVER!

[Guest ratchethack]

Frank, it's encouraging to know that there's at least one other Guzzi Guy out there who, like me, isn't compelled to raise the bars on the Sport & pull them back. I actually ranked the stock riding position very high on my list of positive buying criteria, rather than making it first on my list of "must do" mods to get the bars higher and farther back, and/or lowering the pegs, as seems to be more the norm. I'm not at all inclined toward racing, but like you Frank, I'm close to back-country mountain roads & this dictates my preferred riding comfort & ergo's. I like the stock Sport better in this regard far better than any other bike I've owned or ridden, in fact I put a set of 2" lower clip-ons on my previous Jap sport bike. As is, the Sport's ergo's don't bother me at all even on all-day rides, though I'll admit at first it took me a couple hundred miles to "condition" myself to it. Once I did, it seemed about as perfect as I'd like. When on mountain climbs, like you, I also find I want the bars at least an inch lower, but in my case I find I can achieve nearly ideal comfort, chassis balance, and front-end handling by flexing my elbows a bit more into a crouch as needed. My sense is that if Guzzi knew how to get anything at all right on the Sports, they knew how to get the riding position spot-on for the kind of riding they were intended!

 

BTW Frank, is Killian's Oyster Bar still out there on Coyote Point on the Bay across the 101 from Burlingame? I used to have an office across the street. The OB was a great hangout about 10 years back. Ah, the memories...

[Guest robbrugg]

Refreshing to hear of someone that likes the bars low! I believe the V11 is beautiful and handles great with low bars, and feels good on straightaways!

 

The bars look great Frank!

[gthyni]

I use Ghezzi&Brian clip-ons,

more classic clips with no raise

just a straight pipe welded to the forkclamp

 

Gives the café racer look and feel I was after.

[tikkanen]

Gives the café racer look and feel I was after.

..and I think you have got it right, Göran!

 

I know some people have made comments on your choice of colour, but I really like the mint green and red combo. The red and white saddle really gives it the final touch as well as the 2-1 exhaust system and the Paioli USD fork - a modern V7 Sport, in my humble opinion.

 

Keep modifying!

 

Søren