06 Heli Triple Clamp Ride Report

[ajw bikerider]

Hello

I installed the Heli Triple Clamp on Saturday on my 06 AE (posted some pics under parts & accessories..."Heli does it again"). Went riding today..first time since install. I must say that these (along with my Corbin and Calsci medium windshield) make the bike a perfect sport touring machine. I can actually lean against the back rest pad on my Corbin smuggler. The new posture is almost neutral for me at 5'10" (32" inseam)...I am not hanging on the grips and only ever so slightly leaning against them.

I really never experienced any pain (wrist, neck back) from the old configuration but did feel considerable pressure in the palms of my hands from resting my weight on them. The Heli transferred this weight to my well padded butt where it belongs. The new riding posture makes having an after market windshield a must...sitting more upright requires a taller windshield than stock...my Calsci medium fits the bill for me at my height. The Corbin seat also seems to fit this Heli modification well.

Riding is a pure pleasure with the upright seating position...it feels much more relaxing with less muscle tension. The handling seems the same for me if not even an improvement in low speed steering. The beefy Heli Clamp also eliminated the minor vibration or buzz that I had in the handlebars.

Overall these are a must have! I really do not see any need for risers at all. The Heli moves the grips back towards the pilot 1-1/2" by my measurement right were they belong. Raising them form this point would serve no purpose for me.

If I can answer any questions...I'll try.

AJ

 

[Camwood]

Novice that I am, I'll bite.

Can you give me a link to the Heli clamps you installed. Been riding the bike for a month and so far have ordered Throtlemiester and sliders. Sounds like we are about the same height and inseam so expect same good results could be had.

Camwood

 

[ajw bikerider]

Novice that I am, I'll bite.Can you give me a link to the Heli clamps you installed. Been riding the bike for a month and so far have ordered Throtlemiester and sliders. Sounds like we are about the same height and inseam so expect same good results could be had.

Camwood

Click Here

AJ

 

[BlueBear06]

AJ -

Was it worth the $329 + S&H?? Are you handy with tools and did you do the work yourself? How difficult was it to tackle and replace?

Just curious as my biggest problem with the '06 is sore hands. It's not from leaning on them but something else I haven't been able to narrow down. I don't have any problems with the hubby's '05 and sore hands.

 

[ajw bikerider]

AJ -Was it worth the $329 + S&H?? Are you handy with tools and did you do the work yourself? How difficult was it to tackle and replace?

Just curious as my biggest problem with the '06 is sore hands. It's not from leaning on them but something else I haven't been able to narrow down. I don't have any problems with the hubby's '05 and sore hands.

This link is the install threadInstall Heli

I am not very handy but I did manage to install it without screwing anything up...it just took me nearly all day. I do feel that it made my bike better enough to justify the $$$. I began to develop soreness in my hands and some in my wrists. It did not show up after a 150mi ride following the Heli install. Like I said before, all of my weight is on my butt now. I think you will like it.

AJ

 

[BlueBear06]

Thanks for the info, AJ, 'ppreciate it!!

 

[paste007]

Now quite posting new features for the '06.

See what you've gone and done. Now I've been forced to spend some more Franklin's, to improve a bike that is already becoming an addiction to ride. If this bike gets any better, I may have to quit my business and ride full time. Please don't tell me how much better the '06 would be with a Russell seat.

 

[SQUIDO]

Have you noticed less vibration(buss) than the stock triple?

 

[JohnB]

Now quite posting new features for the '06.
See what you've gone and done. Now I've been forced to spend some more Franklin's, to improve a bike that is already becoming an addiction to ride. If this bike gets any better, I may have to quit my business and ride full time. Please don't tell me how much better the '06 would be with a Russell seat.

You need to accept the fact that you have an addiction ... that needs to be fed.

That Russell sure does look comfortable, doesn't it?

 

[Wolfhound]

I'm 5' 9" and they made a great bike an AWESOME bike ! Worth every penny to me....

 

[wallygator]

My biggest complaint on the handlebars (I won't even talk about the seat) is the how they are angled back so your wrists are twisted a little. Do the heli bars address this issue?

I am half tempted to drill some new holes in the stock bars to change the angle.

 

[JohnB]

My biggest complaint on the handlebars (I won't even talk about the seat) is the how they are angled back so your wrists are twisted a little. Do the heli bars address this issue?I am half tempted to drill some new holes in the stock bars to change the angle.

You think you have it bad, my other bike is a Ducati Multistrada. The bars are almost straight across like a dirt bike. I keep going back and forth between it and the FJR from one extreme to the other.

 

[wallygator]

Well one of the bikes I got rid of was a monster and I loved the bars on that.....in fact I bought the monster bars and intalled them on my FZ1 which I still have.

That is what I like.

 

[odot]

I like just a splash of coke with my jim beam. After a few of those I can hardly feel the buzz in the bars.

 

[jbrwky]

Just a few comments on the Heli installation.

An extremely critical bit of advice that would have saved me about 1.5 hours (maybe not an issue for some of you) is/was DO remove the overflow tube from the back of the fuel tank before removing the tank. It took me almost two hours to rethread and get into the small receptacle to the left of the rear wheel where it is supposed to go because some of the spaces that it needs to transverse are significantly smaller than the tube itself. Very complicated because you can’t see much of anything while you are trying to thread it.

Two is that the instructions say to cut the wire loom on the “outside” but the photo shows it being cut on the inside. You will need a small bolt cutter to do this or very large pincers or normal size pincers with forearms that would make Popeye proud. You almost have to cut the inside because you cannot get cutters to a point where the outside is reachable. I suppose you could use a roto tool of some kind to cut anywhere.

Three is that “wire loom” is a term used in the instructions during the dismantle phase and literally means what it says. It is also a term used later in the installation stage, after you have thrown the original wire looms away, and means electrical wires contained in a rubber sheath.

Four is that rethreading the throttle cables seemed like an impossibility for about an hour or so. I spent more time doing that, setting aside my mess with the overflow tube, than all the other tasks combined. I didn’t see any easy way to do this other than maybe take all the front fairing off down to the front fender which I didn’t do and my hands look and show the result. If you know someone with very small and strong hands, talk them into helping you with this part. With my problems/difficulties I spent almost six hours completing this total project...over two just with the throttle cable.

Glad to have done it after riding but was uncertain during a couple of points of the process of whether it would be worth it.

Another obvious point to most of you would be that while torque specs are identified for most of the reconnections, they aren’t for all. Guidelines to torque values based on diameters are listed in the service manual.

 

[Knifemaker]

My biggest complaint on the handlebars (I won't even talk about the seat) is the how they are angled back so your wrists are twisted a little. Do the heli bars address this issue?I am half tempted to drill some new holes in the stock bars to change the angle.

Exactly my problem with the bars..(although I now have a Corbin seat and am happy there..)

I had thought of doing the same thing, either drilling a new hole or simply drilling one larger to get the bars to sweep out a bit more.

I am however still working on this concept:

https://tinyurl.com/nk6px

And by drilling the top hole for the "new bar" at an angle I hope to solve this problem. I may also just use a bar with a 6-8 degree bend in it to accomplish the same thing.

If you try drilling the hole, let me know how it worked out.

KM

 

[nidan]

Thanks for the post , I'm also 5'10" with a 32 " inseam and this is quite helpful.

Do you find the Calsci windshield any noisier with the vent?

 

[ajw bikerider]

Thanks for the post , I'm also 5'10" with a 32 " inseam and this is quite helpful.
Do you find the Calsci windshield any noisier with the vent?

No...not at all. I run the Calsci medium windshield about 3/4 up most of the time. It is very quiet...in fact I hear every other noise and rattle that the bike makes. At this height and the Heli's, I look well over the windshield. At full up, I look just through the top edge.

AJ

 

[powderhound5]

To confirm what AJ has said

My wife is 5.6" and short armed. She was riding a highly modified 01 BMW 1150 R prior to getting her 06FJR

She was lucky enough to get a pre release set of Heli Bars for her 06.

We finally got out for a longer ride last Tuesday home last night

Vancouver - Spokane-Yellowstone- Rock Springs-Ely-Klamath Falls - Vancouver with a few side trips (we are doing the IBA National Parks Tour). Total mileage about 3800 miles in 7 days, including stopping in at Bruno's for lunch

Susan's bike has a test set of bar risers installed as well and then take a lot more of the stretch away.

She had zero pain or discomfort on her bike on this trip and was far less tired than in the prior 6K miles of riding she has done on her bike.