Handlebar differences high low bend
Today I would like to tell you about a case study on a consultancy we provided to one of our clients.
We took a cue from this situation because it clearly highlights some problems that can be encountered.
And in particular on the shape of the handlebar, therefore on the "bend".
Assuming that the term fold has no real meaning (and we have ALREADY DESCRIBED IT HERE )
In this specific case, the customer trusted and was smart to understand that our handlebar experience outweighs their first impressions.
So I'll give you a quick recap of what happened before.
After exchanging 2/3 emails with the customer, the SRT STREETBAR model (medium fold) was recommended for his motorbike (Caballero 500), which was regularly delivered to him a few days later.
Upon receipt, the customer requests a return and this is where the case study starts from:
"The reasons why I want to return the products are the following: the handlebar is identical in shape and size to the standard one on my bike. I find the position uncomfortable, it is too wide.
Furthermore, I will mount an enduro handlebar, straighter because the wrists that have to bend outwards to grab the knobs bring me pain. As I wrote when I asked for advice, I'm not very tall and for me it becomes painful after a few minutes.
Then ... although it is an excellent product I find it expensive, especially for a small and cheap bike like
mine.There are good handlebars for a third of the price.
I took yours because I was hoping you would recommend the right handlebar having described the problems encountered while driving but...it is practically identical to my standard one, only of better quality but I don't know how justified such a high price is.
In fact, I only opened the box and checked that the handlebars had the same feel and position as the wrists to close it immediately.
I'm sorry but I prefer to return everything. I hope my opinion is useful for your products.
I await return and refund instructions.
With best regards"
So what did we do?
In addition to confirming the possibility of making the handlebar, we had to make the customer understand that his sensations were wrong.
We could have given up and left all the riding problems this customer has, had them throw money away on return shipments, and let him fit an even worse handlebar than his stock handlebar, which would have caused more problems, more expense for him.
Or we could try to make him understand where his evaluation error was, which certainly costs us MUCH more than a return, with resources and time to devote to the extra advice provided.
Now, it's not easy to make this understood, and the reasons are obvious, but above all, a good mental openness is needed on the other side, because first of all at the base, in addition to the handlebars, you are "buying" our experience in this area.
No other company is able or has the skills to provide this kind of assistance and consultancy on the handlebar, so it is clear that the user often finds himself taken aback and relies on his sensations to solve his problem.
Here is the answer:
"Good morning XXXXXXX, thank you very much for your reply.
I see from previous emails that we recommended two different models to obtain two types of different results, she then chose one of the two, which I point out is different from your standard handlebar, even if it may look the same to your eye.
If we wish, we therefore have a version as you would like, which was one of those we had indicated.
But if you are looking for greater comfort, what you want to do is the worst choice, and we point this out clearly.
But it can be fine for sportier driving.
So we can only give you two options, that of understanding what you want to get out of riding and then trusting our advice like tens of thousands of motorcyclists every year (and possibly replacing the handlebars). Or if the product you received is out of budget for you, or you think it's not suitable, return it.
We at SRT work only with top-of-the-range products, this is what those who choose SRT expect.
For the choice of shape, the SRT handlebars are designed to obtain specific results, the handlebar you received is totally different from your standard one, but you don't have the skills (no offense) to ascertain it, but rather it even looks the same. which is plausible to those who, even if they have been motorcyclists for years, mechanics and very strong enthusiasts, are not experts in handlebars.
Unfortunately, if we start from these assumptions, the only solution we recommend is a Chinese product, which you can easily find on eBay or Amazon for around €20/30.
Of course, as an option we can also offer the change of the handlebar, with the return of the grips, in this case at no cost.
Anyone who has really tried riding an SRT handlebar always buys it again, in addition to the reviews scattered around the web, just a few minutes ago a customer with a new bike wants to get an SRT handlebar like he had on his old bike.
Precisely because it is an incredible product. "
We have given the return option of course, but also the option to fix the problem, and here we have gathered more information thanks to this response.
"What can I tell you, I wouldn't want to mount the handlebars high since mine is a scrambler, I was expecting a more hybrid handlebar, less curved towards the rider.
Even if I'm not a handlebar expert, being the one who feels the discomfort when the only one who can describe it and maybe even guess the diagnosis. Your handlebar, at least in terms of feeling, has a curvature, directed towards the driver, similar to the one I
'm riding now and forces me to rotate my wrists outwards.
severe pain in the palms of the hands, in the muscle that moves the thumbs, so to speak.
With straighter handlebars I don't have this discomfort. My xt yamaha didn't do it and my scarver f650 hurt me terribly.
Racing or road bikes then... let's not talk about them. Too curved handlebars give me this problem.
So if you have a suitable option I would be willing to try.
But NOT a tall and/or curved handlebar like the one I have here (as I'm not very tall, I don't attribute the problem to the height of the handlebar and I wouldn't be happy with the aesthetics of that type of handlebar)."
In this mail the customer expresses what is actually a big mistake. In other words, to compare the experiences with other bikes.
In practice, he felt very comfortable on his XT, not hurting his wrists and he rightly remembers having had a straight handlebar. While Caballero is up with the handlebars "facing the rider", his wrists hurt.
The logical deduction...
It would therefore be to go back to a "straight" handlebar, enduristic style, as he also wrote in previous emails.
And it is in fact a bit of the deduction that all dumbbell inexperienced people can make (attention, I spoke of dumbbells, nothing else).
The basic problem with this deduction, however, is that it is wrong.
Think about it, if a straight handlebar had been the solution, it probably would have already been fitted as standard. And we at SRT Factory are not stupid to design a handlebar that worsens comfort...
In these cases people have two choices, go their own way, WRONG most of the time, or rely on qualified people (who cost, or in products or services), but who know exactly what they are doing and how to fix things .
Follow the answer given to the customer to better understand:
"Good morning xxxxxxx, thank you for your reply and for the possibility to solve the problem you gave us.
We make a premise on the handlebar. I fully understand that you have your point of view, but now I'll explain why the solution you indicate is incorrect and the comparison with the bikes you've owned.
The handlebar model you received was born and designed exactly to improve the problem you described, which is actually a common problem for many.
And it does so in 99% of the cases in which it has been installed, including his bike, on which it has already been tested. But at the same time, it would NOT be suitable to do it on the Yamaha XT, because the bike he has now and the XT or BMW he had, are COMPLETELY different bikes in design.
You must not refer to the XT that you have had, because it is a motorcycle that has a saddle position and a handlebar that is TOTALLY different from your current vehicle and the SRT handlebar that you have received, to make you understand better, on the XT would be harmful/unusable.
Which instead could have gone well on his BMW 650, which has a ridiculous standard handlebar, which inevitably leads to uncomfortable driving with pain.
Now, if the basic idea was to install it directly, you could do the test that we always recommend doing, which takes little time, but is decisive.
It is a matter of disassembling your handlebar from the risers, ONLY from the risers, without removing grips/cables/pumps etc., place it on the tank (perhaps with a towel on top), put the paper tape on the SRT handlebar in the riser area (essential for not scratch it) and insert it on the risers, close them and test the position and the load on the wrists.
It looks the same to the eye, but you will notice differences in posture and load due to sizes and shapes.
If after this solution you still find no difference (which is just enough to solve), as an alternative we have the solution of the TOURBAR handlebar, which we use for touring bikes (XT type), which, if mounted in a certain way we have to tell you (different from the XT), it allows you to obtain an even more straight position of the wrists and hands compared to the handlebars you have now received, but without the defect of loading them too much.
This is because you are evaluating only the position of the wrists, but do not take into account the higher load that would be generated with a straighter handlebar, which would allow a more natural position of the hands, but at the same time being straighter increases the load on the wrists / palms, which is inevitable, and which can enhance the indicated problem from which he suffers.
For this you need to find the right compromise.
The current option (the handlebar he received) is the model that allows the greatest comfort on a bike like his current one (not the old ones he had, which were different), even going so far as to improve the ride. The option you indicate creates more load on your wrists, which could make the situation worse.
This option, that is, the TOURBAR assembled according to our indications could allow you to obtain even greater comfort than the STREETBAR handlebar that you have now received, but with a major defect in driving, making it significantly worse.
While the option of mounting a handlebar similar to an enduro, straighter is highly discouraged to avoid even worse pain, due to the greater load on the wrists.
So to recap:
Model received (STREETBAR): PRO = suitable for obtaining the desired result
Model indicating her: PRO = straighter wrists / CONS = greater load on wrists, palms and back
Alternative model we recommend: PRO = straighter wrists, without additional load on the rider / CONS = loss of steering precision and feeling with the front"
And here is the response received:
"Okay, I decided to mount the handlebar also because it can't be worse than the standard one.
The handlebar is very nice and you can see that it's of excellent quality. I hope it solves the problems I had.
I'll keep you updated on the results ."
Well, if you've come this far, you've been able to understand two fundamental things.
The first is that one handlebar is not the same as another, so thinking of solving a riding-related problem by selecting a basic haphazard handlebar is a mistake. Doing so will only bring you new problems or at best, no change at all.
We at SRT factory have been designing and producing handlebars for a lifetime, rest assured that we will send you the right handlebar for your specific case, even if it seems "same" to the standard one to you, or if you don't believe it might be right for you .
The second thing to keep in mind very very well is that by purchasing a SRT factory handlebar you also buy our experience and professionalism.
And it is a fundamental point to keep in mind, because as you can see from this case study that I wanted to give you as an example, we could accommodate the customer with a handlebar change as he indicated, or let it go and return it (for us this type service costs more than a refund).
Instead we worked hard to try to provide as much information as possible, just to give the customer the chance to get the result he was looking for. We have worked to SOLVE the PROBLEM.
Also clearly indicating that the alternative solution brought benefits to comfort, but would have made driving worse and was something to be evaluated and reported to the customer.
Ok, we sell dumbbells, we're biased, we can't deny it.
But the thousands of reviews that you can see HERE are clear, and they're from third parties, from motorcyclists who don't make a cent out of telling you to write them.
They were in your place before you and now they are our customers, because for us at SRT factory the goal is to help you improve the driving of your bike.