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CBR650R Woodcraft Clip-On Install & Review

htkoca

2019
CB650R ABS
Apr 20, 2021
Toronto
Riding Since
2020
Should I be buying the Special 1" or Standard 7/8" for the cb650r? (not the riser height but the bar diameter)
 

Sudesh

2018
CBR650F ABS
650 Alumnus
Nov 21, 2017
Victoria, Australia
Riding Since
2010
Should I be buying the Special 1" or Standard 7/8" for the cb650r? (not the riser height but the bar diameter)
Go 7/8 bar size man. Most sport bike accessories are 7/8 diameter as well as bar ends which l am betting you will want to buy and install. Along with the fact its just pointless having Harley sized bars on a 650.
 

htkoca

2019
CB650R ABS
Apr 20, 2021
Toronto
Riding Since
2020
Go 7/8 bar size man. Most sport bike accessories are 7/8 diameter as well as bar ends which l am betting you will want to buy and install. Along with the fact its just pointless having Harley sized bars on a 650.
You want the 7/8" 22mm

Awesome, thanks guys. A bit new to handlebar accessories so it's great I have your advice.
 
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PAPERINIK58666

2019
CBR650R ABS
Feb 22, 2021
Riding Since
1972
Hello Dankotaru,
Hello, is it correct to lubricate the various clamping screws on the new aluminum half-handlebars, or rather not? Thanks, bye.
 

PAPERINIK58666

2019
CBR650R ABS
Feb 22, 2021
Riding Since
1972
what tightening torques did you use for the bolts?
Thanks, Thanks, but you risk blocking them like this ... I read about copper grease that blocks but does not form oxidation or rust. To what torque values did you tighten the various bolts?
 

Dankotaru

2019
CBR650R ABS
Jul 5, 2019
7000' ASL, USA
Thanks, Thanks, but you risk blocking them like this ... I read about copper grease that blocks but does not form oxidation or rust. To what torque values did you tighten the various bolts?
I tightened the fork clamps using the factory torque for the stock clamps, not sure what that is off the top of my head, but it's in the service manual. I just made the riser bolts really tight, and with blue loctite they'll hold fine.
 

PAPERINIK58666

2019
CBR650R ABS
Feb 22, 2021
Riding Since
1972
I tightened the fork clamps using the factory torque for the stock clamps, not sure what that is off the top of my head, but it's in the service manual. I just made the riser bolts really tight, and with blue loctite they'll hold fine.
Thanks!
 

kkweon

2019
CBR650R
Oct 16, 2022
Riding Since
2022
Has anyone tried the woodcraft 1" rise?

I have seen people manage to make enough clearance for 0" rise (Vortex).

I'm not sure if that's easy to achieve with the woodcraft.
 

kkweon

2019
CBR650R
Oct 16, 2022
Riding Since
2022
Just installed 1" rise woodcraft.

There is a slight interference at the full lock.
Even at the interference, controls are still untouched, but my asv short clutch lever pivot point is touching the front fairing.

Either that or my hand gets pinched.

Ergonomic wise, its a very aggressive jump from the OEM. It's a bit too much for me lol.

Has anyone tried the woodcraft 1" rise?

I have seen people manage to make enough clearance for 0" rise (Vortex).

I'm not sure if that's easy to achieve with the woodcraft.
 

beau.ligsay

CBR650R ABS
Apr 30, 2023
Riding Since
2019
While the CBR650R clip-on position is higher and more comfortable than many sport bikes, it's never been especially comfortable for me. Mainly, I wanted a little more outboard sweep, and some down angle would also be welcome. I figure adjusting a motorcycle's grip and control positions to be the equivalent of adjusting the seat and steering wheel of a car, but the stock clip-ons can't be adjusted. So I bought a set of Woodcraft clip-ons. The Woodcraft can be swept inboard or outboard, have 5 degrees of down angle, the bars can be placed to be shorter or longer than stock, and can be customized with a variety of different riser heights. I ordered mine with the same 1.5" rise as stock.

Removing the stock clip-ons is pretty straightforward, and can be done with a 5mm hex, 10mm and 8mm sockets, a #2 Philips. Oh yeah.... and a really big 30mm socket to loosen the steering stem nut:
View attachment 6874

The bar ends are tough, but can be done with just pliers and a screwdriver. Hold the bar end to keep it from spinning, and remove the screw from the end. If you're not re-using the grips, then you only need to undo the throttle side, so that you can slide the throttle tube off. I have jaw covers for the pliers, but tape can also be applied to the bar ends to prevent scratching them:
View attachment 6875

Once the top triple clamp and clip-ons are off, you'll see a little snap ring on each tube that is used to locate the stock clip-ons, and they also need to be pulled off:
View attachment 6876

If the stock clip-ons could have the swing adjusted, I likely wouldn't have bought aftermarket clip-ons. But they have a little extension cast into them that sits inside the top triple clamp which prevents them from being rotated. I suppose someone could cut the extensions off and then re-use the stock clip-ons and reposition them at a different sweep angle, but I wasn't comfortable with the amount of clamping surface area to remove the extension and re-use them:
View attachment 6877

Woodcraft downward angle compared to the horizontal stock bar is slight, but I find it to be an improvement for my grip:
View attachment 6878

The Woodcraft bars are hollow aluminum, and I marked the locations of the switchgear and throttle locator tabs with a center punch and drilled them. Distance from the bar ends is all you really need to worry about when drilling the holes, as the bars can be rotated and clamped down in any position you like.

A note about the throttle tube - the stock throttle grip can't be pulled off of it, so it should just be cut if you're swapping grips. Then you will need to cut and sand the plastic throttle tube 'ridges' off. There are videos on the interwebs that show this in more detail, but once the grip is off it's pretty obvious what you have to do to slide a new grip on the stock tube. It took me about 20 minutes with a Dremmel and some 120 grit to get the stock tube ready for sliding the new grip on. I used a Driven Racing dual-compound grip, which I love.

Here it is all back together, but still loosely clamped so I can rotate and adjust everything from the seat:
View attachment 6879

Once you have it all in the right position, tighten everything down. And then I safety wired the grips, because I didn't use glue and the local tracks require safety wire on grips:
View attachment 6880

Each piece of the Woodcraft clip-ons can be ordered separately, so if I decide I want a 2" or 2.5" riser instead of 1.5", I can just order the risers by themselves and replace them. Same thing if I drop the bike and damage the bars, they can be ordered separately and easily replaced. And any changes or replacements can now be made without having to remove the top triple clamp. But most importantly, my hand/wrist/arm alignment is now much better for me, and this change has been well worth it.
What torque specs did you use for the steering stem nut and pinch bolts?
 
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