Hey everyone,

I just recently bought a KLX300SM and I am having a hard time understanding a few things.

I am trying to work on my own bike and I would like to replace the handlebars. The reason being, the current grips have closed bar ends and would require me to bore it out if I wanted to use the stock handle bars, so right now it would be a huge pain to put on handguards.

Where I am getting lost is the name and taper of the bars, and the contours they have. I am trying to understand what might be best for my situation.

I am about 5'8 and plan on riding this primarily for Supermoto and community, with about 10-15% going to offroad riding.

I've heard the Fat Pro Tapers are good, but will I need anything extra like Bar clamp enlargers or something to that extent?

Hoping you all could help me with some advice as this is my first time trying to actually work on bikes instead of sending them to a shop.

 

Go to a bike shop that carries MX bars. Look at the different bends and rise of bars. The most common choice that I am aware of is the CR250 Carmichael bend in regular or high rise. The KX bend has been mentioned in other threads. But grab them as if you are riding and feel how they are for your wrists. Since you've ridden the bike, look at and measure the rise so you can compare it to that of the bars you consider, too. When you find a set that feel right for the pull back and all (the feel when you are holding them) and you know if you want the high or the regular bend, those are the ones you want. My KLX has a pair of Renthal bars on it, but they were there when I got the bike so I have no idea which bend they are. I have bought bars the way I just described to you and it works.

 

Really appreciate you explaining that, it helps paint a clearer picture for me, luckily I have a Cyclegear down the road, I will check to see what they have.

 

Absolutely. Hands on helps a lot. What feels right for you may not be for others. When racing short track my friend used a flat track bend with a lot of pull back and liked it, where I used a bar that was similar to a stock Triumph T120 bend, a K&N model 13 bar for flat track and loved it. A friend got the flat track bars with a lot of pull back because my friend had them, found he didn't like it and ended up heating and bending them out more like the model 13, but a lot wider, which suited him.