Handlebars

Handlebars are the primary rider interface — they set your ergonomic position, transfer steering feedback, and directly affect fatigue, control precision, and lap times. Motor Sport Mayhem stocks 377 handlebar and control products across 16 brands, from entry-level replacements at under $5 to full custom cruiser setups approaching $1,500.

Our Top Picks for Handlebars

Each product below was selected by our performance team for proven real-world results, technical value, and consistent customer satisfaction across street, off-road, and competition applications.

How to Choose the Right Handlebars

The handlebar is the single component most responsible for how a motorcycle feels to ride — it controls your reach, wrist angle, shoulder width, and the mechanical advantage you have over the front wheel. A bar that's the wrong rise, sweep, or width doesn't just affect comfort; it affects braking precision, cornering confidence, and how quickly you fatigue. The difference between a quality aftermarket bar and a cheap replacement often comes down to wall thickness, alloy grade, bend consistency, and weld quality — all factors invisible until something goes wrong at speed.

Key Specifications

Diameter: The two dominant standards are 7/8-inch (22.2mm) for most standard and street bikes, and 1-1/8-inch (28.6mm) tapered or straight for motocross, enduro, and performance off-road applications. Tapered bars — which taper from 1-1/8-inch at the clamp area down to 7/8-inch at the grip ends — offer a significant stiffness-to-weight advantage over straight-gauge bars. Never mix clamp diameter to bar diameter; the result is either a loose fit or a stress riser that can crack under load.

Rise, sweep, and width: Rise is the vertical height from the clamp center to the grip centerline. Sweep is the rearward angle of the bar ends toward the rider. Width is the overall spread from grip end to grip end. These three dimensions together determine your riding triangle. Off-road riders typically want more rise and less sweep for standing ergonomics, while street and track riders favor lower rise and more pullback for a tucked, aerodynamic position. Width affects steering leverage — wider bars give more mechanical advantage at low speed and on loose terrain; narrower bars reduce wind resistance and fit tighter cockpits.

Material and construction: Aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum is the standard for performance bars — it offers a high strength-to-weight ratio and predictable failure behavior. Some premium bars use 7075 aluminum for additional tensile strength. Chromoly steel bars are heavier but absorb vibration better, which is why they remain popular on cruisers and touring bikes where long-haul comfort outweighs weight savings. Wall thickness matters as much as alloy grade: a thin-wall 7075 bar can be weaker in real-world flex scenarios than a thicker-wall 6061 bar. Look for bars that publish their wall thickness — typically 2.0–3.0mm on performance-spec aluminum bars.

Clamp compatibility: Single-piece bars need a clamp — either stock or aftermarket — that matches the bar's clamp-zone diameter exactly. Two-piece or adjustable riser systems add height and angle flexibility but introduce additional hardware that must be torqued correctly to prevent bar slip under braking. For controls like levers, throttle tubes, and switches to fit correctly, the grip-end diameter must match the control hardware — 7/8-inch controls will not clamp safely to a 1-1/8-inch grip section.

Handlebar Specification Reference: Rise, Width, and Typical Application

Price Guide

Entry ($1.99–$50): Hardware, brackets, rebuild kits, and basic replacement grips fall in this range. You're getting functional replacement parts — not performance upgrades. Correct for restoring stock function, not for changing geometry or improving feel. Check material specs carefully; cheap bars in this range often use low-grade alloy with inconsistent wall thickness.

Mid-range ($50–$200): This is where most serious enthusiasts land, and for good reason. Purpose-built bars from established brands, quality handguard systems, adjustable lever assemblies, and heated grip sets live here. You're getting engineered geometry, proper alloy grades, and brand-backed quality control. Most off-road, dual-sport, and sport street bar upgrades belong in this tier.

Premium ($200–$1,524.95): Full control kits, high-rise cruiser bars requiring extended cables and brake lines, billet lever assemblies, and floorboard systems occupy the upper end. The cost is justified when you need complete ergonomic repositioning, race-spec lever feel and adjustability, or show-quality chrome and finish work. Budget for associated controls and cable work when moving to premium bar heights — the bar itself is rarely the only expense.

Who Is This For?

Handlebar and control upgrades serve a remarkably broad range of riders — from weekend trail riders and track-day competitors to daily commuters and long-distance tourers — and the usage data across our 377 in-stock products reflects exactly that spread.

Weekend Off-Roading — 8.2/10

Off-road is the highest-scoring application in this category, and it's not close. The combination of rough terrain, standing ergonomics, impact loads from rocks and falls, and the need for immediate handlebar and control protection makes bar selection genuinely performance-critical in this context. Width, rise, and handguard compatibility are non-negotiable spec decisions — a bar that's too narrow, too low, or unprotected will cost you both control and hardware on the first technical trail section.

Racing Competition and Track/Autocross — 7.5/10

Both racing and track applications score 7.5/10, reflecting how meaningful the right bar geometry and lever specification are when lap times are on the line. In competition, reach to the lever, lever feel, engagement point consistency, and the ability to hold a precise line under braking load all trace back to handlebar and control setup. Adjustable lever assemblies and precision bar geometry are standard equipment for competitive riders — not luxury upgrades.

Street Performance — 7.2/10

Street riders score 7.2/10, driven primarily by ergonomic upgrades that reduce fatigue on longer rides and improve control feel in urban traffic. Aftermarket bars can correct stock geometry that places excessive weight on the wrists, improve steering response, or simply position the rider for better visibility and reaction time. The upgrade payoff on street is real but more gradual than in off-road or competition contexts.

Daily Driving Comfort — 7.1/10

Commuters and everyday riders score 7.1/10, with heated grips, ergonomic bar bends, and vibration-damping components leading the use case. Handlebar vibration transmitted through the wrists over a 45-minute daily commute is a legitimate fatigue issue — dampened grips and optimized bar sweep directly reduce it. This segment benefits most from the mid-range price tier where comfort-spec parts are well-engineered without cruiser-level cost.

Overlanding and Expedition — 7.2/10

Overlanding and long-distance expedition riders score 7.2/10, which reflects how seriously this segment takes handlebar ergonomics and control protection. Multi-day ride distances mean small ergonomic compromises compound into real physical wear; a 10mm adjustment in bar sweep can make the difference between arriving fresh and arriving with numb hands. Handguard protection scores especially high for this use case — dropped bikes and trail debris at the handlebars are daily risks on expedition routes.

Trusted Handlebars Brands We Carry

The brands that dominate this category earned their position through engineering credibility, not marketing spend. ProTaper built its reputation in professional motocross with tapered aluminum bars used at the highest levels of the sport — their manufacturing tolerances and bend consistency are benchmark-level. Renthal holds OEM supplier relationships with factory MX and road racing teams globally and is one of the most-cited bar brands in competition tech sheets. Cycra leads in handguard systems and bar protection hardware for off-road, with structural designs tested in GNCC and hard enduro conditions. Kuryakyn dominates the cruiser and touring control segment with a product depth that covers ergonomic upgrades, floorboards, and finish quality that matches or exceeds OEM chrome. CRG Constructors is the reference brand for competition lever assemblies — their adjustable lever systems are used on production road racing machines where feel and reliability are non-negotiable. Burly Brand and Bikers Choice round out the custom and cruiser side with complete control kits and high-rise bar systems engineered specifically for custom geometry builds where stock cable and line lengths won't reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are 36cm handlebars too narrow for off-road riding?

36cm (approximately 720mm) sits at the narrow end of the acceptable range for off-road use and will feel restrictive on most full-size dirt and enduro bikes. Standard off-road bar widths run 790–820mm, with some enduro and hard enduro setups going slightly wider for maximum leverage in tight, technical terrain. Narrow bars reduce your mechanical advantage over the front wheel, which directly affects how quickly and precisely you can respond to surface changes while standing. If the bars came cut to 36cm, they may have been trimmed for a smaller rider or narrower cockpit — and widening them isn't an option, so fitment to your specific build matters before you buy.

Are adjustable clutch and brake levers worth the upgrade?

Yes, adjustable levers are one of the highest return-on-investment handlebar upgrades available — particularly for competition riders and anyone who spends serious time in the saddle. The ability to precisely position the lever blade relative to the handlebar means you can set engagement point and reach to match your hand size and riding style, which directly reduces hand fatigue and improves modulation feel. On the track, consistent lever engagement is critical for repeatable braking zones; even a few millimeters of variation in lever position affects how confidently you can trail-brake. Quality adjustable levers use CNC-machined billet aluminum with anodized or hard-coat finishes that resist wear at the pivot point — cheap adjustable levers skip the hard-coat and develop sloppy pivot feel quickly.

Are aftermarket foot pegs actually worth it?

Aftermarket pegs are worth it for any rider who spends meaningful time standing — off-road, enduro, and adventure riders especially. Stock pegs on most production bikes are stamped steel with minimal grip surface, and they become slippery immediately when wet or muddy; a wider, knurled or spiked aftermarket peg provides a dramatically more secure platform under load. For street and touring riders, the value case is about comfort — wider platforms reduce concentrated pressure on the boot sole over long hours, and vibration-isolated peg mounts reduce fatigue. Not all foot peg spindle diameters and thread specifications are the same across platforms, so confirm compatibility before purchasing — this is one of the most common installation errors in the category.

Are aluminum throttle tubes worth upgrading from stock?

Aftermarket aluminum throttle tubes are a legitimate performance upgrade, not just a weight-saving trick. Stock plastic throttle tubes can deform slightly under sustained use, particularly in hot climates or after engine heat soak, which causes throttle action to become sticky or inconsistent. A machined aluminum tube holds dimensional stability across a much wider temperature range and provides a more positive throttle snap and return. The weight reduction is real but secondary — the primary gain is consistency: an aluminum tube that returns to closed position at the same rate every time is meaningfully better for smooth throttle control during corner entry. Confirm the tube's inside diameter matches your handlebar grip section — 7/8-inch stock versus 1-1/8-inch bars require different tube specs.

Are bar ends worth adding to motorcycle handlebars?

Bar ends serve two distinct functions that are both genuinely useful: vibration damping and grip-end protection. Weighted bar ends reduce harmonic vibration transmitted through the handlebar at cruising RPM — this is a documented and measurable effect, particularly on parallel twins and inline-fours at highway speeds, where hand numbness on long rides is a well-known issue. As crash protection, bar end sliders absorb energy in a tip-over and prevent the grip end from digging into pavement, which can otherwise lever the bar hard enough to crack a clamp or bend the tube. The Reddit community is generally correct that cheap hollow bar ends add cosmetic effect without meaningful vibration damping — you need sufficient mass, typically 50–100 grams per side, to actually shift the handlebar's resonant frequency.

Building something specific? Our performance specialists can help you select the right Handlebars for your application — street, track, or full race build.