K Bike Handlebars

K Bike Handlebars

K bike handlebars basically come in four flavors:

Standard (a.k.a. "C" bars)	These are the middle of the road handlebars between the leaned forward riding position of the S/RS handlebars and the upright riding position of the RT/LT handlebars. They give the rider a moderately upright riding position. These came on the basic K75 and K100 models as well as the K75C.
S/RS	These handlebars sweep down and back and have a forward leaning riding position. These are good if you like to ride turns aggressively as they let you get your weight in over the tank and kiss your mirrors. There are some minor dimensional differences between the two and four valve models but they are essentially the same shape-wise. These handlebars came on the K100RS(2 valve and 4 valve), K75S and K1100RS. The K1100RS handlebars have bar end mounts welded onto the ends of them.
RT/LT	These are the touring handlebars and give the rider a very upright riding position. In terms of their shape and dimensions they are the same for the K100RT, K100LT, K75RT and K1100LT. These handlebars also came on the US-only K75 "T" model. The K1100LT handlebars have bar end mounts welded onto the ends of them.
K1	Like many styling things with the K1, these handlebars are unique to the K1. Shape-wise they are in between the C bars and S/RS bars but with the seat and rear set peg ergonomics they give the rider a leaned forward riding position similar to that of the S/RS handlebars.

Dimensions: The following table shows the approximate dimensions of each type of handlebars in inches. The tip to tip measurements are from the tip of the "usable" part of the handlebars and do not include bar ends or bar end mounts. The setback measurements are from the center of the handlebar mounts in the upper fork tree to the center of the tip. Given the different shapes and angles of the various styles, comparing the measurements is, to some extent, an apples to oranges comparison, especially for the setback.

Type	Tip to tip	Setback
Standard(C)	25"	7"
2 Valve S/RS	23"	3"
K1100RS	24.5"	2"
RT/LT	27"	10.5"
K1	27"	7"

Diameter: The outer diameter of K bike handlebars is 22 mm. (0.866") Although many will claim that this is the same as 7/8", it is not and without modifying clutch or throttle perches or 7/8" bars your controls will not fit on 7/8" handlebars as the clutch and throttle perches are made for the 22 mm BMW handlebars. Similar complications arise if you paint or powder coat the 22mm handlebars.

Handlebar Part Numbers: Although handlebars may have BMW part numbers stamped into them, they generally do not coincide with the part numbers found in the BMW parts catalog. The best way to identify what handlebars you're dealing with is via visual inspection. (Pictures.)

Not happy with your current handlebars? Before changing to different handlebars there are a couple of free things you can try that might resolve whatever you think is "wrong" with your current setup.

1) Adjust your current handlebars.

All of the handlebars are 22 mm in diameter. (about 0.866 inches)