Funny how an injury increases your ergonomic awareness. A scaphoid fracture in my left wrist, and the following surgery to insert a titanium screw, left that hand weak, sore and unable to stand the normal rigors imposed by the standard GS bars. I'd known Ricardo Kuhn was making adaptor mounts so BMW GS riders could use Answer ProTaper handlebars, but I didn't know that Ricky started making these mounts because he wasn't happy with the factory riding position, either.

In addition to accommodating the large bulge in the middle of the ProTaper handlebars, Ricky's bar clamps move the bars both up and back, making stand up riding as well as sitting riding much easier. The ProTaper bars have less "sweep" than the BMW bars, and the result is less kinking of the wrist joint. And the aluminum material also damps out more vibration for clearer mirrors and less fatigue.

Fitting the clamps and bars is very straight forward. Start by removing your fuel tank (you really don't have to do this, but it does remove the danger of scratching or denting the tank). Then remove the zip ties that bind your control cables and wires to the old bars, and take off the grips. I like to use compressed air to help slide the grips off, and use a duster attachment to force air between the grip and bar while I twist and pull. Once the grip breaks loose (a philips screwdriver between grip and bar helps here) the grip will slide right off. With the bars clear, pop out the four bolts that hold them in place and set the bar and clamps aside.

Ricky's kit comes with everything you'll need, even zip ties. If you're running heated grips or have bar ends fitted, he'll supply adaptors that fit in the ends of the bars. This would be a good time to ditch the BMW heated grips for some of the more effective and more robust kit from Aerostich (catalog number 1400, $27). First step is to slip the risers over the factory bosses on the fork crown and install the hold down bolts. Note that there is a right and a left, so make sure that the notches face outboard. The ProTapers have a little scale painted onto the center of the bulge, and you can use that to get them centered in the clamps. When they're close, put the dog bone shaped upper clamp in place and use a couple of the mounting screws to snug it up on the bars. Just use enough tension to keep the bars from moving around, as you'll need to get your controls and grips in place before you settle on a final adjustment.

Mount your clutch and throttle controls, routing the wires so they aren't pinched anywhere. If you've got handgards, you'll need to pick up some new mounts for the inboard end. I found some oversized Moose anchors especially for the ProTapers at Fremont Cycle Salvage. Ricky's adaptors are already threaded for the bolts at the outboard end.

Last step is to sit on the bike to get a feel for the new bars. Try rotating them forward or back until the reach is comfortable and they don't hit the fairing or windscreen at either full lock position. When that is set, install the remaining handlebar clamp bolts and snug them down using a criss cross pattern. Make sure that the gap between the dog bone and the riser is the same in front of and behind the bar. These bolts don't need to be torqued to within an inch of their life, so take it easy. Finally, set the angle on your levers to provide a natural extension of your hand when you lay your palms flat on the grips. Snug up the pinch bolts on the controls, make sure that the hand protectors are tight, and take a ride.

In my case it took about an hour before things felt "normal", and a slight re-adjustment of the lever angles had them feeling "right". I can ride extended stints without my wrists hurting (at least no more than I experience off the bike). For me, Ricardo's mounts make the difference between riding comfortably and not being able to ride at all. Sure, at $345 they're not cheap, but then the quality is first rate and you get new tough as nails handlebars in the bargain. Would I buy 'em again? In a heartbeat.