Motorcycle handlebar risers

Handlebar risers are the clamps that hold the bar to the top yoke, and the ones in this section are there to change its position: straight risers lift it, while pullback risers also bring it closer to you. It is the most direct way to sit more upright and take weight off your wrists without changing the handlebar itself. You will find universal risers from Puig, SW-MOTECH and Highsider, and model-specific parts from Puig and Rizoma.

Raise, pull back or just change the finish

• Straight risers: they lift the bar vertically without changing how far it is from your hands. Puig makes them in 20 and 30 mm and Highsider in 25 mm. They are the answer if you ride leaning forward and your wrists take the strain.
• Pullback risers: they raise and move the bar back at the same time. They help riders with shorter arms and suit big adventure bikes, where the bar sits a long way from the seat. Puig offers universal ones and versions for models such as the R 1300 GS, MT-09 or S 1000 XR, while SW-MOTECH makes universal ones from 20 to 50 mm, one of them adjustable.
• A different finish: some Rizoma risers replace the stock clamps with machined aluminium ones in black, silver, grey, red or blue without moving the bar; each product page says whether the position changes.

How much to raise it

With 20 or 25 mm you already feel less weight on your hands without the bike changing character. At 30 mm the riding position is noticeably different, and the 50 mm of SW-MOTECH's adjustable risers are mainly meant for standing up on trails or for very tall riders. Every extra millimetre lengthens the path the clutch cable, throttle cables and brake hoses have to cover: with the steering turned one way and then the other, make sure nothing pulls tight, the bar does not touch the tank or screen and you can still see the dash. If anything is tight, you may need a longer cable.

Universal or model-specific

A universal riser is chosen by two measurements: the height you want to gain and the bar diameter where it clamps. A standard tubular bar is 22 mm; the thicker 28.6 mm bar on many adventure bikes is rounded to 28 or 29 mm depending on the brand, and the one-inch bar, 25 or 25.4 mm, is typical of customs. Model-specific risers come with the shape and mounting points of your bike and are the usual choice on big adventure bikes such as the BMW GS range, Tiger 900 GT or Voge 900 DSX; Rizoma also covers the Multistrada, Scrambler, Softail, Pan America and TMAX. Each brand has its own section: Puig risers, SW-MOTECH risers and Rizoma risers.

Common questions

Do they fit any bike?

Only bikes whose handlebar is held by clamps bolted onto the top yoke. They do not fit sports bikes with clip-ons, which are fixed to the fork tubes, or scooters with the bar hidden under bodywork.

Risers or a taller handlebar?

If you like the shape of your bar and only want to move it, risers are simpler and can be undone without a trace. If you also want a different width or bend, look at our motorcycle handlebars.

Do I need to readjust anything afterwards?

Yes: mirrors and levers change angle when the bar moves, so reposition them sitting in your riding position. Tighten the bolts in a cross pattern to the manufacturer's torque and check them again after your first ride.