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Honda CX500 handlebar review: Salt Flat bars

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In the never-ending pursuit of the perfect set of bars we're trying something new - Salt Flat bars, in satin black. Vital specs are:

• 710mm wide
• 65mm rise
• 125mm pullback
• 120mm centre

They'll set you back around $60AU delivered. They arrive in a protective cloth wrap:



Unwrapped:



Looks promising. They're quite solid bars, and have a plastic plug in each end:



Now - on the bike:



Angled:



The verdict? Tank clearance OK, brake fluid reservoir level OK. After riding with Clubmans and clip-ons of various types on the various CXs for over 12 months the more upright bars feel quite strange, but are a world apart in terms of comfort for long trips.

Just out of interest, we tried flipping them:



Side:



Angled:



Closer - ignore the wires and cables going everywhere...:



They clear the tank at a usable angle, and the mirrors are functional where they are. After an hour of riding with them we came to the conclusion that they're less comfortable than clubmans, with less range of adjustment due to lessened tank clearance. The brake fluid reservoir also ends up at more of an angle. While we got them to use them the right way up, we thought it would be worth trying this out in case anyone was curious.