Beyond Helibars

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in Other Engineering Projects

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Recently a friend of the HeliBars family approached us about machining some custom parts for a school project.  Now, this was not your typical baking soda and vinegar volcano or soda bottle rocket.  Our friend Russ is an engineering student at Villanova University.  His project: a race car to compete in the Formula SAE Collegiate Design Series.  Russ and his teammates designed and built a whole new car from scratch for this years competition, and they did well.  See the car and team on their Facebook page: Villanova FSAE Facebook.

For those that are not familiar with this competition here is a little background from the FSAE website:

The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend autocross racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules whose purpose is both to ensure onsite event operations and promote clever problem solving.

Formula SAE promotes careers and excellence in engineering as it encompasses all aspects of the automotive industry including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management and finances. Formula SAE takes students out of the classroom and allows them to apply textbook theories to real work experiences.

The teams are judged on a design and cost report as well as performance in acceleration, autocross, skidpad and endurance categories.  As students with little to no real world experience it can be difficult to generate a winning design on a tight budget.  This team received a top 30 finish out of 123, with a budget about 3% (that’s three percent) of that of the top level teams, not bad at all.

To the VIllanova team: Congratulations on a great year and good luck in your future endeavors!

Villanova University FSAE Team

Oh, and almost forgot our contribution to the car.  Front and rear suspension uprights, the part that connects the wheels to the suspension. Here are some pics:

Rear Upright

Rear Upright on car

Rear uprights on car

- Helibars Engineering

Heli Bars – it’s a beautiful thing!

22 Thursday Mar 2012

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We meet so many nice people at Bike Week. When we’ve finished an install for a customer we ask them to come back and let us know how they like them.  We have an “autograph” book that’s been signed by lots of happy customers at different rallies over the years.

This week, we installed Horizon Rebel Heli Bars on Stephanie’s Nightster on Friday, March 9, in the rain. She came back a few days later with the following letter…

“3/13/12   While visiting the many vendors at Daytona 2012 Bike Week I happened upon the manufacturers of the Heli Bars. Suffering with many pain issues while riding, I decided to stop and give them a listen. I am a transplant recipient who has undergone several surgeries, one of which was having 24 lbs of kidneys surgically removed from my flank area, along with other pain issues I have to deal with resulting from the kidney disease, so you can only imagine the nerve damage and pain on a daily basis, especially when riding. I love riding my bike but after 15 short minutes the burning sensation in my flank area is so incredible that I can barely stand it, which is what prompted me to give the Heli Bars a trial run. This by the way is awesome that this wonderful company would allow me to try them before making a full commitment. I was a little hesitant about swapping my Sportsters stock handlebars for a set of Heli Bars. I was thinking that they would take away from the old style look of my bike and the fact that my bike is all black with little to no chrome. But sure enough they had black bars which made my bike look even sweeter. The salesman had me convinced that my comfort level would be much better, so I decided to give it a try.

To my amazement the comfort level was so incredible; it was as though I was riding on the back of my bike instead of at the controls. I rode 15 minutes to test out my back pain, none, then 30, than an hour, absolutely none, I was amazed. I found no discomfort with my two rotator cuff injuries & neck discomfort, so I’m thinking this is just too damn good to be true, and I wondered, can different handle bars make all that difference? A Heli Bar representative was asking me if I would be interested in writing a testimonial regarding how I felt about their product, but I couldn’t do it until I was sure about The Long Ride. Also, I had noticed an immediate difference with the feel of my seat since the installation, so I wondered how the Heli Bars would affect old injuries from my fractured hip and broken tailbone. So I went on a day trip, and rode 5 ½ hours. My lower back, hip, tailbone butt hurt so bad that it was everything I had to make it back to the Heli Bar people at the rally. I found that prior to my Heli Bar installation my seat was seated improperly, and after its adjustment my seat was too close to the Heli Bars. A minor adjustment of the bars and it was a perfect fit. The nice Heli Bar Boys instructed me on how to make any future adjustments, if so needed, with a common hex took and a simple tweak that even a girly girl such as me can do. So to answer my own question “yes” Handle – woops – I mean Heli Bars – can make all the difference (o:

So to sum up my experience –

From the moment that I leaned into my first turn it was as if my bike and I had become one, and with every turn thereafter, we had become the road.

The Heli Bar – It’s a beautiful thing!

Peace, Love, God Bless & Safe Riding

Stephanie K., Baltimore, MD”

Thank you Stephanie, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Hope you continue to enjoy riding in the best of Health!

Helibars Helps Make the Most Comfortable Walker in the World

16 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in Disabled Riders, Helibars - Other Handlebars, Other Engineering Projects

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On November 8, 2011 we received a phone call from a customer looking to buy parts of our Horizon Sport Touring multi-adjustable handlebars for the Kawasaki C14 so he could fabricate a set of handlebars for his walker.  I didn’t answer the phone, but once I heard the question I had to talk to this gentleman.  Turns out, he was an avid motorcyclist and even a previous Helibars customer.  Unfortunately he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and it eventually progressed to the point he could not ride a motorcycle anymore.  Despite this fact he was not going to give up and started to concentrate on his other passion, photography.  Nature is the primary focus of his photography and, being confined to a walker, getting the best shots was difficult at best.  So, instead of giving in to the limitations of his walker he decided to make the walker fit his needs.  After making many modifications he found the handlebars just were not as comfortable as he would like.

I am looking for a what I call a natural angle of my wrists. So looking from the top the wrists would angle out from the centre line and with a slight drop instead of the straight back it has now.

Stock Handlebar

The old handlebars provided only height adjustment and offered little comfort

Looking for alternatives he found the market for walker handlebars to be non-existant, so he turned to the motorcycle market.  From his days as a motorcycle rider he remembered Helibars as the most comfortable handlebars in the world.  Surly Helibars would have something that met his need.  That’s when he saw our Horizon multi-adjustable handlebars for the C14 on the front page of the website and decided to call.

After hearing the whole story I decided the best thing to do was not to sell him a selection of parts, but make a complete set of custom handlebars designed for his walker.  The design borrowed elements from our Horizon ST multi-adjustable handlebars for the Honda ST1100 and also included a new tool-less adjustment.  The Horizon ST multi-adjustable handlebars were a great basis for this project.  The design was already set up for 7/8 handlebars and had roughly the right range of motion.  The most import aspect of this design is safety.  The Horizon design incorporates hard stops to limit rotation if a pinch bolt loosens or falls out.  In such an event the pivots can not come apart and will only rotate as far as the stops allow.  The safety of the design makes it the perfect choice for this application.

Using SolidEdge 3D CAD software I created the model you see below.  Pictures of the design were sent to the customer for appoval.

CAD models allow engineers and customers to "see" the product before cutting metal.

He loved the new design, so I started on building the real thing.  Final prototypes were machined from billet aluminum, just like the current Horizon motorcycle handlebars.

Adjustable Walker Handlebars

Using the latest CAD and CAM software we can produce fully functional prototypes very quickly.

We were able to ship the new multi-adjustable walker handlebars just before Christmas and got his response shortly after install:

I received the bars today. I don’t want to blow too much smoke up your kilt but what a difference they make. I have them on and they really make it easier on the hands and wrists, just as I had hoped.

Adjustable Walker Handlebars

The most comfortable walker handlebars in the world!

Success!  We just created the most comfortable walker in the world!

-Helibars Engineering

The Quest for Supreme Motorcycle Comfort: It’s on the Horizon with HeliBars!

09 Thursday Feb 2012

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Motorcycles are designed to fit into a category – touring, sport, etc. – and the styling (including handlebars) is driven by what’s traditionally acceptable. What’s visually appealing about a certain bike does not necessarily make it comfortable. Our quest to find that elusive  ”comfort zone” while riding has been our journey for over 25 years, and it’s why we spent 10+ years developing the patent pending Horizon Product line.  This unique handlebar allows you to find your comfort zone, because it’s multi-adjustable.  It’s what?  I said – it’s multi-adjustable.  The bars adjust in three locations.  Where they mount on the bike (forward & back), where the handlebar tube meets the mounting bar (forward & back which raises and lowers grip angle) and the handlebar tubes themselves (in and out to allow perfect wrist angle placement).  Below is a diagram of the newly released ST1100 multi-adjustable handlebars.

“It took years for this product to become available to the public – it was first introduced in 2007 to the Touring Market with models available for specific Harley-Davidson motorcycles.  Since 2008 we have increased the Tourer market and installed on motorcycles such as the Vulcan, Triumph Bonneville America, Yamaha V-Star, and Victory Cross Country.   In the last year we have transitioned the design into the Sport Tourer Market with much success!” says Harry Eddy.

HeliBars also offers Horizon models for the Kawasaki Concours14 (C14), Honda ST1100 and the Honda ST1300.  These products are going to take the industry by storm.  Check them out at www.HeliBars.com!

Brought to you by Heli Modified Inc.: The Makers of HeliBars!

HeliBars-25 years of Comfort without Compromise (part 3)

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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We were saddened to learn recently that Dana Sawyer, the founder of the Honda V-4 Sport Touring Association passed away last summer. Dana was a great guy who carried out his vision in 1982 to bring together like-minded motorcycle enthusiasts who shared his passion for the new Honda V-4 motorcycles. There are those who credit Dana with coining the term “sport-touring” motorcycles. The V-4 HSTA organization grew to include all sport-touring motorcycle enthusiasts, and it continues today as the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association.

RIP Dana.

Continuing our history…after he bought his 1982 V-45 Sabre, Harry spent lots of time getting together and talking with Dana and other Sabre owners about the attributes and deficiencies of the bike, as motorcyclists are prone to do when they’re not riding. These conversations led him to do some tinkering with the handlebar position to make it more sporty.

This review was from the V-Fourum, Official Newsletter of the         Honda V-4 Sport Touring Association, December, 1983:

“Harry Eddy’s modified low handlebars…Harry’s bars are a tremendous improvement over the stock bars! They do NOT require extreme forward lean. The quality of workmanship is impeccable and the finish first-rate! The bars (about 2 ½” lower than stock) come with stainless steel adjustment adapters. Cost for members is $79.95 plus $5.00 shipping and handling ($95 a set plus $5.00 shipping for non-members). Prior to February 1st, members may have their bars modified for $65.00 plus $5.00 shipping. No modifications needed to install; they work particularly well with the Corbin Canyon solo seat (and the double bucket touring seat, for that matter). Make check payable to Heli Modified; the bars will be modified within 48 hours, and returned by U.P.S. Allow one week for delivery time…”

Harry’s handlebar designs weren’t called HeliBars® until 1987, which is why we’re celebrating HeliBars 25th anniversary in 2012.

Prices sure have changed since 1983, but the innovative, customer-driven HeliBar designs that Harry and team continue to put into production has not changed. Our craftsmen and women at HeliBars takes pride in the impeccable quality of the workmanship that we produce in our shop in Maine, and with the guaranteed satisfaction that comes with  every HeliBars product that we ship.

 

Brought to you by Heli Modified, Inc.:  The Makers of HeliBars

HeliBars ST1300 25th Anniversary Special Edition!

19 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in HeliBars 25th Anniversary, Honda

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As the original designers and makers of the ST1300 handlebar relocation adapter we want to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in style!  And give our loyal customers an added perk.  Not only will you receive the superior quality and styling of our product when you purchase, you will also receive it at our 25th Anniversary Special Edition price of $173 for the Standard Model, $185 for Ram Optional Model and $199 for the much sought after Pilot Model.

Brought to you by Heli Modified, Inc.:  The Makers of HeliBars

HeliBars – 25 years of Comfort without Compromise (part 2)

16 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in HeliBars History

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In 1982 Honda introduced their brand new sport bike, the V-45 Sabre with the revolutionary V4 liquid cooled engine.  Harry picked one up at Cycles 128 in March, 1982 and it was motorcycle love at first ride. It was very evident that Honda had created a motorcycle that people were passionate about, as Road Runner Magazine wrote in  November/December 2003:

“ It all started with a bike! In the case of Dana L. Sawyer, HSTA founder and member #0001, it was a 1982 Honda V-45 Sabre, which he enjoyed riding very much. Wondering if other people were having the same experience with this bike, he sent a short one-paragraph letter to the editors of motorcycle magazines. A stack of replies arrived in his mailbox with some enthusiasts asking for the foundation of a club. One of them was Dave Nicolson, a Texan who became member #0002 and assumed the duties of Vice President. Together, Sawyer and Nicolson formed the Honda V-4 Sport Touring Association.

They published their first newsletter in August 1982 with nine members counted in the HSTA fold.   That number climbed near 100 when the second newsletter was mailed in October 1982 (Harry was member #48).  The initial members’ meeting was held during Daytona Bike Week in 1983. For the May issue in 1983, the club counted 296 members in 44 states and three foreign countries. The first National Rally was held June 13-16, 1983 at Prairie Creek near Rogers, Arkansas, attended by 100 people, including folks from American Honda and Honda R&D…”

Harry and I, along with his cousin Chris, and our kids – 8 year old Aaron, 5 year old Dara and 3 year old Lana – attended, but I’m pretty sure they only counted Harry as one of the 100 attendees. Our 3 week road trip was an adventure!

At that time Heli Modified had a contract with Fomac of Wilmington to build the first 120 frames for the Avatar 2000, a unique recumbent bicycle. In his spare time Harry rode his Sabre lots of miles, and he began to identify what he could change to make it truly his own custom fit motorcycle – the process which would lead to the creation of the “Inter-Sabre”- which will be the subject of my next entry.

25 years of HeliBars-Comfort Without Compromise- will be continued…

Brought to you by Heli Modified, Inc.:  The Makers of HeliBars

These Clip-On Handlebars Don’t look Different…

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in HeliBars FAQs

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Some people take the bars out of the packaging and don’t see a difference.  To the naked eye some HeliBars can appear similar to stock.  That’s a good thing – aesthetically speaking they look like they came with the bike!  We promise there are changes to the bars over stock, some more drastic than others.  Our welded HeliBars for the VFR1200 are dramatically different while the TracStar clip-on for the S1000RR doesn’t have the same “riser” built into the bar.  The rise and pull back comes from any number of areas in the design.

Unlike other companies we take our measurements from the same location each time we create a new design.  Your hand placement.  Really that’s the most important part.  Where are your hands going to be when the HeliBars are installed?

So what we suggest to the customer is this.  Install the right side HeliBar.  Take a tour around your motorcycle and view it from the front.  Now you can see the difference.  Just as you can in the photo above of the S1000RR.  While 1.7″ taller and 0.8″ rearward doesn’t seem like a lot on paper, when you compare the left and right bar it is a world of difference.  And of course the true test – sit on the bike compare how your hand falls on the right handlebar versus the left.  The palm of your hand should be more in line with your wrist, taking out the awkward bend that causes fatigue.

That’s what makes HeliBars – Comfort Without Compromise!

Brought to you by Heli Modified, Inc.:  The Makers of HeliBars

HeliBars 25 years of Comfort without Compromise

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in HeliBars History

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2012 marks the 25th anniversary of HeliBars® introduction to the motorcycling community, but the roots of HeliBars started back in 1978.  For those who’ve wondered how one gets into the business of manufacturing more comfortable motorcycle handlebars, Harry and I’ll take this anniversary year to shed some light on the subject. Like Dr.Seuss said, “You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose… “

As an avid mechanic who loved motorcycles, Harry had a garage where he spent a lot of time tinkering when he wasn’t working as a certified welder of aerospace and aviation components for General Electric. In 1978, Jimmy Carter was president and when he cancelled the B1B bomber project a large portion of GE’s work dried up. In May of 1978 Harry joined the ranks of the unemployed as GE laid off hundreds of workers.  This was one month after the birth of our second child, and the growing family didn’t fit into his (beloved) 1977 Ford F150 stepside 4×4 pickup. Seeing his “time off” from work as an opportunity he sold the truck, purchased a brand new Linde UCC 305 tig welder and set up shop in his garage. The intention was to cater to industry in the greater Boston area, doing the prototype and R&D work that he enjoyed while he waited for a call-back from General Electric.  At the same time, he could continue to pursue his passion for “all things motorcycle” while offering mechanical and fabrication services to the local motorcycling community.

He called the company Heli Modified (Heli for heli-arc welding, and modified because that’s what he did).  The little company did OK, and when the callback came from GE for a third shift position he made the decision not to return but to continue to work for himself….(to be continued).

Brought to you by:  Heli Modified, Inc., the makers of HeliBars

People always ask: Why can’t I use my HeliBars as a tie down point?

12 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in HeliBars FAQs

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Before I answer that I have a couple questions, if you put your arms straight out sideways and ask several children to hang onto them – will your arms break off?  Probably not.  Will they stay straight?  Probably not.  Now if you asked them to hang from your shoulders you may bend in the knee a little (sort of like your tire being compressed) but you are more likely to stay upright with your arms out straight!

Let’s think of your handlebars as arms and your frame of your bike as your torso.  So where is the best point to tie down your motorcycle?

Why can’t I use my HeliBars as a tie down point?  Over the years we have had this question asked thousands and thousands of times.  We stress that they can certainly be used as a stabilizing point.  (Heck that is why we have arms right?)   Extreme force on the ends of the handlebars (either HeliBars or stock handlebars) can bend the bars or rotate them in their mounts.  And while you don’t think you tied them down too tight, if you hit those beloved pot holes while truckin’ down the road that force is increased.

So here is what we recommend:

Use a wheel chock.  There are some great ones on the market that we use such as Condor; they make a great quality product.  Pull the machine down and forward while locking it in.  Use soft ties or something similar around the lower triple clamp to stabilize the bike.  And lastly, you can utilize something like Canyon Dancer to steady your bike from lateral sway.

Brought to you by:  Heli Modified, Inc., the makers of HeliBars

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