The latest and greatest in handlebars always seems to be centered around the popular oversized 1-1/8" bars. Mika Metals however, has added some new flavor to the standard 7/8" handlebar with their new Hybrid Bar.
Now this new handlebar may look like a slight mistake at first glance. It appears to be a 1-1/8" bar, until you see the clamping area is still 7/8" of an inch. Why would they create a handlebar that starts at one diameter, then increases and shrinks again? One of the main reasons behind this was to lower the cost for a stronger-than-stock replacement handlebar. If you ride a current Kawasaki or Honda, your bike still comes with 7/8" bars stock. That means if you bend or break them and need to replace them, you either have to buy a 7/8" bar or jump up to a 1-1/8" bar and add larger bar mounts. The Hybrid bar keeps the the stronger build (and look) of a 1-1/8" bar, while keeping the smaller clamping size of a standard bar.
The Hybrid bar is even better for mini-bike riders. Anyone who has a kid on a 50, 65, or 85 knows that for the most part, you're stuck with 7/8" bars on most bikes, unless you switch the entire upper clamp. Because of this, Mika Metals is also building the Hybrid bar in optional bends and widths to suite mini riders. This means you can now place a stronger and higher quality handlebar on your kid's bike (let's face it, little ones crash... a lot).
Now you may be wondering what this design means for flex, feedback, and feel. We'll have an answer for you, in the form of a review, by the time these bars come in late December. So until then, you can look below to find a list of the bends and measurements that the Hybrid bar will be offered in.
Mika Metals Hybrid Bar Features:
- Available by late December
- Constructed from 7075 grade aluminum.
- Patent pending.
- Price $109.95.
Description | Number | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Base (mm) | Sweep (mm) |
YZ Bend/Reed | mkh-11-yz | 803 | 92 | 205 | 57 |
RC Bend/Honda | mkh-11-rc | 802 | 99 | 200 | 54 |
CR High Bend | mkh-11-ch | 795 | 95 | 205 | 56 |
CR Low Bend | mkh-11-cl | 802 | 66 | 200 | 57 |
STV Bend | mkh-11-stv | 805 | 93 | 180 | 55 |
MC Bend | mkh-11-sv | 805 | 85 | 205 | 55 |
KTM Bend | mkh-11-kt | 805 | 90 | 230 | 50 |
Mini-High Bend | mkh-11-mih | 740 | 118 | 175 | 42 |
Mini-Low Bend | mkh-11-mil | 750 | 95 | 175 | 42 |
Mini-Narrow | mkh-11-min | 715 | 88 | 144 | 45 |
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