SW-Motech Handlebar Risers & Bar Clamps
This shelf covers SW-Motech's bar risers, bar backs and Vario bar backs, around a third of them sized by bar diameter to suit almost any bike, the rest cut for named models across twenty marques, BMW, Triumph and Honda the biggest, with two Harley-Davidson Pan America fitments among them. A riser lifts the bar height only. A bar back moves it back too, either by a fixed amount or, on the Vario version, one you choose.
SW-Motech bar risers, bar backs and Vario bar backs are for sale here, at 10% off RRP with free UK delivery available.
Bar riser, bar back or Vario bar back: what's the difference?
A Bar Riser lifts the bar straight up and changes nothing else. A Bar Back lifts it and pulls it back towards the rider by a fixed amount. A Vario Bar Back does both and is steplessly adjustable: SW-Motech's own 28mm version moves by up to 50mm, or 60mm with an optional spacer. A separate family, SW-Motech's own Bar back variable, adjusts in 5mm steps instead. Rise across the range runs from 15mm up to 50mm, per SW-Motech's own handlebar-adjustment page.
| Type | What it changes | How much you choose |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Riser | Height only | Fixed, set by the part |
| Bar Back | Height and a step back | Fixed, set by the part |
| Vario Bar Back | Height and a step back | Steplessly adjustable, up to 50mm on the 28mm version, or 60mm with an optional spacer |
Around a third of the shelf is sized by bar diameter, 22mm, 28mm or 32mm, and listed as Universal or Multi-Fit. The rest is cut to a specific model, among them BMW's R 1300 GS, Triumph's Tiger Sport and Street Triple, Yamaha's FJR and Ducati's Desert X. Only two SKUs here are for a Harley, both Pan America risers for the model's 32mm bar. Every other genuine Harley fitment is on our Harley-Davidson risers page.
Check the exact model, not just the marque
The filter on this page runs on tags set by model, not just marque, and it is worth using before you order. Trim matters as much as the model name. On a Tiger 900 owners' forum, one rider fitting risers to the Rally Pro found the cables tight at full lock. Another pointed out that the narrower bars on the GT version of the same bike do not seem to have the same problem. Two trims of one bike, two different outcomes.
The same caution applies to the universal-by-diameter parts. Buyer reviews of universal risers on one retailer's site show the trap repeating: a listing says it fits a 22mm bar, and the mounting holes still do not line up with that bike's yoke. A bar diameter match does not mean the fitment matches too.
What else you need before it goes on
SW-Motech say it plainly on their own product page for the 50mm riser: "The length of the Bowden cables and brake lines must be individually verified." Their handlebar-adjustment page calls a rise "often possible without extending cables." Their own pages show this comes down to what you buy, not how high you go: our two Harley-Davidson Pan America risers, at 30mm and 50mm, both state that extending the cables is not required, and the same holds across the other bike-specific risers here. Bar Backs, Vario Bar Backs and the universal-diameter risers, including the 50mm one quoted above, carry the individual-verification caution instead. Check the fitting instructions for your specific SKU before you order, or ask the parts desk. Once it's fitted, turn the bars fully each way: full lock is where a tight cable shows up, not with the bars centred.
SW-Motech also put their bar risers through a German type-approval process. Their FAQ says the work "mainly relates to all bar risers, shift bars and mounts, mirror extensions, foot pegs, and centerstands," for which they "apply for Vehicle Type Approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority in advance." That is a German administrative approval, not a UK legal status, and it does not tell you what is legal to fit here. It also doesn't cover everything on this shelf: SW-Motech say plainly on the Vario Bar Back's own product page, "Not approved for use on public roads in Germany. Please check the rules in your country."
How hard is it to fit a handlebar riser?
Fitting calls for what SW-Motech describe as good technical understanding, and SW-Motech publish the mounting instructions for each part as a download. Riders who have made the cable length work mostly report rerouting the existing cables. Fewer describe replacing them outright. Read the instructions for your specific SKU before you start either way.
Ball mounts, GoPro kits and other bar-clamp extras
A handful of extras share the shelf too: several 1" ball mounts and clamps, a Universal X-Grip Kit, a Gopro Cam Kit and a Cockpit Switch. None of them change bar height. They clamp on near the bars instead.