Since getting my 2025 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports 1100, I’ve been very happy with the bike’s capability and long-distance comfort. The upright seating position works well for most riders, but after a longer day in the saddle I felt the cockpit could be better suited to my build. I wanted slightly less forward reach and a more relaxed upper-body posture.
After some research, I decided to fit a set of Puig 21751N Pullback Risers.
Why change?
The Africa Twin Adventure Sports is designed as a long-range adventure machine, and its ergonomics reflect that. The bars are positioned to offer a commanding stance with good control when seated and standing. For many riders the factory setup will be spot on.
For me, the standard reach resulted in a slight forward lean – perhaps I’m just built with T-Rex arms. On longer motorway runs, though, I found tension gradually creeping into my shoulders, along with a bit more weight through my wrists than I’d like. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it certainly wasn’t ideal.
Why I Chose the Puig Pullback Risers
The Puig 21751N risers are designed to fit a few different bikes including my 2025 CRF1100. They lift the handlebars by approximately 25 mm and bring them back by roughly 16 mm. That may not sound like much, but small changes at the bars make a significant difference to overall posture.
Improvement in Ergonomics
The most immediate difference was in my seated position. With the bars slightly higher and closer, I naturally sit more upright. My spine feels more neutral, my shoulders are more relaxed, and I’m no longer subtly reaching forward. The reduction in wrist pressure over long distances has been particularly noticeable.
It feels as though the bike now fits me properly rather than me adapting to it.
When standing on the pegs off road, the benefits continue. The higher bar position reduces the need to hinge forward at the hips. My arms are in a stronger, more natural stance, and I feel better balanced over the bike. On uneven ground this translates into less fatigue and more precise control.
The Caveat: Increased Vibration
There is, however, a trade-off.
By raising and pulling the handlebars rearwards, you effectively increase the leverage acting on the mounting point. The bars now sit slightly further from the top yoke, which means engine vibration and road feedback can be transmitted more noticeably to your hands.
Since fitting the risers I’ve experienced an increase in vibration through the grips. It’s not excessive and it doesn’t fully spoil the ride but compared with the factory setup it is clearly more present and may be an issue on longer trips.
Mechanically, this makes sense. Extending the distance between the clamp and your hands gives vibration more opportunity to amplify through leverage. It’s a physics thing apparently.
As a rider who is particularly sensitive to bar buzz, I need to find a solution, or I may have to revisit the bar risers completely. Heavier bar ends may work, I’ve tried vibration-damping grips (Grip Puppies), and they may help reduce the effect for some people, but they just made the bar grips too large for my T-Rex claws.
I do have a new comfort seat coming from Touratech, so I am going to wait to see what the whole set up feels like in terms of seating and bar position, then make a decision on what to do about the bar risers.
Final Thoughts For Now
For some the increase in handlebar vibration due to the altered leverage of the risers may be OK. However, for my riding style and body shape, fitting the Puig 21751N Pullback Risers to my 2025 Africa Twin Adventure Sports 1100 would only be a worthwhile upgrade without the vibration issue. The improved ergonomics should make long days in the saddle more comfortable and reduce upper-body fatigue, but the nagging vibration could just rule these risers out for the long term.
Rest assured – I will experiment with a few different setups and update this blog over time.
Other Resources Worth Looking At:
- Bret Tkacs ADV: The truth about handlebar risers
- Motorcycle Adventures – How to Reduce Motorcycle Vibration
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK OR EXPERIENCES
Let me know if you have experienced the same issues in the comments section below, or if you have an advice you’d like to share on reducing the vibration whilst maintaining better ergonomics afforded by adding bar risers.
Leave a Reply