Fasst Company Flexx Handlebar
Fasst Company FleXX Handlebar
CW EVALUATION
The elastomer solution?
OLDER, MORE EXPERIENCED DIRTBIKE riders are always on the lookout for new products that promise improved performance and enhanced comfort. One such invention is Fasst Company's FleXX handlebar.
What makes the four-piece, pivoting aluminum design so special? Its unique damping system, that’s what. Replaceable elastomers allow the bar ends to pivot ever so slightly, in turn reducing shock and vibration.
The interchangeable hinged bar ends can be altered for height via provided spacers, and are available in 12and 14-degree sweeps. Both versions of the bar are 32 inches wide, and may only be used with oversize l '/s-inch top-clamp mounts.
First, we tried the FleXX on a couple of new KTMs. Because the Austrian bikes come standard with oversized handlebars, the swap was simple. Initial responses were mixed. Some test riders were put off by the up-and-down movement, and asked for stiffer elastomers.
Others were unfazed. But everyone agreed the KTMs’ normally stiff front ends felt better. In other words, the
damping made up for areas in which the forks were lacking, taking the spike effect out of bumps and making 3 bottoming less
of an issue.
on a current ha YZ250. For this application, we were forced to replace the stock top clamp with one that accommodates an oversize bar. We chose a rigid, four-bolt design from Ride Engineering (www.ride-engineering.com). Here, too, the FleXX bar worked really well. The Yamaha fork is prone to bottoming, which can be hard on wrists. But even on a rough, nationallevel, outdoor motocross track, the FleXX bar greatly improved comfort. What’s more, noticeably less engine vibration made its way through the bar.
Because the bar is adjustable, we were easily able to reproduce our favorite bend. Overall, we preferred the stiffest available elastomers. Less-aggressive riders, however, favored softer compounds. Either way, the FleXX bar outperforms standard and tapered bars by a wide margin. Fast Company currently does not offer a handguard system, so we did not use the FleXX for trailriding, Most likely, the softer settings would be the hot setup off-road.
Fasst Company 25 Savona Walk Long Beach, CA 90803 562/439-1025 www.fasstco.com Price..........$299 ipowns Most bikes will need an oversize top clamp Weighty
As for durability, the bar didn’t bend in light crashes that most certainly would have tweaked steel bars. The only downside is weight, which is significantly greater than that of conven-
tional aluminum handlebars.
Price-wise, the FleXX bar costs about the same as a fork re-valve, and offers nearly the same end result, at least in terms of feel. While the forks on our testbikes didn’t work any better, they certainly felt as if they did. Ánd our old bones liked that! □
