ProTaper Contour KX Dirt Bike High Bar

ProTaper
Contour KX High Bar

As a card-carrying jump monkey, I can be pretty picky about my freestyle-inspired handlebar setup. So when I went to replace the stocker on my new FMX bike, the crew at ProTaper shined me on to its KX high-bend bar, one of the most recent additions to the Contour lineup. The handlebar of choice for quite a few of my fellow monkeys-in-arms-including X Games champ Nate Adams-the KX High sits 4.25 inches high, making it the second tallest in the ProTaper catalog, right behind the Pastrana FMX bend. With all of the usual features that have made ProTapers famous, the KX High is living up to the line's high standards for quality.

Thanks to the moderate pullback, this bar was very easy for me to adjust-I put it a hair forward of my familiar position-and the grip-end angle felt comfortable and normal. I rode the bar for quite some time on a ramp and competed a couple of motos on a buddy's practice supercross track. In both cases, the KX High did an excellent job of absorbing vibration and hard landings. At 31.5 inches, this bar is a little wide for me, but a friend with longer arms claimed to have no issues.

When it came time to test the impact absorption of the ProTaper bar, things got a little overboard. Upon borrowing my freestyle bike for a local demo, one of my good buddies (who shall remain anonymous) offered to give me an opinion of the handlebar. Said anonymous rider (actually, his name is Andy Jones) then went out and horrendously underrotated on a backflip-over a 75-foot metal-to-metal gap! While Andy didn't destroy himself, the subframe, fork, plastic and seat of the bike were all but ruined. But lo and behold, the ProTaper bar wasn't bent and, after some close inspection, still looked to be usable. In fact, it was one of the few parts on the bike that Jones doesn't have to replace!

Available in gold, silver, platinum gray or jet black, the $69.99 Contour can bring some trickness to your bike without breaking the bank. Even if you aren't into FMX, this is a super-solid moto bar, especially if you are on the tall or on the forward-riding side of the spectrum. Considering the solid feel, great flex and easy adjustability of this bar, I think ProTaper has added yet another winner to its lineup. -Chris Denison