| Author | Message | ||
     Ft_bstrd |
I decided that I wanted a lower handlebar position. I was looking for lower and less pullback on the grips. I have the 06 Low Seat, a short torso, and really long arms. As a result, I always felt that my hands were positioned too close to me when riding aggressively or when tucked behind the windscreen. I rotated the stock bars which helped a little bit but it never really took care of the problem. I have been looking for a solution for a while. I looked at the Renthal Medium and Low Rise bars from American Sport Bike, but they still had a fairly substantial sweep to the grip. The problem was the 7/8 inch diameter bars. In order to have structural integrity, they required a different bend or a crossbar. I wanted a straighter bend as well as no crossbar. That was going to require a clamp change to move the the 1 1/8 inch bar. I looked at the clamps from Trojan and really liked the design. The problem was the price was staggering. $200 was just too much. One day I noticed a new Sponsor Banner at the top of the page for Precision Engineering. They offered a 1 1/8 inch conversion with a one inch riser and top clamp.   The price was perfect. The workmanship was great as well. The color of the clamps are exactly the same as the forks, so they match perfectly. I would probably have preferred to have them in black anodized (hint, hint). I had my solution. I ordered the clamps and a set of the Charmichael Bend Pro Taper bars (in black of course). I also needed new heated grips as well. I have the Polly Heaters and really liked them, but the internal diameter of the new bars are too small for the heater cartridges (Etennuly, I'll need your address.). Unfortunately, the modifications I planned for my HVMP bar ends will still not work due to the internal diameter. Therefore, I will have a slightly used set for sale soon.  I really hate to see them go. So today was the day.  I started by stripping off the mirrors and hand guards.    Looks kinda plain, huh? I don't know what they put on the left hand guard threads, but I had to try to get the screws out with the "gizmo". No good. It just broke the heads off. I will probably leave them off for the time being and get the new "no hand guard pins" from Al. Next it was time to strip everything else off. No turning back now.  Because of the way the clamp works on the clutch side, you have to slide it over then end so you will need to remove the switch gear and grip first. You will also need to remove the handlebars because there isn't enough slack in the clutch cable to slide it over without doing so. This meant that I would need to disconnect the Polly Heaters first. Time to crack open the "rats nest".  I wonder why my horn sounds muffled? The only thing left was to pull the handlebars off.  A bike with no handlebars always looks like a beautiful woman without arms. Witness the carnage.  Next step is to begin the installation of the new clamps and bar. First step is to bolt up the new risers.   The base risers bolt into the stock locations. They provide one inch of rise above the stock mounting location. Next I mounted up the bars. The Pro Taper bars have a center stripe and then marking for three locations off of center. Nice to help document movements of the bars so that you can put them back where they were before. I went ahead and slid the clutch lever over the end and mounted the top plate of the clamp.   Next it was time to install the switch gear, throttle, brake lever and reservoir, grip heaters, and new grips. I decided not to drill holes in the handlebars for the switch gear. I used my soldering iron to melt the retention peg down and then used a little tape to reduce slippage.  And then wire up the new grip heaters and button up the rats nest.  If you haven't ever looked inside the front fairing, you really need to pull it apart once in a while. You would not believe the dead bug carnage contained within.  Bugs removed, front fairing replaced.  Well once you have installed something new, you can't just leave the old gal covered in bug guts can you?      I haven't had a chance to put any time on them yet, but from sitting on it and riding it around the neighborhood, I think they are going to be perfect. They lower the positioning just enough and push the grip position forward about an inch or so. I also like how the Pro Tapers and new clamp clean up the dash. I can completely see the instrument cluster. The new bars didn't require any modification of the clutch or brake line nor did it place either in a bind. Overall, I am very pleased and am looking forward to giving her a spin this weekend. Cheers. | ||
| Roadrailer |
 Looks great! That riser is beautiful. If you're looking to get rid of your HVMPs, I'm going to be in your neck of the woods in a couple of weeks. I'll buy 'em from you. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I thought this might give a better side by side comparison between stock and the Pro Tapers with the PE risers.   | ||
| Baydog |
Wow! Nice job FB. Looks good. Much cleaner. I've been waiting for your report since you got the risers. Now- the $10,000 question... How is the bar vibration with the fat bars sans bar end weights? My experience is that they dampen vibration quite a bit, at least on dirt bikes. What say you? Also, how's the access to the preload adjusters and fuel filler opening now? Thanks for sharing. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I didn't even get a chance to ride with them on yet. I rolled it out, took pictures, and rolled it back in. Here is an overhead shot of the clamps and bar.  Access to the filler as well as preload adjusters is just fine. I hope to be able to report back this weekend as to the vibrations. I hope that they do ok. I wasn't really bothered by the stock bars. I purchased the HVMP weights to see if I could quieten the mirror shake. It did for all but the low end vibrations. | ||
| Treadmarks |
Great looking job, nice write up. Let us know about the vibes, I'm sure they will be better with the protapers. | ||
| Lorazepam |
I dont normally get too excited over bar changes, but that really looks nice. Are you going to reinstall the handguards later? If so, would you post pics? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I don't know if I will reinstall them or not. I'll post pics if I do. | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Definitely looks clean. Not my ergonomic cup o'tea though. I have a work induced injury to my wrist and I cannot put pressure on my hands so I prefer the upright straight arm position unfortunately. I do like their pieces though and am considering their straight risers. Fat Bastard, in your bar research did you run across any that were close to the stock dimensions of the Uly but with less sweep? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
You might Try TAG Metals bars: http://www.tagmetals.us/atv/productdetails.php?id= cx5atv Most of the ATV bars are taller, the same width, and have less sweep. The ones I bought and didn't use were excellent quality but were not what I was looking for. They ended up being too narrow. You can also find them at Cycle Gear if you want to look at them in person. They usually only have a small selection, but you could at least get an idea of what you are looking at. What you might want to look at are slightly shorter bars with the one inch riser. You can get the sweep you want and keep the height. You might also talk with Precision Engineering about making a 2 inch riser. Andy Upton is the contact there I spoke with. Andy Upton Precision Engineering 485 Ash Rd Kalispell, MT 59901 406-752-8688 ph. 406-752-8699 fax contact@preeng.com If they would make one for you, you wouldn't be limited to only 7/8 inch bars. Then you have the entire world of bars available | ||
| Jmhinkle |
Thank you sir. We happen to have a Cycle Gear across town so I will have to see what they have in stock. Height wise, I like the stock height plus the flipped topclamp which I think add's about 7/8" so I guess I could do the math with what is available. I'm still considering the Rox Risers because of their functionality, but I'm afraid moving the handle bars that much out of original location. I guess I need to sit on it and imagine a little harder what would offer better comfort and keep the good handling characteristics. Does anyone know the dimensions of the stock Uly bars as far as width, rise, and sweep? (Message edited by jmhinkle on May 19, 2007) | ||
| Troyyz |
Nice job FTB. I really enjoyed the photos. Beautiful bike. I particularly appreciated the color scheme of orange and black with the wheels and tank. If you are interested in parting with the Polly Heaters please let me know. I am looking for a set. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Troyyz, I have already promised them to someone else. If they decide not to take them, they're yours. Thanks for the "scheme" compliments. I have discovered that I am working to create an X to S conversion. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I got a chance to ride today with the new bars. I LOVE the new position. It's much more "aggressive" in the positioning without hanging me out over the airbox. With the width and sweep, the front end feels like it is wired to my brain. Very responsive. As far as vibrations, I didn't have a problem with them before. I got the HVMP bar ends to reduce my mirror vibrations. The bar ends helped with all but the low frequency vibrations. When she's shaking like a crack wh0re, nothing is going to help that. I also still got low frequency wind and road vibrations. With the new bars sans bar ends, thy are equivalent to the stock bars WITH bar ends. The gel grips also helped dampen any remaining vibrations. Very smooth! Overall, I am very pleased with the bar conversion. The clamps worked perfectly and provided just the right location. The one thing I did notice was that at high noon, the shiny clamps reflected sunlight right into by eyes. I think a black anodized version would be better at reducing glare. I don't know how long it takes to have them done or what it costs, but you can buy the cheaper "bare" version and have them coated to the color you prefer. I might even prefer "GOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLD".  | ||
| Captain_nartman |
Brilliant write up FTB.. Looks Bloody Choice mate. N x | ||
| Etennuly |
Yessh, Goooooold! Like your member's private key!! The ONLY color you could use, yessh, yessh, it mussht bee gooooold! I swapped bars on the City-X that I had and found that the choices available are nearly unlimited in the 7/8" bar size. With the risers and those bars would you say they are forward about an inch and down about an inch from the original hand grip position? They look great by the way, it really 'cleaned up' the look. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think it dropped it about 2-2 1/2 inches. The pullback is also considerably less, about 1-1 1/4 inches. The bars are considerably shorter and are about 2 inches wider. | ||
| Baydog |
FB- Indeed anodize would be a good option to reduce glare. This is not a difficult process but pricing is usually "batch" based. For the aerospace suppliers I deal with, that charge is usually around $80-100. Unit cost goes down as the batch size increases. A commercial shop could be somewhat less but I doubt it would be less than $50 in any case. Another option to consider is bead blasting. That will take the shine off and give it a nice, dull finish. This can be done very quickly and cheaply. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I might seek to find someone who could anodize the clamp eventually. | ||
| Captain_nartman |
SEEK Yee SEEK. N x  | ||
| Wananuly |
Is there a link available for Precision Engineering? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
http://s195292623.oneandoneshop.com/sess/utn;jsess ionid=15465c78858d4cd/shopdata/0030_Motorcycle+Par ts/0060_Buell+Motorcycle+Parts/product_overview.sh opscript Here you go! Cheers. | ||
| Snowscum |
If there is a clear coat on them, sand blasting could take off that clear anodize and form aluminum oxide. It will have to be stripped and re anodized. | ||
| Xring60 |
You guys mentioned that you would be interested in Black Anodize. We are now offering Black Anodize as an available coating on all of our parts. www.preeng.com -Andy |
