| Author | Message | ||
     Thetable |
After a rather unfortunate incident a few weeks ago, I find myself in the market for new handlebars, and I have a few questions. 1. With the stock Magura heated grips, and the hole drilling, am I stuck with steel bars, or can I run whatever? Are stress risers really that big a concern on a bike that will be ridden on nothing more extreme that some gravel, but even that is rare. 2. Assuming the answer to 1 is run whatever, I'm looking at MX style bars, and I see that there are several different styles, including bars with 1 1/8" clamp diameter. What is the advantage? Or is it simply that you lose the top brace? 3. I want lower bars, by at least a couple inches, am I going to run into any trouble with anything other than the brake hose? Just for anyone dying to know, a fat man on a Uly should never close on a RR bike being ridden well. It doesn't end well, especially on Hellbender. | ||
| Glen |
im on my second set of TAG METALS bars on my dual sport bike, on both sets i drilled the locater holes for the switch housings... ive not had any problems and that bike sees some serious abuse. i do run MSR aluminum handguards they may or may not act as braces for the bars ends? just throwin it out there. | ||
| Froggy |
Look into clubman bars, night and difference!  If you go afterarket bars you will need to drill holes for the controls either way. | ||
| Glen |
yeah you can run whatever you want as long as it fits the 7/8 bar clamp, otherwise you will have to add a oversized bar adapter. no biggie, but, the adapter will raise your bars a smudge. the advantage of the larger diameter bars is that they have no need for the cross brace which will allow a little more flex, resulting in less abuse to the rider. that and bigger bars are supposed to be stronger. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Plain ol' Lightning bars, from an XB-S. SX has the brace; S and Ss don't. Any are lower than the X bars. Brake line should be fine, just have to decide where to put your extra "loop" of material, same as the t/i cables and clutch cable. Careful routing and you should be OK. | ||
| Arcticktm |
Have not checked on the Buell, but can't you just remove the tabs on the controls that require the holes in the bars, and use good old grip glue and/or safety wire instead of that silly rivet on the grips? Then you do not need any holes in your new bars. I removed the tabs on a Ducati because I did not like the controls location the factory picked. I am used to moving around my controls like on a dirt bike, so those lawyer-suggested hols/tabs just limit your options for no good reason (IMHO). | ||
| Glen |
thats the cool thing about drilling yer own holes tho arctic, you pick were to drill em. i take off half the tabs, then i only have to drill a little. | ||
| Thetable |
Thanks for all the input. I think I owe it to myself to at least try a feel of the stock Lightning bars, before I order something. I just don't like the idea of giving HD anymore money than I have to at the moment. | ||
| Froggy |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?21/507365 |
