Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech New Bar Ends

I had occasion to be on the recieving end of some generosity recently, so I thought I would share.

Last year I got some new bars for the bike. LOVE em, but no threaded bushings inside to hold bar ends. Normally that would be fine, just get some grips that cover the ends (which I did in fact) but I want to put in my union jack bar ends!!! So I cut the ends off my grips to install the ends.

I tried a bunch of things, first was some rubber stoppers with a T nut on the back, but it was a PAIN. Then I thought about trying some sort of expansion bolt. Most recently, I got some 10-24 molly screws, and some rubber tubing from the HW store. That and some washers, and I kinda had it. The rubber went over the molly screw, and the washers around the screw. Tighten it all down and the molly screw expanded against the rubber inside the bar and kinda held. But it didn't hold it solid, or centered.

Recently, Joe (EZcue) was talking about making mirror bushings, so I figured he knew his way around a lathe, so I asked him for some advice. He offered to make me some bushings!! He finished them tonight and will hopefully follow me with some pics. He made me some bushings with a threaded hole in the middle which I am going to epoxy into the ends of my bars. I CAN NOT WAIT to get them!!

A HUGE thanks to Joe for his help! Let's see some pics?!?

Here they are. A few comments. They are rough finished to help the epoxy bite when they are inserted into the bars. There is also a internal seam in the bars so we are "swagging the groove". B, I could only get them .950 long...as deep as my tap would go.

Bennyserts1

No problem on the payback. I have been fortunate to get tons O goodies and help for $0.00 from folks on this sight. Glad to pay it back.

Bennyserts2

Almost forgot, they weigh 2.1oz. and 2.2oz....must be a little different alloy in one of them. So, they may cut down on some vibration. Just a little bonus.

Lookin fantastic!! Can't wait

"Bennyserts"

I love it!

For those who want to build an insert I have one for you. NAPA has a super strong 3M epoxy Called Duramix that bonds to anything . I do know that if you block off the bar about 1 inch, poor some in, cover a bolt with lube and insert it into the epoxy. It dries in 10 to 15 minutes. Take a wrench and break the bolt loose and presto! I have played with this stuff at a trade show and it is SUPER STRONG. Call your parts store and ask to talk to the body and paint specialist. Imagine all the uses for this stuff.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en...mizePageHandler

Epoxy is such cool stuff. Just be sure if you are going to go the bolt route, that you have some way to center it in the bar. Maybe put it thru a 1" OD washer or something? I have some oversized flat washers, I think they are for a #10 screw... they are pretty much exactly 1"OD.

Well I got em in finally! Just plain didn't get around to it till thisafternoon. They were a tad too big (measuring error on my part) so I needed to take em down a bit. I ran a screw into them all the way to it kinda jammed against the head. Then I chucked it up in my drill, and mounted the drill in my vise. Turned it on, and used some 100 grit on it like a lathe I would have used rougher paper if I had some... But it worked! Two or three sessions with the paper and it slid in with a little force. Perfect! Pulled it out and painted the inside of the bars with epoxy, then slid em in. I'll bold up the bar ends tomorrow!

Thanks again!!!

we need pictures!!!!!

Frank

Well they looked like this before I got my hands on em...



I thought about taking pics in the process but didn't. Tomorrow or whenever I get a chance, I'll take a pic of the mickeymouse thing I was using, and then a shot inside the end of the bar so you can see them in place before I put the ends on. The whole point of this was to be able to keep my super cool bar ends, I even have grips that would cover the ends, but I cut em out to keep the ends.

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They were a tad too big (measuring error on my part) so I needed to take em down a bit.

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Glad you got it worked out. Hate they just didnt jump in the hole. Did you put some tape or something on the back of the inserts? If that epoxy runs into the threads it could be a little touchy. A tap ran through the inserts will clear it, if it is even an issue. Lets see the pics, when you get her buttoned up.

I thought of that too. but i'm not too worried, I'll just chase the threads.

Got the pics!

Here is my first Mickey Mouse attempt at something other than jamming a rubber stopper in there...


OK here's what they look like inside the bar/grip. Throttle side. MUCH better.



This is the new spacer setup. I had the small chrome spacer laying around, and I used the SS washers (perfect 1" OD I might add) to space the end out so that it doesn't pinch the grip and create a cruise control effect.



Here's the finished product. It so happened that number of washers got them JUST right so there is barely a gap between the end of the grip and the chrome of the bar end. Looks factory almost!! A little blue loctite on everything and I'm good to go. Couldn't be happier.



took it for an hour long spin to make sure it works well


Here's just a general dash shot. Got a lot going on up there! 4 different round things, plus I still need to mount my volt meter... I may go back to the other oil pressure gauge, haven't decided yet....

LOOKS GOOD BENNY AND ESCUE. just goes to show what good this sight can do with the good folks who use it.


mike

Man, it does look good. Glad it worked out. Nice!!!

Joe, nice work on the inserts. I think you have a future here!

Benny, looking good! How did you crank the end caps down?

Well the smaller part with the actual union jack on them is just an insert. There is a small set screw in the bottom of the larger part that holds it all togehter. So the larger part has a recess in it, and just screws on like a regular bar end. Cranked it down with a screwdriver (I used some flathead SS screws with a phillips slot since I went to 10-24 threading to make it easy for Joe). So crank it down, holding the end so the set screw points down, then just attach the decorative end.

that does look good, bet he could sell a bunch of those little things

Frank

Well a lot of guys run the Kuryasmackin grips that cover the ends, so it's moot there. And it really only applies to aftermarket bars... but yeah he could

Yes, they have a solid end cap, so replacing them with Brents should be easy. I have some of those vintage football grip type things on mine. Mucho comfort. For me