Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Handlebar Question

Last night I started changing from my America handlebars to a set of HD Mini Apes. The question I have is that the new bars dont have anyway to attach the endweights. So do I need to get new hand grips or is there a way to use the stock America hand grips?

There's a discussion about that in the Tech Vault, related to Buckhorn bars:

http://www.bonnevilleamerica.com/forums/...true#Post299654

You could get yourself some old school football grips that have covered ends, or also make some plugs for the bar ends. Some bar end mirrors come with plugs, almost like a wall anchor or concrete expansion bbolt, for the ends of the bars.

If I go with the football grips do I still have to add some additional weight?

You can also get chrome push in plugs for the ends. Some bike shops have them and even some Hardware stores have them. At the hardware store you just want to know the size and don't ask for handlebar plugs. They use them to plug unused holes in stainless sinks and things like that.

You can always resort to using the original grips and some bar end weights to fill the open ends. Oberon Performance (for example) makes some really nice stuff:



Just be sure to spec 1" handlebars and you're good to go.

When I put HD bars on I switched to kury iso grips.

What purpose to bar end weights serve?

Don't you mean: "I see" said the blind carpenter, as he picked up his hammer and saw.
Sorry, can't help myself sometimes.

"I see," said the blind man, peeing into the wind, "it's all coming back to me now."

Thanks to Jack for saving me a bunch of typing...

When I installed the Manic Salamander weights in my buckhorn bars it was to solve 2 problems.

The first was that I noticed a bit of bar shake/wobble with the buckhorns that didn't seem to be there before. Turned out to be caused by a cupped front Avon tire and the lighter/less wide buckhorns exacerbated the problem. So added weight was not needed. Second was the use of rubber stoppers to hold the stock end caps on. Yeah, it worked, but it was a Mickey Mouse fix...

The plus side of putting the bar end weights on was giving me more room to move my hands around when riding for long periods. They add about 1 - 1 1/2 inch more to the ends of the bars. At the time I was doing this, there were some threads about cruise controls for long rides. One suggestion was to install an o-ring on the throttle grip and roll it down between the end cap and grip to act as a cruise control. Friction would hold the throttle in place. I found that with the bar end weights I could just leave the o-ring on the grip and slide my hand down to the end and the friction between my hand (or glove) and the o-ring would keep the throttle set without me actually having to hold it there. It is actually quite comfortable that way.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it....

There was once a member on here who's name had something to do with pool cues... I wish I could remember. I think he got a different bike.

Anyway, he was a machinish and made me brass inserts for my bar ends. I epoxies them into the bars, couldn't be happier. Anyone got a lathe?

EZcue and he is back and looking for a new SM/BA.

EDIT: Well new to him, he wants carbs and the old rank style.

Yeah that's the guy!! Great guy, the plugs came out great. A smiiiidge too big, so I put a bolt thru them, chucked the bolt up in my drill, clamped the drill in my vise, and used it like a lathe to sand em down a little. Slipped right in, let the epoxy set, and they're snug as a bug.

Here's a shot of the plugs...



And here's one of my NB bar ends back in.