Handlebars - Drilled vs Dimpled vs None

[DavidJRoberts]

Couple basic questions.

I'm looking to move my position forward and down to a more aggressive posture.

Does anybody use dimpled or drilled bars? I don't mind the wires on the bike now, they're fine. I presume the stocks are plain (apart from the knurling). I'm not missing anything am I?

And as long as I'm moving forward, do I need to worry about wiring length from a function point of view? I presume I may need to clip in the slack somewhere if I go forward 4"+, maybe not.

I'll use a ruler to make sure drag bars don't hit the tank without higher risers, unless anyone already knows that answer.

I may also get black bars, not sure yet. If I do, I'll upload a pic in case anyone is curious as to the look (I have a black bike).

I also presume I won't need new grips. Has anyone ruined their stock grips in a switch? I can't afford bars + grips right now.

As always, cheers, DJR.

[hootmon]

I upped my bars an inch and did not need to re-wire, You should be able to manage any excess cabling by re-routing if necessary...

The Magna has a hole drilled in each end of the bar and a nipple in each controller unit that fits into the hole.

Here IS the problem I ran into.. My wife changed the bars on her '03 Sabre.. Her bars appeared to be slightly higher and further back, so hey, I'm all excited about doing the swap..
I start unhooking stuff and get her new bars on and "What the ????" - The Magna Bars have a Nut welded in the throttle side of the bars for the end cap to screw into.. The Sabre bars are open on both ends..
SO, I put back on the standard bars and wound up buying riser extensions.. I'm very happy with the adjustment, especially on longer trips.

[DavidJRoberts]

I upped my bars an inch and did not need to re-wire, You should be able to manage any excess cabling by re-routing if necessary...

The Magna has a hole drilled in each end of the bar and a nipple in each controller unit that fits into the hole.

Here IS the problem I ran into.. My wife changed the bars on her '03 Sabre.. Her bars appeared to be slightly higher and further back, so hey, I'm all excited about doing the swap..
I start unhooking stuff and get her new bars on and "What the ????" - The Magna Bars have a Nut welded in the throttle side of the bars for the end cap to screw into.. The Sabre bars are open on both ends..
SO, I put back on the standard bars and wound up buying riser extensions.. I'm very happy with the adjustment, especially on longer trips.

Good info. So,
1) I bond the end cap to the new bars/stock grips somehow knowing that if I needed to take it off I'd probably damage it

2) I buy new 1" end caps but I'm sure they won't fit seamlessly to the ends of the stock grips (although a chromed or painted black washer with the right dimensions could possibly go between the grip and the end cap, effectively covering the larger diameter of the grip? That could look odd, though.

3) I leave the end cap off and ride it over to someone who can weld a new bolt into the new bar

4) I buy new grips for my new bars, pushing the mod back for a bit because of the additional expense

I'm typing this without looking at it so some of these off-the-cuff ideas will no doubt have holes in them.

I'll check it out and let you know. Thanks again.

[hootmon]

You can always drill your own holes, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[DavidJRoberts]

You can always drill your own holes, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Definitely. Just figuring out the end cap thing. I'll look at it tonight and I'm sure I'll think of something.

[gargoyleddriver]

I would just get new grips, if you like the kurkyan iso grips then d2moto has a lookalike for the flame grips for 28 bucks. Im using them and only diffrence I noticed between them is I dont have a cross on the endcap, and they reuse the stock throttle sleve.

[DavidJRoberts]

Thanks for the grip tip. My friend owns a store so was able to get me kuryakin ones for cheap. Those things are beefy and heavy!

Got my grips and black drag bars in the post today, will install tonight. I wanted t-bars but was able to get bikers choice blag drag bars and iso grips for cheaper than a quality t-bar. Also fancied a 1 1/14" bar for a meatier look but then I'd need new risers and I could only find them at 33" and I wanted sub 30" for my daily lane splitting (legal in CA).

Will post pics when they're on.

Speaking of controls, the next project will be the cables. The clutch cable is fraying a little bit where it is exposed. I'll spray a little lube down its housing tonight as it doesn't always release 100% in 1st because it's getting stuck. That makes for a little frustration when turning left from a standstill in the middle of an intersection... Will buy some SS ones from Dave Dodge.

Does anybody know if the cables from dave dodge come with the end pieces or are they strictly the cables only? The parts that attach the front brake line and so on are getting a little dindgy but they work!

[dgc67]

Just don't forget the pics once your done!

[DavidJRoberts]

Just don't forget the pics once your done!

hehe, yeah I bet everyone says they will post pics and seldom do. I've got some seafoam to make sure the pics are MOOT approved for posting

I want to do a few minor colour alterations to my bike and will photoshop some options for you to see. Maybe a red stripe down the center or a red front fender (it's a black 94)... not sure yet... black forks? We'll see.

[hootmon]

I've got some seafoam to make sure the pics are MOOT approved for posting

[MarylandMagnav45]

Just don't forget the pics once your done!

hehe, yeah I bet everyone says they will post pics and seldom do. I've got some seafoam to make sure the pics are MOOT approved for posting

Erroneous.  I always post pics with my projects .

[dgc67]

Now Dan, he was just vague enough to be able to say that.  He said "seldom" which gives his statement validity.  Which I like.  I hate it when people say things like "always" and "every time" when it is something that could not be.

hehe, yeah I bet everyone says they will post pics and seldom do.

[DavidJRoberts]

Well I better post pics now! Here you go.

I will need to get shorter cables now. They all work but as you can partially see, they're as cramped as they can be. We had to fiddle with the, a lot to get the throttle to spring back at a reasonable speed though not snappy like it was. You can see the brake line thinks it's at a water park. That was my next project anyway. Now I just need to guess how much shorter.

I will also get straight, black risers that are 4". Will probably have to drill out to 1/2" to get decent ones for a good price. The controls are currently off a bit so they don't hit the tank. Reversing the risers is plain annoying for me. I think I've reset the indicator and no, it's still going - you can't see the light.

The pic with the red pin stripe is a 5-minute mockup in photoshop of the small trim updates I would like to do:

• Two thin red pin stripes down the front fender, tank and rear fender to match the two stripes around the magna v4 logo on the side.
• Same red on the gauges bevel
• Black forks
• Black risers (though straight - not as seen here)

All very easy, I think...

[DavidJRoberts]

ps. In case anyone is wondering, that's 3M 4" reflective tape on my bags and the side of the radiator. Bright at night. I think I'll add another strip to the bag above the current one so it's not a thick straight line but follows the curve of the cut out. I'll also add some to my matte black helmet (my side graphic is reflective at least). Should have take the helmet off the bike for pics so you could see the line of the bike a little more. Was hurrying off to work.

[DavidJRoberts]

pps. Rides really nice. Much prefer this position. It's actually not that far forward for me. I can relax and not lean on them if I like. I could even sit up straight if I wanted to, or if I had a windshield back on it.

I even prefer its handling, it feels more natural to me. Maybe from all the cycling in the days of my youth (semi-pro level).

Cheers, DJR.