Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: Tremainiac on September 11, 2011, 10:35:27 PM
-
Took a 260 mile ride yesterday and discovered the hand numbing vibration at 80--90 mph, 3700-4000 rpm in my throttle hand.
Is there a simple solution.
Or will major surgery be required... to me or the bike? :-[
-
Grip Puppies?
-
The simple solution is to not go that fast. Were you in 6th or a lower gear?
-
Jim Jim Jim, Life begins at 85.
-
My hands don't numb up at the upper speeds like OPs.
-
Jim Jim Jim, Life begins at 85.
The way I'm going I won't live past 85.... ;)
-
80 is right around 4k on my bike and that is where I get the most vibration through the bars. The grip puppies helped but I still feel it. It doesn't make my hands go numb though so I don't worry about it.
-
my only cure was carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists.......routine and effective.....
i find a throttle lock useful for giving my throttle hand a break for a few seconds every now and then when I'm on the bikefor extended periods....
-
I had this done on my right wrist.
Carpal Tunnel Injection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUDsnnKBI_8#)
Hitting the median nerve should be avoided at ALL costs! Not much you can do about it though, that's why the doc gets paid the BIG bucks. My doc hit my median nerve and I'm here to tell you that I've never felt anything like that before, and I hope never to feel it again.
-
A lot of members report the angle change with Murph's wedges relieved the problem. Grip puppies help and changing bar-end weights may also help. I'd try these before resorting to surgery.
-
I find that its not the vibration that affects me. This bike is pretty smooth. It's the posture the stock seating position imposes. There's too much pressure on my wrist, and I find I take my left hand off the bar to rest and it changes my posture and relieves the right wrist pressure then any numbness goes away. I also developed a couple of flex moves I use on my right hand if driving conditions warrant both hands on the bars that does the same thing and releases the pressure on my right wrist.
I have a bone stock bike; but I'm looking forward to getting bar risers and a better saddle. I just have not committed to either yet.
-
I have found two things that help with my hand numbness. One is the Throttle Rocker. The other is a set of motorcycle gloves made for CTS. http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html (http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html) The combination works pretty well for me.
-
I have found two things that help with my hand numbness. One is the Throttle Rocker. The other is a set of motorcycle gloves made for CTS. http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html (http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html) The combination works pretty well for me.
Those gloves look interesting. Can you comment on them a little more? Which model are you using?
-
As always, there are multiple possible solutions, varying in price and effectiveness.
Among them, change of grips, handlebar height and/or angle, cruise control, seating position, relaxing on the grips, etc.
Personally, I find that a throttle lock helps me most on longer trips. Just being able to take the hand off the bar, and stretch/rotate/move the arm & hand makes a big difference. Only a few seconds at a time, but frequently works well for me. Same for legs, neck, etc.
I'm running BMW tapered grips and like them as well.
-
i have finally solved my "hand going numb" problem. during the coarse of solving it, i tried many things which helped somewhat: BMW hand grips, bar risers, and gel pad gloves. The final solution was Phil's (Murph's) wedges. I went for a 5 hour ride on Saturday and can report NO hand numbness. YMMV
ken
-
I've been practicing just not leaning on them, but so easy to fall back into the habit. Often find myself making a concerted effort to keep my weight on butt and legs...I might give these wedges a shot though.
-
I have found two things that help with my hand numbness. One is the Throttle Rocker. The other is a set of motorcycle gloves made for CTS. http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html (http://www.qwinerveprotector.com/MotorcycleGlove.html) The combination works pretty well for me.
I'm using the Qwi Nerve Protection Motorcycle Glove, Full Finger, No Cuff, Perforated Leather Top. One thing I will warn you is that they seem to run a bit small. Order the next size up from your usual size. They take a little getting used to as your hand now has the "u" shaped pad in the palm, but when I wear them, I have no numbness at all. If I don't wear them, my fingers start going numb within 20 - 30 minutes.
-
ok I'll say something dumb! strenghten your legs and start gripping the tank. not talking about a full court crushing grip but learn to involve your whole body in riding the bike. learned it from my sports bike buddies.
all things being almost equal, this basicly is a sports bike as far as seating goes. by using the lower body and keeping the arms bent(no straight arms) it takes alot of pressure off the wrist.
took me awhile to get the hang of it but now the thing that gets to me the most is my clutch hand from shifting. almost no sort hands or numbness. just my 2 cents
-
80 is right around 4k on my bike and that is where I get the most vibration through the bars. The grip puppies helped but I still feel it. It doesn't make my hands go numb though so I don't worry about it.
Yep! Right around there.
Got grip puppies and gel palm gloves on.
80mph on the NJ Parkway and you'll be getting passed by Priuses. :o
Guess I'll give the wedges a shot.
Want add the kaoko throttle lock as well, so the Murphs bar ends are out.
Wish me luck.
-
ok I'll say something dumb! strenghten your legs and start gripping the tank. not talking about a full court crushing grip but learn to involve your whole body in riding the bike. learned it from my sports bike buddies.
all things being almost equal, this basicly is a sports bike as far as seating goes. by using the lower body and keeping the arms bent(no straight arms) it takes alot of pressure off the wrist.
took me awhile to get the hang of it but now the thing that gets to me the most is my clutch hand from shifting. almost no sort hands or numbness. just my 2 cents
It's not the riding position as much as the vibe in that specific range.
I've pulled 500 mile days on cafe'd Triumph Thunderbird Sport, Ninjette 250, amongst others.
Been riding 40 years. Tried moving up and back, relocating my grip position etc.
It's to bad the vibes occur at what is normal touring speed around these parts
-
i have finally solved my "hand going numb" problem. during the coarse of solving it, i tried many things which helped somewhat: BMW hand grips, bar risers, and gel pad gloves. The final solution was Phil's (Murph's) wedges. I went for a 5 hour ride on Saturday and can report NO hand numbness. YMMV
ken
So, are you back to using only the wedges with everything else back to stock?
My hands get the numbness in a very short time on my V-Strom and used to on my dirt bike. I bent up a cheap set of handlebars for the dirt bike, bending the grip area down and rotated forward. That fixed the issue 100% on the dirt. I tried tweaking the bars on my V-Strom but they wouldn't bend without a whole lot more pressure than the dirt bike bars so I stopped on them. My Connie is much better than the Strom but I still get it. I have been trying the foam sleeves over the grips but that makes it too fat to feel right. I will give them another week before I make the decision to cut them off, but I am leaning that way now. Murph's Wedges will most likely be my next test.
I forgot to mention, I get the numbness no matter what speed I run.
Matt
-
You could try the Throttlemiester throttle lock as well. It replaces the bar ends with their "heavy" version that is supposed to tame the buzz a little. I didn't weigh the old bar ends and the throttlemiester bar ends to see if their is much of a difference however.
-
We've had a thread on this topic on the "old forum", and if I remember correctly, someone has added a flat washer between the handle bars and a bar-end weights, significantly reducing vibrations.....fyi.
Personally, I've seen a major improvement after re-tightening the header nuts on my bike.However, vibrations never been a major issue on my bike.
-
i have finally solved my "hand going numb" problem. during the coarse of solving it, i tried many things which helped somewhat: BMW hand grips, bar risers, and gel pad gloves. The final solution was Phil's (Murph's) wedges.
+1
My combination was Heli risers, Phil's/Murphs wedges, and grip puppies. Fortunately, I have never had the surgery- I know quite a few people with failed surgeries :( Most of my problems stemmed from endless hours of keyboarding my whole life.
Anyway, I don't feel much vibration from the C14 at all (certainly not compared to my last bike, a ZRX). But I am also rarely going 80+. My problems just stem from the gripping action and position, over time.
That glove thing (nerve protection) seems interesting.
-
We've had a thread on this topic on the "old forum", and if I remember correctly, someone has added a flat washer between the handle bars and a bar-end weights, significantly reducing vibrations.....fyi.
Personally, I've seen a major improvement after re-tightening the header nuts on my bike.However, vibrations never been a major issue on my bike.
I believe that was Martin...
-
I've found that making sure that your jacket wrist cuffs aren't too tight, the same for your gloves Velcro wrist bands.. Also, concentrate on keeping the wrists straight, not bent back with minimal body weight on the hands, using your core muscles to help hold your weight off your hands..
Not a cure all.. But all that plus a throttle lock has gotten me thru close to 70,000 miles on my Connie with the stock bars.. No risers, wedges.. Washers
YMMV
JJ
-
I find that it means I am getting close to needing an oil change. I feel far more hand-numbing vibrations starting at about 2,500 miles on an oil change.
-
I have trouble with my hands and wrists too. I've got risers, wedges, grip puppies, BMW grips, so far nothing has completely resolved the issue. My current working theory is that the grip angle is too far toward the rear. In other words, my natural hand position, when I just let them fall onto the grip, is straighter than the grip, forcing me to rotate my wrist outward on both sides to line up. The result is that I end up with my carpal nerve bearing weight and the "heel" of my hand getting tired and sore. I've already had the C-T surgery years ago, so that's not an option now.
I decided to experiment, and I can't tell you yet how it's going to work out. I picked up a spare set of bars on eBay, and they are at the machine shop right now getting modified. When I get them back, there will be an 8 degree angle forward where they come out of the upright. My wooden mock-ups indicate that 8 degrees is the amount of change I would need to have my hand fall naturally on the grip in the correct position for me.
They are going to cut the bars off, between the upright and the brake/clutch lever, at a 4 degree angle. Then rotate one part of the bar 180 degrees, and weld it back up. They're going to cut a pretty deep bevel into the weld and run 2 or three beads around for maximum strength, but they warned me that it still might not be as strong as before. Definitely strong enough to steer the bike, but possibly not strong enough if the bike fell and had to be lifted up by the handlebar alone. We are already in discussions about reproducing the entire bar, with the 8 degree bend, in steel. That's going to cost more so I'm waiting to see if the angle "correction" pleases me.
While I understand that steel would weigh roughly 3 times as much as the stock bars, one possible advantage is that they would act like the biggest set of bar-end weights ever produced. Might cut vibration down even more!
Since I got the seat perfected, the bars are the only issue left I haven't been able to resolve. Should have them back on Thursday, then we'll see.
-
No i am still running with all the changes. personally i really like the bmw grips and at ~$12 would do them anyway. Also, given a pretty reasonable price, i would try the wedges before spending the money on the risers. almost all of the suggestions i read here are reasonable and the solution may very well be a little of all of them. I am also a carpal tunnel syndrome guy from years banging out cement panels followed by even more years at a keyboard.
ken
So, are you back to using only the wedges with everything else back to stock?
My hands get the numbness in a very short time on my V-Strom and used to on my dirt bike. I bent up a cheap set of handlebars for the dirt bike, bending the grip area down and rotated forward. That fixed the issue 100% on the dirt. I tried tweaking the bars on my V-Strom but they wouldn't bend without a whole lot more pressure than the dirt bike bars so I stopped on them. My Connie is much better than the Strom but I still get it. I have been trying the foam sleeves over the grips but that makes it too fat to feel right. I will give them another week before I make the decision to cut them off, but I am leaning that way now. Murph's Wedges will most likely be my next test.
I forgot to mention, I get the numbness no matter what speed I run.
Matt
-
Just ordered the wedges. ;D
I'll let you know how it works out once I have them installed.
-
I also ordered wedges over the weekend and am just waiting for them to arrive. (Is there a secret to removing those plastic plugs without marring them?)
I'm very intrigued by redbarber's observation about the angle of the grips. I noticed the same thing right after I bought the bike. Sometimes I rotate my hand outward (releasing the little fingers some) and grip tighter with my index finger. This seems to help, but a "bent" or "remanufactured" bar with a 6-8 degree outward angle sounds like a very good idea. (I think I mentioned potentially bending the bars either earlier in this thread or in another one on this subject.)
redbarber, if your idea works, I'd be VERY interested in where you got an extra set of bars (and how much) so I could get them modified the same way.
-
I'm not sure what state you live in.... But in PA, it is against DOT inspection laws to have modified welded handlebars on your motorcycle. Only the factory welds are permissible.
Besides that, wouldn't it suck to counter steer hard in an S bend turn or have to do a panic stop on a bumpy road and have one snap off in your hand?? It may cure your numb hands permanently! :)
Good luck with that
JJ
-
snip...
I'm not sure what state you live in.... But in PA, it is against DOT inspection laws to have modified welded handlebars on your motorcycle. Only the factory welds are permissible.
JJ
Here in Illinois it's against the law to have ape hangers higher than your shoulders, that doesn't stop 'em though. :o
-
Oh they have apehangers here too, and lots of other illegal things... I was thinking more from an insurance company stand point.. I'm sorry mr. Redbarber, we won't be able to cover your crash damage claim, since your handlebars snapped off from a modification and caused the crash.. All for a 6-8 degrees of handlebar improvement? Pahleeze.
JJ
-
I'm not really advocating doing welded handlebars, but my company performs welds on things much more highly stressed than these handlebars. If our welds fail, people die. Lots of them. I'm pretty sure that we can get some of these handlebars welded well enough to hold up. Just saying.
Having said that, I'd prefer to have some bars machined with that angle incorporated. Or, have some barstock formed/bent and then probably heat treated. Just to be safe. I really do believe that making the two grips more parallel to each other will reduce part of the hand/wrist problems that many (including me) are experiencing. That is the conclusion that I've come to through my experimenting with hand position on the stock setup.
And is there any chance you could be doing that S-bend curve with those high-dollar adjustable bars and have one of the joints slip?
We see "illegal" stuff on bikes all the time and they must have been past the DOT inspections. I really doubt that they'd notice if there bars were slightly angled. And if you don't believe that 6 or 8 degrees can make a difference, then how come a 6 degree change by using the wedges is supposedly helping so much?
-
If changing your handlebars makes the difference for you, and your company is that good with cast alloy aluminum welding, and you are willing to take that chance... You go right ahead and do it, it's your bike, life, etc.
I'm sorry to get your shorts in a knot, I just don't think that talking about cutting and reangleing/rewelding handlebars on a website is the safest thing to do?.. Risers, wedges, all that stuff is pretty harmless in comparison. But then again, it's your right to talk about doing it as much as it is mine to disagree with it..
Good luck with it.
JJ
-
JamminJerre,
I am touched by your level of concern. I'll surely take your thoughts into mind. That being said, the handlebars are not cast aluminum, they are forged 6061 alloy and very strong. Much stronger than the cast aluminum uprights they are connected to. The fabrication shop I'm using is very capable of welding (2 or 3 beads), stronger than I personally can push or pull. Still, I'm cognizant of the possibility of weakness, which is why I am already in negotiations to have them duplicated in solid steel. Until I try riding the bike for a few hours with the modified angle, I'll have no idea whether or not it's something I want to spend additional funds to make stronger. If the change doesn't help, I'm out less than $90. If it works, I'll decide what to do next. The $469 and $700 options are just not in my price range.
-
Red,
My apology for either miss-reading or miss-understanding your original post. Somehow I missed the fact that you were modifying the actual bar 6-8 degrees and thought you were indeed cutting and re welding the alloy upright.
Possibly due to the three Stella Artois lagers I procured after an exceptionally difficult day at work.
Let's resume our previously interesting thread, now that I've got that vision of someone trying to successfully Tig-weld an alloy upright out of my sobering mind
JJ
-
Didn't mean to come off like my drawers were in a wad. I thought you understood that we were talking about the straight round-bar ends and not the cast uprights. Redbarber mentioned possibly even using 3x heavier steel bars. Talk about bar end weights!!
Red, keep us posted.
-
Red,
... now that I've got that vision of someone trying to successfully Tig-weld an alloy upright out of my sobering mind
JJ
Thanks for that acknowledgement. I found it interesting, because on the "old" forum, someone had posted how they had cut and welded their uprights to lower the bars for a more "sport bike" riding position. Even then I thought that was pretty risky. Still, I am a little uneasy about the welded aluminum bars, and am still thinking about going with the heavier steel. He proposes making it from a single piece of 7/8" round cold-rolled steel. Then drilling the holes and threading them using a lathe. Finally, he would heat and bend the bars for the 8 degree angle. Once mounted on the bike, I'll drill the holes for the pin and switches. We haven't got a price set yet, but I'm expecting it to be 200 or so for both bars. If successful, I'm sure they could be made with any angle from 2 to 12 degrees. Not being pre-drilled for the pins would allow the owner to position the bars exactly where wanted, then drill. The angle might be straight ahead, slightly up, or slightly down. I might be able to remove the wedges, who knows?
I've put over 18k miles on the bike since June 2010, and every mile was uncomfortable for my hands and wrists. I don't know if this will be the answer, but I have to keep trying. This bike is just too fantastic to give up on it.
-
(Is there a secret to removing those plastic plugs without marring them?)
Yes, a dental pick.
But don't worry about their condition, because they won't go back after the wedges are installed :) Well, not unless you cut them up some.
-
I've found several things that make my hands go numb. This may or may not help the original poster.
1. Grip too tight.
2. Jacket closed too tight on wrists.
3. Gloves closed too tight on wrists.
4. Not supporting body with trunk, putting weight on hands, or locking elbows. Elbows should always be bent to keep weight off hands/wrists.
5. Carpal tunnel, in which case 1-4 will make the issue worse.
Even without having carpal tunnel, 1-4 can make your hands go numb. As can vibration. I found it is more pressure/grip, vice vibration.
Good luck,
Barry
-
Red,
My apology for either miss-reading or miss-understanding your original post. Somehow I missed the fact that you were modifying the actual bar 6-8 degrees and thought you were indeed cutting and re welding the alloy upright.
Possibly due to the three Stella Artois lagers I procured after an exceptionally difficult day at work.
Let's resume our previously interesting thread, now that I've got that vision of someone trying to successfully Tig-weld an alloy upright out of my sobering mind
JJ
Good choice on the beer JJ.
-
I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?
Thanks, Matt
-
I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?
Thanks, Matt
I have tried the BMW grips and they didn't work for me. I wanted something larger in diameter than the stock grips. The BMW grips are larger in diameter at the outside end, but taper to a diameter similar to that of the stock grips on the other end. I found them to be as uncomfortable for me as the stock grips. The grips I found I liked are the ones Murph sells. http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=130_133&products_id=35&osCsid=80c3583789ab2c1a11166bbe47b4c06a (http://www.murphskits.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=130_133&products_id=35&osCsid=80c3583789ab2c1a11166bbe47b4c06a) They are larger in diameter than the stock grips and feel nice, for me. Others love the BMW grips. The BMW grips are very well made of course, they just didn't work for me.
-
32721458395 (left)
32721458396 (right)
I use these grips and like them a lot but if you ride bare- handed they will leave black lines on your hands. With gloves it is not a problem.
Brian
I have seen several mentions of BMW grips. I haven't been happy with my grips so far and I figure they are worth a shot. I have a BMW shop about 10 minutes away. Is there a specific part number or from a particular bike and year?
Thanks, Matt
-
I had the numb hand problem. I installed the thickest grip puppies, and haven't had a numb hand since. I installed them right over the stock grips. Interestingly enough, I also installed them over my factory BMW grips for EXACTLY the same reason! Less than 30 bucks and I'm tickled!
-
Well, my welded aluminum bars are ready for pick up in the morning. I also got a price quote (rough) for making a set from steel, and I was very pleased. Chances are, if the angle feels right, I'm going to go ahead and get the steel ones made up for the long haul. More to come...
-
Only one problem with Murph's grips ... ... ...
His website says they "are not for intended for use on C14's with factory heated grips". :'(
-
Jim Jim Jim, Life begins at 85.
may be, on YOUR area. In the land of the Autobahn, at 85 you get run over by old little ladies going to church. Or Russian au pairs. Or German business men. Whatever. If can't make at least 100 mph, don't even think of leaving the right lane. :yikes:
-
may be, on YOUR area. In the land of the Autobahn, at 85 you get run over by old little ladies going to church. Or Russian au pairs. Or German business men. Whatever. If can't make at least 100 mph, don't even think of leaving the right lane. :yikes:
Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country. ;D
-
Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country. ;D
From my house, I can drive over 400 miles NW or SE, over 500 miles W or S, and nearly 300 miles E without even leaving my state!!
In case you weren't aware, Texas is a really big place. It's ~895 miles from El Paso to Orange (W to E) and ~931 from Texline to Brownsville (N to S).
-
If 1 drive more than 150 miles in any direction I'll be in another state.
:o
-
If you Dare try this, It's right out of the 2010 to 2012 Big Fat Book. I took the balancers out of my Modified 08 ZX14 for snapier revs, But put them back, I was worried about the main bearings. It's not hard to do, Plastic removal is the hardest.
-
From my house, I cannot go 30 miles in any given direction without ending up in another state or the Atlantic ocean, so I know just how you feel.
Brian
From my house, I can drive over 400 miles NW or SE, over 500 miles W or S, and nearly 300 miles E without even leaving my state!!
In case you weren't aware, Texas is a really big place. It's ~895 miles from El Paso to Orange (W to E) and ~931 from Texline to Brownsville (N to S).
-
You really should not have any trouble with welded handlebars on a C-14 as they are 7/8" diameter (22 mm) and should weld fine.
As for your idea about solid steel, I think that is way past what is required and going to be very heavy, three times what the aluminum bars weigh. A slightly different idea would be to use steel tubing with a short stub welded in each end to provide the threads for the handlebar retaining screw and the weight retaining screw. You could bend the tubing as well and even easier than you could bend a solid piece of steel. You could also cut the tubing at a slight angle and weld it together to form any angle you wanted between the handlebar stanchions and the grip area of the bars. Strength will not be an issue either as steel tubing handlebars have been used for years. Just an idea for you to consider.
Brian
JamminJerre,
I am touched by your level of concern. I'll surely take your thoughts into mind. That being said, the handlebars are not cast aluminum, they are forged 6061 alloy and very strong. Much stronger than the cast aluminum uprights they are connected to. The fabrication shop I'm using is very capable of welding (2 or 3 beads), stronger than I personally can push or pull. Still, I'm cognizant of the possibility of weakness, which is why I am already in negotiations to have them duplicated in solid steel. Until I try riding the bike for a few hours with the modified angle, I'll have no idea whether or not it's something I want to spend additional funds to make stronger. If the change doesn't help, I'm out less than $90. If it works, I'll decide what to do next. The $469 and $700 options are just not in my price range.
-
15 mins East or West and I'm in the sea/ocean 6hrs North or 7hrs south the same thing. Not too worried about numb hands 8)
-
No worries. Our island is just bigger than your island.
-
Got the 8 degree welded aluminum bars back from the fab shop today, got them installed and took a short (30 minute) ride. My first impression is that I got the angle right for me. Close my eyes and let my hands drop onto the grips, and they fall in exactly the right position. Comfort was much improved, despite the fact that I did not even put on any gloves. Now that I have seen them and handled them, I am pretty well confident that they exceed the strength requirement by a wide margin. Hope I get a chance to put a few hundred miles on them before too long.
I agree that steel would be heavy, but the simplicity of using a single piece of 7/8 round bar, versus welding caps onto tubing, keeps the cost reasonable. I think the C14 could probably pull the extra 4-5 lbs. Fab shop plan is to cut the length of bar required, bore and tap the end threads on a lathe, then heat and bend it to the proper angle. Pretty simple, and cost would be under $160 for both bars. As mentioned here earlier, talk about extreme anti-vibration bar weights!
I'm on the fence for now, I may give it a few weeks to decide whether or not I can learn to trust the welds.
-
Got the 8 degree welded aluminum bars back from the fab shop today, got them installed and took a short (30 minute) ride. My first impression is that I got the angle right for me. Close my eyes and let my hands drop onto the grips, and they fall in exactly the right position. Comfort was much improved, despite the fact that I did not even put on any gloves. Now that I have seen them and handled them, I am pretty well confident that they exceed the strength requirement by a wide margin. Hope I get a chance to put a few hundred miles on them before too long.
I agree that steel would be heavy, but the simplicity of using a single piece of 7/8 round bar, versus welding caps onto tubing, keeps the cost reasonable. I think the C14 could probably pull the extra 4-5 lbs. Fab shop plan is to cut the length of bar required, bore and tap the end threads on a lathe, then heat and bend it to the proper angle. Pretty simple, and cost would be under $160 for both bars. As mentioned here earlier, talk about extreme anti-vibration bar weights!
I'm on the fence for now, I may give it a few weeks to decide whether or not I can learn to trust the welds.
I'm anxious to hear a follow up report after putting a few hours on the bike with the "bent" bars. I'm sure the Concours can pull the extra weight of steel bars, just drop the potato launcher for an after marker and you lose 10 pounds.
-
Ok.
I just received my wedges from Murph with the extra bolts. Took the effort to hand write instructions on where the longer bolts go, but..... DOOH!
No instructions on the washer orientation!
This ain't rocket science, but does the seated angle go in the opposite direction of the wedge angle?
Anybody post the instructions, or got a pic?
-
I just received my wedges from Murph with the extra bolts. Took the effort to hand write instructions on where the longer bolts go, but..... DOOH!
No instructions on the washer orientation!
This ain't rocket science, but does the seated angle go in the opposite direction of the wedge angle?
Anybody post the instructions, or got a pic?
Mine had full instructions.
There is a score/line on the edge of the washer. That line should point to the center pivot of the handlebar assembly, for each washer.
-
Got the 8 degree welded aluminum bars back from the fab shop today, got them installed and took a short (30 minute) ride. My first impression is that I got the angle right for me. Close my eyes and let my hands drop onto the grips, and they fall in exactly the right position. Comfort was much improved, despite the fact that I did not even put on any gloves. Now that I have seen them and handled them, I am pretty well confident that they exceed the strength requirement by a wide margin. Hope I get a chance to put a few hundred miles on them before too long.
I agree that steel would be heavy, but the simplicity of using a single piece of 7/8 round bar, versus welding caps onto tubing, keeps the cost reasonable. I think the C14 could probably pull the extra 4-5 lbs. Fab shop plan is to cut the length of bar required, bore and tap the end threads on a lathe, then heat and bend it to the proper angle. Pretty simple, and cost would be under $160 for both bars. As mentioned here earlier, talk about extreme anti-vibration bar weights!
I'm on the fence for now, I may give it a few weeks to decide whether or not I can learn to trust the welds.
Where's the pictures already?? The suspense is killing me... ;D
-
I for one would like the bars to be more "strait". A fried has a 08' FZ-1, and it has almost strait across bars, and I find it quite comfortable.
Anyone know of a way to "turn" the bars?
-
I for one would like the bars to be more "strait". A fried has a 08' FZ-1, and it has almost strait across bars, and I find it quite comfortable.
Anyone know of a way to "turn" the bars?
I agree. It would be cool if they had a riser that bolted down first, then there were separate holes and even adjustable to mount the bars where you wanted them. So they could swing out a little so they were straighter and not bent in so much. Surely a machinist could do this. That way you would have your risers and move the bars out where you want them.
-
Ok.
I just received my wedges from Murph with the extra bolts. Took the effort to hand write instructions on where the longer bolts go, but..... DOOH!
No instructions on the washer orientation!
This ain't rocket science, but does the seated angle go in the opposite direction of the wedge angle?
Anybody post the instructions, or got a pic?
Murphs wedges go with the thicker part to the outside. The washers make up for the change in angle of the bars where the bolt head seats... thus, they go in with the thick part of the washer on the INSIDE.
Barry
-
Installed Murph's wedges last night, haven't had a chance to try them out yet. Wasn't able to reuse the black plastic caps on the allen-head bolts because the bolts are no longer centered in the countersinks with the bar stanchions tilted. No big deal, I guess you could still use the caps if you trim some plastic off of one side. Have any of you guys tried to put caps on the bolts with the wedges installed or do you just not bother?
Hopefully the wedges will help with the right-hand numbness problem on long rides. I also have a Go Cruise so I can give my throttle hand a rest once in a while. Maybe we'll have a little indian summer here in the northwest so I can give the wedges a proper test.
-
Wasn't able to reuse the black plastic caps on the allen-head bolts because the bolts are no longer centered in the countersinks with the bar stanchions tilted. No big deal, I guess you could still use the caps if you trim some plastic off of one side.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=4027.msg46731#msg46731 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=4027.msg46731#msg46731)
:)
Nope, just didn't bother... yet
-
I for one would like the bars to be more "strait". A fried has a 08' FZ-1, and it has almost strait across bars, and I find it quite comfortable.
Anyone know of a way to "turn" the bars?
I did it by having them cut at a 4 degree angle (1/4" out from where the bar exists the stanchion), turned around and welded to make an 8 degree total forward sweep. I have an option to have these re-made out of a solid piece of steel, but for now I am gaining confidence in the welded up bars. I've been waiting until I have some miles before reporting how they work for me, and I'm still waiting. First impressions after only about 300 miles is that this is the correct angle for me. It only cost me $65 for the work, and I used a pair of bars from ebay, so I can still go back to my original bars if I choose to later. My shop's estimate to make solid steel bars with any angle you wish comes in at about $150 for the complete set, ready to sand, paint and install. I'm sure you could find a metal fabrication shop in your area that could either cut/weld your existing bars, or make up a set at any angle you wish.
I would post pics except for two things: 1) The difference really doesn't show up in any picture I have taken, and 2) the bike is currently in getting the 15000 and 20000 mile services done. I won't have it back until the weekend.