(Is there a secret to removing those plastic plugs without marring them?)
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
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
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.Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country.
Yeah, but I can drive 3000 miles in a straight line, speak the same language and not leave the country.
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).
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.
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.