Guest Pete McCrary Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 I hate bar end weights. They limit the length of grip you can use and they make it a PITA to get a bike through a 3'-0" door opening. On my bikes, I took some sections of 360 brass about 5" long, turned then down on a lathe until they had just a slight interference fit with the inside of the bars, and filled my stock bars with them. On my VFR, I actually used a piece of 7/8" brass as the starting stock and left an 8 mm long section at 7/8" diameter on each end. That allows me to run longer grips (I have big hands). I got a throttle drum off an ST1300 which is 8 mm longer than the VFR drum and used it on the throttle side. All of this allows me to run longer grips which are closed on the end. Feels better, looks better, and easier to get through tight spaces. Sorry, I didn't take pics of the pieces before I installed them and the grips over them, but I think you get the idea. The brass filled bars do not have any buzz in them which is the whole purpose of bar end weights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted June 10, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted June 10, 2009 So, help me understand: you don't like the bar ends because they make the bars too long, yet you make them longer to install longer grips. Did I miss something? The bar end weights that I run are only about 20mm long. That's more than the 8mm you refer to, but is it really that much of a difference? I'd think the mirrors are what keep you from going through a doorway. Which begs another question.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 The mirrors fold back, but I know what Jamie's thinking - engineer a bigger door! :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 The mirrors fold back, but I know what Jamie's thinking - engineer a bigger door! :happy: Actually, we will be moving to the big house within the next year and it has double 3'0" doors into the shop. Yes, I fold the mirrors back to get in and out. The longer grips are the nicest part. I've got big hands (XXL gloves, size 13 shoes, etc). When I was running the longer grips with the stock bars, the last little bit of the grip was "empty" and gave a weird feeling. Did the left side first which was a piece of cake. Doing the right side turned out to be easy also as I had just installed a 2G Ergonomics throttle drum on my ST and I had a stock ST1300 throttle drum laying around and readily available. I think the lack of bar end weights makes the bike look cleaner also. Plus, you have a big selection of closed end grips to choose from. I'll take a pic of the finished installation. Don't know if you can see the 8 mm difference, but it will show how clean it is. Great pic Seb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 So, help me understand: you don't like the bar ends because they make the bars too long, yet you make them longer to install longer grips. Did I miss something? The bar end weights that I run are only about 20mm long. That's more than the 8mm you refer to, but is it really that much of a difference? I'd think the mirrors are what keep you from going through a doorway. Which begs another question.... 20 - 8 = 12 mm x 2 = 24 mm which is just about an inch. Sometimes an inch can make all the difference in the world. Ask your wife/girlfriend. :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JamieDaugherty Posted June 10, 2009 Member Contributer Share Posted June 10, 2009 20 - 8 = 12 mm x 2 = 24 mm which is just about an inch.Sometimes an inch can make all the difference in the world. Ask your wife/girlfriend. :happy: I don't about you guys, but if 24mm is enough to make-or-break, I'd be rethinking what I'm trying to move my bike through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 20 - 8 = 12 mm x 2 = 24 mm which is just about an inch.Sometimes an inch can make all the difference in the world. Ask your wife/girlfriend. :happy: I don't about you guys, but if 24mm is enough to make-or-break, I'd be rethinking what I'm trying to move my bike through. Or open the other door...you did say they were double doors. I understand on the bar end length, as I have a vista cruise that takes up a bit of mine, but my hands aren't that big so it isn't an issue. I wish I had a lathe and mill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 20 - 8 = 12 mm x 2 = 24 mm which is just about an inch.Sometimes an inch can make all the difference in the world. Ask your wife/girlfriend. :happy: I don't about you guys, but if 24mm is enough to make-or-break, I'd be rethinking what I'm trying to move my bike through. Or open the other door...you did say they were double doors. I understand on the bar end length, as I have a vista cruise that takes up a bit of mine, but my hands aren't that big so it isn't an issue. I wish I had a lathe and mill The 24 mm is not a make or break thing. It is simply a minor irritation. I basically killed three birds with one stone. Cleaned up the looks of the bike, am able to run longer grips, and the overall width at the handlebars is slightly less. I won't have double doors until we move. The house we're in right now only has a single 3'-0" door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 20 - 8 = 12 mm x 2 = 24 mm which is just about an inch.Sometimes an inch can make all the difference in the world. Ask your wife/girlfriend. :happy: I don't about you guys, but if 24mm is enough to make-or-break, I'd be rethinking what I'm trying to move my bike through. Or open the other door...you did say they were double doors. I understand on the bar end length, as I have a vista cruise that takes up a bit of mine, but my hands aren't that big so it isn't an issue. I wish I had a lathe and mill I got a "mini lathe" (7" x 12" Grizzly) which I had wanted for years. Can't believe how handy they are for making motorcycle stuff. Maybe a mill someday. Ever checked out the grip length on an ST1300 or a GoldWing? The 8-10 mm really makes a difference especially if you have big hands. You don't have to ride around with your pinky finger dangling off the end of the bar. And a fourth reason for getting rid of bar end weights: When you put 2 bikes on a 4' x 8' trailer, you need every inch of clearance you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 As an aside...how much tooling was required to start using that lathe? where do you source your material? The last time I did any machine shop work i was in college and had it all right there for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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