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I recently dissassembled the front of my bike (2001 Roadking) to inspect the steering head bearings and after removing the steering head cover I noticed that my bars have stress cracks from the center of the bars, between the handlebar clamps, where the control wires come out. The bars are Buffalo 1 1/4" 16" high with wires ran internally, and were installed in May of 02. My odometer is currently sitting at 70,000 and this is the first that Ive noticed that the bars are cracked. I think alot of stress is placed on the bars with the 'wobble' effect which Im hoping to remedy with a Ride Str8, or true track system. Periodically check your bars. A surprise of finding the cracks would be mild in comparision to the surprise of having them break and possibly shift independent of each side while riding.
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Holy Crap! Thats the bars I just put on my Fatboy. Hopefully since I don't get any wobble, it won't be a problem. Are you gonna re-install apes back on it? If so what brand ya gonna use? Good thing you checked man. That would not have been a pretty sight if they broke on ya goin down the road. Bubba
my Wild 1's installation sheet was pretty clear that a one piece top clamp was needed.
I am just curious if you were using a one piece top riser clamp, or a two piece - in other words, on your risers, is there a top clamp for each riser or is it one solid piece.
You need to replace the two piece handlebar clamps with a one piece, it will fit under your cover, this is what I have done.
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Sincecrazy
I recently dissassembled the front of my bike (2001 Roadking) to inspect the steering head bearings and after removing the steering head cover I noticed that my bars have stress cracks from the center of the bars, between the handlebar clamps, where the control wires come out. The bars are Buffalo 1 1/4" 16" high with wires ran internally, and were installed in May of 02. My odometer is currently sitting at 70,000 and this is the first that Ive noticed that the bars are cracked. I think alot of stress is placed on the bars with the 'wobble' effect which Im hoping to remedy with a Ride Str8, or true track system. Periodically check your bars. A surprise of finding the cracks would be mild in comparision to the surprise of having them break and possibly shift independent of each side while riding.
Glad you didn't find out about this while riding. I just put on Chubby's over the winter and like the fact that they actually run 1" tubing inside the 1 1/4 inch bars for reinforcment. Maybe this is an advantage the Chubby's bars have over the competition. Check them out if you plan on replacing your apes.
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I dropped by the stealership today to see what replacement bars they had in stock. I was offered some Burly Bars at a whopping $165. The clamp part of the bars was thinner than the Buffalo Bars that I had, (the part that cracked) so I told him to keep em, and returned home. I ground out the cracksto lay in some nice fillet welds, and welded around the circumference of the opening, stacking three welds to displace the stress point of the opening. Thats a good idea of replacing the top clamp with a one piece, as mine are the factory two piece. Are the replacement top clamps offered thru HD, or aftermarket?
These bars do this because they are drilled . Before drilling in any structural member always weld on another piece of steeel first( even a washer will do) then drill. I have seen motocross and street bike frames and bars thatcracked because they were drilled into and not re-enforced . On bars everytime you turn them at a standstill itputs a tremendous amount of pressure on the riser bolts and bars . Before you buy any bars check to see if they have been re-enforced or not, especialy Apes .When I did mine I welded on a 3/4 x1 inch 1/8th plate and then drilled through it to make a rectangular opening for my wires.You can'tsee it because it is underneath the bars and the speedo hides it .Better yet buy bars that have hollow riser bolts and run the wires there...Mark... ...
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97 sportster, too many mods to list
Riders w/Ape Hangers, BEWARE!
