They should probably have a forum with my name on it since I have more questions than a 4 year old child, but here goes another one....I am interested in installing clipon bars to my 76 sporty. I can get ones that fit a 35mm front end, but the bars that go with the clamps are 7/8" which means I have to change out all the controls and throttle sleeve, etc. The 1" bars are only available on the clamps for 39mm and up. Have you guys seen a 1" bar setup that will clamp to the 35mm front end? If not maybe I should just stick with the drag bars, but then I will have to raise the riser height since the super low risers I have on now cause the bars to hit the tank. The clip ons would look bad-***, but the drags with a higher riser is way higher than I wanted to go looks-wise. Any input?

 

Hi Butcher....
Nice handle. About the only thing I can think of doing to make the 35mm clipons work with 1 inch bars is this:
Turn four sleeves to an inside diameter of 7/8 inch and an OD of 1 inch.
Two of the sleeves are cut to a length equal to that of the clamp area on the clutch and front brake levers. These are positioned where you want to put the levers.
The other sleeves would be about the same length, being installed on the right clipon bar under the throttle. One under the clamp area and the other at the tail end of the bar.
The only drawback to this is that the sleeves would have to be welded to the clipons. This you may not be equipped to do. Fabrication of the sleeves may be somewhat difficult unless you have the equipment required.
But again, as you know I have a lathe and half the welding equipment in the world and would be more than glad to do it for you. You would just have to send me the clipons so I could weld on the sleeves where you want them to go. I could make the sleeves easily.

I cannot guarantee that this will work because I have never done it before, but it sounds like it would work. You do not want to try to use shims under the 1 inch controls on a 7/8 inch bar because I have had experience with that and it does not work. I would try it on an old pair of 7/8 inch bars I have around here, before I ruined your clipons. If you want to give it a go let me know........pg

 

Piniongear....you know I am all for customization. I think I understand what you mean with the fab on that issue. I was thinking of doing it basically that same way only just taking a 1 inch bar for each clip on side and lathing it to 7/8" right where the bar slides into the actual mounting clamp on the tubes. In other words the clamps on the tubes would accomodate the 1 inch bar lathed to 7/8" diameter, then immediately after the bar exits the clamp chute, it is 1 inch all the way to it's end. What do you think? Or have I described exactly what you did?
Thanks

 

Butcher...
We are on the same page with the modification, and I like your method better than what I described. You are talking about making two sleeves with a 7/8 inch bore and a 1 inch outside diameter and then sliding a sleeve onto the 7/8 inch bar? Welded of course.

What I described was the same thing except I used short sleeves being placed under the clutch, brake and throttle pieces. Doing this would have you using a 7/8 handlebar grip on the left side.
The reason I was thinking along that line was because it is a lot easier to machine 4 short sleeves rather than 2 long sleeves. But installing four on the clipon bars is more involved and double the number of pieces. When my boring bar on the lathe is set up to bore a tube that is over 2 1/2 inches long I can get a lot of flex in the bar, making turning difficult. But, it can be done.

I drew up a quick sketch of what you are talking about doing. Correct me if I am wrong. I sectioned the sleeve as if it were cut in half along with the part of the clipon it covers.......pg

 

Here is the sketch.

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Piniongear.....That is what I ws basically talking about....but you know what methods wil work easier than others. After I get the new front end and get the bike back from the fellas at the shop, I will probably take you up on the offer to modify these. Unless you think the drags with some 2 inch risers would look better?

 

You will need to decide what looks good to you, and what works the best. I always have a problem making a choice.
When I put mine together I planned to use the same old handlebars that came on it because that is all I had. Something about them was not quite correct for me though and it took awhile to discover what that was. Well, I needed 1 inch of rise and then they felt fine and looked OK to me anyway. I have enclosed the tired old shot that you have probably seen ten times already.
These were turned out of aluminum bar stock and worked well.
For your machine I like the clipons and I like the flat bars you have on it now. You could put the 2 inch risers on there to clear the tank and the bars will still look like flat track bars, which being an old flatracker I love.
In my opinion I think the flat bars will be 200% more comfortable to ride with rather than the clipons. The clipons will allow almost no leverage on the machine's weight. The clipons may require you to get shorter clutch, brake and throttle cables. All that, and you will be hunched over the bike like a crotch rocket rider most of the time.
But then again perhaps you could run both sets of bars? Leave the controls on the flatties and use the clips to roll back the throttle and get down on the tank with. You have lots of time to make the decisions.
Yessir, if you want to do the sleeve fabrication just let me know........pg

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