Anyone done anything that's worked well ?

I know alot of small shop owners and have heard a few tricks to get 'em to not slip. Just curious if anyone else has tried anything that worked.

Outside of, "don't use non-knurled apes", of course. LOL

Thanx

 

The only 'trick' that I have for you is to get some fine grit (red) emery cloth. Cut it into thin 1/4" wide strips and use a little glue (crazy glue works) to hold them on in an alternating pattern so the grit side faces both ways. You usually only need to use two to four pieces and it doesn't have to completely cover the bars to work.

 

Depending on the type of risers you're using, and how comfy you are banging on your scoot with a hammer...
I have marked the coverage area of the riser ( one at a time), covered the area around it with masking tape and used a "***** punch" or tapered punch and knurled them myself.
Be careful not to go outside the area that will be covered by the riser caps. The punch will create a crater with raised areas in the bars that will help the risers to bite. A little clear coat will help prevent rusting.

The emery cloth trick is perhaps the easiest and most foolproof (no lasting damage..) I've had best luck with cloth wrapped grit-side against the bars and just tightened in the riser clamp, no glue/tape

 

I just use the glue to hold things together while I get the bolts tight.
Don't think it actually does anything positive outside of that.

 

Sounds like a job for some beer can shims.

 

++++ onthe beer can shims very good trick!

 

set them where you want them make a mark on the riser and bars to line up when the cap is removed. Drill a hole (1/8th in) through the bars down in to the riser, be sure not to hit internal wiring. You can do this to both sides. Get a roll pin (1/8 in) that is long enough to go about a half inch into the riser then put the bars back on and when you tighten the clamp it wont be able to slip.

 

Thanx for all the suggestions. I've heard the beer can shim trick, but I've heard it works best when using a single top clamp (I'll have double).

The emery cloth suggestion is a good variation on something else I was thinkin' of tryin', skateboard grip tape.

I was most recently thinkin' of doin exactly what DMP suggested.

A guy I know who's been in the business a long time, I was talkin to recently, said he used needle bearings from a lawnmower that he sharpened into little brass spikes. He sandwiched them between the top clamps and the bar and tightened until the spikes bit into the bars, holding them in place.

I think I'm leaning toward drilling a hole in the bottom of the bar and putting a hex head bolt in, so the hex head is held in place by the edges of the bottom clamp recesses.

Any more thoughts ? Keep 'em comin.

Thanx again

 

You can't see then very well in the photo, but the dog bone risers on my bike are made of brass and are over 50 years old. If it wasn't for beer can shims my handlebar would be in my lap.

Back when beer cans and oil cans were made of steel they were the basic building block of just about any kind of motorvehicle.

 

i'm having this same issue, can someone explain beer can shims to me? on an old set of bars i used my buddies MIG and we just threw some tacks on the bars where the risers go. i just cranked mine back down again but if they slide i wanna try somethin