I was going to order some Vibranoters for my 2014 Sportster Superlow and their web site has two different ones, one for chrome steel bars and one for stainless steel bars. I checked mine out with a magnet and it does not stick to my bars, maybe slightly in the bends. They look like chrome but they must be stainless steel. What do you experts say.

 

They are stainless. The bars on my wife's 2008 were stainless and the magnet did the same in a spot or two.

 

Check back on the Vibronators. They sound interesting.

 

Please do report back and let us know how they work. I have the same bike, my handlebars buzz like crazy and I hate it.

 

I don't get the magnetic/non-magnetic test. Most stainless steels are magnetic, although some medical grade stainless like 416 are non-ferrous material.

Chrome plating is non-magnetic, but the regular steel beneath the chrome is magnetic. Testing a chrome tube wth a magnet will get varying results depending on how thick the plating is at the tested area. Plating tends to be thicker in an inside bend-radius and thinner on an outside bend-radius.

The best way to determine the difference between a chrome-plated bar and a stainless steel bar is to look at the ends and see if you can see the plating thickness at the edge; or, look inside and see if it has any plating.

This is typical of a plated tube or pipe. You can see the inside and the end is not shiny chrome. http://www.stevensonplumbing.co.uk/i...r_Pipe.600.JPG

Stainless pipe or tube will be the same color in and out (although it probably isn't polished to a shine on the inside.)

You can also tell by scratching a hidden area. Stainless is relatively soft (and much softer than chrome plating.) If you can file into or scratch the surface easily, it is stainless.

The reason they make two different products is that a steel bar with chrome plating is more rigid than stainless and therefore transmits more vibration to the hands. The softer stainless material will dampen some of the vibration and won't need as much weight (or a different placement of the weight) to dampen the vibration.

If you use the wrong product for your application, it might dampen some of the vibration, but it won't be as efficient as the correct part.

 

I had those on my bars and they worked great. I say had because I changed my bars, thinking I could transfer them over....apparently you can't once they are installed. They set-in pretty tight and can't be removed. Works well though and I'm going to get another pair.

 

That test for stainless won't work, but a magnet will... the stock bars are stainless steel (300 series) which is non-magnetic. The older stock bars were polished, but I believe the newer ones are chromed stainless.

 

Why does it even matter which material the bars are made of for these vibranators? Wouldn't they just need to know the diameter of the bars so you get the right size?

 

Read SLV's post above, I think he's right. They probably "tune" them a little differently, the steel bars will be stiffer. They might also have two different sizes, I did change from stock bars to Biltwell bars, which are chromed steel, and those are thicker walled tubing compared to stock.