Several months ago I installed 16" apes with poly bushings and I really like the way they turned out. My problem is I am having trouble keeping them tight. Pretty often they get loose and I have to snug them up. Do I need to back out the bolts and loctite them or try some sort of extra thickness in the bushing? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

Drill and tap the risers or the top clamp and put in a set screw. Done! Be careful not to strip the riser bolts as it is pretty easy to do. Don't ask how I know.

Drew

 

when i first installed my apes i set them where i wanted them and just tightened the **** out of them.

tightened them to the point where i was pretty sure if i went any further, my hex head socket was gonna break.

that was back in march, and just yesterday i hit a pothole and the bars shifted back on me.

got home from my ride and just re-set and tightened them down again.

so...you can either hike up your skirt and snug those riser bolts down.

or, you can tap your risers and put a set screw in there to keep them in place.

 

Another suggestion is cut strips of a tin can and put them around the bars between the riser and clamp but I have never tried this. Before I had risers that came with set screws I helicoiled all the screw holes in the risers and used a chisel to knock some grip into the bar meaning so there was something for the risers to grab on to as my knurling was wearing thin. It worked reasonably well, but the set screws really kick ***.

Drew

 

A little loctite works wonders. Blue if you want to remove it later. Red if its there to stay.

 

I had an iussue with my apes moving back on my sporty. I was talking to a guy while at bike week in Daytona and he mentioned something about putting a thing piece of rubber between the clamp and the bars. So when I got back home I remembered that I had some of the rubber tubbing left from my wire rap (the rubber tubbiung that the bar wires run through when exturnally ran) from when I put the apes on. I cut two pieces big enough to cover half the circumfrence of the bar/enough to cover what is exposed of the bar when the clamp is removed. Layed the rubber piece on the bar, replaced the clamp and secured the clamp. I never had any issues with the bars moving again.

 

I agree , I did locktite and no more issues at all.

 

never had any issues with my bars what so ever.

 

I am going to stop by and pick up a torque wrench on the way home and I will back the bolts out, locktite, and torque them up to the right torques values. In the past I wasn't using locktite. I will see if this helps.

 

What actually comes loose? The riser bolts? The top clamp bolts?