cracked handelbars
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,569
Likes: 12
From: Arizona
cracked handelbars
beautiful ride today. then i get home and see my bars are cracked almost all the way around. they cracked from the slot where the wires come out on each end, right to the inside of each riser, front and back. i looked at bars that already have the slot for the wires and mine are damn near exactly like theres. im sure this has happened to other people. what to do, look for a expensive set. these were custom chrome 13" apes with 6" risers.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,595
Likes: 8
From: Vancouver Island British Colombia Canada
That really sucks dude! I think if it happened to me, I would customize the bars with something like thin steel spider webs that add strength & look good, re weld the crack & re enforce both sides with another little custom steel, Than I would powder coat them because everyone has chrome bars! It's time to be different!
Hope your bikes back on the road soon!
Hatch.
Hope your bikes back on the road soon!
Hatch.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,404
Likes: 2,605
From: NC USA
First thing to do would be take them off, cut them into 3 - 4 pieces so no one can salvage them and throw them away!
Some pipe is one piece of metal (or whatever) that is formed by injecting material into a spinning mold or form. With that method there is no seam at all (like valve pushrods). With tubing, square or round, the material is formed into a round (or square) then electronically welding together.
So what you have is a "tube" where the "invisible" welded seam failed and the holes were drilled on the seam. I wouldn't ride it at all until they were replaced with a quality part.
I don't doubt my definition of pipe vs tubing may be incorrect and anyone with metal working knowledge is certainly welcome to contradict - we're all here to learn
Some pipe is one piece of metal (or whatever) that is formed by injecting material into a spinning mold or form. With that method there is no seam at all (like valve pushrods). With tubing, square or round, the material is formed into a round (or square) then electronically welding together.
So what you have is a "tube" where the "invisible" welded seam failed and the holes were drilled on the seam. I wouldn't ride it at all until they were replaced with a quality part.
I don't doubt my definition of pipe vs tubing may be incorrect and anyone with metal working knowledge is certainly welcome to contradict - we're all here to learn
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,569
Likes: 12
From: Arizona
the problem is that each side is cracked right up against each riser. so if i welded it i would have to grind it back down, but i have thought about trying to re-enforcing it some how. i did dump my bike on its side once and stood it back up using the handle bars, thats when it started, but the crack was really minor, until yesterday. i got some thinking to do. i can always get another set for $65.00 but money is thight and if i can fix them that would be better.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,193
Likes: 7
From: North Atlanta Area, GA
the problem is that each side is cracked right up against each riser. so if i welded it i would have to grind it back down, but i have thought about trying to re-enforcing it some how. i did dump my bike on its side once and stood it back up using the handle bars, thats when it started, but the crack was really minor, until yesterday. i got some thinking to do. i can always get another set for $65.00 but money is thight and if i can fix them that would be better.
If you really want to try to fix them, I guess you could weld a bar in between them at or near the top of the rise, like the old dirt bikes had. You could even put one of those padded wraps on it... that might actually be kind of cool-looking! But you definitely need to weld them where they are broken, even if you have to grind them down after. Since the cracks are right where the risers are, the welds probably wouldn't be all that noticeable.
Oops
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 333
Likes: 0
From: Pantego,NC.
I had a pair of drag bars do that once on my chopper,But i was about 400 miles from home and they broke completly in 2 in between the risers(Where the wires came out)....Lets just say it made for a fun ride home...Ridgid chopper,40deg rake with 12 over forks....Needless to say i replaced them and changed the riser bushings over to red ployurethane,which are very hard and dont give much,that was 7-8 yrs ago and no problems since.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,569
Likes: 624
From: deland,florida
try this on a 400 hp nitro bike,about 80' out,wheel about 9" in the air and strugling to keep it striaght anyway,it`ll pucker you *** big time!!
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 572
Likes: 6
From: Ft. Worth, Texas
Also throw those bars away!! You do not want to play with broken bars. (and at $65 for a set of 16inch apes what did you really expect...?)
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Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,569
Likes: 12
From: Arizona
well i found a set exactly like mine, same rise, pullback and width, there a lot thicker. bought and paid for. they should be here by next Wednesday. theses were about as thick as handlebars on a bicycle. the ones im getting are almost 1/8th thick and already have the holes for wires. i feel lucky to find a exact matching set. guess the monsy i saved on changing my own front tire is going to a good cause. any way the weather here is getting nicer and nicer and its worth the wait.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 20
From: Driftless Area
Soooo glad you found replacement bars, two places you don't want to skimp on, bars and brakes! Hard to give up on stuff that feels good on the ride. Welds never last, they will always fail at the point of the weld. Good post though, never seen or heard of bars doing that, have to keep a look out now. Thanks.