Took about a 100 mile ride today (it's cold here in the mitten state). Hit a few bumps (our roads are beyond terrible here) and noticed I had to keep adjusting my mirrors upwards due to the fact that my handle bars were making a beeline for my chest every time I hit a bump. I've got them over torqued (John Maxwell said that was OK), but I don't want to keep adjusting them and ultimately strip the knurling and end up having to get new bars. Anyone else have this problem - if so, what are you doing?

 

There's a special top clamp for apes. Different models for different years.

 

https://picclick.com/Paul-Yaffe-Bagg...030751670.html

start here

 

Ahh, thanks, I'll look into it!

 

Way, Way, Way, back when we put bicycle (ape) handlebars on our Honda's we used a cut up beer can to rap the bars under the clamps.

KenK

 

Wrap a strip of crocus cloth around the knurling.

 

Change the risers to something not pot metal only real cure.

 

I drill and tap small holes in the clamp and run setscrews (hardened steel) down, works better if you drill a dimple in the bars for teh setscrews to rest in.

 

I've had success in the past taking one of those pushbutton centre-punch tools and putting a whole bunch of marks inside both the risers and the top clamp. Each punch makes a tiny dimple but it raises the metal around it giving the risers some grip on the handlebar knurling. Two grippy surfaces working together in tandem rather than just the smooth risers.

 

I noticed that the chrome on the underside of a clamp I got from HD was peeling when my apes moved. Same deal as you, the bolts just couldn’t hold it.

I sanded through the **** poor chrome on the bottom and they never moved again. Powdercoat on the bottom of a clamp can be the same way.