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Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

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Old May 18, 2006 | 06:58 PM
  #1  
DDIGeek's Avatar
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Default Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

Hi All,

I have a 2005 Night Train bought new March 25, 2005. I have a couple of questions:

1) I did not like the dragster style Bars and got standard bars on about 6" risers. These are great but came from the dealer a bit skewed. That is they do not line up parallel to the top of the triple tree. Bugs the crap out of me every time I look down. The dealer said he may not be able to get it all out. "Its a common problem". This seems really strange to me. Anyone with a similar problem? Fixed?

2) I am ready to take it in for its 1K service and wanted to put all syntehtic in it. The local dealer (Richmond Harley) says he does not recommend sythetics for the first 5K. Said it will almost certainly leak. This sounds bogus. He said the Screaming Eagles all have different seals and therefore will not have a leak problem.

Thanks for any input you may have. I enjoy the forum.

 
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Old May 18, 2006 | 07:33 PM
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

?Maybe Ij'm wrong but aren't they rubber mounted?
Just loosen them up a little and 'tweak' them straight and retighten.
Very common on a dirt bike, when you fall it is typical for the bars to be a little tweaked in relation to the forks, just a little tweak in the opposite direction and it's fixed.

Check it out.
 
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Old May 18, 2006 | 09:54 PM
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

Dealer full of of crap.

I went senthetic after 1000 mile service.

It is perfectly fine to run synthetic on a new motor. All the motors have the same seals.

It will be fine to wait till next oil change. I do mine every 2500 miles. My dealer recommends 2500 miles even though factory recomends 5000.

You cant change oil to much is my opinion.

David
 
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Old May 19, 2006 | 07:13 PM
  #4  
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

No rubber I can see Jeff. There are two spindles (risers) coming up. I have loosened and retightened a number of times better than it was but not perfect. Hard to tel but maybe one riser is slightly off. The dealer says "this is normal, sometimes we can never get them perfect". I did not expect this answer.

BTW, I went full synthetic in spite of the dealer's opinion.

Thanks for the response.
 
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Old May 19, 2006 | 11:36 PM
  #5  
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

Get new riser bushings and that will fix the problem they are hard rubber and they wiil not go where you want them to unless you put in new ones
 
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Old May 22, 2006 | 05:03 PM
  #6  
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mhughes600
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From: delaware
Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

have the same problem with my standard. I ended up replacing all the hardware and its still not perfect.
It made a big improvement and its enough that I can live with
 
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Old May 22, 2006 | 09:50 PM
  #7  
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

You know funny thing on my 05 Train, mine look twisted too but I think its my headlamp mount. When i look through the bars down at my light when im riding it looks like my bars arent straight. But when i stand in front of her the light looks bent to the one side like its twisted. Im gonna have it looked at next service and im doing the Synthetic......



Kirk
 
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Old May 25, 2006 | 03:34 PM
  #8  
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

Just picked up my 06 FXSTI last night and I remembered reading this post so I look down at my bars and lo and behold while riding home I noticed that my bars also are "crooked". I don't think it's the lamp that's the issue, at least not for me. The bars are the problem or at least a result of the problem. I think it has more to do with the risers or maybe the riser mounting holes. Yes it sucks, but short of a new tree what are the best options? I'm going to try and loosen up the risers where they connect to the tree and see if there is any "adjustment slop" then tighten them up and see if anything changed. I'll let you know what I find out.
 
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Old May 26, 2006 | 08:51 AM
  #9  
03 Softail's Avatar
03 Softail
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From: Oconomowoc, Wi
Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

Had the same problem on 03 Softail Standard. Lossen the handle bar clamps just a little, then
start tightening each bolt in a criss cross pattern while keepng an eye on your bars.
by tightening one bolt sightly tighter than the other will change the angle of the bars.
play around with those four clamp bolts, it works, mine are perfect, they were crooked when
I first got my bike.
Most of those techs at Harley rather drink coffee and eat donuts than take care of cusumers,
the first thing thay are taught is to tell the customer that it's NORMAL:
 
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Old May 26, 2006 | 11:56 AM
  #10  
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Default RE: Twisted Bars on a NightTrain

I just went through something like this, as I changed to Duece style pullback risers on my NT. I believe the problem with mine is the seperate bar clamps (stock is the one-piece top clamp), along with the risers being rubber-mounted. It took a lot of loosening and re-tightening of riser bolts and bar clamps to get everything straight, but mine is now 99.9% good. Unfortnately, no one seems to make a one-piece top clamp for the Duece risers[sm=ummmmokay.gif].
 
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