Handlebars are Crooked
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
Handlebars are Crooked
So got the new 12" bars installed. Got everything torqued down, checked all the connections, battery installed, seat blah blah.
I sit down on the seat, and when I say crooked, I mean that the left grip is forward from the right grip. Now, when sitting on the bike, and you look straight down over the top of the bars, on the left side, I can JUST start to see the chrome of the left fork tube cap, while on the right side, I can see a considerably larger portion of the right fork tube cap. So basically, the bars or risers are not sitting straight in the top clamp.
First thought was, well, Ill throw on some poly bushings, probably just weak bushing in there. No such luck. still no good. Anyone have some other ideas??
I sit down on the seat, and when I say crooked, I mean that the left grip is forward from the right grip. Now, when sitting on the bike, and you look straight down over the top of the bars, on the left side, I can JUST start to see the chrome of the left fork tube cap, while on the right side, I can see a considerably larger portion of the right fork tube cap. So basically, the bars or risers are not sitting straight in the top clamp.
First thought was, well, Ill throw on some poly bushings, probably just weak bushing in there. No such luck. still no good. Anyone have some other ideas??
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
had the risers completely off to replace the bushings, then torqued them down with the bars attached to the risers. Undid the riser clamps, removed handlebars, then loosened risers bolts, reinstalled and torqued handlebars, then after torquing down the riser bolts again, bars are not in line with the fork tube caps again! Im very confused. Ill sleep on it I guess.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
Found a post on HDF here from 2007, from a member who has apparently been banned since then (Trotter) with this advice:
"It's not in the bushings.. It's in the sequance you tighten the Bar top Clamp.. Tighten front Fasteners to just hold the bars in place, Tighten rear fastners to 12-15 Ft-Lbs Final tighten front fastners to 12-15 Ft-Lbs ..There shopuld be a gap in the front....Then Torque the Riser Bolts to 30-40 Ft-Lbs.."
Since I figured it was a torque issue because of the timing of it, I just went back out and used a reducer on my 1/2" torque wrench instead of my 3/8" torque. Followed the pattern as described above (a little different than the pattern I used before), and fixed... I am going to send that 3/8" torque wrench off to be calibrated tomorrow. And Im really tempted to turn the 1/2" up to say 20 or 25 lbs and see if that does it to the bar alignment again...
"It's not in the bushings.. It's in the sequance you tighten the Bar top Clamp.. Tighten front Fasteners to just hold the bars in place, Tighten rear fastners to 12-15 Ft-Lbs Final tighten front fastners to 12-15 Ft-Lbs ..There shopuld be a gap in the front....Then Torque the Riser Bolts to 30-40 Ft-Lbs.."
Since I figured it was a torque issue because of the timing of it, I just went back out and used a reducer on my 1/2" torque wrench instead of my 3/8" torque. Followed the pattern as described above (a little different than the pattern I used before), and fixed... I am going to send that 3/8" torque wrench off to be calibrated tomorrow. And Im really tempted to turn the 1/2" up to say 20 or 25 lbs and see if that does it to the bar alignment again...
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Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
This was before I had the install done. Cables are all wrapped up, only thing I need to wrap up yet is the front turn signals. I need to get to the local bolt house to get some 5/16" 24 jam nuts. I do not want to use standard sizes nuts to mount my front turns. The jam nuts are less than half the thickness of the regular nuts which will place the signal housing closer to the fork. Once it is all buttoned up, I will have pics in the FB Lo thread, and Im sure someone will be starting a "lets see your winter mods" thread at some point... haha.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Allentown, PA
But yes torquey. It looks like you were on the right track. I thought I was being careful... Cant really prove it, but I think it was faulty equipment!