Riser bushings? help
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Riser bushings? help
OK so about 1 month ago I replaced the bars on my bike with 16inch apes. now probs there. When all was back together I noticed some play in the riser. everything is tight and no parts missing but where the riser mounted to the tripple tree had some play. no big deal, probably bad bushings I say. So I replace the original bushings with a set of Drag Specialty bushings i had knocking around. very easy, took about 30 minutes. It was fine for a couple of days but is loser now than I would like.
I checked the riser bolts and they are tight.
All cups and mounting hardware is intact. I guess leverage comes into play here but I am not comfortable with the amount of play.
I am very sceptical about the whole riser bushing deal... but I guess it works.
Any suggestions for fixing this ?
Thanks
I checked the riser bolts and they are tight.
All cups and mounting hardware is intact. I guess leverage comes into play here but I am not comfortable with the amount of play.
I am very sceptical about the whole riser bushing deal... but I guess it works.
Any suggestions for fixing this ?
Thanks
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,856
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From: Middle of Kansas
If they were the polyurethane bushings, they should have stayed tight. I replaced my rubber bushings with Harley poly bushings a while back, and although I do not have apes, they have stayed very tight. No play at all no matter how hard I try with the 6" pull back risers, and buckhorn bars. The rubber ones just don't last long.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,232
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From: Powder Springs, GA
They make Poly bushings that are supposed to be tighter but I always used solid bushings. They are about 10 bucks. It will make your bars solid as a rock and of course more vibration. Basicaly they are steel inserts that lock them down good. To me when I had apes on my old 06 heritage it worked perfect. Since you are running 16 inchers you will not much extra vibration if any. On my old bike I got no extra vibration with my 13 inch bars.
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yes the new bushings are drag specialties polyurethane bushings and they fit my bike.
Been looking at the solid ones on JP, not bad for 10.00
It feels liek these need to be tightened but they are VFT (Very friggin tight) Have thought about getting a couple of washers between the bottom spring cup and the bushing with a large enough hole to allow the inner spacer to pass through and get some good compression on the bushings??
Been looking at the solid ones on JP, not bad for 10.00
It feels liek these need to be tightened but they are VFT (Very friggin tight) Have thought about getting a couple of washers between the bottom spring cup and the bushing with a large enough hole to allow the inner spacer to pass through and get some good compression on the bushings??
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never had an issue with my beach cruisers... but the leverage acting on the bushings is now 5 times longer so the force is much greater...like my beach cruisers were luke and the apes are definitely yoda.
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 890
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From: Central CT
Haha, yeah man yer gunna get more flex with the apes. You could compress those bushings more but thats going to get it close to ridgid any way.
Is the flex that bad? If ya ride hard you will feel it, but you'll get used to it.
But if not try the solids, but you will get more vibration, and that'll wear on yer wrists.
Is the flex that bad? If ya ride hard you will feel it, but you'll get used to it.
But if not try the solids, but you will get more vibration, and that'll wear on yer wrists.
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Hey Shooker... not sure how bad the play is but is more than I am comfortable with. I'm used to bars not moving and these definitely move. I know they wont pull through, but just not happy with the feel right now.
will try fix tomorrow and let you know
will try fix tomorrow and let you know
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: NJ
I swapped my bars out last year and figured I'd change the stock rubber bushings to polys. Ordered a set from drag specialties. Put them in and they had so much movement it was ridiculous. Double checked the part number with DS and they said it was right.
I put the stock rubber ones back in and they are rock solid. Didn't bother returning the DS ones because the return postage would've ate up most of the return credit. Lesson learned. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I put the stock rubber ones back in and they are rock solid. Didn't bother returning the DS ones because the return postage would've ate up most of the return credit. Lesson learned. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: NORTH CAROLINA
[I checked the riser bolts and they are tight.
Any suggestions for fixing this ?
Thanks[/QUOTE]
IF YOU CHANGED RISERS AND USED THE ORIGINAL BOLTS CHECK THE DEPTH OF THE NEW RISERS TO ASSURE THE BOLT ISN'T BOTTOMING OUT IN THE RISER. HAPPENED TO ME ON A CHANGE...THE BOLTS WERE ABOUT TWO THREADS TOO LONG. THEY WOULD TIGHTEN BUT BOTTOM OUT. TOOK AWHILE TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. BOUGHT NEW BOLTS THE RIGHT LENGTH. IN THE OVERALL PROCESS, I GROUND ABOUT 60 THOUSANDS OFF THE STEEL INCERT TO MAKE SURE I COULD SQUEEZE THE POLY BUSHINGS DOWN. (BY THE WAY, MY BUSHINGS WERE ALSO DRAG SPECIALITIES...HUM!!)
GOOD LUCK
Any suggestions for fixing this ?
Thanks[/QUOTE]
IF YOU CHANGED RISERS AND USED THE ORIGINAL BOLTS CHECK THE DEPTH OF THE NEW RISERS TO ASSURE THE BOLT ISN'T BOTTOMING OUT IN THE RISER. HAPPENED TO ME ON A CHANGE...THE BOLTS WERE ABOUT TWO THREADS TOO LONG. THEY WOULD TIGHTEN BUT BOTTOM OUT. TOOK AWHILE TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. BOUGHT NEW BOLTS THE RIGHT LENGTH. IN THE OVERALL PROCESS, I GROUND ABOUT 60 THOUSANDS OFF THE STEEL INCERT TO MAKE SURE I COULD SQUEEZE THE POLY BUSHINGS DOWN. (BY THE WAY, MY BUSHINGS WERE ALSO DRAG SPECIALITIES...HUM!!)
GOOD LUCK