Bars pulling back??

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Aug 20, 2010 | 12:19 AM

#11

j1mmy

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Dec 2009

Posts: 4,598

Likes: 14

From: navarre ohio

if your bars are powdercoated or painted, that is acting like nonstick teflon.. clean the coating off where it clamps down.. also get an aluminum 1 piece top clamp, you might have to grind the top edge a little to clear the radio..the one piece steel one hd sells isnt much better..i bought a old dirty used top clamp form an indy for $5,you cant see it anyway

Aug 20, 2010 | 06:21 AM

#12

modes

Road Master

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 1,118

Likes: 26

From: OOB, Maine

When I was running 16" apes this issue would arise now and again for me. I was and still am running a 1-piece top clamp. I tried the sandpaper strip trick, the center punching trick, and sanding down the top clamp trick. All would work for awhile and eventually fail again. The one trick that I did to cure the situation was to drill, tap and use a setscrew in the top clamp over the area of each bottom clamp. Torque clamp to spec, then tighten the setscrew. You could even run a drill in the setscrew hole if you wanted to make a little seat for the setscrew. No problems since.

Adam

Aug 20, 2010 | 08:02 AM

#13

tas_todd

Stellar HDF Member

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 2,884

Likes: 912

From: South La.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptl203

What will the strips of soda can do? Just curious.

You can wrap the bars at the mounting points w/ the strips to build up the bars a little and the soft alum. will form and grab the bars when you tighten the clamps down. Strips of old inner tube work also.

Aug 20, 2010 | 01:58 PM

#14

ptl203

Thread Starter

Road Warrior

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 1,595

Likes: 7

From: Wall,NJ

If anyone has seen the movie The Hangover you will know what I mean when I say I am Re-Tard...the powdercoated placed tape over the knurling in the bars prior to powdercoating...Couldn't see the PC when we installed the bars. Peel tape and problem solved...I hate feeling like a re-tard

Aug 20, 2010 | 03:05 PM

#15

flyer91

Tourer

Joined: Jun 2010

Posts: 391

Likes: 0

Glad to see you got it fixed.
Easy mistake to make IMO ......

Did you have to get longer brake lines and clutch cable with the 10's?

Aug 20, 2010 | 05:06 PM

#16

modes

Road Master

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 1,118

Likes: 26

From: OOB, Maine

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptl203

No need feeling like a retard. They should have removed the tape before they returned the bars to you.

Adam

Aug 20, 2010 | 06:07 PM

#17

ptl203

Thread Starter

Road Warrior

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 1,595

Likes: 7

From: Wall,NJ

No cables changes for the 10"'s...great bars too

Aug 20, 2010 | 06:47 PM

#18

August

Cruiser

Joined: Jun 2010

Posts: 104

Likes: 0

From: Tucson

Sometimes I've gotten away with changing bars once without getting slippage. Other times, the problem has started from the first change over -- no matter how much I tightened the clamps.

So, my conclusion is that the clamps are a one-time use item. I've re-used torca clamps on mufflers a half dozen times, but handle bar clamps seem to be a one time item.

I also noticed a new Delrin shim for the lower clamp bolts in the parts catalog and wondered if that would make things more solid.

By the way, I enjoyed the homage to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" in the above comments. It's like Persig's book came alive there for a moment.

Last edited by August; Aug 20, 2010 at 06:50 PM.