Reply With Quotetweaked how? there are 3 measurements: width....rise....pullback. if the bike went down i'm assuming it's pullback which means one bar end higher than other bar end. if that's the case let me know and i'll tell you the fast and free fix.
Hey all,
I made a “soft landing” with my Lightning yesterday due to pea gravel on a paved surface. Minimal damage to me and the bike... mostly my pride. Anyway, after much measuring, it appears that my handlebar is tweaked a few millimeters on one side. The forks/tree are fine. I’m pretty much handlebar ignorant, so I’m hoping for any recommendations anyone might want to share with me. Thanks!
tweaked how? there are 3 measurements: width....rise....pullback. if the bike went down i'm assuming it's pullback which means one bar end higher than other bar end. if that's the case let me know and i'll tell you the fast and free fix.
Hey Lunatic,
I’m not sure if it’s the pullback or not. The right side seems just a little bit closer. You may not be able to see in the pic, but looking at where the bar is in relation to he top of the fork tubes, it is about 3-4 millimeters farther from the top of the fork tube on the right side (and hence, a little bit closer to my right hand) than the left.
got it. sounds like what typically happens when the bike falls down and lands on grip first. i would try the below steps and worse case scenario you only have to buy the right side throttle grip if you can't get it off.
1-have someone sit on bike and balance precisely so it's perfectly upright and that way they can balance it when you bend the bars.
2-be sure the 4 allen head cap bolts securing top handlebar clamp are tight.
3-with bike perfectly vertical measure from bottom tip of grip to floor. you'll find right side higher than left. it's probably bent upwards and not back towards seat....just upwards from left hand measurement.
4-find long pipe....3ft. works well....and wrap newspaper around grip several times....then a few wraps of duct tape or masking tape....anything to hold the paper tight. the pipe must be able to slide over the grip.
5-now slide pipe end over grip till it butts up against switchgear housing and bend in direction you want to go which is typically down. just keep tweaking it. don't get nuts...just use leverage and tweak it. then stop....measure again...and see if you're getting the measurement you want.
the above is old school i know but typically works fine. if it doesn't or you don't feel comfortable doing it i'd buy a replacement set. if you're happy with the bars as installed get replacement set with same center width/end width/pullback/rise. those are the 4 measurements you'll need to go shopping. and they're 7/8th inch OD bars of course.
If you need to get the throttle grip off or any grip off for that reason, no need to ever razor knife a grip off and buy new if your grips are good and you don't want to replace. Simply take a long skinny screwdriver and work it in the open (end towards switch gear housings) spray in brake cleaner........off comes the grip perfectly and ready to be used again on your new bars!
Thanks lunatic - I will try this... nothing to lose! It’s really a very small amount off, so hopefully I can correct it old school. Wicked - thanks for the tip. My next block of bike time is mid next week, but I’ll post the outcome. Thank you!
Compressed air also works well for removing grips.
you're quite welcome. seeing as how it's the right side you can follow excellent suggestions from both wally and josh on grip removal OR simply remove the screws from the housing/switchgear assembly....disconnect the 2 cables from the throttle twist grip tube....remove tube....and then tweak the bar. that way the pipe will slide directly over the handlebar and no grip to deal with. either way use a long section of pipe and just tweak it.....measure....tweak again till you're satisfied. you'll know you're where you want to be when you sit on the bike, view the bars, place your hands on the bar ends, and everything now feels and looks correct as before. it's subtle but you can immediately tell if you're successful as soon as you sit on the bike and gauge by sight and feel.Originally Posted by MustangGuy
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