Serious Handlebar Inquiry

[The Antibody]

Yo,
I have problem with these German handlebars I bought and installed. They are 7/8 inch but are extremely thick. This means that the hole on the inside is smaller than normal. I have two sets of bar ends for 7/8'' bars, but both are too big. Could I drill out the ends of these bars without danger? They are aluminum by the way.

 -Anti

[bbanjo]

You could just get smaller OD rubber washers and stack them between the compression nuts on the bar ends. That way you wouldn't be messing with the structural integrity of the bars.

Rubber washers have to be cheaper than replacing bars that were mis-drilled.

[mrslush50]

My aluminum bars are the same way.  I thought about drilling them out to install end weights as well.  I don't think it would cause a problem.  The reason I didn't do it was because I wasn't sure if I could get it right with out ruining the bars.  structurally I don't think it would be a problem.  you're only drilling out the very end of the bar.


btw:  instead of end weights, when I installed the switches and grips, I left about a quarter inch of the gold bar sticking out.  it gives it the bar end look, but I didn't half to try to drill out the bar.

[bbanjo]

Oh...if the nuts won't even fit in the bars, just find some thinner ones or bust out the grinder or file.

Nuts are cheap too.

[The Antibody]

I thought about that too. Also alot of work. I would need to find smaller rubber rings, grind the nut down, and grind the inside of the bar end down. Drilling out the bar seems so much quicker and easier. I would have already done it already, but my friend, who was a motorcycle mechanicfor years, told me not to.

 -Anti

[mrslush50]

did he say why?

it doesn't really make sense to me.  you're only drilling out what, maybe an inch of the bar?  and at the very tip.  what's it going to do?

maybe in a wreck the end caps might bust off or something.  but in a wreck, that would be the least of your worries.  if you have the skill to drill out the bar without ruining it, I don't see what harm you could do.

[pantablo]

when you say you want to drill the ends out do you mean ream the ends bigger? thats what you should be doing...and it shouldn't hurt the integrity of the bars since its at the ends and your weight isn't on them that far out.

[DrtRydr23]

I'd be careful about drilling.  In the drilling process you could deform the end of the bar, which could cause binding with the throttle tube.  Most likely if that happens, the tube would just be harder to twist, but you could always run the risk of the tube getting wedged and sticking.  I don't know how likely it is, but it is a possibility.  Stranger things have happened.  Filing it down by hand may decrease the risk, but I think I would work off of the bar end itself.  You can probably find a smaller nut somewhere, and you could use sandpaper to sand down the rubber peice slightly.  Then grind down some of the bar-end that extends into the bar.  It does seem like a lot of work though.

Sorry.

John L.

[Delta88]

I've been thinking about, maybe someday, considering that I may contemplate, eventually checking, at some point in the future, into whether the mount kits they sell for putting "Bark Buster" style hand guards on dirt bikes might possibly be of use, maybe. (sorry - I just wig out now and again) That's what these AL bars are for, dirt bikes. It's conceivable that they may be modified to mount a bar end weight or whatever else is desired. Otherwise, a drill press with a good, soft jawed vise would easily bore out the first inch or so of the bar. Of course, that would require removing the bar from the bike - something I'd have to ponder.

[Jared]

How small are the openings at the end of the bar? Could they be tapped so you could thread some bar ends on/into them?

If they were steel I'd say drill away but being aluminum I'd leave them be if you can. Steel is alot stronger and forgiving than aluminum.
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[The Antibody]

I haven't and can't measure them now. My bike is at the paint shop. They are considerably smaller though.

 -Anti

[mrslush50]

the interior of my aluminum bars measures 13mm in diameter.  this is most likely the same as yours Anti.

[The Antibody]

Ok, we'll go with that. 13mm pending any change.

 -Anti