Bend in '89 clipons?

[007brendan]

Is there supposed to be a slight bend in the '89 clip-on bars?  My service manual depicts them as straight, but the pair I just picked up have a slight bend just after where they connect to the top plate.

[tt_four]

Are you talking about the round steel bar being bent, or the piece that bolts to the top clamp that holds the bars?

[007brendan]

The round steel bar.

[ohgood]

The round steel bar.

crashed. if the bend was farther away from the clamp section, and an obvious radius, i'd say it was normal, but yours aren't.

the stress is right at the clamp, may be some fatigue. good news is that thing wall tube type clip is pretty common.

i sold a set of 89's that were both curved and straight type tubes, and if you ever saw the curved type you'd know what i mean.

[joshr08]

i would bet that who ever had these mounted before you bent them to clear fairings or to get a bit more agressive ride style that is if both are bent and in the same way.  i would think if it was a crash that bent them one would go up other down. show signs of rash or be bent back not down.  the set that was on the kat i seen both were bent one stright back and other was snapped right off.

[007brendan]

They're both bent *roughly* the same way, but they do look slightly different.

So where can I get replacement bars?

[joshr08]

you can make your own if you get some tubing 7/8ths tubing cut and drill them like stock easy and cheap or ebay or like bike bandit or some place similar should have the stock ones

[007brendan]

Cool, I'll guess I'll be scouring the local hardware stores for steel tubing tomorrow.  Regular steel tubing will work better anyway, since it won't have that useless threaded slug welded into the end.  It'll be much easier to install the bar end mirrors.  If it comes to it, the vortex clip-on replacement bars are only $14 a piece on motorcycle-superstore.  Thanks!

[The Buddha]

To fit 89 bars on an 01+ I bend them, but I use 1/8th wall plain steel bar and bend it forward. This is obviously crash damage. However if you had a swage type fitting (and I do) its possible to straighten it. Its steel, these small bends are OK, its not got a memory and will bend a little without fatigue.
Cool.
Buddha.

[007brendan]

Thanks.  I might consider trying to straighten it if I can't find any 7/8" steel tubing.  I really want to use bar end mirrors, and it will be easier if the tubes are hollow.