HANDLEBAR RECALL.... VERY IMPORTANT

[The Buddha]

OK Anyone that bought handlebars from me... please take note...
The welds have been tested to be defective... please stop using them... and I will send you the new ones (free including shipping) if you send it to me (ship at your expense) OR pay you $8 and give you some printed instructions to fix it at a local welder OR send it to me and I will slice them at the weld, insert a rod inside, and weld it back the right way and send it back at no charge.... Please let me know what you want to do... Thanks and sorry.
Cool.
Srinath.

[TheGoodGuy]

very important bump!

[The Buddha]

Yes ... thanks.
Cool.
Srinath.

[zoltan]

out of curiousity, what exactly is wrong with the weld? insufficent penetration?

[The Buddha]

Well in a word yes... One moron put goopy big welds all on the surface, and the other moron ground them all off to nothing almost for that smooth look... and painted them, The tests were all done on the bars thatwere welded up... not once did I test a bar that was ground off... till after onefastvega's accident. They all broke... but not like easy... but still dont want it to break at all. UNder exterme force it can bend not break till hitting the other piece.
Cool.
Srinath.

[zoltan]

what weld process were you using?

[The Buddha]

We were using mig with argon in the first lot. The wire speed was set too high and heat was not enough. He laid a large booger like weld which worked OK till it was ground off. Now we are running the wire very very slow, heat up to max, and argon+CO2 shielding with the mig. If you see in the breaking pics... the straight section of the bar has begun to bend before the weld broke. On the 1/8th wall piece we had to clamp the bar so tight with a rod inside it at the clamp to keep it from squishing there and escaping... in fact the 1/8 wall was impossible to break due to that... we also managed to bend it a lot before breaking. Of course its rod that is inside is thicker so it holds better even after the outer tubing breaks.
Cool.
Srinath.

[mp_3eb_tool]

Hey all,
Anyone who hasn't at least private messaged srinath about your bars, do it right away and stop riding with the present bars.  I was planning on taking them off in the next couple of days or at least strengthening the weld but, I rode all day today.  The bars were fine throughout the day, luckily.  However, when I was leaving a parking lot, for one reason or another, I hit a dip and must have loaded my weight on the bars which I never do.  At least one side either bent or snapped and I then went down at about 15-20 mph.  At the end of it, both sides of the bars are snapped at the weld.  I blame myself for not working on them right away or taking them off.  Luckily, I was in full gear (gloves/jacket/helmet/jeans/boots) and I just have a few bad bruises and some little scrapes.  If you have not at least taken them off to send to srinath yet, PLEASE do.  Thanks guys, pm me or put up here if you want some pictures.  I need some rest.
-Mike

[The Buddha]

Just saw this after getting your PM... Very very sorry... I should have forced you to take the new ones and send me those... like I have done with quite a few others. I will send you old or new style with the rod inside retrofitted asap... and I also was not pushing everyone as hard as I should... I have broken a few that came back... and they all felt strong... so I started feeling more confident. Please send it back all of you... and you too Mp3_eb_tool. Really sorry for this.
Cool.
Srinath.