handle bar replacement how to??

[bmagnant]

anybody have a step by step on how to replace the handlebars.  I'm newer to the GS and dont wanna make any rookie mistakes if i dont have too.  any info is greatly appreciated.  

on a side note i would just like to say how awesome the people are on this forum.  every one i have asked question too has been more than helpful.  it definately makes the GS even a better bike.

[hehehemann]

I'm getting new bars too this week. I'm going for the no rise flat ones. I'd also like some pointers so that I don't make anymistakes either.

[The Buddha]

OK its easy, might need an extra set of hands for a part of the process...
But here goes...
Spray wd40 under the left grip... in 2-3-4 spots... shove that red tube as far in as it will go and spray ... work it around and break the glue etc... then pull it off... BTW remember Poisson's law... and push the thing out from the switches end... pulling the free end will be hard. This is the hardest part. Once its out... unscrew the switches, and they open into 2 half's and slide the choke cable off the ring pull, and take the throttle cable out from the grip and remove all that. Then unscrew the clitch and make sure it spins on the bar... if not freely atleast enough so you can slide it off. Then unscrew the top triple and leave it in there loose. unscrew the brake master cyl, ... here is where a second person helps... hand it to them. Then you take off the bar from the top triple, and hold the bar vertical and slide it out of the clutch. Then the new bar goes into the clutch, and back on the triple and the brake cylinder gets bolted back on it. Then pretty much reverse the removal steps.
Cool.
Srinath.

[Kerry]

What about getting the grips to stick again?

[Hi-T]

01 and newer controls have pin that stick into the bar- I don't know if that is true with the older bikes.   I ordered a new bar and had to do some drilling to get my controls to clamp to the new bar.

[pantablo]

check my site for the Suburban-Machinery bars swap. same for stock bars. Pretty easy. Grips should still be sticky from residue glue so just putting them back on should be enough. I never had to redo them, I just put them back on and I did it twice without incident or movement from the grips.

Good luck.

[AR5ENAL]

Hehe...lovely new avatar pablo!

[bmagnant]

thank you very much seshadri_srinath, pantablo, and kerry

[rideLIKEjehu]

i usually go the --- cut off the old grips and invest in new ones --- route. unless you're swapping bars out right and left, it's an investment that makes life easier.

[b1k3r 3li+3]

 hairspray is the cheap way to get your grips to stick again.  :lol:

[The Antibody]

I agree with ride... new ones are only $7.00  to $9.00 They are nicer too. Also, no glue required, they are rubber, they'll stick just fine. You may want to shave the right one a bit though to get it to fit the throttle nicer.

 -Anti

[ashman]

I heard on Two Wheel Tuesday on Speed last week that spray paint works great for grips. But that was also on a dirt bike, so I dunno. :dunno:  Just a thought.

-ash

[Nomak]

what kinda bars are you puttin on?

on a side note I just had a chance to see srinaths barrs on the GS ... all I can say is DAYUMM... These are really sweet bars, only thing is that my bike is a rat bike now ... I am just goin to bring it back on the road not make it pretty again ... well not right now anyways.

sorry for bastardising your thread.

[Turkina]

Hair spray cleans up if you need to remove the grips.  Spray paint isn't as nice

BTW, don't watch two wheel tuesday... I want to win that bike!  :lol:

[cozy]

as for drilling, it's not bad. Use a punch or little bit to start your hole, and make sure to measure correctly. I am not a pro and was able to do this with the new bars hand tight in the clamps, with the switchgear on, moved out of the way. I marked my spots with a sharpie.  Took about 5 minutes to complete this last part.