Ok fellas here's my situation. I want to use my stock bar ends on my aftermarket bars. They're much heavier than aftermarket bar ends (iron vs. aluminum) = better vibration dampening. The bikemaster bars don't have the threaded inserts to accept the bolts on the bar ends.
I'm not a welder, otherwise it would be fairly easy to just stick a ground-down nut inside each end and bolt them up. Does anyone know where I could get a threaded sleeve that expands as a bolt is screwed into it (like a drywall stud)? Anyone have any other ideas?
The bars came with friction-fit rubber plugs in the ends; my first thought was to drill a hole through them and use them to secure the bar ends but I don't trust them not to vibrate out with the added weight. Maybe I could use a little epoxy to help hold them. That would make the whole assembly permanent though, and removing the throttle grip would be impossible.
Hmm...
-M
Not sure about the threaded bar ends, as mine are the expansion rubber type, but my aftermarket barends make my bars vibrate LESS than the stock ones. One of my stock ones fell out of my bars as I was riding and I could feel the difference in vibration noticeably in each hand. The side with the bar end vibrated FAR more than the one without. I put on some aftermarket ones to protect the bars and haven't had a problem with vibration yet.
i'd try the epoxy route. I love the feeling diy jobs give me. How deep does the friction point go? Are the bars solid w/ the holes drilled in them? I'm new to this stuff but i'm crafty. If the bars are hollow at some point you can possibly use a butterfly type nut on an extremely long machine screw.
I've seen some concrete anchors that are basically metal sleeves that expand with an allen bolt. Should be available at Home Depot or Lowes.
Quote from: xtalman on April 22, 2006, 09:00:04 PM
I've seen some concrete anchors that are basically metal sleeves that expand with an allen bolt. Should be available at Home Depot or Lowes.
sweet, I knew there had to be something available. How long are they? Do you recall which section of HD I should begin searching in?
-M
You can order the expanding rubber bar-end mounts that come stock on '01+ GSes...
I bet if you ask around someone has some spare ones sitting around.
How about putting a nut on the other side of the plastic insert. Epoxy it in, and you can screw them on and off. I'm not sure what the inserts are made of, but I'm pretty sure it's a polyolefin, so epoxy won't stick to it. However, it'll stick to the metal and fill in holes, so it might work.
Quote from: Mandres on April 22, 2006, 08:02:07 PM
Does anyone know where I could get a threaded sleeve that expands as a bolt is screwed into it (like a drywall stud)? Anyone have any other ideas?
How about a bicycle shop? Handlebar stems and seat posts use those.
I used the rubber part out of a set of $10 Lockhart-Philips barends and long screws from a hardware store with the stock weights. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=12211.msg102708#msg102708
uhm.... ready.... lets go.
Bolt with Washer then a lenght of automotive fuel hose, then another washer, then your nut
---|=|---*
see, its beautiful.... and I have no idea if it'll work.
Automotive fuel hose isn't going to work because it a) isn't sticky enough b) isn't durable enough and c) is too thin of a tube.
Quote from: RVertigo on April 23, 2006, 02:11:52 AM
You can order the expanding rubber bar-end mounts that come stock on '01+ GSes...
I bet if you ask around someone has some spare ones sitting around.
I thought about this, but new replacements are expensive. I'm going to post in the FS/FT forum to see if anything comes up but I already have the stock bar ends just sitting here.
Quote from: Egaeus on April 23, 2006, 07:34:50 AM
How about putting a nut on the other side of the plastic insert. Epoxy it in, and you can screw them on and off. I'm not sure what the inserts are made of, but I'm pretty sure it's a polyolefin, so epoxy won't stick to it. However, it'll stick to the metal and fill in holes, so it might work.
Well, I see two problems with this. First, how do I attach the nut to the plastic/rubber plug? If epoxy won't stick to the plug the nut will just rotate freely. Second, how do I keep the plugs from falling out with the extra weight? If I epoxy the plug in I'll never be able to remove the bar ends again.
Quote from: lumpoffire on April 23, 2006, 08:11:38 AM
Quote from: Mandres on April 22, 2006, 08:02:07 PM
Does anyone know where I could get a threaded sleeve that expands as a bolt is screwed into it (like a drywall stud)? Anyone have any other ideas?
How about a bicycle shop? Handlebar stems and seat posts use those.
cool, thanks for the tip. I'll have to take a look at some old bikes and see if there's anything I could salvage.
Quote from: scratch on April 23, 2006, 08:29:43 AM
I used the rubber part out of a set of $10 Lockhart-Philips barends and long screws from a hardware store with the stock weights. http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=12211.msg102708#msg102708
That could work, but I don't like the idea of buying aftermarket bar ends just to destroy them. I don't have any bike shops in my area so I'd have to mail order them and pay for shipping too :-(
Quote from: TragicImage on April 23, 2006, 09:29:30 AM
uhm.... ready.... lets go.
Bolt with Washer then a lenght of automotive fuel hose, then another washer, then your nut
---|=|---*
see, its beautiful.... and I have no idea if it'll work.
Not sure I follow you here. Rubber hose would give a friction fit inside the tube but there's no way to expand it inside the handlebar. I don't trust it not to vibrate out as I'm going down the road.
I read an interesting idea earlier; someone suggested filling the hollow bar with BBs and just using the rubber caps. I probably wouldn't even need bar ends at all if I did this.
Hmm...
-M
Quote from: Mandres on April 22, 2006, 09:37:43 PM
Quote from: xtalman on April 22, 2006, 09:00:04 PM
I've seen some concrete anchors that are basically metal sleeves that expand with an allen bolt. Should be available at Home Depot or Lowes.
sweet, I knew there had to be something available. How long are they? Do you recall which section of HD I should begin searching in?
-M
The ones I've seen are about 3 inches long, about 5/8" in diameter. I'd guess they would be in the nuts and bolts section, but I'm not certain.
Quote from: xtalman on April 23, 2006, 03:01:41 PM
Quote from: Mandres on April 22, 2006, 09:37:43 PM
Quote from: xtalman on April 22, 2006, 09:00:04 PM
I've seen some concrete anchors that are basically metal sleeves that expand with an allen bolt. Should be available at Home Depot or Lowes.
sweet, I knew there had to be something available. How long are they? Do you recall which section of HD I should begin searching in?
-M
The ones I've seen are about 3 inches long, about 5/8" in diameter. I'd guess they would be in the nuts and bolts section, but I'm not certain.
Thanks, I'll go see what I can find tomorrow.
-M
Get a rubber stopper (found at hardware stores), drill a hole in the center, and grind/chip/sand off the outside until the little bugger fits in the handle bar... Then run it like a stock '01+ bar end mount... Bolt, Washer, Rubber stopper, Barend. :dunno_white: It would take a lot of time, but it would only cost you a few bucks.
Wait.... Check this: #12: EXPANDER, HANDLE 507741-001 $2.22 (http://houseofmotorcycles.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/oem_schematic_view~schem_dept_id~716857~section_dept_id~1~section_dept_name~OEM+%28Stock%29+Parts~dept_type_id~2~model_dept_year~2001~model_dept_mfr~Suzuki~model_dept_id~703275~model_dept_name~GS500K1.asp#stay)
If you already have the screw (#11), then all you need it two bolts (#13, #14) and the little rubber bit (#12)... So... Less than $10 for both sides...
DONE!
Quote from: TragicImage on April 23, 2006, 09:29:30 AM
uhm.... ready.... lets go.
Bolt with Washer then a lenght of automotive fuel hose, then another washer, then your nut
---|=|---*
see, its beautiful.... and I have no idea if it'll work.
well, it would be part compression, part friction. When you tightened the bolt, it would compress the rubber hose section in the middle. Alot like how the bar ends work on my O6
Not sure I follow you here. Rubber hose would give a friction fit inside the tube but there's no way to expand it inside the handlebar. I don't trust it not to vibrate out as I'm going down the road.
I read an interesting idea earlier; someone suggested filling the hollow bar with BBs and just using the rubber caps. I probably wouldn't even need bar ends at all if I did this.
Hmm...
-M
Quote
Yes, the hose would expand as pressure is applied to it from the nuts on either end. However, there's no way to apply that pressure once the assembly is inside the handlebar. Once the end is inside the bar there is no way to keep the buried nut from turning when the exposed end is tightened.
-M
Allright, I found a solution and it only cost me $.80!
(http://www.ameribestfasteners.com/SPRING.gif)
This is a toggle bolt hollow wall fastener. The wings are spring loaded to apply outward pressure. I picked up two of these suckers in 1/4" size and discarded the long bolts that come with them. The stock bar end bolts thread right into their place. I compressed the wings and added a dollop of JB weld to each. Then I slid the unit into the hollow handlebar and the wings expanded against the inner walls. 24 hours later the JB Weld had locked them into place and the stock bar ends just screw right in. Since the bar ends themselves are not permanently attached I can easily remove them if I have to change bars again.
I hope anyone else facing this same issue finds this info useful.
-M