Hey, I need to take off my bars to install fork spacres and need to know, what's step 1? Specifically, how do I remove the flat metal bolts on the handlebar clamps? Can't see anything I can turn within reach. Thanks!

Did you pop off the little silver caps that cover the hex hole in the bolt? Slip a thin knife under them and pop them off. Save them and re-use them.

What adidasguy said... don't make the same mistake as me and struggle for an hour to do it any other way...


Theres a picture from my adventure. You can see the two little chrome caps that just pop off. Then you remove the two allen screws underneath. If you want to remove the top plate, those two allen screws are underneath the handlebar. You may have to hold the bolt underneath with another wrench (I am not sure, as I really took the long, unconventional route when I removed my handlebars  )

They are just caps, pop em off with a flathead screw driver or pull them with some vice grips.

Quote from: Twism86 on May 09, 2011, 04:51:57 PM
They are just caps, pop em off with a flathead screw driver or pull them with some vice grips.

NO to vice grips   Be gentle! You can reuse them and will want to to cover up the bolts on your top plate.

You'll need a wrench underneath. The 2 bolts holding the top plate on are really tight. Also look under there to see if there is a cotter pin holding the nuts in place. Some bikes have them, some don't.

(I guess for just fork spacers you only need to remove the bars, not the top plate. But save those plastic caps you'll want to put them back on.)

Quote from: adidasguy on May 09, 2011, 05:52:08 PM

Quote from: Twism86 on May 09, 2011, 04:51:57 PM
They are just caps, pop em off with a flathead screw driver or pull them with some vice grips.

NO to vice grips  Be gentle! You can reuse them and will want to to cover up the bolts on your top plate.

Yea yea. Just don't make them too tight. I may have crunched one of mine a bit..... 

Thanks Adidasguy - that's exactly what I wanted to know! The thought had crossed my mind that maybe those just pried up but I didn't want to try it and turn out to be wrong.

Sorry if this was newb question, but, hey, I'm a newb (former scooter rider who upgraded a month ago). Appreciate the help.

VWAG: I'm totally going to take my own thread off topic hear, but - you have unpainted bars! I posted another thread about that and didn't get an answer. So: did your bars come unpainted, or did you strip the paint yourself? Or maybe they're aftermarket bars?

If they're OEM I'd really appreciate knowing what year and version your bike is, since I'd very much like to order a set to replace the black ones that came with my F. Looking at the parts fiche for my year and model, only one set of bars is listed with no colour options, leading me to believe my year only came with black ones.

My original stock bars were black. I do not know if other colors were available for other years. However, bars are bars. There are tons of them available of different styles, different bends, height and angles.

The bars on my bikes are the alternate clip-on style offered in the US in 1989 only and Europe through 2000. The bars are black. The clips and top plates were the stock silver and one is  done in black and another in a metallic dark color that closely matches the holder for the gauges.

Stock bars can be painted or powder coated. Just prep right and use good materials to minimize chips and scratches. A good clear coat helps. Really worry about the small amount that shows. What's hidden under the controls doesn't matter and doesn't even need to be painted.

Quote from: bombshelter13 on May 09, 2011, 06:18:11 PM
VWAG: I'm totally going to take my own thread off topic hear, but - you have unpainted bars! I posted another thread about that and didn't get an answer. So: did your bars come unpainted, or did you strip the paint yourself? Or maybe they're aftermarket bars?

If they're OEM I'd really appreciate knowing what year and version your bike is, since I'd very much like to order a set to replace the black ones that came with my F. Looking at the parts fiche for my year and model, only one set of bars is listed with no colour options, leading me to believe my year only came with black ones.

My bike is a 2001 model... original bars

Thanks! I'll find the part number for the bar and see if I can order it.

Wow - the 2001 bar is listing for 70$ at suzukipartshouse.com, compared to 37$ for the black bar.

Maybe I'll just figure out how to strip the paint.

Quote from: bombshelter13 on May 09, 2011, 07:52:29 PM
Wow - the 2001 bar is listing for 70$ at suzukipartshouse.com, compared to 37$ for the black bar.

Maybe I'll just figure out how to strip the paint.

Most bikes shops will have the 7/8" size bar you need for the GS. Prices will range from $15 and up.

Thing is, I like the shape and height of the stock bars, and don't really think I want to change that right now - from 2D pictures on online stores it's kinda hard to tell how similar they are, so it seems like locating bars with a similar shape might be a bit of a hassle. Most of the bike shops I know of around me don't tend to have stacks of aftermarket bits like bars laying around, and tend to be more the sort of places that'll order what you need based on a part number.

Though I guess if there's any forum on the 'net where people are likely to know of good replacements, this is probably the one. So, if anyone does know of some aftermarket bars closely resembling the stock ones but cheaper, I certainly wouldn't complain if they felt like mentioning 'em here.

The bikemaster superbike bars are really close to stock.  Available in chrome or black, and for about $20.  Check out the wiki for pictures.  So not worth the trouble stripping paint of stock bars, only to have them rust.  Superbikes are chromed.