hello all,

my name is donnie. i live in southeastern pa and am the proud new owner of a 2008 gs 500 (i know, i know...pics to follow)

i have purchased a set of bar end mirrors and have run into 2 problems with the install.

#1 -  rookie mistake (and i even read some posts warning of this...). over-loosened the nut on the throttle side bar weight, now the the rubber piece and innermost retaining nut are in the bar -  any suggestions on removal technique? especially the rubber piece. (ps, the rubber piece is pretty far into the bar as well...)

#2 - while trying to install the bar end mirror on clutch side, the nut just spins with the threads and does not tighten, therefore it is not expanding the collars inside the bars to secure the mirror mounts...what to do???

thanks in advance to all who reply.

great message board, by the way.  i look forward to learning, and hope to contribute something positive along the way.

donnie

Welcome. Someone will be along shortly to answer all your questions. In the meantime pull up a chair and have a drink

#1. try to get the bolt back in there.
if you can screw it back into the part stuck inside the tube.
Shimmy around with it a bit trying to get it out.

I did that once and also when I was replacing old ones.
had to Yank the sucker out of there.

#2. if it wont tighten, just getting it to a point where it doesnt Easily slide in and the sides grab the tube a little.
had that happen too.
just tightened it to the point it didnt just slide in freely and it worked.

if it still wont grip very good.
Electrical tape around it to add thickness and extra grip.

The nut on the back of the bushing is lose inside the bar. Spray a little oil or soap in there. Grab it with something - a strong wire with a little hook on the end...  A slightly larger screw to grip it... push a screw driver through it, then with the grease on the inside of the bar, use the screw driver blade in the grommet hole to work it around until some grease works its way in and it slides out.
You could insert a stick, rod or something with super glue to hold it in the grommet. Then work it around to get it out. (You can remove the super-glued thing once it is out).

Once out, remember to clean the oil out of the hole.

Use a magnet on a long wire to retrieve the nut.

This is what the whole shebang looks like:



Its OK to just push it in except you have that nut in there which will rattle you to no end. If you got the other side off, retrieve the nut from that side. Push the bushing in if you can't get it out.

Welcome,...need pic's!

Thanks for the quick responses and advise guys. I'm off tomorrow so I will have some time to work on it. Will keep ya posted.

On a side note, does anyone know how to post pics from an iPhone?

-d

The exact same bar end nut nightmare happened to me recently. Do what Adidasguy said basically. I added electrical tape, then it helped get it back in.

To post pics, get a Photobucket account, get the free app, and upload to photobucket.

Also, download the program for about $3.00 called Tapatalk - a forum app that is great. To post pics, copy and paste the IMG url into your post. Alternatively, you can manually type in (without spaces) >>>

[ I M G ] www.photobucket.com/imagesample1.jpg [ / I M G ]

wildcat,

thanks for the photo help. will look into both apps.

so i was able to remove the bushing by straightening out a wire clothes hanger and putting a little hook in the end which i slipped through the center of the bushing and pulled it free. as for the loose nut in the bars, i tilted the bike over and it fell out the other side.

now, im not the smartest bear in the forest, but i can usually figure stuff out...not these damn bar end mirrors. of course, they dont come with installation instructions.  i looked and looked at these expansion collars but still could not determine which way to put these things in.  so instead i was able to mount them to the screw in the bar ends and inserted them between the end of the bar and the weight.  does anyone know if you can get longer screws for the factory bar end weights? if so, where? is it a normal screw i can pick up at an auto parts place?

also did the fenderectomy this afternoon...the dremel is a wonderful tool.

-d