Cutting S83 Handlebar clamp

[Pvt_Nemesis]

So the S83 has a drag bar setup for handlebars. At the top of the risers are two clamps (that hold the bars themselves) which are joined by a metal spar that lies directly under the handlebar.

Has anyone cut this spar out? Is this needed for strength? Id love to cut it out to give a more slender look to bars and allow me to position my phone mount centrally.

@designer?

[Designer]

My first reaction is to not recommend cutting this Spar out. Weakening of each Riser is the first reason....Second being one of Leverage. The higher the Riser, the more likely of "twisting" the two Risers out of alignment when a sudden. big turn is needed.

However, I am not familiar with this Riser/Spar set up. Could you please post a picture of what you have?

[hillsy]

This is the one you're talking about, right?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/40320223580 ... gIQpPD_BwE





They have that in there because the risers are quite tall and it stops lateral movement. The risers are rubber mounted to the top clamp so there will be more flex if you remove that.

Having said that the bar clamp itself clamping the bars will stop most of that movement - but getting them lined up straight would be tricky and the bars may move inside the clamp anyway under duress.

If you were to ask "is it safe" to remove that? I'd probably say no based on the unknown. Also, can you even really see it when the bars are on?

Another option is to buy some generic solid mount risers but you may notice more vibration at the grips.

[Pvt_Nemesis]

That's the set up. And very good points... the rubber dampening on the risers is a factor I hadn't considered at all and the play that this introduces is enough to convince me not to!

As far as whether it's visible or not... it very much is from the front. I have turned the risers through 180 degrees to get less rake and more height which worked perfectly but makes that spar very obvious!

If I'm going to have to go for solid, fixed risers and clamps then it's time for custom upper triple clamp too to place the risers in line with the fork tubes... a possible new product @designer? With riser holes spaced to suit a more common bar (Harley after market)?

[Designer]

That's the set up. And very good points... the rubber dampening on the risers is a factor I hadn't considered at all and the play that this introduces is enough to convince me not to!

As far as whether it's visible or not... it very much is from the front. I have turned the risers through 180 degrees to get less rake and more height which worked perfectly but makes that spar very obvious!

If I'm going to have to go for solid, fixed risers and clamps then it's time for custom upper triple clamp too to place the risers in line with the fork tubes... a possible new product @designer? With riser holes spaced to suit a more common bar (Harley after market)?

Can you and I work through your Next Step ? I have experience with Riser's of this height.

I made my own for this Chopper. As you can see, each Riser is Individual,...no Connecting "spar" between them. ...............much like The Look you are seeking

[Pvt_Nemesis]

Absolutely! I have "tinkered" the look; gone LED throughout, replaced all indicators, added a chrome luggage rack to the tail, cut and shaved the pillion seat, mounted a drag/bikini fairing, rotated the risers 180 degrees, added highway pegs (about to Big Brake}.

Sorting a nice clean lined T-bar would be great, a welded (rather than clamp) riser and bar would be nice

[Designer]

Absolutely! I have "tinkered" the look; gone LED throughout, replaced all indicators, added a chrome luggage rack to the tail, cut and shaved the pillion seat, mounted a drag/bikini fairing, rotated the risers 180 degrees, added highway pegs (about to Big Brake}.
Sorting a nice clean lined T-bar would be great, a welded (rather than clamp) riser and bar would be nice

Sorry for the delay here. I have been looking for the set of risers from Suzuki that are just like yours, but do not have the horizontal "spar" on them.

I bought a Set YEARS ago because I too liked their appearances....but I cannot seem to find them right now. Can you take some Pictures of yours please?

[hillsy]

Sorting a nice clean lined T-bar would be great, a welded (rather than clamp) riser and bar would be nice

Are you talking about something like this?



https://www.ebay.com/itm/133799879122?e ... Sw-uxg13NV

That's off a Yamaha V Star - you would need to do some homework to verify for sure but I believe the riser spacing is the same as the Intruder. Harley spacing is different apparently.

If you go down that route you should still be able to use the rubber mounts from the Intruder risers without too many dramas.

[Designer]

There's a bit more to using this Ebay Bar for your 1400 beyond just riser spacing. From what I know, the Riser Spacing should be 3-1/2" As is the Intruder.

The Mounting Hole Diameter(s) V-star & Intruder) and Threaded Mounting Portion Diameter a big factors needing to be researched. For that is CRITICAL to making a Safe and Sturdy Mounting of the Bars to the Upper Triple Tree. From what I have found, most all the Vstars had External Wiring, but the 1400 had Internal Wiring. This most probably has a noteworthy effect on the Mounting Hardware's Diameter.

A Welded Bar would rule out any issues with Lateral Force on the Bars, which really wasn't a worry-factor in the first place. And also the Twisting Forces that steering can cause, which is what the "spar" primarily was there to counter-act.

It seems that going with the Welded Riser/Bars will preclude Internal Wiring. Which means you will have to convert the Stock Switches, etc. to run the wires outside the Bars. And then have to wrap all those colored wires in something Black so it will look okay.

Personally, I always liked the Much Cleaner, less "cluttered" look of the Internal Wiring myself. I would think all that stuff hanging out there would be much less "clean looking" than a Chromed Clamp from Risers-to-Bars looks.

[hillsy]

If it's a 2006 S83 it doesn't have internal wiring on the handlebars anyway.

Fitting a pair of welded bars won't be that hard - it's just bolting them up from underneath rather than putting bolts through the top clamp and having nuts at the bottom. It will more than likely be M10 x 1.25 bolts. The rubber mounts from the S83 have large washers on each side so the bars will never pull the bolts through.

The biggest question will be finding a set with the correct riser spacing because you wont be able to change that. Also the angle of the bars will be fixed so no adjustment there either.

[Pvt_Nemesis]

The bars I was looking at are Wild One Psycho Chubby 10“ risers, but essentially the same as illustrated without the raked section to the riser. But that is the first issue ; the VStar bars may line up but they have the rake i want to eliminate. I expect this means looking at the HD aftermarket and therefore different spacing. Im not worried about pushing the wiring internal since, as you mentioned, it is external already. The second issue is that i was looking at putting the centerline of the risers on the centerline between the fork tubes. As stock, seen from the side, the risers are BEHIND the fork tubes making the bars look like they rake.

This suggests to me i need a custom upper triple clamp?

[hillsy]

This suggests to me i need a custom upper triple clamp?

Pretty much.

[Designer]

The bars I was looking at are Wild One Psycho Chubby 10“ risers, but essentially the same as illustrated without the raked section to the riser. But that is the first issue ; the VStar bars may line up but they have the rake i want to eliminate. I expect this means looking at the HD aftermarket and therefore different spacing. Im not worried about pushing the wiring internal since, as you mentioned, it is external already.

Too bad you don't have Internal Wiring. It would fit in well with your desire for a "clean lined" look.

.....The second issue is that I was looking at putting the centerline of the risers on the centerline between the fork tubes. As stock, seen from the side, the risers are BEHIND the fork tubes making the bars look like they rake.

I am guessing this is for appearance sake ? Just about all the Top Triple Trees have the Riser Mounts behind the centerline of the Fork Tubes...and it seems it has little-to no-effect on handling . In wanting to do so,...have you plans for where your Gauge will mount...and it's visibility ?

This suggests to me I need a custom upper triple clamp?

Pretty much! That'll be some mighty "Big Coin" to have it made!

I assume you are talking about the Stock Triple Trees,...right?

I have another idea.

[hillsy]

The bars I was looking at are Wild One Psycho Chubby 10“ risers

So, these ones?



Jeez - they're not cheap. Have to be devils advocate here and say it's a lot of coin to throw at a bar that you might find uncomfortable - because you won't know until you have it on.

But back to the top clamp - you could take yours to a machining shop and get it copied in flat stock without the risers holes. It's not a complicated piece to replicate for a machinist.

This is what they'd have to mimic:





It doesn't even have pinch bolts and the stem hole is on the same plane. Wouldn't need to mill out the inside either - just leave it as flat stock.

You could probably also fashion up an adaptor plate that uses the S83 riser mounts and then drill holes to mount whatever welded bar you want to use? But it won't look as clean as a new top triple clamp.

[sgtcall]

This may help.

Motorcycle Stock Handlebar Measurements - Harley Davidson, Triumph, Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Buell, Ducati and Indian

http://sideroadcycles.com/importedmotor ... rsOne.html

[Designer]

It is not that that Machining a Custom Top Triple Tree is complicated to make. The point that was made was that it would be rather expensive.

And since it has been pointed out that the Wild One Psycho Chubby 10“ Risers/Bar that are desired are "not cheap",.....let's us keep a focus on Viability, so that Pvt_Nemesis will be able to accomplish what he wants to do.

[Pvt_Nemesis]

That image isn't exactly the style... Really the V Star bars with straight risers. The Chubby bars simply represent the style i had on mind rather than being sold on them specifically. Alternatively stock handlebar in straight risers would achieve very similar.

Aligning the risers with the fork tube is purely about cosmetics (although it would give me a clear line of sight to the speedo which is currently obstructed by that spar) since the stock risers turned through 180degrees so they 'bend' forward achieves the ergonomics.

I am definitely considering running the wiring internally but this is a secondary consideration, if the engineering permits. If i go with stock bar and straight risers (cheaper) is going to necessitate a solid mount so i think either;
-some form of bracket that mates the risers to the triple tree in the desired position using existing holes , or
-drilling the triple tree to mount risers in the desired position

[Pvt_Nemesis]

This may help.

Motorcycle Stock Handlebar Measurements - Harley Davidson, Triumph, Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Buell, Ducati and Indian

http://sideroadcycles.com/importedmotor ... rsOne.html

That helps LOTS, i just wish it gave distance between risers or did I miss that?

[hillsy]

-some form of bracket that mates the risers to the triple tree in the desired position using existing holes , or
-drilling the triple tree to mount risers in the desired position

The first is possible, however it may look a bit odd and the bars may move around if they aren't bolted through the clamp.

The second is not a great idea because the stock clamp is webbed underneath - you'll end up with the bolts going through the thin part of the clamp and you would probably be better off just cutting the spar out of the stock risers than do this.

Third option would be to have a shop weld up the holes in your clamp / fill the webbing and then you can drill them wherever you want. No turning back with this option though - might be best to buy a second hand top clamp if you want to go down this path.

[hillsy]

This may help.

Motorcycle Stock Handlebar Measurements - Harley Davidson, Triumph, Victory, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, Buell, Ducati and Indian

http://sideroadcycles.com/importedmotor ... rsOne.html

That helps LOTS, i just wish it gave distance between risers or did I miss that?

Yeah I was looking for that too but it just lists the bar dimensions and the bar clamp spacing.