Removing & replacing bar ends: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:Bodywork & Frame]] | [[Category:Bodywork & Frame]] | ||
==Removal== | |||
The first, and hardest, thing to do when putting on new bar ends is removing the old ones. This can either be nightmarishly difficult or a walk in the park. It may depend on which Loctite application guy was on shift when your bike was assembled. Kawasaki puts red (permanent) Loctite on the bar ends. We don't know why. | The first, and hardest, thing to do when putting on new bar ends is removing the old ones. This can either be nightmarishly difficult or a walk in the park. It may depend on which Loctite application guy was on shift when your bike was assembled. Kawasaki puts red (permanent) Loctite on the bar ends. We don't know why. | ||
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====Extracting the bolts==== | ====Extracting the bolts==== | ||
Make sure the screwdriver you are using is as nearly new as possible. Look at the tip of it and make sure you can see NO rounding or notching of any kind. The less it bites, the more of your force is wasted trying to press it into the bolt head in the first place. | |||
If turning with a screwdriver doesn't work, there are a lot of other methods listed below, but you could just save yourself some time right off the bat and drill the head off the bolt. Many people have tried some of the other ways and ended up doing just that in the end. You're going to replace the bolt with an Allen-head one, anyway. Yes, you are. | |||
Get a 1/4" cobalt drill bit (or any kind of bit designed for drilling in metal) from any hardware store, and drill straight through the center of the head. The head will pop off and the bar end will slide right off. | |||
[[image:drill bolt head.jpg|100px]] | |||
From there, clamp a vise-grips onto the remaining part of the bolt and turn it out, perhaps using one of the heat methods below to assist. | From there, clamp a vise-grips onto the remaining part of the bolt and turn it out, perhaps using one of the heat methods below to assist. | ||
====Replacing the bolts==== | |||
When you're looking for replacements, go to Ace Hardware or the equivalent and get two hex (Allen) head bolts | When you're looking for replacements, go to Ace Hardware or the equivalent and get two hex (Allen) head bolts to replace the Phillips). Bring your bar ends and the old bolts with you to see how they fit. A standard size is: m8, 1.25, 50 mm long. Yours might be a different length, depending on your new bar end, but the diameter (m8) and the pitch (1.25) should be the same. Get chrome or stainless if you can. | ||
====Alternate bolt removal methods==== | ====Alternate bolt removal methods==== | ||
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Anything you can do to soften things up before you start wrenching on that bolt will definitely help. | Anything you can do to soften things up before you start wrenching on that bolt will definitely help. | ||
==Finding new bar ends== | |||
All bar ends are not created equal. The bar ends on the EX250 are designed for solid bars. Many bikes have hollow bars that use an expanding rubber thingy to hold them on. ZX-10Rs and some others have completely weird bar ends that actually screw into the bar. | All bar ends are not created equal. The bar ends on the EX250 are designed for solid bars. Many bikes have hollow bars that use an expanding rubber thingy to hold them on. ZX-10Rs and some others have completely weird bar ends that actually screw into the bar. | ||
Our bars aren't solid, but they | Our bars aren't solid, but they do have a tapped end as though they were solid. Also, H-D bikes and knock-offs have 1" bars, whereas the rest of the world uses 7/8" bars. Most Kawasaki sport bike bar ends will fit. HOWEVER, the "lip" at the end of the bar end on our bikes seems to be unique to the EX250 and EX500. This means that if you use anything not designed for one of these two bikes you will have a little gap between the grip and the bar end, unless you do a little bit of monkeying around to remove it (and it will never be perfect). See photo below: | ||
[[Image:bar end gap.jpg|150px]] | [[Image:bar end gap.jpg|150px]] | ||
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The stock bar ends are steel and seem quite crash-resistant. Many aftermarket bar ends are aluminium and grind away during a crash. Grinding away means crash energy is being used up, and your bike still works fine without nice bar ends. That said, the stock bar ends are also quite long and help to preserve the tips of your levers. Take your pick, and try not to crash. | The stock bar ends are steel and seem quite crash-resistant. Many aftermarket bar ends are aluminium and grind away during a crash. Grinding away means crash energy is being used up, and your bike still works fine without nice bar ends. That said, the stock bar ends are also quite long and help to preserve the tips of your levers. Take your pick, and try not to crash. | ||
==A couple things to think about== | |||
*The purpose of the bar ends is to dampen the vibration of the handlebars. This is one place where weight is a good thing. Most of the aftermarket ends are made from aluminum, or even a kind of nylon-ish plastic. Those may not be heavy enough to do the job they are supposed to do as well as the OEM product. They do come in pretty colors, though. eBay is a good place to look. | *The purpose of the bar ends is to dampen the vibration of the handlebars. This is one place where weight is a good thing. Most of the aftermarket ends are made from aluminum, or even a kind of nylon-ish plastic. Those may not be heavy enough to do the job they are supposed to do as well as the OEM product. They do come in pretty colors, though. eBay is a good place to look. | ||
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*The stock bar ends weigh five ounces (142 grams). | *The stock bar ends weigh five ounces (142 grams). | ||
* | *When you change the weight of the bar-end weights, you change the resonant frequency of the handlebars. Going to heavier bar ends will lower the frequency at which the bars buzz. This is not necessarily a good thing -- the buzz at 8k RPM is much harsher than 9k if you retune your bars there (~10 oz weights handily accomplish this; avoid 10 oz). | ||
*If you find bar vibration to be a problem, and you'd like a good-looking, heavyweight bar end, look at the ones from [http://hvmp.com/ HVMP.] They are milled from solid stainless steel | *There is a set of bar ends from [http://www.murphskits.com/buzzless.htm MurphKits] for the Kawasaki Concours that are adjustable. They have an O ring that sits between the bar end weight itself and the bars. You vary the tightness of the center screw or bolt to change the rpm range where the bar ends become effective. These will most likely work on the 250, but contact them before you order. | ||
*If you find bar vibration to be a problem, and you'd like a good-looking, heavyweight bar end, look at the ones from [http://hvmp.com/ HVMP.] They are milled from solid stainless steel and come in 14 and 17 ounce models. Mounting hardware (stainless allen screws and lock washers) is included. They are $60 shipped, compared to about $40 from Ron Ayers for OEM and hardware. HVMP usually recommend the shorter 14 oz for sportbikes. | |||
*[http://www.manicsalamander.com/home.aspx !!!MANIC Salamander] makes similar bar ends. | |||
:Here is a 17 ounce HVMP mounted on an EX250 (left) and with aftermarket ProGrips (right). | :Here is a 17 ounce HVMP mounted on an EX250 (left) and with aftermarket ProGrips (right). | ||
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*'''Remember: When you replace your bar ends, use allen-head bolts, which are much easier to remove. | *'''Remember''': When you replace your bar ends, use allen-head bolts, which are much easier to remove. | ||