Bent handlebar - options?

[davebullet]

SV650 - naked with single piece bar.

Previous owner dropped the bike and the right handlebar was bent about where the throttle master cylinder bolts on. It's a minor bend.

The problem is the handlebar gets close to the tank on full right lock. So close that it is dangerous if you are doing a u'ey and your thumb gets caught between the grip and tank causing you to throttle up.

What are my options?:
1. I've tried rolling the bar forward a notch to clear the tank more. Fixes the lack of gap problem above, but then it has kinked the front brake line against the triple clamp and is a little too forward leaning for my liking
2. Take the bar off and have it straightened
3. Replace the bar with stock
4. Replace the bar with an aftermarket. The problem is on the sv650 the bar clamps are not standard issue width (quite close together). I don't know if Renthal or Ventura sell bars with a knurled spacing that will fit. The other issue is I don't want a wide bar (quite like it narrow for splitting as I mostly commute)
5. Use existing handlebar but Fit bar risers and buy a new brake line

Any other ideas? One you'd prefer over the other?

I'm leaning toward 2. or 5. as at least it would be cheaper than a new bar and I know everything will fit when I put it back on. Has anyone straightened a bar before? Or would you take it to an engineering firm?

Cheers,
Dave.

[MSTRS:Me]

Straighten it. A suitable vice and a longish pipe over the end of the bent bar to give lots of control.

[HenryDorsetCase]

SV650 - naked with single piece bar.

Previous owner dropped the bike and the right handlebar was bent about where the throttle master cylinder bolts on. It's a minor bend.

The problem is the handlebar gets close to the tank on full right lock. So close that it is dangerous if you are doing a u'ey and your thumb gets caught between the grip and tank causing you to throttle up.

What are my options?:
1. I've tried rolling the bar forward a notch to clear the tank more. Fixes the lack of gap problem above, but then it has kinked the front brake line against the triple clamp and is a little too forward leaning for my liking
2. Take the bar off and have it straightened
3. Replace the bar with stock
4. Replace the bar with an aftermarket. The problem is on the sv650 the bar clamps are not standard issue width (quite close together). I don't know if Renthal or Ventura sell bars with a knurled spacing that will fit. The other issue is I don't want a wide bar (quite like it narrow for splitting as I mostly commute)
5. Use existing handlebar but Fit bar risers and buy a new brake line

Any other ideas? One you'd prefer over the other?

I'm leaning toward 2. or 5. as at least it would be cheaper than a new bar and I know everything will fit when I put it back on. Has anyone straightened a bar before? Or would you take it to an engineering firm?

Cheers,
Dave.

I put different bars on mine. Renthal IIRC. that was more because I didnt like the stock bend, not that they were bent. I would have given you mine if I still had them, but I used them on another bike.

From memory, too, the switchblocks are pegged to holes in the bars as well? not sure: they definitely are on a Honda Hornet.

It should straignten OK: they are just mild steel right? and if you fuck them well, they're already fucked.

plus if you get to buy a new brakeline, get braided steel all the way to the calipers. It will make a huge difference.

and some cartridge emulators and fork springs.

Oh and an Ohlins.

and dump the stock can

...........................wait, wht were we talking about again?

[JimO]

my boys vtr had bent bars when i bought it i bought new ones for around $80.00

[one fast tl1ooo]

price up some new bars. mite be cheaper than you think.

[davebullet]

I put different bars on mine. Renthal IIRC. that was more because I didnt like the stock bend, not that they were bent. I would have given you mine if I still had them, but I used them on another bike.

From memory, too, the switchblocks are pegged to holes in the bars as well? not sure: they definitely are on a Honda Hornet.

It should straignten OK: they are just mild steel right? and if you fuck them well, they're already fucked.

plus if you get to buy a new brakeline, get braided steel all the way to the calipers. It will make a huge difference.

and some cartridge emulators and fork springs.

Oh and an Ohlins.

and dump the stock can

...........................wait, wht were we talking about again?

Good point about holes to peg the switch block. I hadn't thought of that. Yeah - I would definitely go the s/s braided line route if I replaced the bar

It has a 2brothers can (came with it). Installing hotgrips is next, then maybe suspension upgrades will be next (as long as the missus doesn't find out)... or I'll get the "You've spent far too much money on that bike as it is" lecture.

[davebullet]

Straighten it. A suitable vice and a longish pipe over the end of the bent bar to give lots of control.

I think I'll give this a go first.

I don't have a vice, but have some Arnold Schwarzenegger sized g clamps. If I lay the bar flat on the bench, with some groved timber over the top (via the plunge router) and clamp the bugger - should be able to straighten.

I just need to lay may hands on some 1" / oversized pipe for the job. Bending it from the inside would be a no-no - correct? Since you risk "out of rounding" the tube and that wouldn't make for smooth throttle operation.

[davebullet]

my boys vtr had bent bars when i bought it i bought new ones for around $80.00

price up some new bars. mite be cheaper than you think.

Good idea. I'm just so used to stock (OEM) parts being a real rip-off for what they are.

I'll check out the prices, then if the straightening turns to crap, I can at least know what I'm up for (since I have to take them off to do the job anyway).

Reason for doing this now... is my soft old hands need them heated grips!

[davebullet]

Well - got a price for a Suzuki stock bar = $159. I'd be better off with a Ventura. Only problem is the wide spacing of the knurls (too wide for the existing clamps).

[FROSTY:Me]

DB dont sweat it dude its frikkin easy peasy.
The bars as stated are mild steel. Just take off the whole throttle assembily from the bar. Yo need an old bit of 1" water pipe about 1.0m long. slide the throttle twist grip back on and mark the position of the bent with a felt pen.
Get someone to hang onto the bike for ya . slide the water pipe up to the line Standing at the front of the bike put ya right hand on the pipe end on the bar and left hand on the far end of water pipe--pull backwards smoothly. Bingo the bars TEMPORARRILY straight.
Personally I'd take it as a chance to permenantly get the right bars.
What you need is a set of 75mm raise ventura bars --theyll cost ya about $45.00.
Dont worry about the knurling on the bars or the spacing they'll clamp up just fine.
Theres a couple of tricks to make the job go smoothly.
Gimme a yeodle

[davebullet]

DB dont sweat it dude its frikkin easy peasy.
The bars as stated are mild steel. Just take off the whole throttle assembily from the bar. Yo need an old bit of 1" water pipe about 1.0m long. slide the throttle twist grip back on and mark the position of the bent with a felt pen.
Get someone to hang onto the bike for ya . slide the water pipe up to the line Standing at the front of the bike put ya right hand on the pipe end on the bar and left hand on the far end of water pipe--pull backwards smoothly. Bingo the bars TEMPORARRILY straight.
Personally I'd take it as a chance to permenantly get the right bars.
What you need is a set of 75mm raise ventura bars --theyll cost ya about $45.00.
Dont worry about the knurling on the bars or the spacing they'll clamp up just fine.
Theres a couple of tricks to make the job go smoothly.
Gimme a yeodle

Ok Frosty - that sounds good. I was thinking I'd have to take the bar off the bike (didnt' want to munter anything else in the process - ie. transfer some warpage to the forks, or munter the master cylinder mount etc...)

I still might remove the bars - since I have to get the grips off to put the heated ones on.

All I've got to do is find some water pipe. I'll give it a go this weekend.

Failing that cycletreads have both the ultra low and low renthal bars for $137. mrmotorcycles.co.nz have them for $109 but I think they are out of business (their phone number no work anyway).

Cheers,
Dave.

[FROSTY:Me]

My advice bud--waste of moolah. The $45.00 bars are gonna be better for your bike. -My opinion of course.
if youre fitting hot grips then all good
Getting the grip off the clutch side-get the bike somewheres with compressed air. Trust me ya can literally float the grip off the bar.
NOW --one lil secret. Most factory bars have locating holes to lock up the switch gear-stop it spinning on the bar.
What ya do is trial fit the new bars and slide all the switch gear and controls back on-dont worry about the cables. set the bars so theyre comfortable and clamp em down tightish. You need to drill one 6mm hole in each side of the bars where the locating pin for the switch gear drops into. To mark where to drill- put a drop of engineers blue on the pins or if not that then a bit of ball point ink -the wet stuff will do the job. then tighten up the scrrews on the switches and bingo 2 blue dots where ya need to drill-

[davebullet]

My advice bud--waste of moolah. The $45.00 bars are gonna be better for your bike. -My opinion of course.
if youre fitting hot grips then all good
Getting the grip off the clutch side-get the bike somewheres with compressed air. Trust me ya can literally float the grip off the bar.
NOW --one lil secret. Most factory bars have locating holes to lock up the switch gear-stop it spinning on the bar.
What ya do is trial fit the new bars and slide all the switch gear and controls back on-dont worry about the cables. set the bars so theyre comfortable and clamp em down tightish. You need to drill one 6mm hole in each side of the bars where the locating pin for the switch gear drops into. To mark where to drill- put a drop of engineers blue on the pins or if not that then a bit of ball point ink -the wet stuff will do the job. then tighten up the scrrews on the switches and bingo 2 blue dots where ya need to drill-

I can't justify the money for the Renthals. I don't want them because they are flashy - just because they raise the bar height a little which would be good. Bar risers are another option. I've found some - but NZ$85 incl. shipping.... I may as well go for a new bar.

Ventura do a similar one (knurls in wrong place) for about $45 as you say... but for the effort of a small bend, I can probably get my old bar in serviceable condition.

When you say "temporary" above... do you mean the bend back on the original bar will have weakened it? If so - I may as well bite the bullet and buy a new bar. Just need to work out which one and how much slack in the cables.

Noted about the holes needed for the control locators. I've read on sv650.org people have filed off the locator tabs - then just used insulation tape underneath to stop the controls sliding around. May be an option as you could position the bar perfectly, then align the controls (without having a fixed hole to restrict you).

[FROSTY:Me]

DB. Id say temporary becauseI dunno how bad the bend is.
I hear what you are saying about duct tape. Trouble is what they are relying on is pressure to hold the blocks in place. That pressure comes from somewhere and its directly on the plastic threads in the block.
Better to do it right and save a lot of greif later on

[davebullet]

DB. Id say temporary becauseI dunno how bad the bend is.
I hear what you are saying about duct tape. Trouble is what they are relying on is pressure to hold the blocks in place. That pressure comes from somewhere and its directly on the plastic threads in the block.
Better to do it right and save a lot of greif later on

The bend is pretty minor - probably 2 - 3 degrees. Not like the circular section of tube has been compromised (ie. become oval).

It's just enough to get the bar too close to the tank when on full lock.

Good point about the locator tabs and stressing the plastic around the screw holes. I measured the SV bars - 660mm across. The Renthals range between 710 (for the ultra low) and 725 (for the low). I'd want to chop an inch off either end to get the same width anyway. So I may as well butcher the old bar I have, than butcher a brand new one

Might take some photos of the operation and post here for laughs or for future reference. I just need a scantily clad nurse to help me with the procedure.....