Topic: Strange CB350 handlebar

[Raul CB750K1]

Hi everybody. I opened another thread in the "Other bikes" forum but it has been viewed only 34 times in a full day, so I hope it gets more visits here because it is somewhat urgent for me. Please excuse me for opening this thread here.



I bought sometime ago what was suppoused to be a CB350 twin handlebar. It's a low rise, as spec'd in UK and Europe. The distance between splines is correct, narrower than in the later model with disc brake.

I was installing the switches and noticed something strange: the index hole for the right side is at 15 cm from the bar end, while in the left the hole is at 16 cm. For this reason, once the switches are installed, there is one cm. space between the grip end and the switch. That's awful looking in my opinion, and my question is: was it suppoused to be that way? I also have a US handlebar -higher rise- and the distance to the bar end is 15 cm in both sides. So either the bars are for a different model, or there was something suppoused to be installed in that 1 cm space. Can anybody shed some light?


By browsing in my CB350 picture database, I found another one from a bike that was sold on eBay and had the same in the left grip. I know low rise handlebars were not sold in the US, but I really wonder why the switch holes are machined at different distance.




Thanks in advance

[paxtonpony]

It's a place to put your cigarette when you're signing your traffic ticket.

[KB02]

It's a place to put your cigarette when you're signing your traffic ticket.

I'd say measure the distance between the center of the bars and the end. Might find one os longer than the other (Manufactural defect, possibly?) Or you could just drill another hole.

[Raul CB750K1]

It's a place to put your cigarette when you're signing your traffic ticket.

I'd say measure the distance between the center of the bars and the end. Might find one os longer than the other (Manufactural defect, possibly?) Or you could just drill another hole.

I already measured the bars; it's perfectly symmetrical. Of course I have already considered drilling a new hole, BUT there is a small problem with it; the hole now used to route the cables would be partially seen. It's below the bars so no way to see it unless you look for it, but still something that doesn't please me. What lingers in my mind is why those bars came that way? Obviously it is not a manufacturing defect and I can't imagine what could the reason be.


Raul

[heffay]

Manufactural defect, possibly?

was thinking that myself... punch in that extra centimeter on whatever machine they were running and voila... a limited production run

[Gordon]

Is it possible there are different types of switch housings for different countries, one of which was larger than the others (filling in the gap), and the bars were all made to accomodate the largest one? 

[Geeto67]

I know the english bikes have different switch housings because they have a light "dip" flasher that we don't get. Also the bend looks identical to the 400F euro bars and it may be possible that the switches are different between models (sometimes honda will combine parts if the two are close enough - like if the only difference is the control holes).

my suggestion is to cut the end of your grips open and then put a pair of bar end weights on there, should make up the difference when you slide the grip further in to clear the weight.

[bryanj]

Raul, in my geriatric grey matter I seem to recall that there always was a gap on the left side on the old 250 and 350 K4 (250 way more common in UK due to learner laws) but dont qote me it ha s been over 20 years