Topic: Handlebar anti-vibration tip

[Johnny5]

I wanted to add some weight to the inside the bars and couldnt afford bar ends or a Bar Snake, so I made something from a couple broken ratchets I had laying around. The orings are from a pack I got of various sizes from Harbor Freight for $6.

I cut the ratchet head off. Then put orings every inch or so. Then wrapped the ratchet and orings with black gorilla tape to hold the rings in place. Then made sure it went into the bars very snugly by tapping lightly with a hammer.

After a test drive, it does damp the vibes by about 25%. The tones feel a little deeper and not the buzzy high frequency tones that put the fingers into a sleeper hold and go numb.

Here's a picture:

[grumpy]

cool
good idea. I'll have to try that (my arthritis is buggin')

[Johnny5]

Just got back from a 2 hour ride and for the first time all summer, no numb fingers. So it definitely helped.

[mystic_1]

Nice tip.  Maybe I'll have a go at rigging something similar with some pipe filled with lead shot.

mystic_1

[Johnny5]

My idea was that the orings would absorb some of the vibes and transfer it to the inside bar (ratchet).

[Spanner 1]

Changed my skinny grips for Grand Turismo grips...$8 at Partsnmore...really minimised vibration without bar weights.

[Johnny5]

Yeah, Im thinking of switching my grips too. Im currently using these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB750-CB750K-CB750F-CB550-CB500-CB450-CB350-grips_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4999Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem5634db0a5cQQitemZ370253957724QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

These have little flaps that help to disperse vibration but the little flaps kinda feel strange and after using them all this year, Im still not 100% use to them.

Im thinking of going with the Gran Turismo grips also. They have anti vibration ribs underneath the rubber sleeve. I broke an old one down and it's a really cool design.

[BobbyR]

Nice tip.  Maybe I'll have a go at rigging something similar with some pipe filled with lead shot.

mystic_1

That does work, and people I know have done it. The downside is that it makes the bars heaver. Another fix is to pump Butyl caulking into the bars using a plastic hose to get it down to the triple tree where the vibes enter the bars.
The hollow bars are actually a Bell, you need to mute the bell. I had some vibration absorbing gel matting which i suffed in there and it did help a great deal. With some gel grips, the comfort level has increased. A lot of lower frequency vibration comes right up from the road from through the forks, but that seems less numbing.

[mystic_1]

My idea was that the orings would absorb some of the vibes and transfer it to the inside bar (ratchet).

Yup, I was thinking of a smaller diameter pipe similar in size to your ratchet handle (very nice hack BTW) and using a similar o-ring mounting system.

DOHC 750s had a similar setup fitted from the factory.

mystic_1

[MoTo-BunnY]

I have a better anti-vibration handlebar tip that beats all'of'y'all - it's a real old school trick I picked up out of one of my old motorcycle magazines - lead shot!

Seriously!  I was trying to find lead shot for like reloading shotgun shells or whatever but had a tough time finding it local but then I came across some that they use for fishing? It's pure lead and a fairly small size, like around 5-7mm diameter (vary in size) - they are fairly round but not perfect and with no holes or anything in them. I put a rubber stopper in one end of the CB400 bars I used, poured in the shot, then put a stopper in the other end. I also use a bit of "trailer putty" to seal up where the wires come out, to prevent the shot from coming out.

Lead is an incredible vibration damper - I have a friend who used to work in Limo building in Michigan, and they used generous amounts of lead sheet to sound deaden the whole vehicle. The improvement in the handlebars was AMAZING - seriously sooooo smooth now and no more "numby hands" after extended rides (of which I suffer from occasionally, when the bars weren't dampened).

[grumpy]

... down to the triple tree where the vibes enter the bars.

But you can't do that with wiring in the bars ?

[BobbyR]

... down to the triple tree where the vibes enter the bars.

But you can't do that with wiring in the bars ?

You could. I am not sure I would like wires in contatct with lead shot or other metal parts. In effect the Butyl would encase the wires and protect them also.

 

[BobbyR]

I have a better anti-vibration handlebar tip that beats all'of'y'all - it's a real old school trick I picked up out of one of my old motorcycle magazines - lead shot!

Seriously!  I was trying to find lead shot for like reloading shotgun shells or whatever but had a tough time finding it local but then I came across some that they use for fishing? It's pure lead and a fairly small size, like around 5-7mm diameter (vary in size) - they are fairly round but not perfect and with no holes or anything in them. I put a rubber stopper in one end of the CB400 bars I used, poured in the shot, then put a stopper in the other end. I also use a bit of "trailer putty" to seal up where the wires come out, to prevent the shot from coming out.

Lead is an incredible vibration damper - I have a friend who used to work in Limo building in Michigan, and they used generous amounts of lead sheet to sound deaden the whole vehicle. The improvement in the handlebars was AMAZING - seriously sooooo smooth now and no more "numby hands" after extended rides (of which I suffer from occasionally, when the bars weren't dampened).

As I said earlier Lead shot is very effective but will add more weight to the bars and the front of the bike.

[IAmCitizenMe]

Did that affect the reflection in your mirrors at all?

[grumpy]

You could. I am not sure I would like wires in contatct with lead shot or other metal parts. In effect the Butyl would encase the wires and protect them also.

You'd never be able to pull the wires out for R&R, tho.

[mystic_1]

You could. I am not sure I would like wires in contatct with lead shot or other metal parts.

Well as I said Honda started doing this with the 750 DOHC models, using a small piece of pipe supported by rubber rings.  Of course, the DOHC used external control wiring.  If you use a piece of pipe to contain the lead as I'm planning to do, the pipe needn't be but a few inches long and won't contact the wiring.

As far as weight is concerned, would this approach be any worse than bolting on some bar end weights?  I think not.  There must be millions of bikes out there that have those installed with no problems.

mystic_1

[MoTo-BunnY]

Nice tip.  Maybe I'll have a go at rigging something similar with some pipe filled with lead shot.

mystic_1

lol. . ..  sorry, I missed that you had already mentioned the lead shot   *doh*  I thought I was all special there for a minute, too        (that'll teach me for posting late night, after a couple glasses of wine)

Actually, I know it was a pretty common mod back in the day, apparently, as I have seen it mentioned several times in vintage motorcycle magazines that I have.

[MoTo-BunnY]

... down to the triple tree where the vibes enter the bars.

But you can't do that with wiring in the bars ?

You could. I am not sure I would like wires in contatct with lead shot or other metal parts. In effect the Butyl would encase the wires and protect them also.

 

Where is the lead shot gong to have contact with the wires??  Mine were already encased in a plastic sleeve thingy that I also put another layer of shrink tubing over, just to be sure.