Alright so I have 74' CB550. I bought some new bars for it, and began the adventure of trying to get them on today. However I got stuck trying to remove the throttle from the bars. I couldn't see any simple/obvious way of it coming off. Am I just missing something here?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, changing bars sounds so easy, right?
Start by taking off the gas tank.
Remove the throttle cable ends at the carbs.
Loosen the jamb nuts under the bar control where the cables attach and align the flat to allow for screw removal.
Now remove the screws for the bar control
The top half of the control will now hinge up on the wires, allowing you to free the plastic sleeve from the control when you push the bottom half down slightly as well, off the pin post.
At the bottom center of the bars you'll note two bundles of wires. Follow where these enter into you headlight shell and remove the the headlight from it.
Disconnect all the wire ends for the bundles that you followed from the bars.
Remove bars from bike, place in a padded jaw bench vise so holes are facing up.
Bend all the loose wire ends so that they are straight and lay flat against the bundle.
Simultaneously push the bundle at the center hole and gently pull the wire bundle at the bar end. Lubing the exposed cable sheath may lower the volume of shouted curse words. You can also squirt WD-40 inside the bar to aid movement.
There, now you have stripped the bike of bars and the bars of control parts. That completes the "easy" part.
Since, I don't know what bars you have, or if you've drilled or they already have holes in them for routing the control wire bundles, you're on your own for bar installation, except to say that installation is more or less the same as removal only in reverse.
Seems that most forego fishing the wire bundles into new bars, as that would be hard. And then, file the controls to allow the very attractive wire control wire bundles to be duct taped or tie wrapped to the outside of the bars.
Unless they are stock replacement bars, they probably won't have the locator pin that helps position the bar control and keep them from spinning on the bars. Just remember to tighten the forward control mount screw first, then rear last. Any openings should face the rear to minimize the ingress of rain water into the control.
Cheers,