Topic: Clubman Handlebar Help

[rockwell500k]

Just got a set in the mail, and I went ahead with the install but paused to come here and ask a few experts...

When I remove the control housings...Is it necessary to remove all wires as well so they can be pulled out through the bars when i remove them?

Should i just unscrew the small screws inside the housing to remove the wires?

Any issues with routing them outside the new bars, as long as they are protected via shrink tubing or wire loom?

Any chance of a step by step for a total newbie?

Thanks for any and all help.

[okie]

Don't take the wires loose from the switches. 
Don't take the wires loose from the switches. 
Don't take the wires loose from the switches. 

You got that?

Good.

Take the headlight off(Leave the headlight shell on.).

Find the wires that go into the handlebars at the bottom center.  Disconnect those wires inside the headlight.

Now you can pull the wires out of the bars with the switches still attached.

Clubmans are probably THE hardest bars to get the wires back inside.

If you do a search on this site you should find good tips for getting the wires thru the new bars.

Here is a link to a thread that tells how.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=5086.0

[cben750f0]

you will have the grind/file  relief in the bottom housing so the wires can get out of the switch unless your bars have the holes for the wire to to pass through. also you will need to either dill  hole for the locating pin in the top housing to mount to the bars, or remove the pin with pliers or vice grips.

you may also find that now your clutch and brake line are now too long, as well as your throttle cables. Be careful that the throttle cables dont hit the tank when you mount them, trust me the can take paint off....

 otherwise there are about a million ppl on ere that have them , and probably the odd thread regarding them.

good lukc and post some pics when done...

peace

[rockwell500k]

honestly, i never figured it would be so much work to swap something simple.

makes me think twice about changing it.

i'm going to wait until the NOS grips arrive...then i'll tackle what i can.

i guess it will be a "learn as i go process"...

[Swede]

You might also want to check and make sure that your throttle side controls/master cylinder will all fit on the bars.  The clubmans that I have on my bike would not accommodate everything on the throttle side.  I ended up not using the stock throttle and controls and went with an after market throttle housing and the shorter 5" grips. 

[rockwell500k]

would a drag bar be easier on the install?

any bars that come recommended from experience that have been installed before?

i want something lower than the stock, and it seriously seems this clubman is going to be a fk nightmare.

[Gordon]

would a drag bar be easier on the install?

any bars that come recommended from experience that have been installed before?

i want something lower than the stock, and it seriously seems this clubman is going to be a fk nightmare.

Drag bars will be just as much of a hassle as the clubmans on the initial switch-over, unless you have the means and desire to drill the drag bars to accept internal wiring.  I'm not sure what brand Clubmans Swede is using, but the ones I used for a while that I got from Cycle-re-cycle fit all the controls just fine.  IME drag bars are a more difficult fit for anything other than the 350 and 400 because of space constraints.  I was just barely able to get them to fit on my 550 by finagling the master cylinder outlet and banjo bolt in-between the tach and handlebar.  It wasn't easy, but it worked. 

[Klark Kent]

i just did my second bar swap.
I don't know what kind of bars these are- i think they are 'superbike' bars.  I gottem from proteal a while ago.  he cut some length off the ends. 


i drilled them for wires with an 18v cordless drill and my feet as a vice.  filed the holes and the wires went in easy- much easier than the stock bars with their dramatic bend.  attach a chain or high test fishing line to the bundle (wrapping the loose bullets together to a point) and attach a weight to the end of the line.  you can drop the line in and let the weight fall out the center, then just ease em in- carefully.  notching the controls is a pain too if you dont have the right tool to easily grind away metal... not that a hand drill is the right tool for the bar holes, but your work there is invisible and the bars are easier to replace if FUBAR. 

looks better too

[rockwell500k]

now those are some nice bars...

gives the bike an "updated" look, but still remains true to the original look of the bike.

i just wish swapping bars over wasn't so tedious and time consuming.

in my ignorance, i really thought it was just going to be a matter of unbolt, and bolt on.