Bonneville Handlebar Thread

[owendaly]

Forgive a newbie question. I'm finding that I'd like something just a bit narrower and more pulled-back than the stock bars on my '05 Bonneville. There are stiff joints and age issues, so I don't want to push myself into something too extreme, but I'm wondering if the M-bars would give me what I'm looking for. I really like the look of the Ace bars, but suspect that this old carcass - which, short legs and all, really needed Modre's peg-lowering kit - might find that a bit uncomfortable over the long haul.

So: can someone give the basic specs/dimensions of the M-bars so I can compare those to stock? (And, well, what would the Ace bars do to the ergonomics of the rest of the body, while we're at it?)

And how big a hassle would the switch be? I am loathe to mess with clutch cables and brake lines any more than absolutely necessary, since everything works just great right now.

Just got the old bicycle out from winter storage, and noticed how much more comfortable I found those bars, which are considerably narrower in span than the stock bars on the Bonnie..

Thanks all,

Owen

[Mattrat]

bar switch is very easy. 15-20 minutes, most of which is getting the left grip off.

[Loxpump]

Looking at picture after picture and was wondering. Is there a huge difference in the M bars and Superbars? Mainly the overall rise and pullback.

[BigChiefWoody]

bar switch is very easy. 15-20 minutes, most of which is getting the left grip off.

As someone who's never changed out bars, I'll bite....why is just the left grip hard to get off??

[jerryb]

its glued to the bars. Just pry it up a bit with a small screwdriver and spray some WD40 or a blast of air under it and twist away.
Jer

[owendaly]

I'm inferring here that the actual switch procedure is a lot simpler than the description in the Haynes manual for removing handlebars????

That was a bit daunting to someone who'd never done it before, and involved taking apart the entire starter-button/brake-lever/throttle assemblage and such.

But am I right that you're implying that the entire throttle, brake, switch assembly can just be slid off the end of the bar and slid back onto the new one in one piece (assuming, of course, a reasonable loosening of the clamp screwss???

I've only ever removed rubber grips which were worn out and just cut 'em to bits, but I'd really like to preserve the ones I have. I guess I'd try the WD-40 trick. I also read somewhere than they can be nudged a bit with compressed air, too.

Anyway, am I right about that?

owen

[menzies]

Yes you can just loosen the throttle side and slide it off. You can also use soap and water to take the left grip off. Put some powder/liquid type soap in a container and put the bar in there for a while and it will come right off, the other type of removal works but this is less messy, air is also good. FWIW.