One of the Ten Commandments of custom bike building is “Keep it Clean,” an overall philosophy that also figures into the design concept that greatness is in the details.
Both concepts are well apparent in the internal handlebar controls offered by Custom Cycle Control Systems.
The inventor of the system and owner of CCCS, Butch Yaple, had clocked fifty years running a high end machine shop in Albuquerque, before “semi-retiring.” A Harley enthusiast, but not happy with the way his Dyna’s hand controls looked, Butch decided to build a better mousetrap as it were. After R&D’ing his first set, his riding buddies were suitably impressed to the point that they suggested turning it into a product and they’d help market it. The rest as they say is CCCS history, the Nevada based company producing about the slickest looking, and functioning, handlebar controls systems you can get your hands on.
There’s a significant difference between CCCS internal controls and other systems. They’re not a bunch of components clam-shelled around bars. No drilling a bunch of holes, then the pain of wiggling wires through them. The CCCS set-up is an integrated one-piece, ultra-sano design that slides onto your trees. Call it almost seamless which describes its appearance. CCCS also offers a variety of handlebar styles matched to their controls including two new styles.
Complete systems are available in Standard and Premium levels including models called T-Bars, Apehangers, Beach Bars, RockStars, VRod and Pro Street. The difference between the Standard and the Premium is that the Premium feature digital gauges. The majority of CCCS production bars are universal, made so for easy installation and fitment, the styles ranging from round and radial bent bars to angular miter cut bars, a spectrum covering traditional to radical.
Keep in mind the control systems will fit everything from Harleys to Hyabushas, from Road Stars to Ducat’s.
While CCCS honcho Butch Yable is Old School, actually sitting down at a drawing table with his scales and stencils to conjure up his designs, CCCS also employs state of the art CAD-CAM systems in conjunction with their CNC production. Their 5500 sq. ft. CCCS facility in Las Vegas is home to company offices and logistics, and also the assembly center for the majority of their handlebar systems while Wright Precision located in Oroville, CA, builds the majority of the parts that go into the final product. The two concerns have a close relationship, and for CCC it’s the next best thing to having their own in-house machine shop.
The CCCS controls include all your common bike functions with seamless button switch actuators melded into the housings and which provide fingertip control over turn signals (or whatever you chose), horn, kill switch and hi/low lights (via twist grip).
The fluid reservoir is located underneath the grip, the control body and the cylinder are all machined, an integrated part of the controls rather than built into the handlebars. The fluid reservoir fills through a fill funnel that comes with the install kit via an aperture in the control housing.
After placing your order, you’ll get a big box in the mail, the biggest being the apehangers. The units are pre-wired and pre-plumbed, so there’s no system assembly. Take the stock bars/controls off your bike. Plunk on the CCC system, then all you’re doing is the interfacing, running the wires into the stock module and switch wires as you do with the throttle cables and brake hoses.
CCC provides cut-to-length 9 feet (way more than you’ll need) of hose for brake and clutch, 6 ½ ft. of switch wires, throttle cables and outer sleeves for the throttle. Every thing is designed to allow you to tailor fit the system to your bike for a cleaner installation.
To get the whole deal done, CCC says it’s about a day’s work. That would include about 20 minutes to bleed the brakes and refill. If you’re doing your second CCCS installation, that install time is probably cut down to about 4-6 hours. Having a shop handle the job is always an option.
As far as maintenance, the CCC control system is probably easier to work on than OEM components. Everything is very accessible, the switches serviceable through a pin system, put it all back together in about five minutes.
Can’t beat that. As far as pricing, the “Climax System” runs about $2400 complete. Check the web site for styles, pricing, options and some very cool customs sporting the CCCS internal controls.
For more information call 866-438-2129
Or email info@customcyclecontrols.com
Or visit www.customcyclecontrols.com.
Tell’em Bikernet sent you.
