Handlebars–A Pain In The Ass

 Yeah, right, there once was a time when changing handlebars meant taking off the throttle, the grip on the left side, and one mirror, replacing the bars and bolting the other shit back on. Ah, but that was 5,000 years ago. Now replacing a set of bars is worse than replacing a piston in the snow with a pair of pliers.

So we went to a man who builds limited edition, very specialized handlebars. Initially, I suspected that he knew little about anything, yet something about drinking Jack without training wheels, neat, or straight up, told me he knew whiskey and women. 
 

Sorta like I did when I stood around a campfire all night with a fifth tightly clutched in one hand—it impressed me. The more we spoke to Chris Hill, the designer behind the strangest set of bars in this whirling galaxy, the more he seemed to know, so we picked his whiskey-soaked brain (photo 1).

Photo 1

 Ah, but before we launch into the technical jargon, these bars have risers. Billet cut out of ASTM-A36 steel, they weigh in at 10.5 pounds and the tubing aspect of the bars is made from .083 wall material, which is thicker than factory bars. Chris claims it’s the strongest bar on the market, and if you get up close to these slotted puppies, you’ll agree. The centers are knurled, and the handles angled at 20 degrees for comfort. Then the bastards are Tig welded by a certified welder. Three models are currently being made: the Hillbar for extended frames, or stock bikes with short riders. Four slots adorn the rails with a built-in 10-inch stretch. The Outlaw- bar has three windows in the uprights with a 7-inch pullback for more aggressive riders, and The Chopper Bar with the 10-inch rise, is built to be stood up like apehangers instead of pulled back like the other two models. Mr. Hill specifically built these puppies 31 inches wide because most apartment doors are not wider than 32 inches. Makes it easy to pull your putt into the girlfriend’s condo or motel room.
 

Oh, by the way, that’s Lexi (Photo 2). I’d rather devote the entire next week writing about her, but that’s not what Bandit pays me for, and I couldn’t take her out if I didn’t get paid, so I’ll shut up and write.

Photo2

First, and foremost take the fuckin’ leads off the battery. It can be startling and harmful to create a short in the middle of this process. For Softails, remove the tanks to retrieve the multi-pin receptacle, disconnect and remove the individual pins from the connector, but note the placement. Remove your electrical controls and switches with Allen or Torxs wrenches. Undo the factory clips and remove the wires from the bars. Remove the loom from the wiring harness carefully with a sharp knife or razor blade. Now, measure the wiring. This length varies on some models, for instance: Dyna wide glides have 10-inch factory apes so that wiring harness is longer than most.  To put this aspect of the bike together properly, buy a wiring extension kit from Custom Chrome. Chris recommends soldering the wire and not using crimp lugs. I was in agreement with his thinking also, however a new twist has emerged. I spoke to Giggie from Compu-Fire recently about wiring and he prefers the lugs as long as you use a special crimper that does the job right. He explained that when soldering, the molten metal flows under the insulation and makes the wire rigid. With constant vibration the wire can break. 
 

The key is to ensure the best and longest lasting connections.  Measure your wires, connect them, and check for shorts. De-burr the bars with a file (photo 3), even run something through the bars, like a piece of string to check for sharp edges or abrasions.

Photo 3

Now tape the wires to the end of the string and pull them through. Install controls and check for shorts or bad connections before you light this sucker up (photo 4).  Use an Ohm meter. Install the bars loosely and check for gas tank clearance.

Photo 4

 This is very important. There’s nothing like installing a new goodie, only to have it harm an old one.  You’re getting close now. So pre-adjust the bars and install the controls. Make sure nothing binds, the cables are long enough, and check the switches again for proper operations, no shorts. Shrink wrap the wire exiting the center tube on the handlebar for a clean look and protection against abrasion. Make sure you sit on the bike and determine the best position for the bars and all the controls before you put the wrenches to her. Now replace the wire plates on the bars and tighten ’em down with blue Loctite (photo 5).

Photo5

—Wrench