Safety issue?

[richard100t]

I took the RM on a fairly long ride (for me) yesterday of about 250 miles. While riding I thought it may be a good idea to cancel the handgrip vibes with rubber sleeves around the clamp that holds to the upper forks. If I could get some 1/16" thick rubber & cut it to length & width use contact cement on both sides between the clamp & the fork so that it would'nt slide when wet. Has anyone already thought of this & tried it yet? Is there an obvious reason that this should not be done? I thought it may even lower the buzz in the mirrors as well. Btw there really are not many vibes over 80mph but thats not legal Its just a thought but I'd like to hear some of the pro's opinions on this idea first.

[bigbikerrick]

I took the RM on a fairly long ride (for me) yesterday of about 250 miles. While riding I thought it may be a good idea to cancel the handgrip vibes with rubber sleeves around the clamp that holds to the upper forks. If I could get some 1/16" thick rubber & cut it to length & width use contact cement on both sides between the clamp & the fork so that it would'nt slide when wet. Has anyone already thought of this & tried it yet? Is there an obvious reason that this should not be done? I thought it may even lower the buzz in the mirrors as well. Btw there really are not many vibes over 80mph but thats not legal  Its just a thought but I'd like to hear some of the pro's opinions on this idea first.

93805[/snapback]

Dont do it, Bro. you need a solid union between those 2 pieces, they are close machined anyway, any rubber between there wont be safe. add some big ass , heavy bar end weights, or fill your bars with lead shot and silicone rtv. or napoleon bar end mirrors . all those theing work, Oh yeah! also make sure your TB's are balanced, that smooths things out as well. Im sure some of the "gurus" here such as ratchethack will chime in with some ideas as well. Ciao. BBR.

[richard100t]

Thanks Rick,

I figured there was a good reason that idea hasnt been tried yet. Btw my bars vibes arent that bad, I'm just like most people looking to make improvements. I'll probably get the throttlemeisters & some lead.

[dlaing]

A similar but safe solution would be to get some standard handlebars but mount them to a rubber mounted plate above the upper triple clamps.

Sorbothane would be the ideal rubber

Engineering it so that you don't lose steering control is the tricky part.

The bolt bushings would have to have limited play, especially perpendicular to the steering axis.

Perhaps if the plate were hinged on to the triple clamp so that allowable motion would only be vertical

Guzzi makes rubber mounts, but I believe with a metal plate and sorbothane you could get better results.

[Guest ratchethack]

Richard, like BBR said - DON'T DO IT!

 

You'd have a highly risky & dangerous situation with the bar prone to rotate in it's mount.

 

Many big singles, including my XT600E, have their bar clamps mounted in rubber bushings in the triple clamp. This works very well to quell vibration while still offering solid control & safety. But this isn't practical unless the triple clamp has been cast to accept large the bushings required.

 

BBR also nailed it with the suggestion to get the TBs balanced. It can make a HUGE difference if they're not properly balanced.

 

May I also suggest Throttlemeister heavy (14 oz.) bar-end weights. I've been using them now for years and never had a thought about bar vibration.

[richard100t]

Richard, like BBR said - DON'T DO IT!

 

You'd have a highly risky & dangerous situation with the bar prone to rotate in it's mount.

 

Many big singles, including my XT600E, have their bar clamps mounted in rubber bushings in the triple clamp. This works very well to quell vibration while still offering solid control & safety. But this isn't practical unless the triple clamp has been cast to accept large the bushings required.

 

BBR also nailed it with the suggestion to get the TBs balanced. It can make a HUGE difference if they're not properly balanced.

 

May I also suggest Throttlemeister heavy (14 oz.) bar-end weights. I've been using them now for years and never had a thought about bar vibration.

93845[/snapback]

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My tb's are perfectly balanced & my bike runs fine. It was just a thought that occured to me while I was riding. Of course I figured that if it was such a great idea someone here would have already tried it. Like most ideas, its good in theory but not in practice I think is how the saying goes. I'm glad the forum is here to put ideas out there & see what others think of them. Maybe I'll come up with a good one someday! Oh well I'm going to go buy some lead & see what that does. I'm also going to borrow my friends throttlemeisters to see if they're worth the price.

[Guest Mattress]

Hi I just bought a 04 cafe sport and took it on a 2000 mile trip over the fourth. Before leaving I found a pair of Olympia brand "gel gloves" at a Honda dealer. I was a bit skeptical because the the gel is less than 1/8 inch thick, but it did seem to help. I ended up wearing that pair the entire trip.

 

My mirrors, buzzing or not, aren't of much use. I'm considering bar end mirrors.

[Anthony]

I added a Power Commander to my '03 LM (big air box and the Bard shims, but otherwise it’s a stock bike) and had it mapped. I get better gas mileage, added some HP and torque, and lost a lot of vibration (unexpeted). Also, there is big difference using gel gloves and not overly gripping the bar. I tend towards the white knuckle grip as I get tired riding.

[zoltan c]

I have a $368.00 speeding ticket to prove that I can't see shit out of my mirrors. I guess I should have spent the money on bar end weights, lead and napoleon mirrors instead!

[dlaing]

I have a $368.00 speeding ticket to prove that I can't see shit out of my mirrors.  I guess I should have spent the money on bar end weights, lead and napoleon mirrors instead! 

95055[/snapback]

The Napoleons help take the vibes away from your hands, but they themselves are pretty darn fuzzy.

[richard100t]

I put some lead in my bars & it made a small difference. I'm going to have to cough up the big $$ & get the throttlemeisters for better results. My local Guzzi friend Tracey has a set on his Lemans & the vibes are almost completely gone in his bike.