emgo bark busters

Jim · 05-30-2007, 05:19 PM

Just got the new barkbusters on the bike... Not sure if I like em or not...

[img]/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=5187& g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

Close up view...

[img]/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=5191& g2_serialNumber=2[/img]

I used the stock handle bars, so it was a bit of work to accomplish... After getting the handgrips off, I needed to remove the metal end caps that were welded inside the end of the bars (I knew of them from when I looked into doing this last time). Well I figured it was a little metal cap, similair to the slugs in an electrical box (like a quarter), and I was surprised to find they weren't welded all the way around. It really made me wonder what purpose they served... Well the first one was easy (sort of) to remove... I just got a punch, put it close to the weld and hammererd it a few times, broke loose. The sort of part is because I hammered it into the tube and it went around the corner. Very hard to get it out. In fact I left it at this point and moved on to the other side... Again, assuming it was like a metal slug. Well this one was welded better, still not all the way around though... So I tried the punch and hammering like crazy, but it ended up it bent the end of the bar a bit (the weld pulled in, and it lost it's nice round shape, little flat spot). Well that didn't work so I got the drill to drill it out, tried a big bit, so I could get it all at once, but that didn't work... So I had to get a small one, and drill... drill.. drill.... It turns out it was about an inch deep. They took a metal rod and cut an inch off, and welded it in the bars... It isn't the same diameter, and the weld did not go all the way around, so no idea what it is for. Well, I kept moving one drill bit bigger until I ran out of room, and then my dad took the die grinder to the inside to try and get it out, but he took a break and I got the punch back and hammered by the welds, this time it worked better. Came out, and this one had a hole in the middle now so I could hook it and pull it out of the bar. Then it took about an hour to get the other one back out, stuffing things in the bar, trying to pull with a magnet, shaking, etc... Finaly a coat hanger from the other side managed to get through and hammer it out.

Now the rest was relatively easy... I needed spacers, top widen the bars, or I would have to move everything in (mirrors too, didnt want to do that). I was thinking of getting some aluminum tube and cutting two spacers, but I just found two copper bushings that were about an inch long, and the same O.D. as the handle bars. inside was a little smaller, but the way the mounting bracket works it doesnt matter. Then I just put them on, and adjusted the brake levers and stuff because the cylinder was rubbing and such. Re-tied some cables, and I'm done.

So a heads up for anyone wanting to do it with stock handle bars, those plugs are an inch thick steel and hard to get out if you make them round a corner inside the handle bars.

EDIT: also forgot about the throttle thing, I just hack sawed off the cap on the end of the plastic there to solve that problem.

ob1 · 05-30-2007, 06:53 PM

Never having to replace the clutch and brake levers should be a nice perk!

molypod · 05-30-2007, 11:34 PM

Great job!
sounds like a bit of a pain to do though;
I'll hold off for a bit.

Jim · 05-30-2007, 11:50 PM

It wouldn't have been so bad, had I realized that those were an inch deep (the steel plugs), that's the main thing, getting them out...

The 1inch x I believe 5/8 inch O.D. bushings worked perfect, and were only 2 dollars each.

But then again, the gaurds and new hand grips ended up somewhere around 80 dollars if I remeber correctly. I still think it would be easier then changing the handlebars.

pumpkin · 05-31-2007, 09:25 AM

changing the handle bars is no problem at all here is mine

red2003 · 05-31-2007, 11:01 AM

Those slugs are probably in there to help dampen the vibration in the bars. They do serve a purpose and I bet you will notice vibration in the bars more now with them removed :? . Good job, though. Looks awesome!

blimpman · 05-31-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim

Just got the new barkbusters on the bike... Not sure if I like em or not...

Believe me the VERY FIRST TIME you drop the bike hard and the levers don't break, the grips don't get chewed up and the mirrors get saved (sometimes)... you will like them. :wink:

red2003 · 05-31-2007, 01:04 PM

If you drop one of these China Bikes HARD, the clutch and brake levers are gonna be the LEAST of your worries! 8O

Jim · 05-31-2007, 01:46 PM

@Pumpkin, yeah changing handle bars isn't too bad, but I figured this is easier because I didn't have to take off everything and put them back on (clutch controls, throttle, kill switch, and all the wires). I also didn't want to spend the extra money to buy new bars.

@Red, Really... I didn't notice any extra vibration in the bars since removing them... The inside of the handle bars is like an 18mm diameter, and the plugs are like 16mm (just a guess, but my point is they are alot smaller), they were only welded on on the one side (well the second was welded a bit more, but still not all the way around). If they went all the way around and fit the hole then that would make sense, but I can't see it they way they were in there...

@Blipman and Red, that is probably true, though I have dropped it on concrete (playing with the remote starter, no where near it), and it came out fine, didn't scratch anything except the brake lever, but didn't bend it. I am sure I will get used to these, it just makes the front end seem alot bigger with the extra inch on either side plus the new gaurds.

EDIT: @ Pumpkin, whats that sticker on your tank say?

fatboy250 · 05-31-2007, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red2003

Those slugs are probably in there to help dampen the vibration in the bars. They do serve a purpose and I bet you will notice vibration in the bars more now with them removed :? . Good job, though. Looks awesome!

That's exactly what they are. In fact, I used them for attaching my bar end weights. I drilled and tapped them so I could attach the stainless one's Dad made. If you hadn't seen them already they're in my gallery under " a few mods".

Jason

pumpkin · 05-31-2007, 03:39 PM

Quote:

EDIT: @ Pumpkin, whats that sticker on your tank say?

that is a warning sticker ya know don't drink wine before ridin
i'm too lazy to remove it i guess

Jim · 05-31-2007, 05:41 PM

Is that really what it says?

I had one on the tank there but it said something about the vehicle is for off highway use only... so I peeled it off before it got me in trouble...

MOTOXtreme · 05-31-2007, 08:37 PM

Yep, sure does say that! I took it as beer was just fine

Just kiddin, I do not promote anything like that.

Jim · 05-31-2007, 09:06 PM

That's pretty funny :P

Like I said mine was just a disclaimer that the bike was for off highway use so it had to go

mdsuave13 · 05-31-2007, 09:43 PM

i left my "do not drink wine and ride" sticker on, so i can give all my friends a good laugh...

those metal slugs are their cheap versions of bar end weights for vibration and steering stability. You may want to see if you can add some aftermarket bar end weights onto your hand guard ends. Thats if you find you have a problem with steering or vibes.

I think they look pretty good, plus like others have said, its nice when you dont have to worry about clutch and brake levers (riding your bike with a pair of vice grips to pull the clutch cable because the lever is broken off at the base is not fun... especially when you are off road and a good 30 mins from home....) haha.

05-30-2007, 05:19 PM	#1
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	emgo bark busters Just got the new barkbusters on the bike... Not sure if I like em or not... [img]/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=5187& g2_serialNumber=2[/img] Close up view... [img]/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=5191& g2_serialNumber=2[/img] I used the stock handle bars, so it was a bit of work to accomplish... After getting the handgrips off, I needed to remove the metal end caps that were welded inside the end of the bars (I knew of them from when I looked into doing this last time). Well I figured it was a little metal cap, similair to the slugs in an electrical box (like a quarter), and I was surprised to find they weren't welded all the way around. It really made me wonder what purpose they served... Well the first one was easy (sort of) to remove... I just got a punch, put it close to the weld and hammererd it a few times, broke loose. The sort of part is because I hammered it into the tube and it went around the corner. Very hard to get it out. In fact I left it at this point and moved on to the other side... Again, assuming it was like a metal slug. Well this one was welded better, still not all the way around though... So I tried the punch and hammering like crazy, but it ended up it bent the end of the bar a bit (the weld pulled in, and it lost it's nice round shape, little flat spot). Well that didn't work so I got the drill to drill it out, tried a big bit, so I could get it all at once, but that didn't work... So I had to get a small one, and drill... drill.. drill.... It turns out it was about an inch deep. They took a metal rod and cut an inch off, and welded it in the bars... It isn't the same diameter, and the weld did not go all the way around, so no idea what it is for. Well, I kept moving one drill bit bigger until I ran out of room, and then my dad took the die grinder to the inside to try and get it out, but he took a break and I got the punch back and hammered by the welds, this time it worked better. Came out, and this one had a hole in the middle now so I could hook it and pull it out of the bar. Then it took about an hour to get the other one back out, stuffing things in the bar, trying to pull with a magnet, shaking, etc... Finaly a coat hanger from the other side managed to get through and hammer it out. Now the rest was relatively easy... I needed spacers, top widen the bars, or I would have to move everything in (mirrors too, didnt want to do that). I was thinking of getting some aluminum tube and cutting two spacers, but I just found two copper bushings that were about an inch long, and the same O.D. as the handle bars. inside was a little smaller, but the way the mounting bracket works it doesnt matter. Then I just put them on, and adjusted the brake levers and stuff because the cylinder was rubbing and such. Re-tied some cables, and I'm done. So a heads up for anyone wanting to do it with stock handle bars, those plugs are an inch thick steel and hard to get out if you make them round a corner inside the handle bars. EDIT: also forgot about the throttle thing, I just hack sawed off the cap on the end of the plastic there to solve that problem.
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05-31-2007, 09:25 AM	#5
pumpkin Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Westover wv Posts: 443	changing the handle bars is no problem at all here is mine __________________ 06 american lifan 200 gy-5
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05-31-2007, 11:01 AM	#6
red2003 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern Vermont, USA Posts: 1,247	Those slugs are probably in there to help dampen the vibration in the bars. They do serve a purpose and I bet you will notice vibration in the bars more now with them removed :? . Good job, though. Looks awesome! __________________ First Chinabike: 2006 Roketa RSX200E Current Chinabikes: 2023 Titan DLX & 2022 Lifan KP Mini w/ 210cc BRT kit, 22 RWHP!
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05-31-2007, 01:04 PM	#8
red2003 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern Vermont, USA Posts: 1,247	If you drop one of these China Bikes HARD, the clutch and brake levers are gonna be the LEAST of your worries! 8O __________________ First Chinabike: 2006 Roketa RSX200E Current Chinabikes: 2023 Titan DLX & 2022 Lifan KP Mini w/ 210cc BRT kit, 22 RWHP!
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05-31-2007, 08:37 PM	#13
MOTOXtreme Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Waynesboro, Virginia Posts: 336	Yep, sure does say that! I took it as beer was just fine Just kiddin, I do not promote anything like that. __________________ Brian Previously owned / operated MOTO Xtreme selling American Lifan / Check out my friends at www.armattanquads.com "Imagination is more important that knowledge" Albert Einstein
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05-30-2007, 06:53 PM	#2
ob1 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 499	Never having to replace the clutch and brake levers should be a nice perk!
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05-30-2007, 11:34 PM	#3
molypod Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 223	Great job! sounds like a bit of a pain to do though; I'll hold off for a bit.
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05-30-2007, 11:50 PM	#4
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	It wouldn't have been so bad, had I realized that those were an inch deep (the steel plugs), that's the main thing, getting them out... The 1inch x I believe 5/8 inch O.D. bushings worked perfect, and were only 2 dollars each. But then again, the gaurds and new hand grips ended up somewhere around 80 dollars if I remeber correctly. I still think it would be easier then changing the handlebars.
	0

05-31-2007, 01:46 PM	#9
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	@Pumpkin, yeah changing handle bars isn't too bad, but I figured this is easier because I didn't have to take off everything and put them back on (clutch controls, throttle, kill switch, and all the wires). I also didn't want to spend the extra money to buy new bars. @Red, Really... I didn't notice any extra vibration in the bars since removing them... The inside of the handle bars is like an 18mm diameter, and the plugs are like 16mm (just a guess, but my point is they are alot smaller), they were only welded on on the one side (well the second was welded a bit more, but still not all the way around). If they went all the way around and fit the hole then that would make sense, but I can't see it they way they were in there... @Blipman and Red, that is probably true, though I have dropped it on concrete (playing with the remote starter, no where near it), and it came out fine, didn't scratch anything except the brake lever, but didn't bend it. I am sure I will get used to these, it just makes the front end seem alot bigger with the extra inch on either side plus the new gaurds. EDIT: @ Pumpkin, whats that sticker on your tank say?
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05-31-2007, 05:41 PM	#12
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	Is that really what it says? I had one on the tank there but it said something about the vehicle is for off highway use only... so I peeled it off before it got me in trouble...
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05-31-2007, 09:06 PM	#14
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	That's pretty funny :P Like I said mine was just a disclaimer that the bike was for off highway use so it had to go
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05-31-2007, 09:43 PM	#15
mdsuave13 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ellicott city, Maryland Posts: 857	i left my "do not drink wine and ride" sticker on, so i can give all my friends a good laugh... those metal slugs are their cheap versions of bar end weights for vibration and steering stability. You may want to see if you can add some aftermarket bar end weights onto your hand guard ends. Thats if you find you have a problem with steering or vibes. I think they look pretty good, plus like others have said, its nice when you dont have to worry about clutch and brake levers (riding your bike with a pair of vice grips to pull the clutch cable because the lever is broken off at the base is not fun... especially when you are off road and a good 30 mins from home....) haha. __________________ My name is Justin, my friends call me Stix. 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 Candy Lime Green ______________________________ I am the official China bike registration Guru For the State of Maryland..... HA.
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