Bent Handlebars

[toalco-kdx]

Whats the best way to straighten bent handlebars? Is it best to just put it in a vice and bend them or use a blowtorch to heat it up then bend it in a vice?Thanks.

 

[KXrider12]

you know i would have say to you my freind go out and but some renthal twinwalls, cant go wrong there. Never tried bending bars back.

 

[toalco-kdx]

i bought my bike used and they came with a set of renthals. i dont know if they are twinwalls but they do look fairly old. they have alot of scuffs and scratches on them and i dont know why the last owner put the stock bars back on.

 

[tall1]

First of all, If your bars are of the more expensive grade or aluminum, forget trying to straighten them, they will probably crack or be to difficult to bend back. If your handle bars are the low cost steel type they can be bent back using a pipe that has an inner diameter that is just slightly larger than the outer diameter of the handle bar. The longer the pipe, the easier it will be to bend them back. Remove the hand grip on the bent side of the bars and slide pipe over the area where the hand grip was. Use the pipe as a lever to bend in the direction you want to bend the bars. You can do this with the bars still mounted on the bike but be aware that you do risk breaking your triple clamp or the little welded on stop that some bikes use to prevent your forks from damaging the gas tank. The safest way is to remove the bars from the bike and clamp them to a bench. You will need a good solid bench and some very good clamps. If you don't have this equipment your best bet is to buy new bars.

 

[woods_rider1]

fixing bent/twisted bars is like wearing a helmet thats been in a crash IMO. Bars are cheap, life is short, you decide whats important to you. I have seen bars that were bent back into shape, snap on a large jump. I am not going to say it will happen to you, but is it worth the risk?

 

[Jim Crenca]

I bent some Tag alloy bars in a spectacular 5th gear get off; here's what I learned:
* Using a jig a fixture arrangement (i.e. bench vice some 2x4's, and machinist scales) will get you close but I could "feel" a difference from original
* Fine tune bending on bike (I use a 3/8" extension inside bar end)
* Use a longe piece of lumber against sides of front & rear tires to establish where straight ahead is
* Close your eyes and reach out to see if bend feels uniform (this assumes that you only bent one side)
* Start wearing a chest protector as shoulder injuries take forever to heal

I don't think that strength is compromised enough to worry with good bars; I also have not found that bars take on a "memory" from either factory or crashed dimensions

If you are talking about steel bars, it;s probably not worth fixing as they will bend in any normal get off anyway.

 

[toalco-kdx]

the scuffed up renthal bars that came with the bike (as spare bars) dont look bent or crashed so i think i'll just put them on .thanks

 

[rethnal]

That's the best thing you can do IMHO. I have developed quite a pile of handlebars in my garage... It is starting to resemble a pile of antlers... Hey... I wonder if you can rattle with ,em? :)

 

[canyncarvr]

If you don't have a one piece top clamp, get one. That will support your bars better, and besides the isolation bushing issue, will give your bars a better chance at living through a bad get-off.

FRP has 'em. JCV220R used to (that's where I got mine). Saw him for the first time in a long time on this board the other day. You could ask him.

 

[Lew]

Originally posted by woods_rider1
fixing bent/twisted bars is like wearing a helmet thats been in a crash IMO. Bars are cheap, life is short, you decide whats important to you. I have seen bars that were bent back into shape, snap on a large jump. I am not going to say it will happen to you, but is it worth the risk?

I second Woods_rider

Lew

 

[toalco-kdx]

can u buy the one piece top clamp at a dealership or does FRP just sell it online? and if i was gonna get it would i have to use a credit card # over the internet?

 

[splatt]

My last set of bent bars are now steering brake handles in a Baja Bug. They`re better off being used there than on the bike.

Steve

 

[23jayhawk]

For FRP products, no internet CC stuff. Just call and guess who answers? The worlds only 22 time consecutive ISDE medalist. And he'll take your order over the phone. And then usually ship it out that night. Can you say humble...

 

[Jim Crenca]

Other than everyone's own special "feelings", can anyone back up the claim that bending high quality alloy tubing an inch or two actually weakens the material significantly? I'm talking technical backup not a WAG or that Billy Bob at the filling station "don't recomend it". :|