Clicking Renthal Bars

MikeT

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Jan 17, 2001

4,095

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• Apr 14, 2004

• #1

Hey guys. I have noticed that my Renthal 7/8” bars are clicking from the crossbar connection. Have any of you ever experienced this? It looks like I might have to take the crossbar off and put some more glue under the mount maybe? Have any of you encountered this and what did you do to fix it?

 

VintageDirt

Baked Spud

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Jan 1, 2001

3,043

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• Apr 14, 2004

• #2

When mine did that I just tightened the cross-brace clamps.

 

MikeT

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Jan 17, 2001

4,095

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• Apr 15, 2004

• Thread starter
• #3

I'll give that a shot. I haven'y checked yet, they may be loose.

 

S

SULLY

Member

Apr 17, 2002

147

0

• Apr 15, 2004

• #4

Yes mine click also, I'm pretty sure the cross bar is tight though.

 

VintageDirt

Baked Spud

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Jan 1, 2001

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• Apr 19, 2004

• #5

Were they tight?

 

MikeT

~SPONSOR~

Jan 17, 2001

4,095

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• Apr 19, 2004

• Thread starter
• #6

I haven't been able to ride it yet, but although they were "tight", I was able to turn them a little more. That may have done the trick. Looks like the soonest I'll be able to ride it is in two weeks though. Commitments...... I'll let you know though.

 

MikeT

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Jan 17, 2001

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• May 28, 2004

• Thread starter
• #7

Well, I went and rode. They still click. It is not noticable when the bike is running because of the engine noise. It is really only noticable when I am pushing the bike around. It does click rather loudly though.

Any other ideas?

 

S

SND

Member

Mar 26, 2004

12

0

• Jun 1, 2004

• #8

if your bars are clicking (7/8" bars)

that means that you hit the bars very hard (crash), and broke the seal of the special glue that holds the crossbrace clamps.

You should NEVER tighten or loosen the bolts on teh crossbrace on ANY 7/8" bar. If you do, did or have...you should replace them immediately. Why? You now have a stress raiser,a nd the bars may break at anytime...without notice. You don't need that heppeneing when you land hard off a jump, or going through whoops.

Seriously, A> never touch the crossbrace bolts on a 7/8" aluminum handlebar. B> if they creak...replace them. It's in your best interest of safety.

hope that helps,

SND
Renthal America

 

D

DTguy

Member

Apr 23, 2002

3

0

• Jun 3, 2004

• #9

mine do the same and i took the brace off completely and i might try and glue it with contact cement

 

MikeT

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Jan 17, 2001

4,095

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• Jun 14, 2004

• Thread starter
• #10

DTguy said:

mine do the same and i took the brace off completely and i might try and glue it with contact cement

Click to expand...

I just did that and I believe the clicking is gone (I used contact cement). I also checked the bars for any signs of cracking or anything that looks suspicious to my eye. I will keep a close watch on them and if the click returns, I will replace them.

 

S

SND

Member

Mar 26, 2004

12

0

• Jun 15, 2004

• #11

MikeT said:

I just did that and I believe the clicking is gone (I used contact cement). I also checked the bars for any signs of cracking or anything that looks suspicious to my eye. I will keep a close watch on them and if the click returns, I will replace them.

Click to expand...

You should replace them now. It might be too late for you. You NEVER touch the crossbrace clamps on a 7/8" bar. You will end up breaking your bars. I promise you that you do NOT wnat to go there. To be safe...go buy a replacement bar now.

Don't say taht I didn't warn you.

 

VintageDirt

Baked Spud

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Jan 1, 2001

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• Jun 15, 2004

• #12

Yikes! :yikes:

I never knew that those allen heads were off limits to my ham-fists (maybe they should be filled in with epoxy or something :))

I guess I probably shouldn't have drilled that hole for the bar heater wires either. I sort of figured that since it was between the clamps, the bars weren't seeing much stress at that point.

Think I'll see if I can find a sale on Renthals (rentals :laugh: ) some where.

 

S

SND

Member

Mar 26, 2004

12

0

• Jun 17, 2004

• #13

MikeT said:

I just did that and I believe the clicking is gone (I used contact cement). I also checked the bars for any signs of cracking or anything that looks suspicious to my eye. I will keep a close watch on them and if the click returns, I will replace them.

Click to expand...

There will be no visible signs. the damage will start by a fatigue propogation (loosening and tightening the clamps will start it). The internal cells of the aluminum will rub against each other and start to breakdown...again, this is all happeneing on the inside of the bar (within the wall thickness), so there will be no visible signs...until it breaks and you finally get to see the inner wall.

Just trying to keep you safe.

Replace them.

 

YZ165

YZabian

May 4, 2004

2,431

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• Jun 18, 2004

• #14

SND said:

....until it breaks and you finally get to see the inner wall.

Click to expand...

I've seen the inner wall....up close and personal. Picture this....You softly land off of the smallest double on the track, the throttle side of your bars breaks off just above the crossbar clamp, leaving a nice jagged edge for your forearm to rake across as your chest hits the bars. You pick yourself up and catch your breath....."Damn, my arm hurts..." :yikes:!
58 stitches and a few hundred in co-pay's later you'll wish you had bought those fatbars. :|

Some of you might think SND is paranoid, believe me, HE'S RIGHT. Playing around with your bars is a bad idea.

 

C

Chili

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Apr 9, 2002

8,062

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• Jun 18, 2004

• #15

YZ165 said:

Some of you might think SND is paranoid, believe me, HE'S RIGHT. Playing around with your bars is a bad idea.

Click to expand...

He's not paranoid he;s an representative of Renthal. All advice he gives on Renthal products should be taken seriously.

 

MX-727

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Aug 4, 2000

1,810

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• Jun 18, 2004

• #16

This thread particularly applies to Twinwalls. The bars rarely bend, so they can end up on a bike for a long time and become fatigued.

As far as the crossbar vs. no crossbar debate, it just means that one bar will fatigue at the crossbar attachment and the other will fatigue at the bar mounts.

 

MikeT

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Jan 17, 2001

4,095

11

• Jun 18, 2004

• Thread starter
• #17

The bars in question are about one season old with minimal rides on them. I believe that the clicking was from the crossbar mount rocking on the bar. These bars did not click when they were on my 125 and I have only ridden with them 3 times on my new bike. I have since cleaned out the mount and replaced the glue. All the clicking (and rocking) has stopped.

I understand the safety concerns, but I feel I stopped the potential damage (if any) before it started because I acted quickly. Am I wrong? I don't believe that these Renthals are so fragile that they will fall apart after I added the new glue. If I thought they were so fragile, I wouldn't have bought them.

Am I way off base?

 

J

James

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• Jun 18, 2004

• #18

So how do you know when the bars are fatiqued to the point of being dangerous if they don't have a crossbar to click? I guess it is possible for them to be fatigued and not clicking right?