SuzukiSavage.com - What bars fit?

Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	What bars fit? 02/18/08 at 19:41:54 I'm thinking I may end up having to replace the handlebar on the 04 I'm considering. The buckhorn feels like it will be too close for comfort. Is there anything special about the stock bars like positioning holes for the controls? Is there anything that would hinder me from just getting a handlebar from Dennis Kirk and using it?
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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #1 - 02/18/08 at 20:10:53

It was recommended just to file them off. Makes it a lot easier to place them on the new bars.

I got a set of low rise harley type bars and they were just a little bit too low. Get 4 to 6" of rise or you'll need the high risers. And without the weights in the bars you'll notice more vibration.

I drilled the new bars to match, not hard to do. Take in concideration how much straight on the end of the bars and match with the new ones. The bars I got were just a little bit short and I ended up putting the controls a little bit into the bend.

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Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #2 - 02/18/08 at 20:49:30 I wonder if a bar from another Suzuki would work. I would think a Suzuki bar would have the necessary dimples since they use the same controls.
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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #3 - 02/18/08 at 21:45:35

I beleave the intruder uses the same controls so that would be a place to start.

But most bars made for a HD is 1" dia. but don't get the ones that are dimpled for the controls.

You probably can walk into any shop and ask for a plain 1" dia bar and it will work. Measure the distance to the outside of the risers, that's the amount of center straight you'll need. Measure the end of the bar to the start of the bend. If you can get close on those two, you'll be good to go.

Remember about the rise too.

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Ed L. Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline "We All go a Little Crazy Sometimes" Norman Bates Posts: 2808 Sunny Florida Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #4 - 02/19/08 at 12:20:00 I replaced the stock buckhorns with a sportster, clubman style handle bar I got from Dennis Kirk. The new bar only had a 2 1/2 inch rise which just made it over the tank with the stock short risers. It was so close I had to rotate them up a little. Anything under about 2 1/2 inches will hit the tank with shorty risers.
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azjay Serious Thumper Offline aridzona... its a dry heat Posts: 816 Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #5 - 02/21/08 at 05:21:30 i put a set of used dyna bars on ours ($10), and drilled the index holes into the replacement bars. about the same rise as savage buckhorns, way more comfortable.
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #6 - 02/21/08 at 06:29:43

I tipped my buckhorns forward and that made them much more comfortable.

Keithert,
I looked thru my pict's and looked at your posted pictures and it looks like the bars on the bike you are buying are at the factory slightly tipped back setting. It's real simple to tip forward, Allen head bolts under plastic caps on the clamps.

I would do this first before spending money..... (it's free) . Worked for me (5'11").

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Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #7 - 02/21/08 at 08:21:10 ^^ Thanks for the pic. I plan to do that when I take it for a ride again.
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T Mack 1 - FSO Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline sold 2001 LS650 for a 1986 XLH1100 Posts: 2919 Emmaus,Pa Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #8 - 02/21/08 at 09:56:43 I take it you reqalize they're metric allen head's.
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Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #9 - 02/21/08 at 10:17:11 Yep, I have a set of metric allen sockets.
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #10 - 02/21/08 at 20:47:22 I told you about filing the nipples off the controls. Do you have a manual or a CD? I assume that you know the bars are 1", too.
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Keith_T Senior Member Offline Posts: 289 Northern Illinois Gender:	Re: What bars fit? Reply #11 - 02/22/08 at 05:45:24 Savage_Greg wrote on 02/21/08 at 20:47:22: I told you about filing the nipples off the controls. Filing off the nipples does not sound safe. Don't they keep the controls from rotating accidentally? I don't have the bike yet so I don't have a manual or CD.
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #12 - 02/22/08 at 10:09:20

Keith_T wrote on 02/22/08 at 05:45:24:

Savage_Greg wrote on 02/21/08 at 20:47:22:

I told you about filing the nipples off the controls.

Filing off the nipples does not sound safe. Don't they keep the controls from rotating accidentally?

I don't have the bike yet so I don't have a manual or CD.

I tipped my bars as far front as possible without mod'ing the controls . Controls have tiny, tiny bit of movement.

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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #13 - 02/22/08 at 11:29:00

The filing tip really refers to changing the bar completely. Not so much tipping. Tipping will change the angle the controls are at but unless it really becomes an obsticle, you don't need to rotate the controls back to the standard position.

In other words, tipping or pulling back the bars 10 - 15°, no problem.
30 - 45°, maybe, 60 - 90° I think you would have an issue.

Of course if you got a crippled thumb, 1° maybe an issue.

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PerrydaSavage

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Re: What bars fit?
Reply #14 - 02/23/08 at 03:23:55

Had the same problem as others here with the OEM buck-horn bars being too close (caused my elbows to be "tucked in" too much, reducing overall steering leverage ...), so after Riding a friends S40 with the drag-bars and noticing that the cornering was MUCH improved due to my elbows being out more (better leverage), I decided that a possible easy (and free) fix for my Savage was to loosen the bar clamps and roll the buck-horns ahead ... this lifted the grips up and out, taking my elbows away from my body. Once I found a comfortable position I tightened up the bar clamps ... but cause I'm short, I had to reposition the mirror mounts back a bit in order to see behind ... whole mod took less than 1/2 hour and worked like a charm!! My Savage then cornered almost as good as the S40! A mod I'd wished I'd made years before! Cool

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