Since I'm down to one bike, well, one-and-half bikes, I can finally focus some of my hard-earned on the mods I've been drooling over for six years.
Two months on (has it been that long?) and the rectifier is working beautifully. The clutch dress-up parts haven't fallen off, either, so that's a good sign.
Earlier in the month I bought a Procom igniter and that didn't work so well. The bike became very hard to start in the cold and since I live in Denver, it does get cold here. So that went back.
I also bought the remaining parts to finally jettison my airbox, another mod I've wanted for a long time. They should be here by the end of the week, so watch this space. I'll have updates on that.
In the meantime, let's talk about handlebars.
Yes, we could discuss this to death. And lets not forget the myriad of choices out there: buckhorns, apes, trackers, ace, superbars, etc. One could go mad looking for bars. Since I'm already mad, I had an idea of what I wanted.
I like the stock bars on the Bonnie but I wanted something a little lower and sporty. I looked at stock Sportster 48 bars and they have a good feel. They are similar in height to the stock Bonnie bars but don't have as much pullback. They felt good but I couldn't find a used set and there wasn't much of a difference to shell out $80-plus for a set. So, on to something else.
Next, I picked up a set of stock Thruxton handlebars that had been powder coated black. I like the Thrux bar. It's very low and aggressive and gives the bike a planted feel. When I put them on, I found they were too low and aggressive. They also hit the gas tank on full lock. I bought the Thrux clutch cable to fit the bars but I would also need Thrux throttle cables and front brake line to make the bars fit properly. In the end, they were too stubby and weren't worth the hassle.
Keeping with the low and aggressive approach, I picked up a used set of Norman Hyde m-bars. They are similar to the Thrux bar but not as stubby or as low. Plus they were chrome and I like chrome.
Installing them was much easier as I could keep the stock throttle and clutch cables and front brake line. They are also wider, giving much better leverage at low and high speed. The only issue with the bars I ran into during installation was rusty threads for the bar end weights. The rust wasn't bad enough to break a bolt but it did require careful progress, some patience and lots of lube. Stop snickering, perverts.
I finally got to take the bike for a ride today and I can say I'm pleased with the change. The position is much more aggressive but not so much so that it's become uncomfortable. I was worried that the stock footrests would be too far forward but that's proven to be a non-issue. In fact, they feel better with the lower bar. I wouldn't do a 1,000-mile tour with these bars in place but for the blasts through the mountains I do on the weekends, they are perfectly comfortable.
The bike also felt better and more planted in the corners. Maybe it's my imagination but cornering required minimal effort and the front felt so much more confidence-inspiring. I think the bike also got faster, but that, too, could be my imagination.
And I should add that they flat-out look the biz. I'm quite happy with them, though I am going to try some superbars just for fun.
Now where did I put that 59 Club patch?
