Silicone in your bars?

[Flingshot]

Anyone hear of this? A mechanic at the local shop told me a trick to get rid of some of the vibration coming through my handle bars. He said to take a long piece of tubing, slip it on the end of a tube of silicone (caulking gun size),take off a grip and fill er up. (the bars)
I'm more of a math guy than a science guy so i'm a bit impaired here but it made sense to me.
Any thoughts?
Go on, talk amongst yourselves.
Oh, one more thing, is amongst really a word?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Ironheadziggy76]

That's a new one to me, I've heard of filling them with steel shot before.

According to my antique edition of Word on this computer, yes amongst is a word.

[Tx White Knight]

I put "Bar Snake" (http://www.barsnake.com/) in mine, it is sort of a dense rubber that you pull through your bars.

[bigTom]

I've heard variations on the theme, the KLR guys try any and everything.

Shot, shot with silicone, air gun BBs with/wo silicone....

Seems that adding mass takes away some vibrations.

I think Amongst is particular to English AOT American. Like Technique or Armour, two more that my spell checker will let through...

[Trailace]

Anyone hear of this? A mechanic at the local shop told me a trick to get rid of some of the vibration coming through my handle bars. He said to take a long piece of tubing, slip it on the end of a tube of silicone (caulking gun size),take off a grip and fill er up. (the bars)
I'm more of a math guy than a science guy so i'm a bit impaired here but it made sense to me.
Any thoughts?
Go on, talk amongst yourselves.
Oh, one more thing, is amongst really a word?
Posted via Mobile Device
Try it and let me know how it works. :D

[Flingshot]

I put "Bar Snake" (http://www.barsnake.com/) in mine, it is sort of a dense rubber that you pull through your bars.

Did this make a difference on your bike?

[2.0Dogs]

In the olden days we put lead in the bars of our Harleys. It helped.

[Mr. Guy]

I've used lead birdshot in my bars and it made a big difference.

Guy

[Flingshot]

I've used lead birdshot in my bars and it made a big difference.

Guy

I don't get it, but if that many of you know about it, I guess it goes on the list.
Thanks All!
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[Mr. Guy]

I put a set of aluminum bars on my DR and they don't vibrate anywhere near as bad as the stock steel ones did. I haven't added the leadshot to them yet, but am thinking about it.

Guy

[Tx White Knight]

Did this make a difference on your bike?

It seemed to help some, the biggest thing on V twins is keeping the carbs synced :)

:tent8:

[Mr. Guy]

Hi All,

Just filled my handlebar full of BBs and installed the stock barend weights on my aluminum fat bar and now get almost no vibration though the grips. Thought I'd let you know it works.

Guy

[Flingshot]

Being an airplane fanatic and having owned an aluminum airplane (1947 Luscombe), the thought of dis-similar metals corrosion in my handlebars freaks me out.
So I bought some Renthal Bars and a Bar Snake. I will post a review as soon as the snow clears and I can get the bike out.
I also rigged up a section of broom handle with two old bike grips on it that I can twist in my hands and winch up and down a small weight tied to a section of rope looped through a hole in the Broom handle. Supposed to help to beef up my forearms for long ds rides.
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[Mr. Guy]

Good point on the corrosion, but isn't a motorcycle a collection of aluminum parts held together with steel fastners? The bar is coated inside and out and the BBs are copper coated so shouldn't be a big problem. Just the same, I'll dump them out in 6 months or so and check them for any signs of corrosion.

Thanks, Guy

[Flingshot]

Good point on the corrosion, but isn't a motorcycle a collection of aluminum parts held together with steel fastners? The bar is coated inside and out and the BBs are copper coated so shouldn't be a big problem. Just the same, I'll dump them out in 6 months or so and check them for any signs of corrosion.

Thanks, Guy

Hey Guy, Im sure I am over-reacting about the corrossion but I tend to fret about weird stuff like that so I thought i'd give myself a break on this one.
I'm sure you're bars will be fine.
I bought into the hype about the Bar Snake. I hope that's not all it is.
Scott
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mr. Guy]

A different method to the same goal. If it works for you, it works for you. No skin off my nose. Good luck with it.

Guy

[PioneerRider]

I used a combination of bar Snake LV4, which is a liquid that cures hard and thus gives 100" fill, plus I installed Faast Bar Inserts in the ends. Works perfect!

[Trailace]

I used a combination of bar Snake LV4, which is a liquid that cures hard and thus gives 100" fill, plus I installed Faast Bar Inserts in the ends. Works perfect!
Can it be done with the bars on the bike?

[rbertalotto]

Silicone will do nothing. To remove vibration you need to increase the mass of the handlebars. I leaned my V-Strom on its side, removed one hand grip and filled the bars with #7 lead bird shot available at any gun-shop that sells shotgun reloading supplies. Tap the bars with a rubber mallet to get the shot compacted real good. Replace grip and ride.

Tremendous improvement on my V Strom.............

[rbertalotto]

but isn't a motorcycle a collection of aluminum parts held together with steel fastners?

And it has an electric current running through it. Add a bit of salt laden humid air and let's see what happens!.........:eek:

[rbertalotto]

Here ya go!

A High Tech solution..............

http://www.vibranator.com/

[TJ Willy]

Silicone will do nothing. To remove vibration you need to increase the mass of the handlebars. I leaned my V-Strom on its side, removed one hand grip and filled the bars with #7 lead bird shot available at any gun-shop that sells shotgun reloading supplies. Tap the bars with a rubber mallet to get the shot compacted real good. Replace grip and ride.

Tremendous improvement on my V Strom.............

This is just plain gettin' r done.

P^

[bigTom]

So. I am a great fan of silicone and the improvements that it can make anatomically, but I really do think the 'shot' project will work better.

I've used lead shot, I've heard of people using BB's. A cheaper alternative is to find the local trap or skeet club, give them a call and see if they have any "reclaimed" shot for sale. Generally 1/2 of regular shot price. It'll be a mixture of 7, 71/2 and 8. Your bike won't care a bit...

[TJ Willy]

so. I am a great fan of silicone and the improvements that it can make anatomically, but i really do think the 'shot' project will work better.

I've used lead shot, i've heard of people using bb's. A cheaper alternative is to find the local trap or skeet club, give them a call and see if they have any "reclaimed" shot for sale. Generally 1/2 of regular shot price. It'll be a mixture of 7, 71/2 and 8. Your bike won't care a bit...

P^ :cool: :D

[ZZRrocket]

I have 13.9 oz stainless steel bar ends from HVMP.com They work great to help absorb that handle bar buzz you get with long rides. I also use grip puppies from california sport touring.com. and a throttle rocker.

[jhampshire]

I loosen my grip and relax. Works on ZG1000A20 Concours and KLR. Did not work on Harley Davidson because most of the vibration came up through the seat (at least the three different seats I tried).

[bigTom]

Welcome, jhampshire!

You are right, loose grip goes a looong way on most bikes.

Glad you are here!

[Black and Blue]

:hi1: and welcome, jhampshire. Enjoy the site.

[Ironheadziggy76]

Welcome to the site ZZRrocket and jhampshire!

[schmii]

I've fitted a roll of pennies or nickels (canadian) in a paper roll wrapped in tape with some silicone in a couple twin. I can't think of a cheaper bar-end weight :)

[quadancer]

If I'm gonna add weight to a bike, I'm going high-tech. And I did: it's called the "Twin-Cam 88".
Yok!

[kayakinbiker]

Yep i heard bar snake works from the Aero forum...I am not playing with my bars right now...I wound up with them hanging in my arms once when trying to take stuff apart and a neighbour helped me get them back on and screwed a bolt back in...then the other 1 got stripped and had to have the stealer work on it...this stealer went out of business ... my bars currently sit just slightly crooked and seem to be seated that way...not happy about it but I am not taking my bars apart again...

[bigTom]

my bars currently sit just slightly crooked and seem to be seated that way...not happy about it but I am not taking my bars apart again...

Come on out! I am a certified expert with a piece of pipe and straightening bars :) Been doing it since 1964, when I first started crashing....First started riding, too

[mrprez]

Man, I need new glasses, I thought this thread was about silicone in your bras.....:D

[zig]

Man, I need new glasses, I thought this thread was about silicone in your bras.....:D

.......what a boob.......Ha Ha (get it???) Ha Ha
No offense intended

[mrprez]

.......what a boob.......Ha Ha (get it???) Ha Ha
No offense intended

yup, i get it, none taken...:)

[trapperdick]

I'm amongst the guys that would try anything.......:D

[Floyd]

As I was reading thu this thread the I was thinking of something like vibranator.com but on a different "wave length".

The bikes handle bars have particular resonant vibration, each side slightly different.
Find the point where the vibs are the greatest and place dead weight there.

Where is that? Dunno but here's what you can do.
* Get a short piece of rubber tubing JUST smaller than the inside bar diameter.
* Plug one end permanently BUT first fasten about a 1 to 2 foot length of nylon rope to it. (Ape hangars need longer rope)
* Insert some dead weight (shot, fishing lead etc.) inside that rubber tube.
* Cork up that end.
* Drop that weight into the bars and rubber plug/cork the rope to the bars end keeping it from falling any further into the bars. TEST IT.
Still vibrations?
* Pull that weight out a few inches and refasten. TEST AGAIN
* Once you find the best place you then can bond it in place, if you wish.

What you're doing is finding the point where the highest vibrations are in that bars tube and deadening that vibration. Similar to deadening a piano string.
By using a short rubber tube you're adding just enough weight, only where it's needed, to do the job. Don't need 20-LBS of lead when maybe only 12-OZ will do the trick.

Floyd _ _ _ _ P^

[Peacekeeper]

I just tuned my Suppertraps and installed a Glide Pro Motor mount, Zero vibes at idle, smoothe as glass on the hwy.

[iacornfed]

I know some harley guys that use a role of quarters siliconed in each grip.