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... are rubbish. I'm sure the design works really well to reduce vibes through the bars, but how on earth do you get the f**kers off without putting a gouge in the sodding things?

And they're not cheap to replace, as far as I can see. Is there an alternative?

tin can

using wire snips, open up a can of coke/beer so you end up with a rectangle of tin

roll around weight, then apply pipe wrench or what ever - no marks then

I may be missing something here but what are you trying to do.
Take the end weight off?
Remove the entire fixing?

I may have just been lucky, but I just unscrewed the end screw and took the weight straight off, in fact I've had one fall off when I lost the end screw.
When I had the off a couple of years ago I damaged the end of one so I just replaced the end weight with a new one.
Never actually tried removing the fixing itself, but never needed to.

Cheers Aladinsane, that sounds like a plan. Perhaps I should have asked first...

I wanted to take the bar end weight off so I could measure up the bar, and what length it needs to be to fix all the levers/controls to. I'm planning on getting a set of clip-ons made up that fit on top of the fork leg and reduce the overall bar width, so I can get the bike down the entranceway between the terraced houses where I live. At the moment it's very marginal.

I wanted to retain the bar end weight system when I switched bars, so needed to know what measurements to specify for the new clip-ons.

you won't have room to shorten the bars

sorry - i i think i am correct in this - the way the switches etc fit on, no chance of saving space :(

(bar loosing the bar ends - about 1 cm in total??)

I know what you mean - the LH handlebar is pretty much chock full. But on the standard Falco handlebar there is a 'riser' part that comes up from under the top yoke plus a bracket on which the fluid reservoir sits. The fluid reservoirs could be relocated to the brake/clutch lever mounting points which would save 15mm or so and my plan is to do away completely with the standard bars.

Instead I'll get a set of clip-ons made up where the bar is welded to the front of the fork clamp. This means the controls can be set further in by about 20 - 25mm each side. Losing the riser/swan neck on the standard bars means they can be positioned further inboard. That's the plan, anyway...

My end weights just spun on the bar when I bought the bike.

I just assumed thats how they were supposed to be although my mates said they were about to drop off.

They haven't yet. (The weights, not my mates)

I did mark one of mine .... but then I got hold of a couple of strap wrenches with rubber straps .... from Aldi. Strap wrench + allen key and the job is now a piece of cake (as are other similar jobs) - Simple tools, megga-cheap, ultra-useful



Oh, BTW you only need to use one of the wrenches for this job ... just there were two in the pack - a big one and a smaller one.

Yes. A strap wrench. Why didn't I think of that. Damn...

I believe that that kind of lateral thinking comes with a grey beard....


wave andy :)

Aladinsaneuk wrote:I believe that that kind of lateral thinking comes with a grey beard....


wave andy :)

Might do - but guess that some of us may be a bit more advanced in tool acquisition though

Couldn't get mine to unscrew for anything when I put the Variobars on, no prizes for guessing what I used to get them off with

Nooj wrote:Couldn't get mine to unscrew for anything when I put the Variobars on, no prizes for guessing what I used to get them off with

ur hands? tools? ur brains? oh well I give up!

They are held in with a rubber bung, You tighten it up and it will compress causing it to lock up.
Undo the weight and push it in a bit to free it off then pull out carefully (it will take a few trys)

Sounds simple but it is easier said than done

....anyone fitted a universal bar end replacement they can recommend?