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Handlebars Available

13K views 25 replies 20 participants last post by  RJ806 
#1 · (Edited)
ORIGINAL POST EDITED: Sorry - they sold out very quick, and they were a too much work to produce by hand to make more... but I still have my jigs and notes if anyone is interested in making some, get in touch with me.
--------------------
Awhile back I obtained a set of heli-bars for my RC51, but they came with a big warning sheet not to use them as a tie-down point. Upon further investigation I found that while the bar tube was TIG welded to the fork sleeve, they brazed the mounting collars on the tubes.

I didn't like that they weren't completely TIG welded, and decided I could do better. Since I had a good bit of 4130 tubing laying around from my airplane fuselage I decided to make my own bars up and while doing so I made extra of everythiing, making ten sets.

I call them RC-Bars with the "RC" standing for Road Comfort. The higher and slightly wider positioning will enable longer rides. I messed around with different placement, but in the end the rider positioning is very similar to heli-bars since the physical location of the fairing and fuel tank bulge really limit bar placement as they are raised up from stock position. They also have the following advantages over Heli-Bars for the RC51 that were discontinued years ago:

  • Higher strength 4130 Cr-Mo steel construction instead of mild steel.
  • Clamp collar bushings are TIG welded to sleeves instead of brazed.
  • All TIG Welding done with ER80S-D2 rod used on race car frames and airplane fuselages.
  • Pinch bolts are stainless steel M6 x 1.0 x 25mm instead of zinc plated steel.
  • Satin black powdercoating instead of gloss black.
  • Step-by-step detailed installation instructions with high resolution pictures. RC-Bars Installation Guide
I've made up a batch of ten and am offering them for $220 plus $10.95 Priority Mail shipping. Here's a paypal link you can use if interested, otherwise I will take checks too.


I realize that the price is significantly more than other bars on ebay, but the quality is there. All the stock dampers and switchgear fits with holes in the bars for them to engage. The brake and clutch hoses have to be repositioned a little but it is easily done and requires no bleeding if you follow the instructions.

I've only made a small batch of them, and am not planning to make more. They are the result of a huge amount of machine work and time. They offer a small number of RC51 owners the option to essentially transform their RC51's into viable sport-touring machines. So far I've ridden my RC51 with RC-Bars on two 3-day trips, with 6-8 hours of riding each day without problem, and they really make a difference. If anyone buys a set, rides with them and ends up not liking them within 30 days I'll refund their $220.

Here's a comparison of the positioning:
Motor vehicle Vehicle Automotive lighting Motorcycle Hood



Below is the process I went through to make them:




Tableware Drinkware Automotive tire Serveware Tin






Font Gas Metal Sculpture Engineering
1

Tool Bicycle part Nickel Gas Machine tool




Tire Wheel Automotive tire Alloy wheel Finger



Grille Composite material Gas Cylinder Metal



Hand tool Tool Ratchet Nickel Bicycle part


Fluid Gas Automotive exhaust Metal Nickel


Product Material property Gas Composite material Cylinder


They didn't last long! It was a fun project and I learned a lot....you can't make money making things by hand anymore unless they are one off custom items.
 
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#2 ·
Those look pretty cool, one thing....

"Since I had a good bit of 4130 tubing laying around from my airplane fuselage"

Whaaaaaat? I don't think I'll ever get to say that in a conversation. Or will ever have an airplane fuselage laying around. lol, just teasing you. The bars look good.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the compliments on the bars.

Here's a pic of the airplane project, its a Pitts 12 aerobatic biplane. As long as I don't try to put the wings on it, it fits in the garage.... www.2wings.com
I wish I could say I had that problem. I just wish I had a two car garage so I would have more room to work on the bike!

Good luck with selling your bars man, they look great and I would buy a set if I didn't already have clip-ons.
 
#17 ·
Great looking bars. I found and used your installation guide to put my clip ons on. Sadly with the new CRG levers and the bars I have run into some clearance issues. Excellent write up and thanks for taking the time to share.
 
#18 ·
AIRPLANE ROOM!!!!! Man major green mist around me right now as i struggle to find room to keep my ST inside along with new RC.
VERY NICE WORK!!! good welding is i am afraid an artform we are in danger of losing with less and less interest from the future gens. Can't quite figure out why - rather sad:frown2:

 
#22 ·
i am no expert on this .. but my 2 pence worth is brazing was often done to race frames and top end push bikes as it was a time before heat annealing science ? was fully understood ... it allows the materials to flex thus helping the handling of the vehicle

also it is my understanding that the spw was losing out in this handling department to ducati as the first rc frames were to tort the trellis steel frame of ducati was superior...funny how the ducati panigale is now suffering like honda did


honda over came this by racing the bikes with 2 engine bolts removed ... thus leading to the redesigned engine hangers of the 2002 bikes ...

rally push bikes were chromoly frames brazed together i never broke my one... i did how ever kill my trek mountain bike and one GT bmx LOL

some times theres a reason for stuff like this ? might be wrong ?
 
#25 · (Edited)
So, I spent hours days and weeks trying to raise the bars. I think I have posts on facebook and maybe elsewhere. Here's one FB post I have that should help. Let me start off by being very clear, there's VERY little room to work with - you get much height and you start hitting the nosecone/windshield. Do yourself a favor and don't waste weeks trying to avoid getting a different clutch master, that's the biggest limitation. I got a used ZX-14 master off of ebay.

"I think I finally finished messing with this and I've settled on Woodcraft 1 and 1/2 inch risers though they're not all the way up on the fork tube. One upside is they have less of a downward angle. I had to use a zx-14r clutch master cylinder. The ignition switch is the limitation on the right side. There's a way for me to raise the front fairing stay up to alleviate that but I want the wind hitting me lower on my body so I'll leave it like that for now. I'll upload some pictures at some point."

Here's the facebook group I posted in: forums seem pretty dead these days (sadly) so this is where the action is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hondarc51fans/?ref=group_header

If you search for Woodcraft in the group you'll find my posts. Also, if you do this you're going to deal with increased vibes from losing the damping system Honda uses (internal bar weight and weighted ends). I ended up removing the stock inserts and putting them into the Woodcraft bars. The bar's ID is too small so you'll have to drill it out.

In hindsight, I would not have done this project and should have just sold the bike sooner or used it just for trackdays. Even with a way better seat and more comfy bars the vibes ending up beating my hands to death (putting them to sleep) on long weekend rides - however, I do have some nerve issues and am a bit more sensitive than others might be. I replaced my RC51 with a VFR1200F and what a stonking bike it is. Handles just fine and is damned fast too. But even that will get sold once I get my ZX-9R fixed, now that bike is fast, comfortable enough for sport touring and looks amazing.
 
#24 ·
Congrats on getting RC51's!

I wish I had made a lot more than 10 sets back then, there was a bit more demand than I anticipated. However, I never could find the time to make another batch because they were an extremely time-consuming project for me using old school machine shop techniques using a lathe and bridgeport milling machine with rotary table before tig welding things up in jigs I made. I originally went thru the trouble to figure out the bars because I wanted a set for myself and when I do custom projects I usually start making five of everything in the end hoping for two good ones as making mistakes along the way of machining ruins parts. So I decided to double that and see how it went. In the end I discovered why cnc and computer aided manufacturing quickly made old-fashioned hand machining obsolete. I think I ended up paying myself about $5/hr in the end, but it was a fun project. Even back then I realized there wasn't enough demand to investigate more advanced processes to make larger batches.

Now if somebody else had tools and skills and wanted to make their own set, I would entertain loaning out my jigs (with significant security deposit) and help with dimensions and build notes etc so they could make their own. That's how we do things in the experimental aircraft building community. But otherwise I've got other projects I'm working on and just don't have the time to make more of these.
 
#26 ·
Awhile back I obtained a set of heli-bars for my RC51, but they came with a big warning sheet not to use them as a tie-down point. Upon further investigation I found that while the bar tube was TIG welded to the fork sleeve, they brazed the mounting collars on the tubes.

I didn't like that they weren't completely TIG welded, and decided I could do better. Since I had a good bit of 4130 tubing laying around from my airplane fuselage I decided to make my own bars up and while doing so I made extra of everythiing, making ten sets.

I call them RC-Bars with the "RC" standing for Road Comfort. The higher and slightly wider positioning will enable longer rides. I messed around with different placement, but in the end the rider positioning is very similar to heli-bars since the physical location of the fairing and fuel tank bulge really limit bar placement as they are raised up from stock position. They also have the following advantages over Heli-Bars for the RC51 that were discontinued years ago:

  • Higher strength 4130 Cr-Mo steel construction instead of mild steel.
  • Clamp collar bushings are TIG welded to sleeves instead of brazed.
  • All TIG Welding done with ER80S-D2 rod used on race car frames and airplane fuselages.
  • Pinch bolts are stainless steel M6 x 1.0 x 25mm instead of zinc plated steel.
  • Satin black powdercoating instead of gloss black.
  • Step-by-step detailed installation instructions with high resolution pictures. RC-Bars Installation Guide
I've made up a batch of ten and am offering them for $220 plus $10.95 Priority Mail shipping. Here's a paypal link you can use if interested, otherwise I will take checks too.

Log in to your PayPal account

I realize that the price is significantly more than other bars on ebay, but the quality is there. All the stock dampers and switchgear fits with holes in the bars for them to engage. The brake and clutch hoses have to be repostioned a little but it is easily done and requires no bleeding if you follow the instructions.

I've only made a small batch of them, and am not planning to make more. They are the result of a huge amount of machine work and time. They offer a small number of RC51 owners the option to essentially transform their RC51's into viable sport-touring machines. So far I've ridden my RC51 with RC-Bars on two 3-day trips, with 6-8 hours of riding each day without problem, and they really make a difference. If anyone buys a set, rides with them and ends up not liking them within 30 days I'll refund their $220.

Here's a comparison of the positioning:



Below is the process I went through to make them:















Right now I have six pairs left....
Any chance you have a set of these left?
 
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