How to modify triple clamp to accept Harley bars or risers. I installed 1.5" T-bars.

[JSHRAM]

I'll get to the "how I did it" in a minute, but you have to understand the "how I got there"... the journey is always better than the destination, which is why we love bikes anyway.

First 1,500 miles on the bike and I knew they had to go. Also, they just look incredibly wimpy on such a stout bike and since I wen tthe mileage to put the 2" Germany crash bars on it.. the 1" bars just couldn't stay.

My last ride, a 2003 Valkyrie, was designed to accept Harley stuff.. 3.5" riser mount separation. Any harley bar or riser fit, so life was easy and the instruments mounted to the front of the triple tree, so the bars had nothing to do with it, unlike the complicated Triumph. This is why the "Thunder Bars" 1.5" T-bar is the way it is, it does NOT remove the stock clamp and thus the instrument mount remains unchanged making life easy.

Now, if Thunderbars (not knocking them, lots of engineering went into it), put the same energy into designing a revised instrument mount as they did the hidden sideways mounts into the stock 1" riser, you could have the real thing.... and I wanted the real thing.

First step was to modify my top triple clamp. This was not the first time I have done this, so I knew where to turn: Leon Holmes (http://billybiltit.blogspot.com/ and leonholmes@sbcglobal.net ). To do this, you have to weld the holes closed, then machine the new holes in the proper location and finish the surface.



The next problem is to figure out how to mount the gauges. I guess there are a lot of ways, but in my case I wanted them behind m T-bars under the top bar and over the tank. There isn't a lot of room and my T-bars are an 8" rise, still not enough room to be safe. So, I thought that if I created a 3/4" rise not only would that give me the gauge room I needed, but would give me a place to mount the gauge mount bracket I designed AND allow me to use the stock mount bolted to the cluster. Here is my drawing of the rise and mount. Note again, figuring out how to mount the cluster is the KEY to making this conversion work:






The straight section of the mount needs to be bent over to match the stock cluster depending on your bars as that is the way to adjust the cluster up and down and in and out. The risers could be made a million ways.

Here's my cluster mounted to the bent mount after several fittings. Eventually I finished the mount and painted it black so it would "disappear".




So, in the end here are some finish photos with my bars...

Oh, I had to grind the 1.5" bar right side down so the front brake master cylinder would fit over it and THAT meant re-chroming the bar.. a step I hadn't planned on.

Yes, this whole mess was not cheap, but can be done in stages.

T-bars $75 (a steal deal)
Bar re-chroming - $125 (crap....)
Triple clamp weld/machining $150
Bracket (machined by Leon, you could make it yourself, but I wanted it perfect) $75
Risers (have to be machined and have to be perfect) $120

I don't even want to add it up.... blech... anyway, Thunder bars are $370 plus shipping from NZ so let's say $450 and you get fake TT bars...good ones, but fake. Now if I ever get tired of these TT bars, I can put ANY harley setup on the bike.

Pics..

 

[1olbull]

Nice work!
Can you raise your tank?

 

[JSHRAM]

Nice work!
Can you raise your tank?

Yes, after you unbolt it and slide it backwards!

 

[1olbull]

Yes, after you unbolt it and slide it backwards!

Not a huge imposition, but a deal breaker for me, Amigo . . .

 

[JSHRAM]

Well, if you bent the mount the other way (or, just turned it around), it would put the gauges pretty much in the stock location, which is over the risers. Obviously that won't work with TT bars, the gauges have to be behind them, interfering with the tank rise.... so, if you wanted for instance, Harley Fat Boy Low bars (which I had on my Vakyrie and were an awesome 1.25" and SUPER comfortable), you could then use the same mount system, flip the tab around and the gauges would be over the bar and the tank would lift.

Course, I like them behind the bar as they are about 3" closer to me making an already very visible gauge system, even better and after all these mods, there won't be much need to lift the tank anymore.

Cheers!

John

 

[IMFASTTOO]

Well, if you bent the mount the other way (or, just turned it around), it would put the gauges pretty much in the stock location, which is over the risers. Obviously that won't work with TT bars, the gauges have to be behind them, interfering with the tank rise.... so, if you wanted for instance, Harley Fat Boy Low bars (which I had on my Vakyrie and were an awesome 1.25" and SUPER comfortable), you could then use the same mount system, flip the tab around and the gauges would be over the bar and the tank would lift.

Course, I like them behind the bar as they are about 3" closer to me making an already very visible gauge system, even better and after all these mods, there won't be much need to lift the tank anymore.

Cheers!

John

HEY I like the stock bars whats the big deal with HARLEY bars ?

 

[1olbull]

I have a very long torso and short arms. For me, the stock Roadster bars are an inch or two too low and worse, they need about four inches more pullback to be comfy for touring.

I mounted Classic bars, which helped some, but still fall short.

I have designed a set, but haven't found someone who can fab them up.

 

[Claviger]

HEY I like the stock bars whats the big deal with HARLEY bars ?

Guessing it has something to do with availability of styles in certain sizes and price.

You accomplished this differently, but the end product is pretty similar to how I ended up doing my Thunders, I like, the 2" bars look great!

 

[Rocket3Pilot]

Really great look! Especially the profile. I agree it matches the beefy muscle look of the bike. The wrist angle wouldn't work for me though. I ended up doing the same as 1olbull, using the classic bars, and it worked out perfectly for my particular build and seated position.
Great to get to see so many creative ideas and solutions on this site!

 

[JSHRAM]

Guessing it has something to do with availability of styles in certain sizes and price.

You accomplished this differently, but the end product is pretty similar to how I ended up doing my Thunders, I like, the 2" bars look great!

Exactly! Using the phrase "Harley bars" to mean the zillions of options in risers and bars out there made for Harleys and if they aren't a traditional 1" bar, they won't work on our triumph because of the 3.75" riser spacing and the fact that our riser is 1" and can't be replaced due to the gauge mount being integral to it. Even the 1.25" bars that step down to 1" through the risers may not work due to the larger Triumph spacing.. so, creating a true 3.5" spacing and mounting the gauges apart from the riser opens up the market of options.. nothing at all to do with Harley, never owned one, never will... ok, never say never, but most likely never will.. and I won't get a Harley tattoo either.