Replacing a broken clutch lever mount

[jeanied1]

Hi guys!

My beloved Marauder is suffering from a broken clutch lever mount. I've got a replacement part and have started dismantling the old mount in order to put the new one on.

However, I've hit a snag... In order to put the new mount on, I need to get the left handlebar grip off - but how?? I've taken off the choke/headlight switch housing, no problem, but I'm looking at the left handlebar grip and have no idea how it comes off. Is it a rubber grip that's covering the handlebar - in which case, do I need grease or something to ease it off? Or is the whole grip removeable?? :??:

Any advice gratefully received!!

Jeanie

[alantf]

First of all, remove the bar end weight. But BE WARNED - just slacken off the screw in the end, enough to pull the weight off. If you unscrew it all the way, you'll end up with an assortment of nuts, washers & rubber plugs left inside the bars, & it's a hell of a job to get them out. :cry: :2tup:

[dhgeyer]

Seconding what Alan said with a photo or two:

First photo, below: after a couple of loosening turns with a large Phillips head screwdriver, you will want to grasp the bar end weight and pull lightly outward. This keeps the nut on the end of the assembly inside from simply spinning. You shouldn't need to turn the screw more than half a dozen turns (or less) to loosen the rubber plugs inside enough to remove the bar end weight assembly.

http://s1.postimage.org/zEokA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxzEokA)

This photo shows the entire bar end assembly. Note the nut on the inside end. As Alan pointed out, if you screw that all the way off, you will have a nice mess to play in, as I found out the hard way. This assembly must come out as a unit, even if that requires pulling fairly hard.

http://s4.postimage.org/o_F40.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVo_F40)

As for getting the grip off, there's no easy answer that I know off. It's on tight, and getting it off will require some muscle and persistence. Start by getting various sections along it to twist on the bar. Once you get it twisting, one section at a time, you just have to work it off, twisting and pulling one section at a time, stretching and compressing the rubber as you go. The more it moves the easier it gets.

Getting the rubber back on will be easier with some lubrication, but you have to be careful what you use if you ever want to get it off again. Any kind of liquid or spray can turn into glue over time. Even if it doesn't do that it will slightly expand the rubber, making it tighter. I use Ivory bar soap or a block of candle makers' paraffin (that's wax, not lantern fuel for you Brits). Getting the grip back on is a lot easier than getting it off.

Once the grip is on, slide the bar end assembly back in as far as you can. When you start to tighten the screw on the end, pull out lightly on the bar end itself so that the nut on the end doesn't just spin. When you feel the screw grab, you can just tighten another turn or two to get the bar end on securely.

[blaine]

First of all, remove the bar end weight. But BE WARNED - just slacken off the screw in the end, enough to pull the weight off. If you unscrew it all the way, you'll end up with an assortment of nuts, washers & rubber plugs left inside the bars, & it's a hell of a job to get them out. :cry: :2tup:

The rubber grip may need to be cut off, as they are glued on.New ones are cheap,or you can do away with the end weights and get your choice of after market ones.The bar size is 7/8.

:smallrawk: :lol:

[dhgeyer]

First of all, remove the bar end weight. But BE WARNED - just slacken off the screw in the end, enough to pull the weight off. If you unscrew it all the way, you'll end up with an assortment of nuts, washers & rubber plugs left inside the bars, & it's a hell of a job to get them out. :cry: :2tup:

The rubber grip may need to be cut off, as they are glued on.New ones are cheap,or you can do away with the end weights and get your choice of after market ones.The bar size is 7/8.

:smallrawk: :lol:

Mine are not glued, just tight. They do come off, unless someone used some lube that turned to glue over time. That can happen. Cutting and replacing is an option, but I've never had to do that with any bike I've owned.

[jeanied1]

Hey guys,

Thanks for your really sound advice! In the end I got the grip off with old-fashioned hot water - soaked a cloth in boiling water and applied it to the grip, then with a fair amount of pulling, wrenching and groaning it came off!

Replaced the clutch lever mount, then re-fitted the clutch lever etc - all good. Got the rubber hand grip back on with a generous application of hairspray to the handlebars.. Pantene, I highly recommend it, hahaha!!

Only thing is the bar end weight. Unfortunately I removed it before getting your posts. I pulled it out and basically I've got the end weight plus a screw, nothing else, no washers. bolts etc. So I'm trying to screw it back in and the end weight won't tighten - it's attached, but it's loose! So how do I tighten it?? No amount of trying to screw it in with an Allen key is working...

Jeanie

[alantf]

First of all you've got to get the rubber expansion plug out. The best way to get it out is to snip a length of wire coat hanger (if you haven't got one, your local dry cleaners should give you one if you ask nicely :) ) Bend the end to make a hook, then try & pull the rubber out, Then you'll need to get the washer & nut out somehow. When you've got everything out, reassemble it before you slide it back in. You'll NEVER get it together again if you don't get the bits out first, before reassembly. :2tup:

Just re-read your post where you say that you're screwing it in with an allen key. Must be something the previous owner fitted, because from the factory you need a pozidriv/phillips screwdriver to tighten it up. I just hope that everything inside the bars is o.k. Can't think why anyone would replace the screw, unless the original got bent, like if the bike went down & landed on the bar end. :??:

[emory70]

i always thought the bar ends were just a protection thing, but since i am now seeing them called weights, what is their function? vibration control?

[alantf]

i always thought the bar ends were just a protection thing, but since i am now seeing them called weights, what is their function? vibration control?

Yes, but folks have reported that everything is fine without them. Like I just said, if the bike goes over, the long screw will likely get bent (& the weights scratched) so they do provide some measure of protection. :)

[blaine]

i always thought the bar ends were just a protection thing, but since i am now seeing them called weights, what is their function? vibration control?the

yes.They are for vibration control.But I removed mine to install after market grips.Did not see any difference.

:) :2tup:

[emory70]

they look like training wheels to me, so i was gonna ditchem. but the vibration aspect made me rethink. now i am rerethinking.

[Sarris]

Replaced mine with Kuryakyn ISO grips. Very comfy, larger diameter, cheap enough, and no noticeable change in vibration.

:2tup:

[Easy Rider]

First of all you've got to get the rubber expansion plug out.

And the "nut" that goes along with it.

It is possible....but not too likely....that the nut is just barely out of reach with the weight in place on the long screw.

FIRST thing to do it try to get the screw to catch the nut inside the bar by taking the weight OFF so that the screw goes in farther. If it does and the nut catches, then you pull the whole thing out and re-assemble before shoving it back in and tightening.

[Viirin]

I never had these on the bike but they look class - has the GZ got a 22mm handlebar and do you guys reckon these would fit it or would I need suzuki specific ones?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/BIKE-MOTORCYCLE-MOTO ... 2c55990b85 (http://cgi.ebay.ie/BIKE-MOTORCYCLE-MOTORBIKE-RACE-CARBON-BAR-ENDS-RED-/190414654341?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c55990b85)

[alantf]

has the GZ got a 22mm handlebar

No, it's 7/8"

[Easy Rider]

has the GZ got a 22mm handlebar

No, it's 7/8"

Which is 22.225 mm.
Pretty close.

[blaine]

I never had these on the bike but they look class - has the GZ got a 22mm handlebar and do you guys reckon these would fit it or would I need suzuki specific ones?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/BIKE-MOTORCYCLE-MOTO ... 2c55990b85 (http://cgi.ebay.ie/BIKE-MOTORCYCLE-MOTORBIKE-RACE-CARBON-BAR-ENDS-RED-/190414654341?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c55990b85)

Yes, they will fit.22mm-7/8 bars. :2tup:

[Viirin]

Ah sweet - It's like i'll appreciate them more now that i thought i couldn't have them haha

Thanks guys

[jeanied1]

Hey guys,

Well I've managed to get the handlebar grip off - no need to cut it in the end, got it off with good old fashioned boiling water: soaked a cloth, applied it to the grip and tugged like crazy till it came off!

And I've successfully replaced the broken clutch lever mount and got the clutch lever assembly all back together - yeeha! Went for an 86km ride yesterday morning and it's as good as new! :)

BUT! The conundrum about the bar end weight continues. As I said, I've got a screw about 2 inches long that goes through the end weight and looks like it should screw into the handlebar. But when I tried just screwing the screw into the bar it just slid straight in - ie no screwing! So at the moment I've got no way of securing the end weight to the end of the handlebar. It screws in with an Allen key (not a Phillips screwdriver), so I'm guessing from previous posts that this isn't a factory-issue part.

Am riding without it at the moment and there's no discernible difference to the bike handling. But I want to fix it, because if the bike fell on its side to the left, at the moment it would go straight down onto the end of the metal handlebar and not be protected by the end weight.... :??:

Jeanie

[dhgeyer]

As you should have realized from Alantf's post and mine, with full color photos (taken for your benefit), the pieces you need to screw the screw into are still in the handlebar. You need to fish them out, as Alan described, reassemble the unit using my second photo as a guide, reinsert the assembly, and follow the instructions you were given already.

Asking questions isn't going to do you any good if you don't read the answers.

[jeanied1]

First of all you've got to get the rubber expansion plug out.

And the "nut" that goes along with it.

It is possible....but not too likely....that the nut is just barely out of reach with the weight in place on the long screw.

FIRST thing to do it try to get the screw to catch the nut inside the bar by taking the weight OFF so that the screw goes in farther. If it does and the nut catches, then you pull the whole thing out and re-assemble before shoving it back in and tightening.

Done it! Used the screw as Easy Rider suggested to catch the nut and then pull the whole unit out in one go. It fell out in my hand as a bundle of rubber plug, screw, washer, nut etc but was then easy to reassemble using dhgeyer's photo (thanks for that!). Alantf - I tried the wire coat hanger approach but it was too fiddly, alas - thanks for the suggestion though!

So all good - end bar weight is now firmly attached to the end of the handlebar again, yeeha! :)

Thanks for all your advice, MUCH appreciated, folks!

Jeanie

[Easy Rider]

Thanks for all your advice, MUCH appreciated, folks!


YEA TEAM !! :tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Just for future grip removal. Squirt some WD-40 under the edge of the grip. It will penetrate and loosen any glue. Then use an ice pick, wiggle it around under the grip and eventually all the way around the bar. The grip will slip off nicely with no damage. Clean up the grip and bar for re-installation. And yes, the hair spray will work as mentioned for putting the grip on and holding it tight.