Boxerworks.com

So 22mm = 7/8" according to almost every website that sells motorcycle handlebars. That's hilarious! So hilarious that I now have several 7/8" bars that won't fit the perches on my bike. When I call to inquire the response is to grind the bars, one shop in Las Vegas recommended I grind out the inside of my perches.

Well I finally found a pair of real honest to goodness 22mm bars in the shape I wanted but they are just a bit too short. I've called every used airhead parts shop I can find and have been unsuccessful finding an old rusty donor pair of 22mm handlebars so I can cut the ends off and lengthen mine. I have a machinist with a very expensive precision bench vice that will TIG the ends on my bars... if they aren't perfect I know the perches won't slide on.

If anyone has an old pair (rusty, bent or otherwise unusable) with 4" straight that I could cut up that would be great! I'll pay shipping and a reasonable price to make it worth your while.

PM me through the forum here, Thanks!

I know you don't want to bore the mount but you're only talking about .009 inch approximately. I'd bore it in a heartbeat. Your riding comfort is paramount to how Stock the bike may be.

0m3nc0w wrote:So 22mm = 7/8" according to almost every website that sells motorcycle handlebars. That's hilarious! So hilarious that I now have several 7/8" bars that won't fit the perches on my bike. When I call to inquire the response is to grind the bars, one shop in Las Vegas recommended I grind out the inside of my perches.

Well I finally found a pair of real honest to goodness 22mm bars in the shape I wanted but they are just a bit too short. I've called every used airhead parts shop I can find and have been unsuccessful finding an old rusty donor pair of 22mm handlebars so I can cut the ends off and lengthen mine. I have a machinist with a very expensive precision bench vice that will TIG the ends on my bars... if they aren't perfect I know the perches won't slide on. . . .

There would be another possible solution if you know or can find someone with a good metal cutting lathe. The solution in my mind would be to install a 'plug/extension' into the ends of the existing bars, thus making them wider. The solution in my mind would be to get a length of cold rolled steel in 7/8" diameter if you can find it. If not you could turn down from 1" cold rolled stock. On a lathe turning the diameter down is no big deal. In any event you want to turn your piece of cold rolled stock down to 22 mm matching the diameter of your BMW handlebars. Then, with the now 22mm length of cold rolled in hand you will cut the diameter of the 22mm length down to the inside diameter of your existing handlebars. Now you have a 'plug' 22mm dia. on one end and of the required diameter to fit the hole in your existing handlebars. If you get the smaller diameter right you can probably knock the extension into your handlebars and count on friction keeping it in place. But if you don't feel comfortable with that you could sweat in some silver solder at the joint, or braze the joint. You could even TIG the joint and file off the excess metal.

Your handlebars will now be a few ounces heavier on the ends, but I don't see that as a big deal. Plus the slightly extra mass might change the resonant frequency of the handlebars to be ever so slightly less buzzy.

Right now this is all in my mind, but I have in mind tarting up my R100/7 with some 'S' bodywork that I'm taking off of my '77S. (I have some newly painted gorgeous smoke red body work that I can't wait to get on my S.)

Ken

Why not have your machinist friend turn down a 7/8" piece to do the extension? As a resource, beach cruiser and mountain bike handlebars for bicycles are 7/8" and there is (I think) a size of electrical conduit that is that size, as well.

As a matter of fact, a used 7/8" section of bicycle handlebar welded to your existing bar - as tidy as you can manage - and a nice newish Nicholson ten or twelve inch half round bastard file could make a mighty fine job of getting what you need. And, at the end, if you had to buy the file, you have a great tool left over. (To preserve files, store them in a way that they don't rub other tools, especially files.)

Chuey

Ken in Oklahoma wrote:

0m3nc0w wrote:So 22mm = 7/8" according to almost every website that sells motorcycle handlebars. That's hilarious! So hilarious that I now have several 7/8" bars that won't fit the perches on my bike. When I call to inquire the response is to grind the bars, one shop in Las Vegas recommended I grind out the inside of my perches.

Well I finally found a pair of real honest to goodness 22mm bars in the shape I wanted but they are just a bit too short. I've called every used airhead parts shop I can find and have been unsuccessful finding an old rusty donor pair of 22mm handlebars so I can cut the ends off and lengthen mine. I have a machinist with a very expensive precision bench vice that will TIG the ends on my bars... if they aren't perfect I know the perches won't slide on. . . .

There would be another possible solution if you know or can find someone with a good metal cutting lathe. The solution in my mind would be to install a 'plug/extension' into the ends of the existing bars, thus making them wider. The solution in my mind would be to get a length of cold rolled steel in 7/8" diameter if you can find it. If not you could turn down from 1" cold rolled stock. On a lathe turning the diameter down is no big deal. In any event you want to turn your piece of cold rolled stock down to 22 mm matching the diameter of your BMW handlebars. Then, with the now 22mm length of cold rolled in hand you will cut the diameter of the 22mm length down to the inside diameter of your existing handlebars. Now you have a 'plug' 22mm dia. on one end and of the required diameter to fit the hole in your existing handlebars. If you get the smaller diameter right you can probably knock the extension into your handlebars and count on friction keeping it in place. But if you don't feel comfortable with that you could sweat in some silver solder at the joint, or braze the joint. You could even TIG the joint and file off the excess metal.

Your handlebars will now be a few ounces heavier on the ends, but I don't see that as a big deal. Plus the slightly extra mass might change the resonant frequency of the handlebars to be ever so slightly less buzzy.

Right now this is all in my mind, but I have in mind tarting up my R100/7 with some 'S' bodywork that I'm taking off of my '77S. (I have some newly painted gorgeous smoke red body work that I can't wait to get on my S.)

Ken

I did just that ( turn AL plugs). They also serve as bar end mounts for my cvg bar end mirrors. So far so good-

Btw, the purchase on the bars was made by cutting the plugs at an angle like a schwinn bike stem and inserting a bolt into threads at the inside part.

I needed to extend the length of my handlebar to fit a different master cylinder / brake lever. I turned up some extensions from Al with an interference fit in the bar, drilled and tapped for M8 threads for mirrors and glued in with epoxy.

These guys are offering what they say is the real McCoy, they list the diameter as 22mm,
https://www.denniskirk.com/594183.sku?u ... 5712965997

I am running 7/8 bars, bike came with that size on it, perches work OK, no wedges, but I never really looked to see if they were honed out.

To bore out the casting is just short of crazy and totally unnecessary. You have the inclination to do it correctly and are under no pressure to get on the road in order to save your life. Do it correctly and you will always be glad that you did.

Does Flanders still sell bars? They have 22 mm bars, or did the last time that I checked. They used to make a lot of bars for various things. Earl Flanders was the west coast distributor for BMW until about 1972 when B & S took over. I don't need to tell you what BS stands for:-)

Flanders most definitely sells BMW handlebars in 22mm. Stock OEM bends and a few custom designs. Prices Are not terribly expensive either. Shipping add on.

When I acquired my 1978 R100S, it had extremely wide low bars -kind of a street tracker look- and painted black. Pretty fugly. Plus, the cables were pulled way too snug and chaffed on any contact point. I ended up buying a nice pair of gently used, chrome, 22mm R90S bend from Larry Stonestreet. At install, things went south...

Seems the PO had used a dowel (?) and sandpaper to hog out the perches. Of course, snugging down the perches to the new bars didn't happen; they just spun on the R90 bars. Closer inspection revealed a PO had ham-fisted the clutch perch and had broken the pinch clamp. Arrrgh.

Sourced decent used perches and swapped in the switches. Bought new brake and throttle cables. Cleaned up the throttle tube and finally called it done.

If it ain't the windmill, it's the hogs.

Monte Miller
Denton Texas, y'all