Lead Weights

Hail

Hail

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www.haileyan.net
So I am one of those whose hands go numb after about 30 minutes of riding. Before anyone reads anything in to this I always keep my elbows loose and I do not keep a death grip on my bars. I am always quite relaxed. My problem is that I had surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome about 20 years ago and high frequency vibration has always been a problem for me. ...a problem on every bike Ihave owned or riden.

I have read many articles about using bar snakes, lead shot and foam to help with the vibration.

I decided against foam because a.) it is a mess b.) most of the articles I read, after some time in the seat the posters said it was an improvement but not a drastic one.

I decided against the bar snake simply because of cost, though, I have heard nothing but good things about it. That eaves lead as the most viable, cost effective alternative. However, I din not want to put shot in and have it spill out all over the place every time I take my bar ends off. I decided to use egg shaped fishing weights of the 1oz ($4.50 for 16 count bag) variety from Wally world.

I tried 1.25oz but they were to big. The 1 oz weights were perfect. Some were snug and a few took a little coaxing to go in to the bar. Those that needed coaxing I used a large allen wrench and a hammer to tap them in. I inserted the weights from both sides until I had some resistance. I then put one bar end back on and hammered gently a bit more from the other end which made enough room for one more weight. It urned out perfect because the 2nd bar end got a little resistance when it was about half way in. Screwing it the rest of the way in forced all of the weights together so that they cannot rattle .

All in all it took 2 x 16 count bags of 1oz. weights. That is 2 lbs. I know some folks will balk at the thought of adding any weight. Keep in mind that I lost 30 last year and several more with the Yosh TRC CF slip on. I may go ahead and remove the centerstand to save a bit more as I now have front and rear stands and do not need the center stand.

The true test will be my next commute to work. That is a prefect test being a 45 minute drive. Unfortunately, that will probably not happen until 2 Fridays from now. I will post up after my ride test.
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Good writeup!

Fishing weights are an interesting take on doing this... I've seen many use lead shot... and in much smaller sizes... a lot of them have to tape over the locating holes in the handlebars, or the lead will get into the control pods and short things out.

500 Credits coming at you for the write-up with pictures.
 
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I would think the lead shot would be more effective since you're able to add more mass in there and it makes contact with the whole inside of the bars minimizing air pockets.

I replaced the stock bar ends with heavier ones that claim to further eliminate vibrations. Haven't ridden the bike since the install so I can't comment on their effectiveness yet.

Let us know your results...
 
Heres a couple more items in your search to eleminate vibration and the effects you spoke of. Grip puppies, softer foam sleeves and the throttle rocker for a relaxed grip, more just resting on the handelbar/throttle.
 
Great idea! How about a few weights in one end, lead shot to fill the bar, then a few weights in the other end to compact it all? Think that might be the best of both worlds? I've heard of people filling the bars after a small shot of expanding foam at one end, then once full, shoot the other end and after it hardens, clean out the excess and screw the bar end on.

Another guy stuffed a piece of foam rubber into the end that was slightly larger than the ID of the bar... rolled it up and pushed it through the hole. Once in, filled the bar with shot and did the same foam rubber plug at the other end.

I've heard of another group, but cannot remember where I read it, who milled the risers to be larger than the bar then fill the void with a hard rubber to create a gasket for the bars to clamp around. Others in the same group had used a polyurethane strip wrapped around the bar and clamped. Both of those claimed 100% relief.

Just some thoughts on past readings.... Hope what you did helps immensely!
 
NJFZ1 said:
I would think the lead shot would be more effective since you're able to add more mass in there and it makes contact with the whole inside of the bars minimizing air pockets.

I replaced the stock bar ends with heavier ones that claim to further eliminate vibrations. Haven't ridden the bike since the install so I can't comment on their effectiveness yet.

Let us know your results...
Click to expand...

Definitely not as much contact as shot. However, the way I have them crammed in there each weight should be making contact in 2 spots (if not the entire circumference on some). That should be 66 contact points (including bar ends) down the length of the entire bar. It should provide substantial dampening. The proof will be in the pudding as they say.
 
FZ1inNH has a good idea with the ends sealed, because over time vibration breaks down the lead into some-what a lead dust, and if it could escape it would be highly adverse to your health with all the wind turbulence in that area, contaminating your air supply.
 
I too beleive that there is something to the led shot. all though what your doing may work good enough.
The shot will act as an absorber because the vibration loss in transfer of energy from one ball to the next. Thats why dead blow hammers have shot in them in stead having a solid hunk of led.
But mass is also used and is a beloved tool of many engineers. Just look at just about any new truck exhaust. Ford has some so big that they put a teather on them incase it falls off it wount kill somebody.

Oh and BTW being that we here in Cali are tree hugging hippies.. we are having our lead taken away from use. It has already started with led wheel wieghts.
Dam them... dam them all to hell.. there are taking our Heave Metel...What next. No Led Zeppin.. I mean where does is end.. It's all Dan Quail-e's fault.
I'm sorry. I'll go back to me corner.:smokin2:
 
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These are the ones I have (except mine are all metal). I had them powdercoated black so they look stock. Can't wait to try them out...
 
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It's a bummer California has went the way it has, I was born and raised there, from 1951. I'v seen the Growth (blight) take once beautifull hillsides and destroy whatever beauty was there into eyesores. When I was young, my hometown was 27,000 an average to largish town, that is, out out and away from the big citties. Everyone knew everyone else, you could get a job by just asking friends, rents were cheap, homes a bit more, like the average $20,000 or so for a three bedroom, probably new or near new. You thought nothing of the people you'd meet, for instance, my uncles brother raiser quarter horses and a fiew thoroughbreds, A couple people always seeming to come over there when I was about 8 years old, a couple were Walt Disney and Desi Arnez. They were all the time looking for fine horses, and my uncles brother was one of a select fiew with premier horses. My Mom And Dad would have BBQ's over at our place or at Ricky and Lucy's place, it wasn't uncommon for Joe Damaggio to come over, any even brought Marilyn with him, being married at the time. I was only about 1 year old at that event, but to think of it's cool. You had wide open spaces back then, Palm Springs was a destination for the very rich back then, Malibu was just a little beach city, San Francisco a world away, Places like Joshua tree were in the desert, remote, no life around. The beaches were few and far between, We'd just came out of Eisenhower, and Kenedy was the thing, The high school years brought the moon landing, I met different celebrities and became friends with the likes of Timothy Leary, Stephen Stills, and Jimi Hendrix, I even had occasion to meet Charles Manson, ....way creepy back then I might add. It was nothing to be in the thick of it, it meant nothing really, it just was. I left California in 2006 for the last time, and never looked back. Having relatives still in California and keeping in touch weekly, I'v heard of all the dissaster and blight and poverty, such a shame for a once beautiful place. But California was invaded by people wanting to get rich quick, consume every resourse and have it all....ME, the Me, ME syndrome. Malcontents invaded, then Mexico, until now you see what it has become, but too late, the dammage is done. I'v seen square hundereds of miles of oranges, grapes, and dairies fall to urban sprawl, all to developers who came to rape and harvest and plunder California, many of whom didn't even live there, or at least not once they were done with their plunder. When you mention, it gives me pause.... time to remember how it once was. But at least I got to live it and see it back when it was the Golden State.
 
Gohot229 said:
Heres a couple more items in your search to eleminate vibration and the effects you spoke of. Grip puppies, softer foam sleeves and the throttle rocker for a relaxed grip, more just resting on the handelbar/throttle.
Click to expand...

+1 on the Grip Puppies and Throttle Rocker. I have mild carpal tunnel and exclusively use these two things and it helps a lot.
 
Value

I think your solution Brad was the best value for money and the pictures made it simple for anyone that wants to try it. As far as lead dust or anything like that, people worry too much. Lead is most harmfull to young children whose brains are still growing and developing as lead has a cumulative affect. Once you have hit 40 you have been exposed to enough lead that if it hasn't damaged your brain by now you won't notice anything anyway......hey what was I talking about... Oh yeah. They were still useing lead pencils when I went to school and lead paints, and aside from my spelling I can still function in society. I was thinking of taking those lead weights and melting them down and pouring them into a mould. Then just hammering it down the tubes, but Brad's way is the simplest. I look forward to a ride report. If I was worried about the weight I would just skip the burger for lunch and we'd be even.:gagged:
 
Heh...must have missed the pos on cost. My throttlemeisters have lasted damn near 8 years and are still in perfect condition. I just bought adapters for fz1 and they fit perfectly. When I called for adapters they said it was an engineering defect due to fact that you can reuse tmeisters on every bike ;) I think they've paid for themselves a few times over...great investment kinda like my stitch that just hit 10 years old and is still perfect.
 
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