New bars and grips install. . how hard is it?

[DOUBLE G]

Looking for some tips on changing my bars out for new ones. I dont have a manual and was hoping someone could share with me how to remove the light switch and the horn without breaking them. Also the thottle is a mystery at this point. Thanks for any advice.

[hornetgod]

It's pretty simple really. You'll have to remove the levers first to gain access to the small phillips screws that hold both the horn button and dimmer switch. The grips are non-reusable. You'll have to order new ones. Once you cut the right grip off, you'll be able to remove the phillips screw that holds the throttle hardware together under the right grip at the 6 O'clock position. I highly recommend replacing the throttle cable since you have it all apart anyways. Just keep track of all the parts and how they came apart and put it back together in reverse order.

[DOUBLE G]

i ordered several hundred dollars of stuff but forgot the throttle cable, but thanks so much for the help. i will have to use the old one. hopefully using white grease will help the cruise control throttle .

[hornetgod]

Good luck with that, my throttle still sticks. I've just learned to live with it.

[maugust24]

Having owend 4 Z50,s and 3 CT70's I have never had a none sticking throttle that would return on its own. Maybe in 1970 when I had a brand new H it returned, but I am so old I cant remember.

Mike

[DOUBLE G]

Yes on my Z50 as a kid I thought it was a cool feature. I will tackle it today. . thanks

[hornetgod]

Originally Posted by maugust24

Having owend 4 Z50,s and 3 CT70's I have never had a none sticking throttle that would return on its own. Maybe in 1970 when I had a brand new H it returned, but I am so old I cant remember.

Mike

It was frustrating at first but, I've learned to live with it now.

[HymieP]

The best answer to this one, is get rid of the outdated horribly designed, antiquated, throttle design and upgrade to one-piece throttle. You'll never go back. Now I know some of you are saying it's not original, unless you're selling, or restoring to original, don't you want the best performing/operating throttle system? Trust me on this one.

[racerx]

I mostly agree with Jamie, the internal OEM throttle setup is kinda cheeezy, but not as bad as all that, particularly for a stocker. With work, these can be made to function fairly well and with up to a 22mm carb. It is even possible to extend travel beyond 22mm, but if your motor really needs more than a 22mm carb, you have a 70mph+ bike; for such a machine, the setup is basically "not Scottish" and should be replaced along with the stock suspension & brakes... another topic altogether. There are some high-quality aftermarket twist throttle assemblies, also a lot of junk. The good ones come with 3-digit price tags and a top-quality internal twist grip assembly, like the one Brad used, also require cutting off the end of the RH bar. That's not going to sit well with many.

It mainly boils down to tolerances. New replacement throttle pipes are pretty sloppily made. The internal helix has burrs and the pipe itself is too loose. New replacement vinyl grips don't fit correctly either. The RH grip can be trimed and left slightly outboard of where it should be; removing the plastic end plug from the replacement bar mitigates the offset somewhat. This should leave you with a free-moving throttle grip...that rattles like hell unless your hand is on it. It's livable, not optimal. Getting the slop out of the throttle pipe is an involved & time-consuming project. The helix is tough to reach with a die grinder. With time & use, they do "break-in" quite a bit. The simplest fix is to source a used vintage throttle pipe, they were much smoother & tighter. As for the "poor man's cruise control", source a stronger spring. The original wasn't that tough to begin with and 4 decades of being compressed haven't made it any stronger.

Hard to believe that any vinyl grip from the early `70s could still be worth removing for re-use but, it can be done. A heat gun, set to "low" will soften the vinyl, usually enough to twist it off the bar. Worst case, it'll allow enough stretch for a WD40 application after which the grip can easily be twisted loose.

[bjatwood]

Originally Posted by HymieP

The best answer to this one, is get rid of the outdated horribly designed, antiquated, throttle design and upgrade to one-piece throttle.

I have been kicking that thought around about my "H" project throttle control. It aint going to be 100% concours but a nice acting one piece throttle wouldn't take away that much from the overall "stockness" of the restoration, in my book anyway.