1" handlebar conversion

[justjoe]

I have a 1980 XS1100 Midnight Special and would like to put 1" handlebars on it.Does anybody know if there is another triple tree that will fit the XS and allow me to do this? Thanks for the help..Joe

[roccet]

View 3d cad forum
this is something im working on right now...
it will take some time to get what your after since i have a schedule of things i need to get done. but Yes i will be making a conversion kit as well as a new tree to accept 1 inch bars.

[motoman]

Best bar set-up: set of fully adj. Heli-Bars on your 7/8" mount, (90-94 Honda ST1100) Put same set on the Venturer, as I have them on the ST. They are the bomb!

[fredintoon]

I have a 1980 XS1100 Midnight Special and would like to put 1" handlebars on it.Does anybody know if there is another triple tree that will fit the XS and allow me to do this? Thanks for the help..Joe

Hi Joe and welcome,
simplest way to get 1" bars on a 7/8" tree is to go on line and look for bar mount risers. They risers you need will be clamped in the MNS 7/8" tree and will fit on a 1" bar.
You have to live with the new bar being up from the stock position but you can fit a shallower bar to compensate.
BTW, why you need to do this? I been riding for some decades and I ain't bent a 7/8" bar yet.

[xs11bobber]

BTW, why you need to do this? I been riding for some decades and I ain't bent a 7/8" bar yet.

It is easier to get the custom look with levers/controls on 1" bars without requiring the shims like I'm using... only thing I can think of Phil

[justjoe]

I found a place online called roxspeedfx.com.They make some nice 2" swivel risers.Fred,to answer your question..Josh was close.I like the selection of 1" bars and controls better than what is available in 7/8".

[LoHo]

Fred wrote: BTW, why you need to do this? I been riding for some decades and I ain't bent a 7/8" bar yet.

Hah, got you beat, Fred. I managed to bend my bars in only a couple of years of riding. Of course, one has to hit the ground pretty hard to do it.

[MindWebs]

yup... LoHo i know what ya mean..

it sucks too...

3 months on crutches..
good thing my truck at the time was an auto.

my left bar was bent down flat against my front fork.
(i have skill)

[von_gambit]

Handlebar controls

I am looking to do the same thing to my SF. I LOVE my controls on my 07 Sportster, especially the turn signal controls. Call my a wuss, but I wanna put 1" bars and Sportster controls on my bike for the convenience, not necessarily for strength. But, in looking at my bike today, I am wondering if you could just attach a hone bit to your drill and hone out the stock handlebar mounts an extra 1/8", or a little shy of that, and burr up the finished face of the inner wall?

XS forever!

[Lunatic]

Excellent

View 3d cad forum
this is something im working on right now...
it will take some time to get what your after since i have a schedule of things i need to get done. but Yes i will be making a conversion kit as well as a new tree to accept 1 inch bars.

You sir are an asset to the forum. I won't need the part, but I do think its GREAT that you're going to offer these for folks.

[crazy steve]

I am looking to do the same thing to my SF. I LOVE my controls on my 07 Sportster, especially the turn signal controls. Call my a wuss, but I wanna put 1" bars and Sportster controls on my bike for the convenience, not necessarily for strength. But, in looking at my bike today, I am wondering if you could just attach a hone bit to your drill and hone out the stock handlebar mounts an extra 1/8", or a little shy of that, and burr up the finished face of the inner wall?

XS forever!

Why go to all that trouble? The specials have removable risers like HD does, so just swap out the risers. The only problem you may have is the center-to-center distance may not be the same (I think the XS comes in at about 4" C/C, Harley is 3 1/2") so that may slightly limit your handlebar choices.

Us standard owners, we need adaptors; there's not quite enough meat to enlarge the holes that big.

'78E original owner

[bikerphil]

The specials have removable risers like HD does

The Special handlebars bolt up the same way as the Standards, except the top clamps are 2 piece as the Standard is 1 piece. Lower clamps are fixed to the triple tree.

[crazy steve]

The Special handlebars bolt up the same way as the Standards, except the top clamps are 2 piece as the Standard is 1 piece. Lower clamps are fixed to the triple tree.

Yeah, you're right; I was thinking of the XJ top tree.... my bad. Would that swap onto the earlier bikes?

'78E original owner

[fredintoon]

- - - I am wondering if you could just attach a hone bit to your drill and hone out the stock handlebar mounts an extra 1/8", or a little shy of that, and burr up the finished face of the inner wall? - - -

Hi Von,
you could perhaps get away with it. The steel upper half-clamps are best bolted together toe to toe and the resulting full circle then bored or drilled or turned (according to what machine tooling you have access to) out to 1" diameter. As the upper 'tree is aluminum a determined shade tree mechanic could (carefully!) file out the lower half circles to 1" diameter.
Bolt in the 1" bar at no cost except for a little sweat equity.
It might just be that the hold down bolts are just a tad too close together to clear a 1" bar. If so, it won't be by much and can be easily fixed.
Determine the approximate angle the bars need to sit at and (again, carefully!) file small notches in them so the bolts will clear.

[ManitoulinLad]

Hey JustJoe: Thx for the info on the risers - I may look into that at a later date. I'm thinkin a a little grinding for the bottom to 7/8's & a filler for the top for the 7/8's. That rise & adjustable pullback looks fantastic for the ole buckhorns a real custom adjustment. - Dan