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Leaded Bars
- Thread starter Mark Lewis
- Start date
The best way to go. I've replaced my two Specials, '83 and '78, handlebars with stock Standard bars that are leaded.
Mark Lewis
XS650 Enthusiast
Apparently it is factory. I'm surprised!
There was a "New Product Review" in Cycle Magazine years ago about a product that I suspect was acrylic caulk to fill bars to deaden vibration. As a luthier, work on violins, this makes perfect sense to me. Imagine how dead a fiddle would sound if it was filled with lead or caulk.
Scott
Scott
Doug79
XS650 Addict
where did you find them? are they available new?
Hi Mark,
I very much doubt the factory would lead fill 'bars they'd also pierced and reinforced to allow internal cable runs.
All the weighted stock 'bars I've seen have had steel slugs welded inside them.
OK, some Yamaha bars may have been lead filled at the factory even if I've never seen or read about them
but I'd bet the lead fill in the bars in your photos was done by a dreaded PO, not by the factory.
However, you can have internal cables or you can have lead-filled bars but you can't have both.
I'm guessing that if you deliberately hunted down those perforated bars you must want to run internal cables.
To do that you'll need to run the lead out. Take all manner of precautions. You don't want melted lead on your skin.
You don't want lead vapours in your lungs. If the chrome discolours it'll clean up with BlueBgone or other propriatory exhaustpipe polish.
Of course, if you don't want to run internal cables, fling 'em on as - is, lead fill does help calm down the 'bar vibration.
And although you can't lead fill internal cable bars you can drive lead slugs into the ends of the bar to change it's vibration frequency.
Hi Scott.
I deadened the CB750 bars I used to have on my XS650 by first shoving a plastic 12 Gauge shotgun shell wad (it's a perfect fit) down each end of the bar to just around the first bend then pouring each end full of a slurry of 2-part cold-set rubber and #7 lead shot and then let it set up.
Before the treatment the bars went BOINNNG when given a rap. Afterwards they just went thud.
Hey Doug, I picked mine up through the classifieds or eBay, used. My assumption is that they are stock factory filled.
I may have to check my '77D to see if they're filled with lead, for laughs, as they're stock bars.
Mines a 75 xs650b UK version. It's got stock bars and they have this plug. I've always understood this to be stock. Doubt it's lead BTW a pick won't mark it.
Yes, for claritys sake "filled" or "plugged" and not assuming it to be lead would be proper. One of my replacements was from a '75......has the opening at the bottom for wiring but I don't recall openings just below the grip space.
