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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | A while back I answered a post from a company looking for someone that would be interested in a set of custom bars for the Vision. It seems this company was interested in prototyping a set to see if there would (a) be a market for such an accessory, (b) how much work would be involved in designing and building such a part, and (c) if it would be something like would like to offer to the Vision riding public.
In discussing what I would like to see in a set of custom bars, I requested what I thought were reasonably simple parameters. They should follow a similat line as the stock bars, incorporate roughly 2 inches of pullback, be drilled for internal wiring, and they need to be round. THe odd shape of the Vision bars really doesn't appeal to me.
I got a call last week to let me know the bars were finished. At that time, they informed me that had we not arranged a price prior to the job, the cost would likely be several times higher than what we had agreed on. I was also informed at that time, that the indiviual that made them stated that he never wanted to make another set. There was just too must work involved in getting them to fit. They said that if they were to offer them, due to the amount of work and material involved, they would have to charge up to $800 or more for a completed set.
Anyway, today I got the package in the mail. They are in raw form. I'll be test fitting them this weekend to see if I like how they feel, before dropping them off at my powdercoater on Monday.
I'll add pics as things progress. For now, here's a couple of pics...
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Cruiser
Posts: 296
Central Florida | Mike, they look good in the pix. please let us know you make out with them.
I am relatively happy with stock bars as I dont have to stretch to reach mine at all.
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | comments deleted
Edited by varyder 2008-04-05 3:24 PM
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Tourer
Posts: 550
Tacoma, WA | Looks pretty good! ----Metalguy | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | Well, it's been an informative afternoon, if nothing else. I got the stock bars removed and the new bars in place. I really like the way they look and feel on the bike. It allows me to lean back a bit more and should allow me to make full use of the seat and it's lower back support. Here's a couple of shots with the new bars in place. I didn't bother fully mounting everything as this was meant to just be a test fit.
The bad news, however, is the that the bike used to mock up the bars obviously did not have a GPS installed. With the bars turned fully left or right, they hit the GPS unit.
Problem? Yeah. Big problem? Not really. I don't mind having a GPS, but I find I really don't use it all that much. So, I may just go ahead and sell it. The only problem with that then would be the three holes left in my center console; the two for the mount, and the one I just put in it to route the wire through the console instead of around it. Maybe there's someone out there looking for a good deal on a nearly new 2720 who would be willing to swap put their center panel with mine.
Well, now it's offf to the coaters on Monday...
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | Oh, almost forgot...Aside from the bars hitting the GPS, they are very well constructed. They've been predrilled for internal wiring and have the set points drilled for the switch housings and were filled and tapped on the ends so I can use the stock grips and endcaps!! | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | you could heat them and put two dimples where the GPS hits. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 82
Northwest of you | Mike, I sent you a "PM" about a "swap", if you really are interested. I don't know if it went through, It's my first "pm" on this site. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | They look a lot like Arlen's Drag bars in his catalog. His are cut short 2" instead of pullback 2". | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | Well, my coater rocks! I dropped the bars off on Monday around 4pm and when I stopped in to check on them Tuesday at 5:30, they were done. He cleaned up what little there was left to clean up and covered them in a gloss black. I had thought about going back to the stock silver, but he had the black on hand AND it does break up the area pretty well; contrasting with the panel, reservoirs, and switch housings.
I started installation at 6pm yesterday and worked until 1am, desoldering the switches, running the harnesses inside the bars, resoldering, etc, and got them mounted onlt to find all 4 harnesses were roughly 4 inches too short...
I got started back on it today around 5pm and just finished up a few minutes ago. I got lucky and was able to finagle enough of each harness out of the bars to add 6 inches of wire to each. Now, weverything fits and I don't have any harnesses running down the bars!!!
I've got some more pics to load and some details on the project to post, but it's late, I'm tired, my hands and back hurt, and I want to test ride it before I post any more on it. My initial feeling is that it will all be worth it, but I'll find out tomorrow evening...
Edited by mike s 2008-04-09 11:53 PM
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New Vision Bars