OK, so I'm about to change out the stock handlebars for some nice, wide Yanaha Road Star Bars. Seems simple enough...but doesn't it always? Unbolt/unscrew everything from the old bars, take them off, bolt on the new bars and put everything back on in the same place it was before. And I DO take pictures first.

So, anyone have anything to warn me about before I get to it? Nothing I love more than unscrewing some seemingly simple 2-pieced part and then watch 2 microsprings, 3 shims and an unidentifiable something-or-other fall to the floor, and I have NO idea where they came from or in what order...

Or is it really as simple as it seems? Toughest part seems like it's gonna be the grips, but I've read all 79 related posts from the forums, and I have my handy screwdriver, hacksaw blade and WD-40 at the ready (and acetone if the WD-40 doesn't take care of the glue).

TIA,

RK

Have fun, and remember, a few leftover parts are nothing to worry about.

RoadieFF--

Yeah, I agree...I always thought that whole brake cylinder thingie on the bars was overrated and ugly...prolly leave that one in the spare parts bin.

Darwin Awards, here I come!

RK

Becarful of the wiring. You can pull things loose inside the switch that won't look loose afterwards but stuff won't work.

Again, I never made that mistake. Just heard it can happen.

Hmmm...you and I hear a lot of the same things, Musky...

RK

getting the grips off isn´t that hard if you attack it in a relaxed manner.

whip off the chrome endcaps (large pliers with a strip of old inner tube to protect the chrome work well), insert a long fine screwdriver all the way in taking care not to put a hole in the grip and sqirt some wd40 in the gap by the screwdriver. rotate the handle of the screwdriver, and it will go round the bar under the grip. pull the screwdriver out, give the grip a wiggle and it´ll slide straight off.

degrease the inside, and when you want to put it on the new bars, moisten the inside with petrol and it´ll slide on then stick when the petrol evaporates.

piece of cake mate!

only thing to watch out for is if you remove the clutch lever to get the cable out, unscrew the clutch cutout switch under the lever before you replace the lever. the small rod is made of fragilium, and i´ve seen more than a few of them snapped off by folks trying to replace the lever with them in situ.

Erizo--

Thanks for the heads up on the clutch cutout...THAT'S the kind of stuff that always gets me! Fragilium and I just don't seem to get along...

Moochas Grassyass,

RK