V7 III Racer bar conversion

[mnuttall87]

Can anyone give me some general tips before I start the bar conversion on a V7III racer?  I believe I have all of the pieces as I read another post here that said you don't need to swap the clutch cable for the LSL bar conversion.

Just want to make sure I have some basics covered....like
1) The throttle tube seems to be held into the racer clip-on by a little pinhole in the bars, the LSL ones don't have this.  Should I drill out a hole for that?
2) Whats the easiest way to get the throttle tube and other controls off and onto the the new LSL bars?
3) The LSL bars don't have threaded ends - I feel like I need a little expansion plug to put the racer bar ends back on there.

For anyone else who has done the conversion, would love to hear any tips you have or guidance for the general process!
Thanks.

[usedtobefast]

For #1 - Some guys go thru the trouble of drilling holes into the new bars ... but how the heck do you figure out where the holes should go?  So I used a dremel and ground down the plastic pins from the controls.  I guess the new hole route is a bit more professional.

For #3 - At the same time I did the bars I also switched over to bar end mirrors with the expanding bolt/plug.  So if you want to use the original bar end weights you'll need the same expanding plug and possibly a longer bolt?  The trick is getting the right expander for your inner bar diameter and a bolt that fits that and goes through your bar end weight.
Something like this:




Also, if you want to go el-cheapo, a piece of hose that just barely fits inside the bars with a nut/washer at end of bolt ... tighten it up, bolt mushes hose, hose expands and hold bar end in place.  Couldn't find a picture.  You will want at least 1.5" long piece of hose, 2" is better ... not sure if the stock bar end bolt is long enough ... but, bolt thru bar end ... then slide hose over bolt ... then a washer and a nut on the bolt ... tighten the nut down until it touches the hose ... slide all of that inside the bar and then tighten the bolt ... that pulls the nut up against the hose, bulges the hose out, and expands inside the bar.  Hope all that makes sense.  Just a cheap way to do the same thing as the fancy expander bolts thing above. 

Ok, #2.  Not sure I understand the question.  Loosen the controls up from the clip ons, remove clip ons, install LSL bars, put controls back on. 

The real question is what's the best way to remove the clip ons.   
The professional way:
- lift front wheel off ground.  Remove front wheel, fender, brace.
- remove fork tubes
- remove everything from clips ons
- remove clip ons
- reinstall fork tubs, brace, fender, front wheel
- install Stone handlebar clamps, LSL bar
- etc.

An unprofessional way ...
- remove everything from clip ons
- remove top triple clamp
- slide off clip ons
- put top triple clamp back on
- install Stone handlebar clamps, LSL bar, etc

Let me know if any of that was confusing.

[Rick4003]

An unprofessional way ...
- remove everything from clip ons
- remove top triple clamp
- slide off clip ons
- put top triple clamp back on
- install Stone handlebar clamps, LSL bar, etc

Let me know if any of that was confusing.

Why do you recon that this is an unprofessional way? Less money in the cashier because it takes less time?
I can't really see the problem by not removing the front wheel, fork tubes and all.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

you can get a couple 'starfangled nuts' aka a 'star nut' for a 1" steerer tube on a bicycle at the local bike shop and drive them into the bars to mount the bar end weights... I believe they are threaded for a m5 bolt

https://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=20027600&currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvvj5BRDkARIsAGD9vlK3imPtLXFDpfaZzMYJtmXzkGj-RSg6y752NYFPwPp4l63NDjypKLYaAsJjEALw_wcB

make sure you get the 1" version tho, should go in a 7/8" (22mm) bar easily... those are harder to find than the 1 1/8" version, which is the current standard....  There where 1" threadless headsets at one time, so they exist, but most 1" headtube bikes had threaded steerers & headsets, so the SFN for a 1" threadless is a little harder to find.  Jenson or Performance bike prob has them cheaper than the link I posted.

[mnuttall87]

For #1 - Some guys go thru the trouble of drilling holes into the new bars ... but how the heck do you figure out where the holes should go?  So I used a dremel and ground down the plastic pins from the controls.  I guess the new hole route is a bit more professional.

If you remove the tab and then move the throttle tube to the new bars, the screws holding together the throttle housing are enough to keep it in place when operating the throttle?  Meaning opening and closing the throttle won't cause the whole assembly to spin?

[usedtobefast]

Why do you recon that this is an unprofessional way? Less money in the cashier because it takes less time?
I can't really see the problem by not removing the front wheel, fork tubes and all.

Some would say if you leave the front wheel on the ground and take the top triple clamp off that is a bad thing.  Only the lower clamp is then holding the forks at that point.  I guess you could still lift the front wheel off the ground and then remove the top triple clamp. But then you have the weight of the wheel and again the forks are then only supported by that lower clamp.

And I guess the super professional thing to do would be to also pull the triple clamp out and check and grease the steering stem bearings at that time. 

But either way works. 

[usedtobefast]

If you remove the tab and then move the throttle tube to the new bars, the screws holding together the throttle housing are enough to keep it in place when operating the throttle?  Meaning opening and closing the throttle won't cause the whole assembly to spin?

That is correct.  Just tightening the controls down holds them in place, no spinning.  I did make sure to carefully and completely grind the plastic tabs down so that area fit fully on the bar. 

The reasons I went that route:
1. seemed easier to grind off plastic tabs vs. drilling holes
2. I've never been good at precisely drilling a hole into a round object
3. I wasn't 100% sure where I wanted the bars to end up before riding the bike.  So if I set them in an initial position, drilled holes in bars, then on first ride felt like the bars needed to be rotated forward/back a bit, then the controls would be up/down a bit.

So decision driven by laziness, lack of skill, and indecisiveness.   

[malik]

Making holes in the bars? I've done it a few times - getting the bars in the right position/angles can take more than a few goes, and you don't need half a dozen holes in the new bars. I wrap electrical tape under the switch blocks, until I'm satisfied with the angles, then drill the hole through the tape at the bump the locating pin makes, then remove the tape. All done.

I went the other way & replaced the standard bars with lower ones or clip-ons. I found the Racer cables to be just a tad shorter than the stock ones. The Racer ones will likely work OK, but next time you need cables, get the ones for the other models.

[mnuttall87]

Making holes in the bars? I've done it a few times - getting the bars in the right position/angles can take more than a few goes, and you don't need half a dozen holes in the new bars. I wrap electrical tape under the switch blocks, until I'm satisfied with the angles, then drill the hole through the tape at the bump the locating pin makes, then remove the tape. All done.

I went the other way & replaced the standard bars with lower ones or clip-ons. I found the Racer cables to be just a tad shorter than the stock ones. The Racer ones will likely work OK, but next time you need cables, get the ones for the other models.

I'm a touch on the shorter side, so I was trying to improve the reach for myself.  The LSL bars bring them about 2 inches closer which seems perfect for me.

[mnuttall87]

An unprofessional way ...
- remove everything from clip ons
- remove top triple clamp
- slide off clip ons
- put top triple clamp back on
- install Stone handlebar clamps, LSL bar, etc

Let me know if any of that was confusing.

Any tips on removing the top triple clamp?

[usedtobefast]

Not sure if you have the service manual, available here:  http://www.thisoldtractor.com/mg_manuals/workshop_manual_v7-iii-abs_en.pdf

Doesn't really give a step-by-step removal, but some pictures and diagrams in the suspension section. 

One thing to realize, the top triple clamp bolt (large shinny aluminum light bolt) is not the bolt that holds the bearings into the steering stem ... that job is the two lock rings under the triple clamp.  So it should be possible to remove the top triple clamp and not disturb the tightness of your steering stem bearings.  Pg 189 shows how you tighten those lock rings ... probably a good idea to check all that as you do this work.  Meaning, any play in the steering stem?  Too lose?  Too tight?  If that is all perfect as-is, then no need to mess with those lock rings.

And the V7 iii process for steering stem bearings is similar to many other bikes ... so you could search/read about that if you want.  Some guys tighten them until they are "stiff" (moving handle bars side to side) and then back off a bit from there.  But most guys lift the bike up a bit (front wheel off ground), hold the forks and push/pull towards/away from the bike and see if they feel any play, if no play they call it good.  And again, that adjustment is made with the two lock rings under the triple clamps. 

So if no play, and good movement of the bars side to side, then you don't have to get into all that ... just pull off the top triple clamp ... don't disturb those lock rings underneath ... pull the clip ons off the right & left fork tubes ... put the top triple clamp back on and tighten bolts back up.  You should get that center bolt tight first, then tighten the bolts that clamp the fork tubes in place.

[mnuttall87]

Any tips on removing the top triple clamp?

Guess I'm really asking do I need to remove #2 also in addition to #1?  The workshop manual is really vague on this.

[usedtobefast]

Loosen both side #1, remove #2, and good to go.

On re-install, reverse, tighten #2, then the #1 bolts.

[mnuttall87]

Loosen both side #1, remove #2, and good to go.

On re-install, reverse, tighten #2, then the #1 bolts.

Perfect, thank you for the quick reply!

[mnuttall87]

Loosen both side #1, remove #2, and good to go.

On re-install, reverse, tighten #2, then the #1 bolts.

Do you recall what size hex that is for #2?

[usedtobefast]

Do you recall what size hex that is for #2?

Sorry, don't remember.  I think I used a tool like this:





Not sure where you are located, but many CycleGear places have these in stock as then are used on axles of many Japanese bikes.   Also, please double check my memory :) , but I think that is the route I went.

[mnuttall87]

Sorry, don't remember.  I think I used a tool like this:





Not sure where you are located, but many CycleGear places have these in stock as then are used on axles of many Japanese bikes.   Also, please double check my memory :) , but I think that is the route I went.

Awesome, thanks so much.  I was able to get it all and the bars installed.  That triple tree was ridiculous to pull off.  It seemed like it was glued on.