jeff geisen Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 (edited) My son's handlebars broke Sunday while riding very difficult sections. We were hammering expert lines at the site of our club trial last month. We were halfway through our "second loop", and I had ridden through the trap first. After passing through the end gate, I glanced back to watch Ian come through. but he waved me back to the start gates. When I got around to where he was, he was holding the whole right side of his Renthals, connected to the motorcycle by only the throttle cable and brake line! Luckily, he was doing some small front wheel hops while waiting for me to ride through. If the bars had broken anywhere else, especially in the sections, the results would have most likely been horrific. The bars broke right at the clamp. and of course the crossbrace broke off as well, just don't know which was first. Anyway, either heard or was told that a rule of thumb was to change handlebars every year. These Renthals gave no indication that they were going to fail-no cracking, creaking or any other clue! Scary , you know what I mean? Edited February 3, 2004 by Jeff Geisen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirdabsalot Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 That would be scary, Jeff! Before you put the new bars on, make sure the clamps (top and bottom) have rounded edges. If not, use a file to round them off. Also, make sure you torque them down properly to avoid overtightening. As a general rule, I always replace mine a week before I bend them (new bars...fall down...bend 'em), but I don't follow a schedule for replacing them. Good luck, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amiller Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 I have nothimg against Renthal bars, in fact thats what I use for replacement bars but over the last couple years within our club, Renthals seem to be the only bars that actually break. Everyone bends bars every now and then. Half those guys straighten them out as good as possible and continue using them. Not something I recommend. In the 02 season a buddy of mine just put a new set of renthals on his Monty for a event. Part way through the day at a fairly easy Expert section his season ended. The finish was across a deep gap you had to splatter over. No big deal really. When he pulled back on the bars the one side broke clean off at the cross brace. As he crashed into the other side of the gap out of controll he ended up breaking his leg along with other minor abrasions. These bars had about two hours on. A few other people have had more similar experiences as your son where their Renthal bars gave up in a place that was no big deal. You just cant imagine why it happened but were thankfull that it happened where it did. In my experience you should change bars after they have been bent no matter how minor. Also just like any bike maintiance you should always have a look at the bars. Check around the bends for stress marks. You will see them if you look close. If you start to see several forming than a bar change is just good insurance. Good Luck, Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr nick Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 I asked Lampkins about renewing handle bars on my 98 Techno They said - "There is no rule of thumb for changing them but change them quite often" I`m only a novice rider but I dont know what level the previous owner rode at ,and as they are the Original bars (from what I can tell) mine would need to be changed by now no matter what level he/she was.....before its to late Thanks for reminding me... Hope your son isnt to shook up about the accident regards N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff geisen Posted February 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Hey, Doc... I'm thankful to God that we did'nt need the services of any of your contemporarys. He is shook up, but in a good way. I will tell you that we have ordered new handlebars, and will not ride till the new ones are PROPERLY installed. I've invested a few bucks in a magnifying glass, and we will use it often to detect stress marks on handlebars in the future. I had taken a 5 on a previous section that day, and bent my Renthalls on the right side down, and a bit forward. Planned on slipping the throttle and lever off, and sliding a bar over and pulling them back to where they should be. After Ian's experience, those suckers are getting cut in two and recycled, so NOBODY can ever use 'em again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrc2002 Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 This is the sort of thing that riders don't believe will happen until it does. As with some riders not wearing helmets...'I never crash, helmets are for wusses!' Riders will think 'My renthals are strong and have managed to survive at least ___ crashes.' But what they dont realise is that they haven't at all survived it, the damage is there, and microscopic, the crashes will take there toll...microscopically...until they snap. Check your bars regularly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayneg Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 I've put some '98 Beta techno tapered handlebars on my bike last year which seem to be really solid. I used to bend the normal Domino bars fairly regularly, so I think that they are pretty tough. I am a clubman level rider so don't do any of the advanced stuff, but do manage to crash fairly often and don't tend to save the bike as I worry more about saving myself first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beta boy Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 (edited) well i definitly need to change my bars then. im still using the originals from 1995 Edited February 3, 2004 by beta boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxlass Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Similar think happened to my daughter over Christmas. We had entered the annual Fun Trial (finally an easy trial she could have a good stab at). She cleaned Section 1 and just started Section 2 and slipped in the mud and went down. Not very hard, but the handle bars (Hebo) snapped completely, just held on by the clutch cables. She was really upset, because like I said it was one trial she would have been able to complete and get a good mark. Replaced them with Renthals, hope these will be okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylael Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Most of my close riding buddies use original eqt. Montesa handlebars. They are quite a bit thicker walled than renthalls and they come in Dougie's personal bend. Even so this bike (well used '01 Montesa)has suffered two incidents of broken handlebars. The clamp edges have been radiused. It's just all the flexing that occurs when you are big on yanking on the bars with brute force. Seems like renthalls break with alarming regularity. Those tapered bars look like the best way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne thais Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 I used the Hebo tapered bars on my 99 GG and then moved them to an 02, 03 and 04 Sherco. They flex and absorb some shock and they seem to be very durable, they have never bent or broken. They have had many ocassions to bend or break. I am now using the Tag bars on my 04 Sherco, the Hebo were on my sons. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 When you speak about tappered bars what exactly are you meaning? What is tappered about them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff geisen Posted February 4, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Wayne, I respect your opinion, but I did not know that the tapered bars were able to work on the late Paioli fork crown. I'm likely to move to expert this season, and will be planting the bars often, and need the strongest bars I can get. The Hebos are the same cost as Renthalls, plus the expense of the clamps. I could buy the Hebo set-up, or two pair of Tommassellis, and have change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayneg Posted February 4, 2004 Report Share Posted February 4, 2004 Tapered bars are fatter in the clamp area and then taper gradually to be the same size as normal bars at the grips. I use the Domino tapered bars as introduced on the '98 Beta Techno, but similar bars come standard with the newer Scorpas, and also Hebo are offering them now as well. The important thiing to remember if getting some is that they need to be in a trials bend, and that you do need to change the handlebar clamps which isn't really all that hard. I crash a fair amount, and due to a lack of control the handlebars do take a hammering - I still haven't bent the tapered bars after having them for about a year now, whereas with the standard Domino bars they were bending every few months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne thais Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 There are four ways that I know of to install the Tag or Hebo tapered bars on the Sherco. 1. Buy a "99" top triple clamp, it fits the newer models, it still has the flat mounting area. 2. Obtain a custom top triple clamp, I obtained one that was originally made for a GG, it fits my "04" perfectly. 3. Purchase a set of adapters from Fly Racing, www.flyracing.com. The adapters raise the bars 3/4". 4. Machine the stock triple clamp to receive the larger diameter bars. I did this to my "02". You have to use the upper handelbar clamp from the conversion kit. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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