bertmoog
Yes, I am.
I've been driving around with clip-ons and that unsightly handlebar clamp now for a couple of months and finally decided the clamp had to go. Hellgate has a thread on his clip-ons and triple and he got a custom made triple for a steal. I highly recommend going this route if you have the means, but if you've got a limited mod budget like me, here's how to make it work:
First of all, I bought the CBR 1100 clip ons on ebay for $50. There are many options for clip ons but I noticed these in particular have about a 1" riser to keep from hitting the tank or fairing. It just works perfectly. I can turn the forks all the way to the stops with a little room left over.
But, what to do with the triple? To do this mod, you have to be "all in". There's no going back so make sure you are satisfied with clip-ons. I started with an angle grinder (If you dont have one, chances are you know someone who does). Using a cutting wheel first, cut off the majority of the two trees.
Next, looking at the picture above, I took a grinding wheel and ground the remaining part of the tree down to the level of the rest of the clamp. This was the trickiest part because of the angle differences. It is crucial not to take too much off because angle grinders are aggressive, it takes a little finesse.
I was trying to do this without taking off the clamp but I finally gave in. To take the triple off, you have to disconnect the key switch at the wiring harnesses located underneath the left side of the tank (kinda inside the frame). If you were thinking about doing the dual headlight mod, this would be the time to do it.
After I took the triple off, I got my palm sander and started with 120 grit to 220 grit to 320 grit then to 1000. This makes the jagged surface (left by the grinder) smooth, almost as smooth as i wanted it.
Almost. So then I took Fred's advice on polishing metal from my wheel thread and polished the clamp to a near mirror shine.
First of all, I bought the CBR 1100 clip ons on ebay for $50. There are many options for clip ons but I noticed these in particular have about a 1" riser to keep from hitting the tank or fairing. It just works perfectly. I can turn the forks all the way to the stops with a little room left over.
But, what to do with the triple? To do this mod, you have to be "all in". There's no going back so make sure you are satisfied with clip-ons. I started with an angle grinder (If you dont have one, chances are you know someone who does). Using a cutting wheel first, cut off the majority of the two trees.
Next, looking at the picture above, I took a grinding wheel and ground the remaining part of the tree down to the level of the rest of the clamp. This was the trickiest part because of the angle differences. It is crucial not to take too much off because angle grinders are aggressive, it takes a little finesse.
I was trying to do this without taking off the clamp but I finally gave in. To take the triple off, you have to disconnect the key switch at the wiring harnesses located underneath the left side of the tank (kinda inside the frame). If you were thinking about doing the dual headlight mod, this would be the time to do it.
After I took the triple off, I got my palm sander and started with 120 grit to 220 grit to 320 grit then to 1000. This makes the jagged surface (left by the grinder) smooth, almost as smooth as i wanted it.
Almost. So then I took Fred's advice on polishing metal from my wheel thread and polished the clamp to a near mirror shine.