MattR302
Awesomeness, Inc.
Like most everyone else on here, my wrists were hurting from the sweep angle on the stock FZ6 bars. I didn’t want to swap to the FZ1 bar with its more aggressive riding position, that’s why I sold my ZX6R/ZZR600 and got the FZ6. I read that the the FZ6R bar has the same angle as the FZ1 bar, but with the same rise as the FZ6 bar, so it sounded like a winner. I was on the lookout for one, when a local forum member (Signal50) gave me a extra stock FZ6 handlebar had had laying around his garage.
I got the idea to try and bend (or un-bend) the extra handlebar to make it similar to the FZ1/FZ6R sweep angle. I was originally going to grab it by the center in a soft-jaw vice, heat up the bend area with a propane torch, and put a lever on the end of the bars, and eyeball it. But I asked the welder/fabricator at my job for advice, he said that its more difficult to cleanly un-bend a tube than it is to bend it, but he said he’d give it a try.
He brought it back that afternoon still warm, it looked great. He drew up a template on his bench, shooting for half of the original sweep angle. He held the end in a collet, heated it up with his oxy/acetylene torch, and used the other end as a lever. He said it’s the same angle to within a degree. There’s a tiny little kink on each side in the upper bend, but its barely noticeable.
I masked off the throttle area, gave it a sandblasting, and a coat of primer with 3 coats of Krylon satin black. Put it on last night. I haven’t test rode it yet, but it feels better just sitting on the bike. And only for the price of a 6-pack of Sam Adams for the welder. Adam, I owe you a 6-pack too. Here’s some pics.
I got the idea to try and bend (or un-bend) the extra handlebar to make it similar to the FZ1/FZ6R sweep angle. I was originally going to grab it by the center in a soft-jaw vice, heat up the bend area with a propane torch, and put a lever on the end of the bars, and eyeball it. But I asked the welder/fabricator at my job for advice, he said that its more difficult to cleanly un-bend a tube than it is to bend it, but he said he’d give it a try.
He brought it back that afternoon still warm, it looked great. He drew up a template on his bench, shooting for half of the original sweep angle. He held the end in a collet, heated it up with his oxy/acetylene torch, and used the other end as a lever. He said it’s the same angle to within a degree. There’s a tiny little kink on each side in the upper bend, but its barely noticeable.
I masked off the throttle area, gave it a sandblasting, and a coat of primer with 3 coats of Krylon satin black. Put it on last night. I haven’t test rode it yet, but it feels better just sitting on the bike. And only for the price of a 6-pack of Sam Adams for the welder. Adam, I owe you a 6-pack too. Here’s some pics.
