the above is the stock brake lever. i decided to replace that one first, as i'd heard people had had some trouble doing the clutch lever.
time: 10 minutes
tools needed: 10mm box wrench or socket and ratchet, flat bladed screwdriver
instructions: remove the nut from the bottom of the lever assembly with the 10mm wrench. the use the screwdriver to thread the pivot bolt out of the assembly.
(sorry about the photo of my belly!)
with the bolt removed, simply pull the lever out of the assembly. the photo below shows the "naked" bar.
now place the new lever in the assembly, and drop in the bolt
now tighten the bolt with the flat bladed screwdriver
thread the nut back on and tighten with the 10mm wrench, and you're done!
now for the clutch side:
time: 12 minutes
tools needed: 10mm wrench or socket and ratchet (recommended), flat bladed screwdriver, #2 phillips screwdriver.
instructions: i did this the hard way, using a box wrench instead of a socket and ratchet. don't ask me why - it was a hot day, drank too much friday, who knows? in any case, you can't get any swing on a box wrench without removing the clutch-to-start kill switch under the assembly, so that's what i did. the photo above shows using the #2 phillips screwdriver to remove the single screw that holds the switch in place. once the screw is removed, pull in the clutch lever, and slide the switch toward the end of the bar to disengage the tiny plastic retainer. let the switch hang on its own wiring, out of the way
now use the 10mm box wrench to remove the nut on the bottom of the assembly, just like the brake side
now remove the pivot bolt. what's this? you can't remove the clutch lever from the assembly because it hits the switch housing on the bar? then remove the switch housing, silly! use the phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws (one top, one bottom, on the front inside of the housing - closer to the risers).
let it hang on its own wiring as well, out of the way.
now go ahead and remove the lever. it should wiggle out fairly easily. then turn it downwards to remove the end of the clutch cable from the lever. note: save the pivot collar from the stock lever! you will need to install this in your replacement lever. also: you may find it easier to get the end of the clutch cable out of the stock lever by using a flat bladed screwdriver as a wedge, but do be careful not to damage the plastic collar on the cable end.
and here's the naked bar.
now go ahead and push the pivot collar into your new lever, then get the clutch cable end seated. once done, you can seat the lever in the assembly, and push the pivot bolt through to hold it in place.
now reinstall the switch housing on the bar. note: there is a pin inside the housing, on the side toward the risers, that must line up with a hole drilled in the stock handlebars. this prevents the housing from rotating on the bar. make sure you get it lined up properly, or the screws will not thread in! tighten the screws using the phillips screwdriver.
now thread the nut back onto the pivot bolt, and tighten using the 10mm box wrench. then pull the clutch lever in, and re-seat the retainer of the clutch-to-start kill switch in the assembly. release the clutch lever, thread the screw back into the switch, tightening it down with the phillips screwdriver, and you're done!
not only do these make a nice shiny addition to the front end, but they're infinitely more comfortable than the stock levers (particularly when caught at a long red light). please note, though, that they are shorter and sit further away from the grips than the stock levers! if you have small or weak hands, these may not be a good option for you. also note that you lose the adjustment on the front brake, which is slightly tighter (engages more quickly) than it was with the stock lever, and this changed the friction point of the clutch lever on my bike. i had been thinking about adjusting my clutch, since i was getting a small amount of slip between 1st and 2nd gear when upshifting (i think due to over-clutch, since my friction zone was close to the end of the lever's swing), but with the friction zone further back (about centred in the lever's swing now), she's shifting smooth as silk!
naked bars, ready for wrapping!
time: 45 minutes
tools needed: you might want a pair of tweezers. i didn't use tools, though
instructions: the wrap is in three pieces (you can also order just the side pieces, if you have a riser plaque instead of just caps). i started by cutting the ends of the leather lacing to points, to make them easier to pull through the pre-cut holes. i started the lacing through the two holes at the outside of the left and right pieces (closest to the grips), straight across. then use whatever lacing pattern you choose, but don't tighten it all down as you go along or it will be difficult to get the lacing through the next set of holes. leave it loose for a couple of holes behind you (see photo below), then tighten everything down when finished and tie off however you like.
i started with the middle piece, to get a feel for how it would lace on, before moving to the much larger pieces.
this photo shows leaving yourself some slack in the lacing as you go along - the part closest to the grip is tightened, but i have lots of free play in the area i am currently working. the lacing pattern i used was to have one "dominant" lace that was always laced through the next set of holes first, and always going from outside to inside on the wrap. inside to outside would probably be easier to lace, but who ever said i do things the easy way?
i did the left side first, because the master cylinder kinda gets in the way on the right, and i wanted to have a good feel for the lacing before i had to deal with parts running interference!
and here's my view of the finished product. i think it's the perfect accent to set off the rest of the studded leather on my bike!
doesn't look too shabby from the front, either!