Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

Hello all. I have a very nice set of chrome risers that I’d like to install with a set of US handlebars on my ‘66 R69S. I’m curious what sort of luck you’ve had “opening” these risers up to accept the handlebar?

I’ve seen plenty of cracked and damaged risers for sale and I’d rather run the euro bar if that’s what I’m dealing with.

I would think heat and slow steady force would work but just don’t want to run the risk of damaging the chrome.

Thanks!

I've done it with heat, but not with real nice ones; I think you would damage the chrome plate. I don't think its possible with SS reproductions. I think Vech has new bars with the clamps already on them.

Bill

I read what Vech has said in the past...even Duane Ausherman. Both basically say to do it slowly and only as much as needed. If working with original parts, the wrinkling will go away once the part is returned to normal shape. Vech says he uses some nuts on threaded stems to open/close the riser.

Another option:

Cut the bars apart right in the middle of where the risers will be. Grind away space for the weld. Install the risers and weld the bars back together. Grind as needed and bolt it all together. The risers will hide the welds.

Mike

I managed to spread the risers very carefully (without heat) without damaging the chrome. I was advised not to try this with stainless risers.

Thanks for the feedback fellas.

Jon, can you give a bit more detail as to how you “carefully” opened them? I’m on the fence there. I like the US bar and have two R69S with euro bars so it made sense to run one with the high bar.

Feels a bit like rolling the dice and I’m not much for gambling.

It's been at least fifteen years since I installed my bars, but here is my memory of what I did: I put a big nut on the mounting post and clamped the riser in the vise. Then I used a long, heavy, flat-bladed screw driver to spread the riser, a small tweak at a time until it was wide enough to accept the bar. Seems primitive and risky, and it made me nervous, but they are still in place with no sign of rust or chrome damage. My risers were OEM, not re-chromed or aftermarket. As I recall, it was Tim Stafford who advises that spreading re-chromed risers is a losing proposition.

(On a separate note, Danny Vu, an eBay seller of polished stainless parts, also says not to try to spread stainless risers because the riser itself is likely to break.)

Hi Slash 2
I've done this a few times and it always gives me the willies. But it always has worked for me without cracks.

I open them up using a go-bar or metal rod that fits the upper hole fairly tight then pull back towards the tank to gently open them up while maintaining a smooth radius. Just prying them open often causes them to bend more quickly in one part of the radius but with a rod you can apply some "english" to the pulling action and smooth out the radius and rate of opening.

I open up until nearly large enough to pass the old bar and then pop it through. Logic being; why open any further than needs be? I protect the new bar with thin electrical tape to slide through the tight gap when I fit the new bars. Then slowly close them up with first the go-bar rod then finish with the bolt once the holes align. Whew...the willies I tell ya !

I did buy a used set of risers once that had been freshly re-chromed in the opened-up position. The chrome completely crazed as I closed up the risers; became a solid ring of tiny cracks: I assume that if you re-chrome, they must be re-chromed in the closed position as chrome has poor elasticity.

Good luck!
Grant in Toronto