R75/5 - Changing the Handle Bar

May 2019

As part of the continuous searching for ideas on the internet to improve my bike, I came across this incredible instructional video series with a similar project like mine, it is 100 times better than anything that I could document or do mechanically: this series is done by Boxer2valve posted on Youtube, and literally just blew me away. I knew that I had to follow this series and find out how much I can emulate and do it myself. 

I always wanted to lower the handlebar and William (the host) introduce me to various bar options. I really liked his recommendation (to use the Low Bar - same configuration on the S version). I proceeded to order it and various parts from Boxer2valve. I also decided to make a road trip and pay a visit to the shop. I was very fortunate to meet William himself and the entire crew at this new shop in Hendersonville, North Carolina (more on that in the future). He is a true gentleman and gave me a tour of the new facility and it was top notch. And at the back of the shop, here it is! I found a fully restored R75/5, just like mine, and 100 times more pristine - is this inspiring or what!

Anyway, this past weekend is a holiday in Canada, so I have decided to launch my handlebar replacement project. Here are the sequence of events.

Current handlebar configuration

My current handlebar is the stock American R75 version, which is a high and wide bar:

Here are the difference in rise and length:

As advertised, it is 22mm :)

All instructions in German, I guess I'll just rely on logics to install this :)

Removing the front brake lever was harder than I expected. Even though I gave the cable all the slack and removed the lever from the bar, there is still not enough slack for the cable to come off. I had to remove the cable from the front brake:

Once that is done, it is ok to remove:

Once I have the slack, I now can remove this ferrule, and finally comprehend how it hooks the cable end inside the lever:

For the clutch lever, I had to remove the cable from the Clutch first:

Then I have enough slack at the handlebar to remove:

The infamous wedge:

I read somewhere that everyone eventually loses this wedge. Mine is no exception, I only found it in the left hand lever. Post note: i also have lost it after trying to put the lever back onto the new bar (it was too tight-fit and after a few banging, it has disappeared as well :(

Putting the components back

Lubing the throttle control. I used the Liquid Moly LM47 as recommended by Bill :)

Made a mess with the grease, but eventually, it all fit back in:

I decided that I should lubricate the cables. Previously I bought this cable lubricating tool from Town Moto. It worked well to certain extent, but still made a mess out of the floor. The issue is that the end of the cable, the sleeves are too big and cannot really fit into the tool.

I also tried the old fashioned way by creating a plastic jacket (funnel) to lube the cable:

Success!