My Bobber fell over...

[ChiefTwoKicks]

On the Holiday weekend my Chief Bobber fell over, while taking it off the 4x4 blocks under the rear area under the frame (just in front of the side stand). I've been doing this every time I service my bike for many years. Its how I check the front-to-back alignment, square it up, and all that, too. I'm still not real sure this happened, anyway here's my dilemma...

Unfortunately, the handlebars were bent slightly. I've had to straighten bars before, only three times before in my 50yrs of cycling. All on different bikes, so my experience is somewhat limited.
I have a 7ft piece of 1-1/2" sch.40 pipe for leverage. The pipe alone doesn't fit all the way down to the end of the bars at the triple-clamp. I found an old pick-ax with cat-eye shape holes, top and bottom, ground down each, arc so as not to crease the 1" bars. The horns on the pick-ax are curved, but allow the 7ft "snipe" pipe to fit snug against the eye shaped center of the tool.
I haven't used it yet. I plan on trying to bend the bar (right side), in 1"-2" increments, until I achieve the results I can live with. Of course, I hope it will go as planned, without too much scar tissue to my ego and embarrassment.

Here's my question... Is there a better way to achieve a more positive result ? What do other experienced people do in this case ? I've spent a few minutes looking for guidance on the web,
but you.tube sure isn't the way to go, and I know it !! I haven't found anything in my books and literature, either. So, I'm asking for sage advice from readers here... anyone ? All contributions are worth consideration. I can't recall this topic discussed previously on this forum. Thanks in advance, C2K

[T. Cotten]

Personally, C2K,...

I always preferred to remove the bar so I could use my presses in infinite ways, but mostly just to hold it firm on lead or wooden pillows before attempting any leverage tweaks.

I still have a large custom HD riser dedicated as well, to prevent crushing the bar.

Low tech rules, but it takes patience, and instincts.

....Cotten

[PaulCDF]

I have a pair of 741 handlebars that are bent so I would be interested as well. My 741 is basically a parts pile so handlebars are not on bike.
I wonder if Ted Borman AMCA Tech Editor Nuts and Bolts column might have some advice? I enjoy his column:
AMCATechEditor@gmail.com

"Shade Tree" mechanics is great but I tend to go down hill into "Primative Pete" pretty quick with not stellar results.

Where did I put that bigger hammer?

[otis71]

Harley made bending bar part #96806-40 used for straightening bars and frames which can come in handy if you can get your hands on one.

[T. Cotten]

Imagine this swingarm is your handlebars, C2K,..

Held by the press at the flat in the middle, so then each bar can be compared by their height and position over the base plate for reference. Bars can be pryed upward, or jacked downward, or levered oblique.

SWNGRM1.jpg

Immobilization is the whole thing.

....Cotten

[exeric]

Along the lines of what Cotten shows, I've bored a 1" hole on the parting line of 2 hunks of steel to create a die. I use this die assy. in a hydraulic press and can take small kinks out of 1" tubing, or use the die in the press to anchor, and then persuade a frame, fork, or handlebars to bend, as needed with all manner of persuaders. I've made a lot of these dies of different lengths, bores, and filed-in curves to suit whatever problem. The dies work great for nickel plated, or chromed handlebars to minimize abrasions, or cracks in the plating. Aluminum dies also work good, and more gentle on plated parts.

[T. Cotten]

Along the lines of what Cotten shows, I've bored a 1" hole on the parting line of 2 hunks of steel to create a die. ....

Lot of trouble, Eric,..

When that's the same as a common chopper riser out of the milk crate.

I've been meaning to pool all my lead into a fresh pillow, but I hate to melt good fishing sinkers.

Are they illegal yet?

....Cotten

[exeric]

I never thought of molding lead into dies, Tom. You are a wealth of humbling, and excellent information.

[T. Cotten]

I never thought of molding lead into dies, Tom. .

Neither did I, Eric!

I just used blocks of lead, and let them shape themselves.

(Should have saved the Lyman ingots.)

....Cotten
PS: Admittedly, I have used lead flashing and sheet to cushion everything everything from pliers to vises to chrome valve cover wrenches.

Here's an impression of the side of carburetor I needed to "straighten":

LEADBEAT.jpg
It might have been a wheel weight.

[PaulCDF]

The dull recesses of my mind kept spinning and I looked back:

Ted Borman did an article on handlebar repair on 1919 HD in the May/June 2022 issue.
(Bars in this case were likely damaged more than C2Ks'

Spring 2001 Issue Steve Blanchard presents an idea for "Getting kinks out of handlebars"
Much the same as what Eric suggests above. Good suggestion but boring a 1" hole in steel blocks is likely beyond
my China Bob drill press (Aluminum might be possible but I like the idea of finding some used chopper risers even better)

PS
In the Spring 2001 issue there is also a tech tip on Obsolete Heli-coils by Tom Cotten)

[ChiefTwoKicks]

Thank You Gentlemen, for the responses. I should have included this next paragraph. The right side bar isn't too badly bent. Its just that I've straightened it before. I felt I should ask the experts
before I attempted to bite off more than I could chew. The new information (to me) is a great addition to my meager skill set.

I want to add that I had planned to put the Bobber on my M/C trailer, with ratchet type tie-downs used to secure the front end, so there will be NO twisting, and the front wheel secured with another set of tie-downs. I also planned to brace the front end with cut-to-length wooden 2x4'S to help cross brace the entire front end. The M/C will be firmly secured, tied down in every possible way to avoid any twisting or bending except for the singular right side bar. Measuring the bars in several spots along the length of the bars so as to get front, side, and oblique angle views.
The height at the end of the bars to the floor, both throttle and spark advance should be the same on each side. I can put the M/C on the trailer, squarely, with levels and a plumb bob.
I've done that much before. I feel pretty confident I'll be OK, I wanted to ask the experts for advice and learn a different way to approach this task.

All of the above remedies are great advice, and much appreciated. I've got plenty of "Low-Tech", quite a bit of "Instinct" too. Its the "Patience" part that I need more of !!

Thank Again Everyone, Roger

[T. Cotten]

Seriously, Roger.

There will be 'twisting'; Just hope it all springs back... except the handlebar somehow.

....Cotten
PS: I'd deflate all tires completely.

[exeric]

Roger, as Tom suggested, I would go the chopper riser route for equal mechanical reasons, and most important; economy. Generally, in my experience, sheet metal, and tubing steel wants to go back to the form it was originally forced into. That is a very generalized opinion, and many factors like heat, and force come into play, but with careful observation, and gentle manipulation, badly mangled steel will cooperate.

[Jerry Wieland]

Instead of babbit for pushing blocks I use UHMW which is basically a teflon material and is available in different compression values. I basically use scrap end UHMW that comes from the factory I retired from.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-...t_polyethylene

Jerry

[PaulCDF]

Looks like McMaster-Carr has UHMW in various forms maybe something like this film?

polyethylene | McMaster-Carr