Bar ends on an '84 VF700?

I'm all set to install some bar ends on my '84...but what's this? The ends of the stock bars are solid. WTF?

Has anyone had any luck drilling or somehow hollowing them out to install bar ends? Thanks in advance.

 

I had the same problem, I took mine, cut them flat, and used a rubber cement to glue them in. I used blue painters tape over the caps intil they dried.

 

That;s because the stock bars have factory style "bar ends".

They're solid to move the vibraton frequency to a range where it won't "buzz" your hands...

 

Yeah I drilled and tapped the stock clip-ons for bar ends 7/8" diameter the holes were 3/4" deep no problem. A little extra weight feels good.

 

I just cut my bars down. The early VF's use the long grips, I switch to more modern style grips. When you cut off the excess bar length you also cut off the weight inside. That leaves a nice hollow bar that is perfect for use with the standard bar ends.

Here's what it looks like. Please forgive the cheesy carbon look bar ends, that's all my dealership had that day besides blue and yellow:

 

Jamie,

Can you detect a reduction in vibration?

 

Not really, but that's mostly because there wasn't any vibration to begin with. The V4's run like sewing machnes, if it was on my VTR then I could have given you more info because that thing vibrates the heck out of everything.

 

Jamie, you need to brush a little Vaseline on those switches to freshen them up!

 

Yeah, those pictures were also a before/after thing as well. The left side I've coated with a special bearing grease that I use. I like how it turns out because the grease is black and it helps by almost dying it. Those plastic pieces are really bad, so I don't think anything is going to make them look 'good' again.

 

Try the Vaseline, I had a pair that was practically white and it made them look 90% again.

 

Oh, they are plenty black now - the black grease made them just as dark as they were new. The surface is still rough though so it will never 'look' new again.