Easton EXP bars..... Mounting problem beware

I have just rushed home to install my new Easton EXP bars, the bike is nearly finished

It is 38 C here today, so instead of doing the sensible thing and relax with a cold drink, i decide that i wanted this job finished.

Here are the new bars, very impressive.



Time to strip the triple clamps..

Unfortunately, you also have to remove the top triple clamp to undo the original perch's



OK so far so good.

Install both Easton clamps to confirm alignment looking good



Pop my head around the back to attach nut, and The specified mounting hardware is wrong, the bolts are to short



Not happy.



Here is the other side, nipped up without the washer



I have sent an email off to Easton, time to see what their customer service is like.

So if you intend buying these bars, make sure you get longer mounting hardware.

Hopefully Easton will update their site, so this doesn't happen to someone else.

The hardware i was supplied is:

EXP TH 58 11.9.

I'll keep you posted about Eastons reply.

I have just measured the Yamaha perch, the correct part should be:

EXP TH 70 11.9


The bars and clamps are very impressive, great finish and the woods bend hopefully will be perfect for us dual sport riders, we should be able to fit more accessories to these bars over standard bars due to the sharp bends providing long flat areas where the controls go.

You are correct about the mounting hardware, you need the EXP TH 70 11.9 hardware. I verified the 70mm length by carefully going over the specs on Easton's web site and measuring the stock setup. I made sure that the WRR kit was the right one when I ordered from Cycle Gear here in the US (they are one of the US retailers). I did not have to remove the top triple clamp but I did use a u-joint extension to get to the right side nut. A casting on the right side of the stem impedes access a bit, but it's doable.

Check out my installation: Handlebars AGAIN


Note - I just rechecked the application guide and it shows the EXP TH 70 11.9 kit for the WR250R and the EXP TH 58 11.9 for the WR250F. Someone misread the guide

Sweet, thanks for the info.

So, would you still recommend these bars for someone that had no plans on adding accessories? I was planning on going as close to stock as possible, but those sure do look nice.

Hi Inspector,

I chose these as they provided a little more height, i found the original bars a little low when standing.

In regards to hand guards though, you will need guards that mount to the triple clamp.

Thanks for the info ramz, i have asked Easton to update their Configurator. I didn't check the application guide as the configurator specified the WRR.

They have replied to my email and are trying to get new hardware to me ASAP. So i am very happy with their service.

Was at my local cyclegear and they really tried to sell me a set of Easton bars but I insisted I wanted to stick with a pair of Pro Taper fatties. I got the reed/henry bend and am happy with the bars. The Easton bars looked nice and felt sturdy but I have always had Pro Tapers on my bikes and did not feel a need to change. Glad to hear that their customer service is fixing the problem for you

Hi Infra,

I think you will find that Eastom make the pro-taper bars.

To be honest for the kind of use most average trail/adventure rider give their bars, i don't think it matters what you use.

The lift and the flexibility the bars offer is why i picked them.

hopefully this is the last question. What is the second half of the equation?
EXP TH 70 11.9 hardware

Is it......EASTON Handlebar Mounting Hardware and Clamps Combo TH 70/11.9 Hardware and EXP TC 45 / 5 Degrees Clamp

*i was bored, lol!

Hi inspector,

I went with the EXP TC 45 0 Clamps.

They bring the bars slightly closer to you as the Yamaha Clamps are slightly offset.

Here are my 0 clamps installed



There is a ton of clearance, so it is your choice. Looking at it now, i would have probably chosen the 5 clamps if i knew there was this much room, and the original Yamaha's had offset.

One problem i am now having is that the cables seem to short!

Could someone please post a picture of the cable routing as it leaves the frame to the kill switch and master cyl...

I set my bars at 0 on the dial, i noticed in ramz's pics he had his bars rotated nearer 1, so that may help, however a picture of the cable routing would be appreciated.

I took some pictures, but the angles are a bit different than rpo83's angle, so don't know how helpful they will be. Note that I've lowered the triple clamps an inch, and that interferes with the sight line.

First, left and right side views (remember, I'm using the TC 45/5 clamps with 5mm offset, to the rear):






As to bar rotation, I'm back near zero after a two hour test ride:




I ordered a shorter brake line yesterday to get rid of the ugly loop up top - stainless braided. It should help the braking feel a bit, also.

My cable routing will not be like yours. I have ridden dirt bikes for 30 years or so and am quite used to the kill button under my left thumb. So, on my TE610, TE310, and WRR250R, I moved the on/off/starter switch to the left side of the handlebars. There was just enough slack in the wire bundle to reach the left hand grip.

I like to be able to switch the headlight off and on as desired and none of these bikes allowed that, so I bought K&S light/horn/turnsig switch assemblies and mounted them on the right side of the handlebars. On the Huskys, I was able to use molex pins on the new switch wires and they plugged right into the stock molex connectors. On the WRR, I had to cut off the stock switch and add female bullet connectors to the Yam harness wires. The K&S switch wires already had male bullet connectors and the wires were more than long enough to reach. You'll see the fat bundle passing through between the triple clamps and the speedo.

I did return the Huskys to stock wiring and switch positions when I sold them.







But I did run into a problem with the throttle cables. I had to raise the wire bundles on the right side of the frame to allow the throttle cables to ride up freely when I turned the bars to full lock.



Lastly, I think I ended up with the throttle cables in a different spot where they pass by the speedo unit (see middle picture) in order to keep them free from interference from other items.

Also note that I don't have the stock turn signals in the way. The Zeta signals are built into the hand protectors and the wires were easy to route so they stayed out of the way. I even cleaned up the wiring behind the headlight a bit because I didn't have the bulky Yamaha turn signal connectors (I used bullet connectors instead).

Thanks ramz,

one a slightly different note, do you run grip warmers on your bike?

I am trying to decide if i need to insulate the left grip warmer from the bar, so it doesn't act like a heat sink.

I can't find conclusive information. Logically however, if the warmers are thermostat connected i could see a reason, but as they are simply thin resistors you put under your grips, i can't really see the need..

If i do decide to insulate, i am thinking of using some alfoil, then covering that with heat shrink tubing. Should work and allow grip glue to attach the grip.

No, I don't use grip warmers. There is a discussion on ADV in the 'naked' thread about grip warmers. I think there were several who had problems...

I consider grip heaters a must-have. A bare handlebar will suck nearly all the heat, so you'll definitely need to insulate the left side; we use heat shrink, too. Here's some good info:

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=765909&highlight=

Sarah

LOL, you guys are killing me, with every post I sound dumber and dumber.
I just want to take the old crinckled bar off and replace...without re-routing cables, lowering triple tree, etc. It almost seems like I can't get away with that with these bars?

*heated grips. The clutch side puts out a tiny bit more heat to compensate for a steel handle bar that will suck some of the heat away. An aluminum handlebar is too good a heat sink, so an insulator must be used.
Last bike i used http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Rider/heated_grip_kit.htm Awesome customer service, good product, great price.
I had steel clipons, did not use an insulator, and had zero problems.

Thanks Sarah,

It looks like heatshrink and alfoil will be what i use.

Inspector, you will be able to simply swap the bars. My problem was that i didn't remember where the cables ran

Once ramz posted his pics, i was able to get the throttle cables in the correct position. Behind my headlight and instrument cluster is very busy, i have the HID hardware there and the new loom from the 3CS.

Have a mery x-mas all.

Just a quick tip, you dont have to remove the top triple clamp to get to the hardware for the perches. I was able to get at them by turning the steering all the way to one side and using a wobbly socket.