| Author | Message | ||
     Kedo |
Wow, what a neat idea! Clip-on style bars for a XB12S to improve the riding position and stuff. What a bunch of crap. What is the magic? I am so pissed off right now I could spit. I just spent over two hours with two friends trying to massage the cables and wires between the fork tube and the instrumentation housing and there is no visible way for the throttle/idle cables and the switch wires to make it. They don’t fit. There is no way. Maybe I should try to say that a different way. There is no way. How on earth can anyone make an aftermarket product that requires so much time and effort and modification to get it assembled? Has anyone ever drilled a hole in the right side of the housing similar to the one on the left, for the clutch cable? It seems like that is the only option – or just put the bike back together the way it was… except now I have a hole drilled in the side where the clutch cable would go, if the crossroads bars actually went together. This is unbelievable. Do any of you have any suggestions? What did you do to get yours together? Did you do it alone? Did you have to take anything else apart? Did you have to modify anything else? Did you have to drill any other holes? I was SO hoping to ride this weekend. It seemed like it would be a BOLT-ON accessory. These are ANYTHING but bolt on. I took my time. I waklked away from the bike after I got a little frustrated. I called friends over to help. I studied all of the posts on the BWB pertaining to the accessory and its installation. F**K the Lightning. I should have bought a Firebolt in the first place. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
http://www.badweatherbikers.com./buell/messages/32 777/98622.html?//08957834 trust me, you ain't the first and you won't be the last that ran into issues. Hope this link helps a little. | ||
| Hardcorps |
Kedo, If you would like some one to take them off your hands I would gladly help you out. J/k I hope to be buying my own set soon. | ||
| Surlypacer |
You have the bars that mount with the four top handlebar mounts right. Just want to make sure. You have to thread your cable in those slots, I didn't drop my forks, Have the handle bar LOOSE! This is very important, crossroads say to drop the forks but I did it with out doing that. It will work I have taken them apart several times to change fork springs. Contract Al Lighton from American sport, I've heard he has really good pictures and tech help. You have come to the right place for help. This is the best buell forum ever. What state you in maybe someone could stop by. | ||
| Mxer83 |
dont feel bad, go to the knowledge vault or do what rocket said with that link, I jacked with those bars forever getting them right!once I got them on they were great, just take your time | ||
| Liquiddragon |
i dont know if this will help but here is a post of mine after it got back from the shop. i wanted the bars on before i got back home so i just had a shop do it. of course it did sit at the shop for two weeks before they installed them but that was ok since it still got done before i was home. http://www.buelletinboard.com/forums/showthread.ph p?t=2445&page=2 | ||
| Kedo |
Thanks - all for your words of encouragement. I think that more than anything I needed to blow-off some steam. I know I can make it work. I think the '07 fork tubes are a bigger diameter, thus forcing the space between them and the intrumentation housing to almost nothing. I don't have any other explination. So, I am going to try to re-route the throttle/idle cables through the side like I did for the clutch cable and everything SHOOULD be fine. I guess I lost sight of the fact that this is AN AFTERMARKET product and as such I should be prepared to jump through my address to make it work. If I don't have to I should be pleasantly suprised. I have seen/studied all of the pertinent threads from the BWB that you all have been kind enought to share. One of the frustrating things about this 'project' is that I did my homework before I loosened the first nut/bolt. I will post pics when I am done. Hopefully my discovery about the larger diameter fork tubes will save somebody else the hassle. Cheers. | ||
| Carparts009 |
Not to make you feel bad but we did the install last night in under an hour. We didn't drop the forks (we're lazy). We took off the flyscreen and the dash to have more room to work with. Pretty much every cable was ran between the front housing and the forks. The only thing not run like that was the throttle cables. The only thing needed after was a clutch adjustment because it was super hard. If you want I can take some pics later today. | ||
| Darkducati |
Man, I couldn't help but LOL while reading that. Only because I felt the same way when I did mine. They will fit. I wasn't happy with the feel of the throttle or clutch cables on mine so I made some 3/8" spacers to push the instrument cluster/headlight assembly out to free up a little more space. Once you do that it is an even easier install. I also did not drop the forks when I did mine. Good luck! | ||
| Snakedriver |
So I got back from Iraq a couple of days ago and the first thing I did (after alcohol) was put the Crossroads on the bike. I think I did something wrong. It took me about 3 hours and didnt have to do one modification. A BIG thanks goes out to Al for making sure the bars got to BF W Va.! Leo | ||
| 2k3lightning |
Seems like the luck of the draw. It took me a while as well to get the throttle not to bind and everything to fit correct. Swear I lost my mind  in the process. So I can understand what Kedo is going through. I feel your aggravation went through it. Just walk away it will work believe me. I got mine to work and it was worth it for those few minutes as some know how that story went. | ||
| Skarecrow |
Hey Kedo, you have me scared now. I am installing my crossroads tomorrow and I have no help!! I also have an 07. If you can post picks of the mods you had to do to make it work. I was really hoping mine would be an easy install. | ||
| Kedo |
Scarecrow. Don't be scared. Be prepared. Some people have no problem and others struggle. I have learned that many things can be true simultaneously and to varying degrees: I saw how many have routed all the wires and cables through the space specified in the instructions. I read about how people have installed the bars without any modifications or snags whatsoever. I have read about how in despair, people chose to cut a notch in the aluminum and drilled holes and… I had three people help, one of whom builds motorcycles and he agreed that there was no way that all that “stuff” would fit in that space. So, I improvised. I duplicated the procedure for routing the clutch cable through a hole in the side for the throttle and idle cables on the other side. It works great. I had to make the hole a little oblong so I could wiggle the “J-Shaped” throttle cable guide through it as well as filing the cable adjuster lock. It is really clean looking – sort of a circle with two equal flat sides. Just took it for a test ride and caught my toe on a low side and sent my foot and knee into the side of the bike so hard that the whole program (bike and me) got air born. It happened very fast, even though I was only doing about 25mph – okay so it was going around a 15mph hairpin. Short story – handlebars work great. Toe sliders, leather, knee protection, being light on the bars – all good things. So it goes… it is all together and beautiful and I can’t wait to ride tomorrow. Thanks to everyone at the BWB - the greatest forum for the greatest bikes. Here is my "work":   } and the obligatory Buell photo:  (Message edited by kedo on April 28, 2007) | ||
| Kedo |
Only one picture posted - here's the right side:  | ||
| Skarecrow |
Well it was an utter failure. Couldn't get the crossroads installed. My problem so far is with the throttle can't get it installed and not bind up. Haven't even started on the clutch side. The bad thing is I will have to wait until next weekend before I can try again. At least I got the signals mounted wired up. If there are any badwebbers near Fremont CA. and wants to help a brother out I would appreciate a second set of hands or brains, mine still hurts. | ||
| Kedo |
Scarecrow- I empathize completely. I have to ask - what are you doing with the signals? You mean the left switch gear (turn signal, high/low beam & passing, and horn switches)? It might not serve you to set that on the bar until the rest is done. I hope my pictures helped - but apparently not. Anyway, here's proof that I did actually ride today - after yesterday's raod test. What a day it was!  | ||
| Skarecrow |
I actually replaced the stockers with Oberons mini LEDs. Actually your pics did help I was just trying to get things to work without having to drill holes in the side plates. | ||
| Teeps |
Kedo Posted on Friday, April 27, 2007 How on earth can anyone make an aftermarket product that requires so much time and effort and modification to get it assembled? The simple answer is: it's designed to sell! |
