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Message |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 02:08 pm: |
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Every now and then, you're lucky enough to have one of those experiences that stay with you...and I had just such an event occur on Friday. I had ordered a Throttlemeister setup for my 1125R a week earlier and even though the person I spoke with offered free installation if I rode my bike down to their factory (I'm only 30 miles away), I decided to try to install them myself. Well...after an unsuccessful hot and sweaty hour or so in the garage last week one night, I called the folks at TM back and made an appointment to have them installed. That "appointment" turned into a really nice chat with the person who designed the Throttlemeister as well as a tour of the machine shop where they are made. I was shown step by step how the finished product is made; from raw stainless rods several feet in length to the finely crafted product you get when you order a set. Listening to Rich was truly an inspiring experience, as it reminded me of the importance of what makes this country run...the American small business. For those of you who were surprised to see the modest Buell factory for the first time, I suspect you'd feel the same if you visited the Throttlemeister headquarters. Nonetheless, the end product in both cases is one that has been created out of much thought and passion for a product that simply "works", and that's what counts. What was even more impressive was that Rich met me at the shop on Friday, July 2nd...when nobody else was even working there that day due to the holiday weekend coming up. So hats off to Throttlemeister, all 8 of their employees including Rich and Fred who were very helpful...and to American small businesses in general! Oh yeah....I almost forgot to mention...the Throttlemeister setup works PERFECTLY on my bike AND cut the vibration significantly! They've now got a new customer for life.
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Syonyk
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 03:05 pm: |
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Excellent! Loss of productivity from time spent to make a customer amazingly happy is usually cheaper than running advertisements! I'm planning on ordering a set here soon, just need to space out purchases... |
Lrsawyer
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 04:16 pm: |
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I have been considering this. After watching them install it, what was keeping you from being able to do it yourself? Any tips? thanks! |
Court
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 04:32 pm: |
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I'm going to buy one simply base on your account Well done and thank you. |
Lastonetherebuys
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 04:40 pm: |
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a good piece of advice from an old welder when I was a shop hand at a welding shop for my after school job when I was 14. "the best and worst advertising for a company is word of mouth" basically, do a good job people are going to talk, do a poor job and they are gonna talk. |
Americanmadexb
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 05:31 pm: |
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I bought mine a few weeks before Homecoming and love it! Thanks for the review! |
Zacks
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 08:13 pm: |
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Looking at the pictures, it appears there's a small bulge in the handgrip at the outside end. Does something from the TM go between the grip and throttle tube? The reason I mention it is that I'm wondering if it'll work with the factory heated grips? Anyone? |
Jornum1
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 09:31 pm: |
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They are so tempting, but I love my bar end mirrors. I wish they could develop something with a solid end to mount a mirror to. Just cant give up my mirrors for cruise control! |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 09:59 pm: |
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Lrsawyer...the only real "tip" I could give you would be the one thing that Rich told me I had done wrong. When you tighten down the bar-end hex bolt, DO NOT hold onto the Throttlemeister bar end (the fluted part in my photos) while doing so. This tends to pull or move the entire mechanism when all you really want to do is tighten it to keep it in place. Also, he recommended tightening that bolt with a few quick "jerks" instead of the slow steady way you'd normally tighten a bolt. Again, this keeps things from moving. |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 10:07 pm: |
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Zacks...you are correct about the bulge. Well...the bulge on the hand-grip anyway. Part of the installation involves rolling the grip back on the throttle tube about an inch and then slipping their "friction sleeve" over the tube. This is the part that will ultimately rub against the TM bar end itself when you rotate it to hold the throttle where you want it. As for the heated grip question, the following is from the FAQ section of their website: Q: Will the Throttlemeister work with factory heated grips? A: The Throttlemeister will work for almost all bikes with "factory" heated grips. We do not recommend that it be installed with Hot Grips. With heated grips, the initial adjustments are more critical. We suggest that when you are installing the Throttlemeister you do so with the grips fully "hot" so you don't get any binding. |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 10:14 pm: |
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You're welcome Court. Your posts have steered me in the right direction more than once; glad I could do the same. One more thing...the Throttlemeister comes in standard or heavy. The description of the differences is on their website. I bought the heavy, both for easier use and for better vibration dampening. |
Zacks
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 11:06 pm: |
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well, I think that may be a problem since the factory grips appear to be bonded to the throttle tube. May have to run up there and talk to them. I'm not remembering the 'friction sleeve' from when I got them for my RF900. But that was a couple of years ago and I've slept since then. They may also have changed design... |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 11:26 pm: |
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Hmmm....maybe they went with some sort of adhesive with the '09 and '10 models, but on my '08 the grip just rolled right back over itself; no adhesive used at all. The friction sleeve is simply a small plastic "bushing" with a lip on one end that just slides over the end of the throttle tube until the lip stops it from going on any further. |
Zacks
| Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2010 - 11:53 am: |
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Not the factory grip - those come right off. The factory HEATED grip I put on seems to be bonded. Or is simply too rigid. |
Jaimec
| Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2010 - 12:13 pm: |
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FYI: With the Buell FACTORY heated grips, you don't need that sleeve. Works just fine against the grip itself which feels more like hard plastic than rubber (you can't get the sleeve in even if you try). I have the Throttlemeister on my 1125R with factory heated grips and it works just fine without that sleeve. |
Zacks
| Posted on Sunday, July 04, 2010 - 02:16 pm: |
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Thanks Jaimec. That's the info I was looking for. |
Wrong36
| Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 - 04:48 pm: |
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has anyone put these on a 1125CR with the high-bars yet? are they the "Buell - all others with 7/8-inch OD Bars" from the website? http://www.throttlemeister.com/app/inventoryapp/bu ell/inventory_list/75-0.html |
Spudman1125r
| Posted on Tuesday, July 06, 2010 - 06:05 pm: |
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While I can't speak for the 1125CR high bars, my part number for the 1125R with stock grips was indeed the one you mentioned. I have the FH & ASDB2-H (the "H" indicates the heavy model). |
Gbaz
| Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2010 - 07:29 am: |
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I had shot them a email, and called em about the high bar kit and they never gave me an answer. so i ordered MANIC Salamander with bar end mirror adaptors. |
Jaimec
| Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2010 - 09:28 am: |
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Wrong36: All 1125R and XB Buells use the same diameter tubes, whether they are clip on, tubular bars, clubman bars or high bars. That's why all of the grips interchange between all of the different models. Some of the really early Buell tube-frame models used non-standard (Harley-sized) tubing for the handlebars but all modern ones use pretty much the industry standard 7/8" bar. |
Jbarron
| Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2010 - 11:11 am: |
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I installed them on a CR with the high bar kit. I knew they would not work without some machining due to a reduction inside the the high bars. I've modified these before for other bikes. Two options are to drill out the inner tube or build a new adapter. |
Wrong36
| Posted on Wednesday, July 07, 2010 - 01:38 pm: |
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jbarron... thanks, that's what i was wondering about. i don't have any 'machining' access. maybe i'll wait for their CR version. |
Gbaz
| Posted on Thursday, July 08, 2010 - 08:56 am: |
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or call MANIC Salamander. I just got my bike back from the dealer, and havent had a chance to install em, but they look good. just cant get em in black. If i can ill take a few pics and post them. they use a different system to apply preasure on the throttle. |