| Author | Message | ||
     Nasty73z |
Started the install late last night and need some help. Do I really have to drop the forks? I don't have a way to get the the front end off the ground, I will have to try and rig something up. I don't understand how the cables are supposed to be routed, the pictures are absolutely terrible. Can someone who has them take a couple shots for me so I can see how to? Please and thanks.  | ||
| Daves |
I just put them on Kandie's and did not drop the forks. YMMV | ||
| Spatten1 |
Call Crossroads and they will send a PDF instruction sheet with good pictures. Unfortunately I deleted the one they sent me. | ||
| Glitch |
I didn't know I was supposed to drop the forks. I bought mine used with no instruction sheet. I thought it was pretty straight forward, well, until now... | ||
| Fcbuell |
I didn't have to drop the forks. But to get the cables routed correctly (if you look on their website, the original pics are quite clear. There are two gaps to work with between the crossroads clamp, the fork uppers, and the back of the front module. The correct gap is the lower one on either side where the front module slopes away from the fork uppers. ~ hard to explain). But, for me, the cable routing was tight and to get enough space and placement, I ended up taking off the windscreen, loosened 4 bolts holding the whole front module to the front of the bike to give it about a half inch of play. Got my cables where I wanted them, tightened everything back down and its perfect and clean looking. Another note, is that the clutch cable routing can be very odd, tight S bend. To alleviate this, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the side of the front module, I think just above the ingnition. The hole was bigger than the clutch cable on purpose. I fitted a rubber grommet in there which works nice to keep the cable protected, in place, and prevent water etc.. With this all done, the clutch cable takes a natural path without any extreme bends into the module and down. Take your time to fit it right, its the best dang positioning for me! cheers. | ||
| Glitch |
Another note, is that the clutch cable routing can be very odd, tight S bend. To alleviate this, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the side of the front module, I think just above the ingnition. That's what I did as well, only I used the shorter R cable. | ||
| Bads1 |
Hope these help some watch your throttle routing or they will bind.   | ||
| Spatten1 |
I rerouted the throttle cable behind the flyscreen to get rid of the S bend that causes the bind (on S models only). I've checked new bikes on the showroom floor and the throttle cable binds terribly at full left lock. | ||
| Jerseyguy |
I saw a very sanitary install at Edison Buell/HD over the weekend and they had also drilled the hole to avoid the tight bend. The bars were on a very nice blacked out CityX they had built up. If I install them, I will get an appropriate grommet and drill the hole as well. | ||
| Glitch |
What's with dropping the forks? Is it only to install, or what? I don't understand why. Does someone have the link to the instructions? | ||
| Fcbuell |
Find the instructions here: http://www.crossroadsperformance.com/instructions.htm I bleive the "dropping of the forks" was more necessary with older models? or perhaps where they were mounted on some from the factory you couldn't get the cables to that space on each side between the fork uppers and the front module without dropping the forks some. I believe this is unnecessary and even a better alternative is to loosen the front module enough to move it forward some, get the cables routed and ur done. Really isn't too bad. Note you need the security torx bit to do this. As BadS1 shows, that exactly where I drilled my hole too. | ||
| Nasty73z |
So for you who have drilled the hole through the flyscreen housing, do you then route the cable throught he housing and out the side? I sure could use a picture of the route of the cable. Thanks. | ||
| Bads1 |
Nasty bring the cable up through and behind your lights in fly screen housing. | ||
| Fcbuell |
Look at the picture above that Bads1 posted. Its a bit fuzzy, but shows it.. The clutch cable comes up in front of the engine, goes through the steering neck, into the front module housing (behind the fly screen, under the instrument panel) out the new hole on the side right to the clutch lever. The whole cable and housing routes through that whole. There's only an inch or two of bare cable with the end thingy that goes in the slot on the clutch lever. Right in front of the engine where the clutch cable has a wire holder/guide, thats where your clutch adjustment is. For all this routing, I loosened up that clutch adjustment quite a bit to get some cable slack, ease of routing. Once you got everything in place and tightened back down, use that adjuster to tighten the clutch cable slack back down to "snug" so your clutch lever ain't floppin around. Make sense? PM me if you need more help, I could take and post some more pics for you tonight. | ||
| Bads1 |
Sorry about the crappy pics,I hate this frigg'n camera sometimes. | ||
| U4euh |
 I also went with the R cable per Glitch's advice. Thanks Dave! The metal bracing at the beginning of the cable helps to protect it through the hole. Drilled hole and routed through the front mount. As you can see the top comes in, curves down, and pushes out the bottom right where my thumb is:  After leaving the front mount, it goes out the right side and curves down behind the oil cooler and straight into the case.  And yes MY BIKE IS DIRTY, but I like to ride a whole lot more than I like to clean, what can I say? | ||
| Buckinfuell |
JUST DROP THE FRICKIN' FORKS ALREADY!!! There is no need to drill holes, cut notches, or otherwise mutilate your bike... dropping the forks allows the cables to be placed properly before mounting the bracket and bolting it down. It just takes a little mechanical finesse and patience to get it right. Of course, if you really insist on making it a "Rube Goldberg contraption" just do what these *** EDITED *** "Einsteins" did... ha! ha! What a laugh!  http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/32777/98622.html (Message edited by buckinfuell on July 07, 2006) | ||
| Bads1 |
Hey Buckinfuell. One of those guys is a Buell engineer that works pretty close to Erik. I'm also one of the guys and Dyna as well. We have been around for awhile so your name calling is unwanted and not appreciated here. We have installed these bars more then once on bikes and that one was a Bitch!!! Cables being different or routed different who knows but it didn't want to work out right. And my bike is far from mutilated. Keep your opinions to yourself unless of coarse you were there with us that night to see what went on that we had come to doing what we had. It be nice if you edited what you said. Thanks for understanding | ||
| Rocketsprink |
The cable throttle binding happens, from my experience, because of the way it is run with the wire harness under the plastic cover. That would be on the right side of the neck if you were looking at the bike. We loosened it up, no binding. We notched it out, still binding. I didn't drop the forks on my install. Loosen up the whole front assembly and pitch it forward. Run your cables and tighten it back up. On BadS1's we actually removed the guage cluster as well. Some people seem to have great luck and an easy install. My bike and BadS1's were a bitch. He, Dyna and I aren't engineer's at Buell, but we do know are way around bike's. One other friend that was there for both installs IS an engineer for Buell and it still was a bitch. I didn't run my clutch cable through the fly screen support, but in retrospect, I wish I would have. Take your time. It's well worth it. | ||
| Buckinfuell |
I'm sorry Bads1, but if you had only dropped the forks, you would not have had so many problems. Before the first picture in that post you (or one of your comrades) stated that "...we decided instead of dropping the forks down..." you chose some other "solution". Why is everybody here so adverse to following the directions and so quick to blame them when things go wrong. Don't you think the Al, American Sport Bike, and Crossroads worked this all out before they wrote the instructions. You may have been around this forum a lot longer than I, but that does not make your opinion any more valid than mine. You are giving bad advice on a what I consider to be an well-designed product when properly installed. You are correct, I was not there that night (thank God), but I have the same bike with the same bars that I installed myself. Initially, I asked the same question: Why do I need to drop the forks? I examined the setup closely and finally came to the conclusion that, yes, there is a good reason for that. So, I dropped the forks, scratched my head a few times, studied the instructions, tried several times, and finally got it right. My cables do not bind, my throttle does not stick, and I did not have to cut any metal on my bike. Enough said. | ||
| Metalstorm |
Do the forks go back to where they were after install or do they remain lowered? | ||
| Buckinfuell |
Metalstorm, absolutely, you must return the forks to their original position. When lowering them, make note of the original locating notch (assuming it was correct to begin with), and be sure to return it to the original position when done. If I remember correctly, it was about 2.5 marks of travel. Be careful when you raise the forks that you do not pinch the cables. This is part of the mechanical finesse I mentioned previously. It helps to have a second hand. I had my wife hold things in place whilst I raised the forks. Good luck! | ||
| Glitch |
Thanks for the link. There is no need to drill holes, cut notches, or otherwise mutilate your bike... Maybe I didn't say this in this thread, but the reason I mutilated mine was because I didn't like how wide the bars are. I moved the controls in as far as they would go with no luck. After thinking about what my friends had to do when they used the upper triple of an R on their S, I decided to get an R cable and route it with the drilled hole. I was able to cut a full inch of each bar, I'll be able to trim more off each bar after I get a brake with a remote reservoir. Kind of like the same reason you mutilated your exhaust can, preference and performance. | ||
| Buckinfuell |
Glitch, ha ha , you make a good point... Kind of like the same reason you mutilated your exhaust can, preference and performance I mutilated my highly-engineered exhaust system purely for preference, but that was my intention. | ||
| Buckinfuell |
Here are the photos... trust me, it can be done.   | ||
| Glitch |
I know it can and has been done. I have a friend that has the same bike as you and his turned out great (with the exception of how w i d e they are  ). | ||
| Buckinfuell |
Glitch, I'm just curious... why do you want to shorten the bars??? Lean angle??? I don't think that is the limiting factor, is it? I want maximum steering control, but perhaps I might like to add some steering dampers. | ||
| Glitch |
Wide bars are okay if they're handle bars. More upright riding needs more leverage. One reason I got the cross roads was to have a more forward lower position. "Racing position" I guess you could call it. Once I was lower I didn't like the feel of the bike when riding hard on the crooked roads. Once I got them as narrow as they are now, I feel the bike better, and have better stability. I say feel because it very well just could be me. The XBR is narrow and I liked how it felt. The cross roads bars are every bit as wide as the stock bars. I doubt very seriously you need a steering damper. Since you're now pitting more weight on the front of the bike, you probably just need to adjust your forks. A good place to start would be to use the XBR suspension settings and go from there. I use the aggressive settings for my bike now and I feel very stable at all speeds. Was that any help at all, or was I just too cunfusing, sometimes I wonder if I'm not just confusing. I confuse Mrs. Glitch quite often.  | ||
| Buckinfuell |
Glitch, I suppose it has a lot to do with body type... since I installed the zero degree bars, I feel like I have much better control in the twisties. I am very curious about your moving the controls inward, and the resultant response. Anyway, I love the feel i get when pushing in the bars and countersteering. Much better feedback from the road... | ||
| Metalstorm |
Ahhh... If I remember correctly, Glitch has the 7 degree bars which are a bit wider than the zero degree bars right? Maybe the zero degree bars are just a better fit? |
