Irbit Express: GETTA GRIP!

 From the very first test ride, I knew the factory bars were going to have to get binned.  Cruiser style bars with a weirdly angled pull back that made my wrists ache, and thin grips that I hated.  Besides the Ducati, all of my bikes have had dual sport style bars. So, I ordered a set of Tusk ATV Sport bars, Rox Pivoting 2" Risers, and scored a great deal on a set of Oxford Adventure Heated Grips. 

With a evening suddenly free this past Saturday, I planned to knock out all these upgrades. However, I ordered the wrong size Rox Risers and the new set wouldn't be delivered until mid-week.  I made some calls around to local dealerships but no one had anything in stock. So, I ordered another set from the A to Z delivery service (albeit of a lesser quality). Since they wouldn't arrive until Sunday, I decided to just install the bars and grips, and add the risers later if I needed them. 

Ural has a great motorcycle channel with a big library of "How-To" videos from David. Using the gas tank removal video I set out on my maiden voyage into disassembling the Gear Up.  The tank was extremely difficult to remove, as well as the fuel line from the pump. Maybe it was user error, maybe it was the gas fumes distorting my brain. Because, of course I spilled an incredible amount of gas. I couldn't find a long enough section of fuel line for proper draining. Eventually I got all the lines disconnected, fuel drained out and was ready to work. 

Now that I had clear access to the backbone of the frame, I re-routed the winch wiring, routed the wiring for the heated grips, cleaned up all the zip ties, and set out to swap the bars and grips. It's an easy process, and I even drilled out a hole for the mounting post on the throttle side control set. No more grinding them off and dealing with rotating controls, like an amateur. I plan on installing the single side mount handguards from the CBR600F, so on the throttle side, I moved the tube / control set in enough to allow about 3mm of bar to extend past the throttle tube. This will keep the grip from dragging. Otherwise you may end up with an unexpected a DIY throttle lock / cruise control. 

The Oxford Grips have a low voltage / running bike detector, so no need to do my usual relay installation. Everyone seems to have their own way to install/secure new grips but my method is hair spray! You need the strongest hold you can find, like 80's big crimped goth hair strong.

Zip tie and scrap wood to the rescue!

New bars, no risers. Felt good, but low.

New bars, plus risers. Feels great!

Pretty crowded but I made it work.

I'm not 100% happy with the controller mount but it works. The gold bolt mounting the controller is from my stash of spare Ducati hardware! This bike has bits from both the Duc and the Honda.

Grrrrrrr! I opted for a more comical design than the normal tiger shark teeth.

I took the rig out for a quick errand, and the new bar/riser/grip combo feels so much better. It's easier to control on the lunar surface of the backroads around my compound. I have more "torque" on the bars, and the thick grips feel much better on my mitts. After having not one, but two hand/finger injuries last year, I learned how important the the thickness of a gripped item can be. 

At the request of my youngest, I also installed an "aircraft" seat belt after riding on some very rough roads. The previous owner used mismatched hardware sizes, and eyebolts that were about 2"/50mm too long, plus, no rubber sealing washers between the hardware and tub. It was more of a challenge to remove those damn eyebolts than it was to install the winch bar. 

Much better! Reused some tie-down points from the Hurricane to use for dog tehters.

New tail art decal, and a wooden handled shovel to really add to the military feel. 

Couldn't resist adding my favorite sticker. Yes it's crooked, no, I don't care.

The only remaining mods are a storage box under the rear of the tub for a small scissor jack, and my tools, and some skid plates. It's not like there are performance upgrades for the old Russian Iron. One free evening, I plan on going over all the fasteners, checking the spokes, and just giving it a good once over.  The pusher (rear driven wheel) is getting close to retirement. I'll swap over the spare wheel, and change the tire and check the wheel. I've never changed a tubed tire on a motorcycle, should be a learning experience. 

Stay safe out there comrades.