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Written By: Scott
The Throttlemeister kit includes all of the necessary hardware to complete the installation:
shims, washers, sleeves, allen-head bolts, throttle tube sleeve and of course, the bar ends. I
was impressed with the high-caliber machining and finish and the very thorough installation instructions.
While the installation is pretty straightforward, here are a few tips:
Throttlemeister Installation
- Factory bar ends are torqued in place with red thread-locker. This is an extremely powerful
thread-locking compound and when purchased in a retail package indicates the need for "special tools
or equipment" to remove a fastener sealed with this formula.
- I found that my 14.4V Dewalt Drill/Driver was sufficient to remove the left-side bar end weight.
Using a #2 Phillips bit the mounting bolt isn't too difficult to extract.
- The throttle-side was a bit more difficult... I first tried the Dewalt but found that despite the
pressure I was applying that I was actually beginning to twist the phillips-groove in the fastener.
Digging deep into my toolbox I decided to try an impact driver and the #2 bit. If you are not familiar
with the impact driver they can be very useful under the right circumstances for removing frozen bolts or
other stubborn fasteners. Basically you position the driver w/bit in (on?) the fastener and whack it very
carefully with a 5-pound hammer. I recommend using caution when doing this and have an extra pair of hands
close by to hold pressure on the bars to keep them steady. The fastener began to move very slightly and I
was able to then break it free and remove the factory bar end.
- After installing the friction sleeve onto the throttle tube. I installed and removed the Throttlemeister
assembly a few times to get the right fit with the supplied shims. The key for proper operation is for the
bronze sleeve to be about 1mm from contacting the friction sleeve when disengaged and making full contact
when fully engaged... pretty simple right? The instructions provide a lot of detail for getting the proper
fit and this step is CRUCIAL FOR SAFE OPERATION.
In the few days since I installed the Throttlemeister kit I can say that I am VERY pleased. The heavier
bar ends seem to soak up a bit of the "buzz" and it is wonderful to be able to take my right hand away from
the bars for a few minutes. While my use for the Throttlemeister is primarily in getting to and from the
North Georgia twisties, it makes the trip a lot more comfortable.
Tip from marc11:
Just a quick note, heating the bar ends just a bit with any type of hot flame will "unlock" the locktite
and allow you to just turn out the screws by hand with a screw driver. About 20 seconds was enough for me
using my propane gas tourch. Just do not heat it too much, hit it for a few seconds then try the screw and
if needed hit it again. Works like a charm.
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