How tight do you tighten your handlebar clamp bolts into your triples?

Edited Date/Time 5/16/2023 2:25pm

Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones and the clamps are Mika. Ran the Black Buffalo National Enduro and after test two, my hands hurt so bad I could barley open them when coming off the test. I did tighten my clamp bolts on the bottom side of my upper triples to a solid tightness. I’ve never experienced this before and wondering if I over tightened them. After installing I noticed the ends of the bars vibrating immediately when the bike is running on the stand. Didn’t think much of it….I race Moto,GNCC and National Enduros and never experienced this..There is obviously no torque setting for these unless I’m a moron and could not find it in my manual…

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soggy
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5/16/2023 2:43pm
Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones...

Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones and the clamps are Mika. Ran the Black Buffalo National Enduro and after test two, my hands hurt so bad I could barley open them when coming off the test. I did tighten my clamp bolts on the bottom side of my upper triples to a solid tightness. I’ve never experienced this before and wondering if I over tightened them. After installing I noticed the ends of the bars vibrating immediately when the bike is running on the stand. Didn’t think much of it….I race Moto,GNCC and National Enduros and never experienced this..There is obviously no torque setting for these unless I’m a moron and could not find it in my manual…

What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration. 
 

did you replace the cones with new rubber ones or go to something solid?

 

as far as torque spec. Check your manual. 

mx313
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Location
Brisbane City, QLD, AU
5/16/2023 2:55pm

The bar mounts have to be pretty tight.

About 34nm or 25 ft-lb.

But I doubt that's your problem.

I'm guessing you have gone to solid cones from rubber 1s.

bvm111
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Las Vegas, NV, USA
5/16/2023 3:09pm

Good and Tight usually seems to work for me! 

3
5/16/2023 3:18pm Edited Date/Time 5/16/2023 3:18pm
Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones...

Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones and the clamps are Mika. Ran the Black Buffalo National Enduro and after test two, my hands hurt so bad I could barley open them when coming off the test. I did tighten my clamp bolts on the bottom side of my upper triples to a solid tightness. I’ve never experienced this before and wondering if I over tightened them. After installing I noticed the ends of the bars vibrating immediately when the bike is running on the stand. Didn’t think much of it….I race Moto,GNCC and National Enduros and never experienced this..There is obviously no torque setting for these unless I’m a moron and could not find it in my manual…

soggy wrote:
What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration.    did...

What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration. 
 

did you replace the cones with new rubber ones or go to something solid?

 

as far as torque spec. Check your manual. 

Stock 7/8 from the dealer. 

The Shop

5/16/2023 3:20pm
Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones...

Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones and the clamps are Mika. Ran the Black Buffalo National Enduro and after test two, my hands hurt so bad I could barley open them when coming off the test. I did tighten my clamp bolts on the bottom side of my upper triples to a solid tightness. I’ve never experienced this before and wondering if I over tightened them. After installing I noticed the ends of the bars vibrating immediately when the bike is running on the stand. Didn’t think much of it….I race Moto,GNCC and National Enduros and never experienced this..There is obviously no torque setting for these unless I’m a moron and could not find it in my manual…

soggy wrote:
What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration.    did...

What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration. 
 

did you replace the cones with new rubber ones or go to something solid?

 

as far as torque spec. Check your manual. 

Just replaced with new rubber cones, not solid. 

YLLIBLLIH
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Afton, TN, USA
5/16/2023 3:20pm

Tight enuff to pull a single to table 

2
LungButter
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5/16/2023 3:21pm

2 ugga uggas

1
SLAPAHO
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Newport Beach, CA, USA
Fantasy
5/16/2023 3:56pm

Someone posted this a couple of years ago. Comes in handy.... 

 

TORQUE-SPECS

 

3
Stewyeww
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AU
5/16/2023 4:34pm

Just tighten till you feel it starting to strip then back it off 1/4 turn

4
1
5/16/2023 5:06pm
Stewyeww wrote:

Just tighten till you feel it starting to strip then back it off 1/4 turn

Doesn’t matter if it’s properly torqued or cross-threaded, tight is tight.

2
1
soggy
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Location
USA
5/16/2023 5:24pm
Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones...

Clamp bolts into the top triple….Recently put on a set of 1 1/8 Pro Taper Contour KX High Bends on a 2020 KX450. Replaced the cones and the clamps are Mika. Ran the Black Buffalo National Enduro and after test two, my hands hurt so bad I could barley open them when coming off the test. I did tighten my clamp bolts on the bottom side of my upper triples to a solid tightness. I’ve never experienced this before and wondering if I over tightened them. After installing I noticed the ends of the bars vibrating immediately when the bike is running on the stand. Didn’t think much of it….I race Moto,GNCC and National Enduros and never experienced this..There is obviously no torque setting for these unless I’m a moron and could not find it in my manual…

soggy wrote:
What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration.    did...

What bar did you have on there before?  The contour is a very stiff bar. I think they also transfer a bit more vibration. 
 

did you replace the cones with new rubber ones or go to something solid?

 

as far as torque spec. Check your manual. 

Stock 7/8 from the dealer. 

The bars are your problem. You either need to go back to 7/8’s or get pro taper evo or acf. The contour is very stiff. 

1
1911
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5/16/2023 6:45pm
Stewyeww wrote:

Just tighten till you feel it starting to strip then back it off 1/4 turn

SEE ARE125 wrote:

Doesn’t matter if it’s properly torqued or cross-threaded, tight is tight.

Cross threaded, just another form of Loctite👍😀

4
Falcon
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Menifee, CA, USA
5/17/2023 8:07am

Gutundtight, like a German virgin. Smile

 

2
bigk218
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Summerville, SC, USA
5/17/2023 8:52am

I get those special bolts.  The one where the head breaks off when it reaches the proper torque. No more guess work. 

LungButter
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Yellow Pine, ID, USA
5/17/2023 8:59am
SLAPAHO wrote:
Someone posted this a couple of years ago. Comes in handy....         

Someone posted this a couple of years ago. Comes in handy.... 

 

TORQUE-SPECS

 

This is rad, where is it from?  Do they have other bikes as well?

McG194
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Location
Palm Coast, FL, USA
5/17/2023 9:33am

The proper way to tighten a handlebar clamp is to snug the forward clamps until it is metal to metal. Next step is to tighten the bolts closest to you somewhat shy of the correct torque then torque the forward bolts to final torque followed by final torque on rear bolts. There should be an equal gap on the rear bar mounts. 

5/17/2023 12:06pm

EVERY time I tighten bolts to spec without a torque wrench, I audibly say "click". My son watched me several times use the same technique. He asked, "Dad why do you say click when you do the bolt?" I informed him that's my trusty torque wrench and I'm just making sure its to spec. Grinning  When the little rascal was "working" on his toy dirtbike "changing the tire" I heard him say "click yep its tight". Silly

1
jeffro503
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St Helens, OR, USA
5/17/2023 2:03pm
Stewyeww wrote:

Just tighten till you feel it starting to strip then back it off 1/4 turn

SEE ARE125 wrote:

Doesn’t matter if it’s properly torqued or cross-threaded, tight is tight.

I like your guy's explanation the best , because I do exactly the same. Unless it was a mayo or peanut butter jar , and to piss off my ex girlfriend, I'd tighten them like a gorilla. She could never have any unless I was home. 

Hcallz5
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8/20/2013
Location
USA
5/17/2023 7:06pm

If you overtighten the fork tube clamp bolts it can restrict fork motion, that mainly applies to the lower bolts but it's worth buying a torque wrench for. 

The stock KTM bars were super stiff, I switched to Protapers and they're more forgiving.

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