Modern Buddy

Anyone know what the bars, especially the bar ends, look like under the grips? I'm working on fabricating something for the scooter and am trying to figure out a 2nd anchor point....

Throttle side is a pipe inside a pipe. Picture a 7/8"od pipe with a 7/8"id pipe inside it. The outer pipe moves with the grip, the inner pipe is stationary. Also, the inner pipe ends about 3/4" before the outer pipe.

The non throttle side is just the stationary outer pipe.

There are no ends on the pipes.

*the above numbers are just guesstimates*

Lil Buddy wrote:Throttle side is a pipe inside a pipe. Picture a 7/8"od pipe with a 7/8"id pipe inside it. The outer pipe moves with the grip, the inner pipe is stationary. Also, the inner pipe ends about 3/4" before the outer pipe.

The non throttle side is just the stationary outer pipe.

There are no ends on the pipes.

*the above numbers are just guesstimates*

No, they're correct. I've been working on drop bars for my Buddy, they're 7/8" like you said.

Cheshire, you could always add bar ends and use their mounting bolt.

The scoot I have did not have bar ends but the ones I bought slip in the end pretty easy and with the use of an alen wrench, tightening causes the inside to expand. Same as bar end mirrors.

Thanks for the replies. I didn't think about bar ends: will take a look at those. Since I'm just needing some way of attaching something as an anchor point, bar ends may be just the ticket.

Now you have us all curious, so you'll have to post pictures of whatever you are doing when you are done.

Since threads are popping up because of all the cold weather, I'll let the cat out of the bag and ask for some input.
I'm wanting to forge some hand guards for the Buddy. I'm thinking I'll line them with some felt, wool, or leather for additional insulation.

What do y'all think would make for ideal hand guards? I've read through the recent threads about them, so this is in addition to the basics. If you have handguards on your scooter or motorcycle, what about them do you like best? What do you consider downsides or needs improving?

Okay, I'm not a Photoshop expert.

Something that goes over and under and out to the side, more like a windbreak than a mitten (I have some of those "Scooter mitts" or whatever they call them, and I hate having to fumble around to get my hand in there.

I wouldn't be doing a velcro attachment: I don't trust the stuff too much at speed for something that's taking the brunt of the wind. I'm taking blacksmithing, so it's easy enough to hot-punch a hole and have it mount (with a washer) under the mirror. Sounds like a basket-hilt style. Those bar-end weights that were mentioned might be a good idea for securing the other side. I'm also trying to keep in mind safety just in case of a crash scenario.

One thing about using metal Cheshire, and I am sure you know this, but I feel the need to point it out anyway. Any metal is a great conductor, which means that it will absorb the cold and stay cold for a long time, but also it will actually draw the warmth from the hands if they are really close together. I know that you are making them as a deflector of sorts, so I would keep it so that it is not surrounding but rather providing a buffer for the wind. Not that you are going to take your scoot off-roading, but most hand guards are plastic, because they flex and give as stuff hits them without pushing on the actual steering as well.

I love working with metal myself, it is the material that drew me into sculpture. I did all steel fabrication for my undergraduate work, leaving with about 25 pieces that averaged 6-7 feet in height, and about 200 lbs each. It is such a versatile material to work with. Please post pics when you get done.

you may want to check out the Yamaha Zuma 125 handgaurds. They're plastic, and I know that both scooters have a 7/8's handlebar. They may mount right on, or at least give you some ideas of what you do, and don't want.

The best bet would be to make a metal frame for a plastic, rubber or fabric deflector.

Basically, what you'd do is make a metal bracket that mounts to the mirror mounts and clamps to a bar end type thing. The bracket would support a hard or soft deflector/muff (main advantage here to a soft version would be that wind wouldn't be able to push against it enough to engage the brakes/clutch [thinking universal with that one]) that you could slip your hands into. Cutting off the wind wins the battle, job done.

If you figure that out, set a reasonable price and you'll be the cold weather hero. Want to do even better? Figure out a universal application.

You make it, I'll help make sure people see it. I'm a huge fan of warm hands. That's the single complication that keeps me from riding lately.

You know...this topic is great, and everyone can definitely use warmer hands, but another neat project, if you are in to metal working, is coming up with a better rear rack. The Buddy rack looks cute and all, but it's so tiny!

Regardng velcro--I'm with you regarding not using it to hold the hand protectors on...and you always have to worry about stuff rubbing on the paint. Same with flexible plastic rubbing on the paint I found out. I have a bar map that caused a little rub on the finish until I figured I had to secure one of those blue mechanic's paper towels under it to prevent that.

Please ignore the captions in the picture--I used this picture for a different topic in the past...just adding it here to illustrate what I'm talking about with the plastic rubbing and needing to use the paper towel.

Cheshire wrote:Since threads are popping up because of all the cold weather, I'll let the cat out of the bag and ask for some input.
I'm wanting to forge some hand guards for the Buddy. I'm thinking I'll line them with some felt, wool, or leather for additional insulation.

What do y'all think would make for ideal hand guards? I've read through the recent threads about them, so this is in addition to the basics. If you have handguards on your scooter or motorcycle, what about them do you like best? What do you consider downsides or needs improving?

Any progress on your hand guards? Mine are quite functional but I would love something that looks better. I may "borrow" from your design

Have you seen these?
They sell for $16 but the design is something that should be very easy to DIY.

Yeah, but we don't like the way the opening doesn't stay open.
When you stop, you need to lift your visor because of fogging (or icing this morning!) and you need to get your hands back in there quickly.

My DIY bar muffs are pretty open in the back and I like the way I can get in and out quickly (I'm sure that one will make the double entendre page).
Now I want to make something better looking.

Got just the thing for you! The first anti-fog treatment that actually works. Or so they say here:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/clarity-defog-it/

I'll have to try that one. I still have two tubs of Cat Crap that I also bought after the review on Webbikeworld. It works OK for one day.

Haven't gotten to work on it yet. It'll be wednesday (I hope) before I can do anything. First week of class is purely instructional, but I'm hoping by either Tuesday or Wednesday evening we'll be given the go-ahead for forge access.

I like the look of those muffs eric. I'll see if I can design these to be potentially compatible. The main reason for doing this is I'm after a class project, have scooters on the brain, and hate doing stuff just for stuff's sake.