Tripp wrote:......however could you please explain to me why the bar ends are weighted......
its about harmonic vibrations. At certain rpm's, your handlebars will vibrate to a specific frequency which is related to engine capacity/design etc. Every motor has certain rpm ranges where the vibrations (or harmonics) - will resonate within certain frame parts.
Because your handlebars are long and skinny (compared to other parts on the bike) - they are more susceptible to harmonics than other areas. So - weighted bar ends are used to remove the harmonic vibrations you would otherwise feel in your hands. These vibrations are worse at some rpm levels than others. The added weight right out at the end of the bar, acts like a big damper. It effectively stops the bars from vibrating at most rpm's.....not all. You can still get numb hands from riding the bike for a lot of hours even with bar-ends fitted.
If you want to see how much of a difference it makes - take your bar-end weights out for a couple of days and do a decent ride. You will soon find that your hands will get so tired and sore you won't actually have any feeling when you pull the brake or clutch levers.....
Back in the old days - old-school bikes never had bar-end weights - we just used to accept that you couldn't ride without getting numb fingers. One of the early solutions to this - was to fit massive foam grips to the bars !! These things were fuckin terrible.....really thick so you had very little actual 'feel' through the bars, they also had a very short life expectancy if your bike was parked out in the sun for a few days.......I remember fitting some bar-end weights to the old Black Pearl many years ago - the difference was amazing.
