Tips on getting the bolts out of the lower handlebar holders?

Hey there! got a question about the lower handlebar holders. how in the name of the flying spaghetti monster do you get the bolts out of them to replace them with longer ones? I know it is possible:

The part you actually clamp to is threaded in the interior as well. But I can't for the life of me get the durn bolt to loosen up, I can't seem to get a grip on it. anyone done this round these parts and have some tips? I'm about to drill a big hole through the bolt and stick a rod through it to get some leverage, but would rather not have to destroy it if at all possible.

Are you talking about the bolts that clamp onto the risers? The head faces to the rear in your picture?

If yes, They should just loosen. Then you have to put some WD40 or something like it on the shaft to be able to lift up the lower bar...as it's probably on there since factory. Put some WD or your favorite stuff on the heads and inside the crack on the lower arm. Tap it gently then let it sit... Sometimes after a day of sitting and a little heat...they will loosen up. Now if someone put locktite on the bolts, then heat is needed to break the bond.

Good luck and let us know how it's going...

Update: In looking at the parts diagram...you don't need to take off those top bolts off the lower handle holder (Page E10, part #11 ) to get the lower steering arm off. Parts diagrams and such are located in this web site further down the list of forums. They are downloadable. 1st generation Venture Royale.

Not quite. Im talking about the actual bolts on the assembly that go through the triple tree. the big black bolts that are screwed into the part you clamp the handlebars to:

They are obviously threaded in, but I cant get them un-stuck for the life of me. Penetrating oil left sitting for two days (it flowed out through the gap in the bracket) and they still won't budge with two pairs of channel locks. Are they tacked in or something, or are mine just fused with rust?

The parts manual shows them as one piece.....I referenced the number and page for you to check out.

I don't of anyone who has had them out.

I'll give a shout out to cowpuc...he's our resident 1st Gen Guru! Let's see if he jumps in here within the next day. And to Prairiehammer. He knows parts on the 1st gens like no one else on the planet.

P.s. You might want to add your bike year to your top left area...Helps as there are some differences between the Mk1's and the Mk2's. Mk1's I believe are 1983-84 and Mk2's are 1985 to 1991?? I looked up your info...you said you have an 83. OK...either gentleman should be able to help...

It might not hurt to take a peek under the top clamp and see if the bar "perches" arent actually held on with nuts/lock washers and pins and are not actually bolts... Of course,, I might be wayyy out in left field in my understanding of what we are talking about here.. If so,, please note how thankful you lop eared varmints should be that you never had me in an actual class room cause I never was much at following along and paying attention

Thanks for waking me up @videoarizona,,, this hot/muggy Michigan weather has this geezer varmint snoozin like sleeper Dodge Dart with a 440 stuffed in it

It might not hurt to take a peek under the top clamp and see if the bar "perches" arent actually held on with nuts/lock washers and pins and are not actually bolts... Of course,, I might be wayyy out in left field in my understanding of what we are talking about here.. If so,, please note how thankful you lop eared varmints should be that you never had me in an actual class room cause I never was much at following along and paying attention

Thanks for waking me up videoarizona,,, this hot/muggy Michigan weather has this geezer varmint snoozin like sleeper Dodge Dart with a 440 stuffed in it

Hurst shifter Puc??

There we are, it looks like I got videoarizona on the right page, and I think we are talking about the same thing cowpuc. there is a nut and lockwasher on the underside of the tree, with a cotter pin through the end of the bolt as a just-in-case. but there is definitely a gap between the flat part of the perch and the bolts there, and liquid comes through it from the inside of the knobbly bits. And yeah, it shows in the fiche as part #10 . But I've seen a few different bikes where they have slid barrel risers in there and placed a longer bolt through the Triple tree (a-la the picture up there in my first post); so either they come apart, or people go so far as to grind off, cut bolts, and weld on new length bolts to add risers on their rat-bobbers.

I'm hoping cowpuc or prariehammer come up with a trick here, or I'm gonna be breaking out the grinder and welder

Hurst shifter Puc??

ABSOLUTELY RADAR,,, ABSOOOOOFLIPPINLUTELY!!! Grab third and lite up the L60's when ya wake that sleeper out of sound sleep I tell ya brother!!

There we are, it looks like I got videoarizona on the right page, and I think we are talking about the same thing cowpuc. there is a nut and lockwasher on the underside of the tree, with a cotter pin through the end of the bolt as a just-in-case. but there is definitely a gap between the flat part of the perch and the bolts there, and liquid comes through it from the inside of the knobbly bits. And yeah, it shows in the fiche as part #10 . But I've seen a few different bikes where they have slid barrel risers in there and placed a longer bolt through the Triple tree (a-la the picture up there in my first post); so either they come apart, or people go so far as to grind off, cut bolts, and weld on new length bolts to add risers on their rat-bobbers.

 

I'm hoping cowpuc or prariehammer come up with a trick here, or I'm gonna be breaking out the grinder and welder

So what cha do if memory is serving me correctly is remove the nuts and slide the bolt out of the upper clamp. May take some banging but they should just slide out.. Just thought of something here,,, are we talking about removing the studs that the nuts screw onto?? If so,, I never did try to pull them,, I gotta hunch that those may be a machined pressed fit and or even welded in place for safety sake.. I think you may be in for a replacement part as a whole unless you are wanting to mod it.. Hold on,, let me check a parts list and see what it shows.... Yeppers,, take a peek at part number 10 on the link.. Is this what we are talking about? If so,, I gotta hunch those studs are not removeable without some work beyond just unscrewing... Maybe not but thats what it looks like to me..

https://www.yamahapartsnation.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004247cf8700209bc787e41/steering

So what cha do if memory is serving me correctly is remove the nuts and slide the bolt out of the upper clamp. May take some banging but they should just slide out.. Just thought of something here,,, are we talking about removing the studs that the nuts screw onto?? If so,, I never did try to pull them,, I gotta hunch that those may be a machined pressed fit and or even welded in place for safety sake.. I think you may be in for a replacement part as a whole unless you are wanting to mod it.. Hold on,, let me check a parts list and see what it shows.... Yeppers,, take a peek at part number 10 on the link.. Is this what we are talking about? If so,, I gotta hunch those studs are not removeable without some work beyond just unscrewing... Maybe not but thats what it looks like to me..

https://www.yamahapartsnation.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004247cf8700209bc787e41/steering

Yeah, those studs are the devils in question. I was really hoping that someone might have a trick to getting them out. I may just grab a spare and go at it with a mallet and some map gas, see if I can't pop em out somehow or something.