EMT is strong enough but is not the right size. It will not fit the stem, brake levers won't fit and grips won't fit. I used some 3/4 " for some underseat handlebars on a recumbent.
EMT conduit handlebars?
- Thread starter ferball
- Start date
I recall Louies 'Monroe' Built bike, he bent conduit for the bars. -Vinny
http://motorbicycling.com/f36/monroe-home-build-19434.html
http://motorbicycling.com/f36/monroe-home-build-19434.html
I would think twice about using less than 4130 steel or bike shop bars. If your bar brakes your up a creek fast without a boat. If they look like there too easy to bend they probably are. there is a lot of force applied to the bars every time you start a happy time or when you hit a bump.
I have a pair of bars on my motor bicycle that I had now for over twenty years. They have gone on at least six bikes I have put together(motored and pedaled) and if I am lucky they will last another twenty years. Be conservative in your materials and you wont be disappointed.
Mike
I have a pair of bars on my motor bicycle that I had now for over twenty years. They have gone on at least six bikes I have put together(motored and pedaled) and if I am lucky they will last another twenty years. Be conservative in your materials and you wont be disappointed.
Mike
they are some ape hangars, so I won't be leaning over them putting a lot of weight on them, that would worry me, plus they seem rugged enough for cruising, I am not planning any off road with them, I do think I will add a cross brace just so I feel better about them, but they should work good, and they look wicked cool...
give me a few minutes i bent some EMT 3/4 ape hangers for a an occ chopper the only problem is not havin the grooves they tend to move a bit and couldn't get my bends tight enough for my knees to clear but then again at 6'2" i have that problem with most stuffi think it's strong enough you could also use IMC it's a thick wall style pipe just gotta use the next size up bender for the radius not to kink if you have any questions on bend take up or offset math for EMT just let know i'm an electrician so i use it just about everyday
I plan to do it. I'm going to put a length of 1/2" inside of the 3/4" and bend them at the same time with conduit benders at work. Then in the center where it will attach to the goose neck I'll use a small piece of split 3/4" to increase to fit. I'll prime and paint. It will be plenty strong.
A few years back, I found out the hard way that any mention of using EMT (the tubing, not the profession) or conduit will cause an instant galvanizing of nay-sayers with plenty of opinions (one per nay-sayer, like......well you know) and little practical experience. Prudence should be the rule of the day, or as the cop on Hill Street Blues used to say "Let's be careful out there".
MHF
MHF
The way these motors shake, I'll bet that conduit within conduit will be a rattle monster.
Good luck, and please wear a helmet.
No way do you want to use EMT I did electrical work for 30 years. If you're going to use any kind of conduit use at least 1/2 inch IMC. You'll need a hicky bender to make your handle bars with. For really strong handle bars you could use 1/2 rigid conduit. I'm pretty big but still I can bend a 4 foot piece of 1 inch EMT over my knee. I couldn't do that with the same size IMC and definitely couldn't do it with rigid.
Last edited:
1/2" inside of 3/4" bent the same time. Then cut to size. It does fit the goose neck. It is plenty strong. I've done it so I can say it totally can be done. It doesn't rattle (the two pipes) because at the bends they touch hard. Totally worth free. And I made it.
Attachments
Update.
The handle bars do fit the goose neck.....they are too big for the throttle to spin freely. FIX....I cut the 3/4" conduit back to where the throttle attaches leaving under the clamp 3/4" - while exposing the 1/2" to fit inside of the plastic portion of the throttle handle. So the clamp fixes to the 3/4" as it should and there is plenty of room with the 1/2" for the throttle to spin freely.
On the clutch side I drilled the hole bigger to fit.
Was it worth it?
To me yes since I can say its my custom bars. Everyone needs to modify something for these kits to fit each different bike. I could have purchased a set similar to what I made but, not exactly what I wanted for $60 delivered to my house but, they are chrome. It's hard to paint chrome. These where free and they will work.
The handle bars do fit the goose neck.....they are too big for the throttle to spin freely. FIX....I cut the 3/4" conduit back to where the throttle attaches leaving under the clamp 3/4" - while exposing the 1/2" to fit inside of the plastic portion of the throttle handle. So the clamp fixes to the 3/4" as it should and there is plenty of room with the 1/2" for the throttle to spin freely.
On the clutch side I drilled the hole bigger to fit.
Was it worth it?
To me yes since I can say its my custom bars. Everyone needs to modify something for these kits to fit each different bike. I could have purchased a set similar to what I made but, not exactly what I wanted for $60 delivered to my house but, they are chrome. It's hard to paint chrome. These where free and they will work.
EMT is designed for only two purposes--to shield wires and to be easy to bend. Very soft mild steel.
Not handlebar material, for the that exact reason.
Reminds me of when I used to have a Honda MB5, and wanted to put short straight bars on it to emulate the clip-ons I had on my Suzuki Katana...I bought some nice black-chromed aftermarket bars for the conversion and the only way I could trim them was with an abrasive wheel cutter! This oughta tell you that handlebars are engineered for STRENGTH.
I worked with conduit for 30 years. Use 1/2 inch IMC. The outside diameter is 3/4 inches. The tubing is much stronger than EMT but lighter than rigid conduit. Yes a mechanical bender would be the best way to bend it. But a strong enough person can bend 1/2 inch IMC with a 3/4 inch hand bender. You're asking for trouble using EMT.