Coolant heated handle bars

Misha Subo · Nov 30, 2017

Well done! That's really help for us DIYs. I recall you talking about making it in a previous post but it seems you really managed to simply the whole thing by avoiding the centre hole for the baffle. Besides you could always add it later, if you find it is not warm enough, as you did not weld your bar ends in.

Check out McMaster Carr...they have the 1/8" NPT x 1/4" barb fitting which is hard to find in Lowe's or Home Depot. It's available in 45 and 90 elbows and straight. This fitting would allow you to avoid the extra fitting sealing points at the handle bar port by going without the adapters and still allowing for the more flexible 1/4" ID. hose.

Keep us posted on the temperatures without the centre baffle.

M5- · Nov 30, 2017

What bike is that, a FI 250 2 stroke? I get wild temp swings on my 500, on the trail 200+ and like 120 in the deep. Hopefully without the inner tube the larger volume doesn't overcool. A couple of guys I know have reduced the size of thebypass tube on the Thermobob down to 1/4" because it was allowing too much coolant to bypass the rads, to the point where the bike was always overheating because the t-stat doesn't get a chance to open up. I know it sounds weird but its true. You need a temp gauge to see it. Boggles my mind why everyone doesn't have a gauge. Not blowing coolant out is not really a good measurement of proper engine temps.

M5

Sheetmetalfab · Nov 30, 2017

M5- said:
What bike is that, a FI 250 2 stroke? I get wild temp swings on my 500, on the trail 200+ and like 120 in the deep. Hopefully without the inner tube the larger volume doesn't overcool. A couple of guys I know have reduced the size of thebypass tube on the Thermobob down to 1/4" because it was allowing too much coolant to bypass the rads, to the point where the bike was always overheating because the t-stat doesn't get a chance to open up. I know it sounds weird but its true. You need a temp gauge to see it. Boggles my mind why everyone doesn't have a gauge. Not blowing coolant out is not really a good measurement of proper engine temps.

M5

Sxf450.

You are just seeing the factory header fat section.

Sheetmetalfab · Nov 30, 2017

Misha Subo said:
Well done! That's really help for us DIYs. I recall you talking about making it in a previous post but it seems you really managed to simply the whole thing by avoiding the centre hole for the baffle. Besides you could always add it later, if you find it is not warm enough, as you did not weld your bar ends in.

Check out McMaster Carr...they have the 1/8" NPT x 1/4" barb fitting which is hard to find in Lowe's or Home Depot. It's available in 45 and 90 elbows and straight. This fitting would allow you to avoid the extra fitting sealing points at the handle bar port by going without the adapters and still allowing for the more flexible 1/4" ID. hose.

Keep us posted on the temperatures without the centre baffle.

I thought about mcmaster carr or a fitting supply house but went for the instant gratification of a 7pm trip to lowes.

(Mcmaster carr is great but in Alaska they rape you on shipping)
Ups 2nd day air only

(Home Depot doesn’t stock the 1/4” fuel line fwiw)
Maybe save someone a dry run like i had.

Misha Subo · Nov 30, 2017

You won't find 1/4" barb x 1/8" npt fittings in any common hardware store...for some reason they are not considered useful for house hold use like the other size combinations. I don't get that?

Hawkster · Nov 30, 2017

They have them , you just have to keep your sanity . I had a pair of these tapped into the bar so the hoses tucked nicely .

jeiner · Dec 1, 2017

I was just thinking, probably the best way to plug off the ends of the bars is using bar end mounts and just wrap it with tape. This will be daylight easier/faster/cheaper than welding in plugs or machining a plug.

Also, I would not put a shut off valve in it (unless it is a three way and it would route it in the normal bypass line). Some potential problems is if you shut it off all the way, whether by accident or someone that is borrowing your bike for ten minutes, the bike would burn up in probably less than a minute. It's a bad idea to have anything on your bike that could so easily ruin the season, and the checkbook for that matter. I actually e-mailed Raze and asked the question:

Me - Sorry, this first question is more of an understanding question. Why does this setup have a shut off valve? If the engine is not up to temp so the thermostat is shut, if the valve is also shut then where will the coolant go?

Answer - Dont do that. The valve has to be cracked open if the bike is dead cold. If you want to be able to do that which I dont know why you would we have a secondary bypass hose you can add to the kit.

Hawkster · Dec 1, 2017

Depending on the tape but I think most would break down with the antifreeze , I think .

Some fairly dense rubber crudely cut and beat into the end of the bar to what ever depth if your using bark busters does the job , never had a leaking issue .
Popped the radiator cap a few times from boil over so if the plugs would of leaked that would of been the time .

I suppose if for some reason you had to remove them all it would take is a drill .

trlkidd · Dec 7, 2017

Can someone post pics of the bar ends with this install done?
Are the lines ran 2 in and 2 out? Not just 1 continuous single line?
Thanks in advance!

Sheetmetalfab · Dec 7, 2017

trlkidd said:
Can someone post pics of the bar ends with this install done?
Are the lines ran 2 in and 2 out? Not just 1 continuous single line?
Thanks in advance!

I don’t understand what you are asking.

trlkidd · Dec 8, 2017

Got it, had to read it a few times. Thanks

Kealo · Dec 11, 2017

Trying set up on my stock renthal 7/8 bars. Decided to drill between the clamps and fill epoxy from the holes for nips. Picked up parts from local hardware store and epoxy from dallarama.
Also made plugs on my lathe for bar ends and bark busters to screw into

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

El Gringo · Dec 11, 2017

Just wanted to say thank you to all who have posted on this thread. I got my bike going for the first time with my home made heated bars and man are they awesome, really toasty, I was concerned they wouldn't be hot enough, but now I think they may be too hot. Glad I have a ball valve to control the flow. Can't wait to get out riding! Thanks again for a great thread everyone.

Sheetmetalfab · Dec 11, 2017

El Gringo said:
Just wanted to say thank you to all who have posted on this thread. I got my bike going for the first time with my home made heated bars and man are they awesome, really toasty, I was concerned they wouldn't be hot enough, but now I think they may be too hot. Glad I have a ball valve to control the flow. Can't wait to get out riding! Thanks again for a great thread everyone.

Mine don’t ever feel cold or hot.

Wide open hoses no valves.

I just never think about them any longer.

Like a good pair of boots.

MFJ · Dec 12, 2017

Kealo said:
Trying set up on my stock renthal 7/8 bars. Decided to drill between the clamps and fill epoxy from the holes for nips. Picked up parts from local hardware store and epoxy from dallarama.
Also made plugs on my lathe for bar ends and bark busters to screw into

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interested to see how this turns out as far as the seal on the fittings at the middle of the bar. Have been debating if I should try on 7/8 bars or not due to there being less threads.

Misha Subo · Dec 14, 2017

So I've got the plumbing straight forward for the upper part (around the bars) but how is the hose hookup done to the radiator and feed? My interpretation is, I would have to make two spliced-in T-connections. One at the junction to lower radiator for the return flow and the other at the head exit hose for the feed flow. That way the hot coolant from the head exist goes straight to the bars.

The photos I've seen so far have the fuel tank shading this area so that it's hard to see. I've got a KTM 300 XCW which already comes with a stock thermostat. Do I put the t-junction exit from my 1/4 inch hose just below the thermostat?

Sheetmetalfab · Dec 14, 2017

Misha Subo said:
So I've got the plumbing straight forward for the upper part (around the bars) but how is the hose hookup done to the radiator and feed? My interpretation is, I would have to make two spliced-in T-connections. One at the junction to lower radiator for the return flow and the other at the head exit hose for the feed flow. That way the hot coolant from the head exist goes straight to the bars.

The photos I've seen so far have the fuel tank shading this area so that it's hard to see. I've got a KTM 300 XCW which already comes with a stock thermostat. Do I put the t-junction exit from my 1/4 inch hose just below the thermostat?

Remove your bypass hose.

Hook one hose to each empty fitting.

Done.

Misha Subo · Dec 18, 2017

A quick caution to those trying to port their own handlebars for coolant heating DIY. First: Centre drill, then pre-drill, then tap then break tap and spend the next hour extracting broken tap to save handlebars.

M5- · Dec 18, 2017

Most bars are made from 7075 so they are harder than you might think. 7075 usually snaps before it bends, its what good ski poles are made from which always snap and never bend. On stuff like that I like to use a hand tap, go slow in and out so I can feel what's happening and also use lots of cutting fluid. Slow and steady wins that race.

One other thing to note is we have tried the stock KTM thermostats and they pass quite a bit of fluid even when closed, that is the difference between them and the Thermobob with a true bypass. You may find the tstat won't give you enough heat for the bars with a 300. Just something to keep an eye on.

M5

Misha Subo · Dec 18, 2017

Instead of using the bi-pass could I use the main line instead?

Coolant heated handle bars

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