Sacrificing for the Wethead members...bar risers testing

[motodan]

Okay, this set of bar risers (from China), for a '22 R1250RT, have dropped into my lap. I'm willing to be the guy to test this set. All I need is some input on torque valves. They are made of 6061 Aluminum with stainless steel 8.8 grade bolts. The torque on OEM set up is 30 ft lbs. Anyone mounted these type risers before? They cost $36.00 as compared to Ilium's $112, Wunderlich's $380 and Heli's $399. Yes, I know price comparison can best be done from a hospital bed, I plan to use the difference in price to buy additional crash insurance! Torque anyone?

 

[20774]

I'm going to add a bit to the title for better view of what the thread is about!

 

[tepeterson7848]

I am old school, and will maybe end up in a hospital bed for it, but I have a belief that my gut sense of torque for items like this, coupled with Loktite, will suffice.

 

[tommyboyz]

They look like Ilium knockoffs. Go to their site, watch the video on install and you should be good.

 

[DSXMachina]

Not necessarily.

They look like Ilium knockoffs. Go to their site, watch the video on install and you should be good.

You may be right, but only if the materials and surface finishes are the same. Knock-offs often look similar, but the materials are not identical. For instance, the risers could be castings, while the originals were forgings, requiring a different clamping force. I'm not against trying, only stating that things which look the same may not be the same and therefore required different handling.
As a former mechanical/manufacturing engineer I can unequivocally state that there is one heck of a profit being made at $300. The company making them for 40 bucks is making a profit, what is the 300 buck guy making? That said, the evaluation will be one in which I am interested. I was on the verge of going for the cheapies myself.

 

[robsryder]

Tables exist that provide suggested torque values. Links are below for some examples. Note: - use of stainless steel in aluminum can result in "galling", which is like a cold weld or galvanic corrosion. Some thread lubricant (anti-seize or thread locker) is often recommended.

When I purchased my first motorcycle (I was around 13 years old) I soon discovered that the ideal torque was about one-half a turn before the threads stripped or the fastener broke. I learned how to use an easy-out and tap before I fully understood the notion of "torque".

https://www.fastenal.com/content/fe...ic Stainless Steel Fasteners A2 and A4-70.pdf

https://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Torque of Metric Stainless Steel.pdf

https://www.metalworkmasters.com/materials/stainless-steel-screws-in-aluminum/