[kozmonot]

I've gotten a couple PMs about how to do this, and it's fairly simple, so I figured I'd post a few pictures on how I did it. . .

Regular bars are low and a little narrow, and hurt my wrists.

First grab yourself a pair of these from Cycle-Gear or your local bike shop. They are pro-taper oversized dirtbike bar mounts. They're meant to mount onto dirt bikes so you can us 1.25" bars instead of 7/8". About half the threads will need to be cut off. Thread the bolt all the way on it, cut where needed with a cutoff dremel wheel, and then turn the bolt off the post to repair the start of the threads.

And a set of bars to fit them...

Now, I've done this to both of my X-18s, on one I used Diamondback light-bend mountain bike bars, and on the other I used pro-taper 1.25". Note in the picture below there's a textures knurled side for the clutch. You'll have the bars mounted reversed and upside down, so the clutch side will be the throttle side and vice versa. Take a sanding or grinding wheel and smooth it all out. If you don't your throttle sleeve will stick.

Next grab your drill and punch two holes into the stock triple-tree right where the little corner of the step-down is on the top plate. You will have to remove your gauges, otherwise the drill bit will hit the head of the gauges mounting screws and take material from them. I just took them off and reattached at the end.

Then take off the stock clip-ons.

 

[kozmonot]

Next, using washers put the mounts into the triple.
I used 3 washers on top, and 5 on the bottom. It may differ with yours, and you may have to cut or bend in the manufacture plate on the right side of the frame.

Don't tighten them down too much now, you want a little play still.


Now put the controls on your bars. They will need to be cut down on either side, and I cut the stop-washer type end off my throttle to make it easier.


Set the bars into the mounts and hand tighten the top brackets of the mount to hold them in place.

Now, center the bars and tighten the top bracket a little bit. This is the tricky part, as if you tighten one side more than the otheryou can have the mounts become lopsided or uneven. I tightened the top ones a little and alternated to the bottom ones until i had tight, centered, and rigid handle bars.

Here's the light-bend mountain bike bars

You will probably have to play with positioning a little bit until you get what you like, and more than likely you will have to trim your front fairing, otherwise when the bars are fully turned itll bend and possible crack it.

 

[kozmonot]

First set with the trimmed front:

Both types of bars, both with the same mounts, on the same kind of bike:

The gauges I just zip tied onto the triple tree.