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Customer Feedback

Check out the review of the 7/8" bar-end weights in the September 2004 issue of American Motorcyclist magazine.

10-11-11 I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with your S.S. Pounders on my 1996 Moto Guzzi California! I went from just a 'lost' bar end weight to a no-vibrate, 'I can see clearly now' bike with your great product. I cannot thank you enough!

-Steve, Iowa

7-27-11 Please tell whoever made the tapered pounders they are a true artist!

-Paul, South Carolina

5-27-11

Just wanted to say thank-you for a quality product. Finally had a chance to get the Guzzi back on the road and try the new bar-ends.  Vibes have been reduced beyond my expectations, even with my older wrists.  Thanks again and regards,

-Doug

10-4-10 Sorry it has taken me a week to follow up with you - I just wanted to let you know that the bar ends are great. I got my mirrors installed and the vibrations are almost gone. It's like I get the memory of them at the same RPMs; but no fatigue. I still know I'm riding a burly machine; it just makes it easier to do it for longer.

-Sean, Minneapolis

8-26-10 I wanted to drop you a line on the hollow-tube bar end weights that  had purchased from you back in July for my 2009 Ducati 696 Monster.  After receiving the larger expansion nuts (for a steel tube handlebar) I re-installed them on my little Monster and went on a 100 mile constant freeway speed ride.  I can say that your weights definitely quelled a good portion of the annoying vibrations that I experienced with the bike.  The following weekend I went for a canyon carving ride up in the Angeles Forest to test out the handling characteristics of the bike with the weights.  The overall evaluation after a days worth of twisties is that the steering is slightly slower but not a deal breaker in the handling department.

L Haviland, CA

6-7-10

Dear Paul,

I recently bought a Yamaha Tmax. I knew it is a parallel twin. I knew parallel twins are buzzy. I was not quite ready for the high frequency vibration transmitted to the bars. My hands became numb within 15 minutes. I had the dealer check the bike including plugs and engine mounts. They said it was ok and had normal operation. I tried foam grip covers (minimal help) and special gloves (some help) and considered a bar snake but the built-in bolt seating means the bar is not hollow requiring "liquid" bar snake... forget that. I was ready to lose thousands and trade-in the Tmax. Then I happened on Manic Salamander. I said what the heck, for $65 maybe I can salvage the situation. The Tmax was not on your bike list but you were very helpful on the phone and sent exactly the right bar-end weights (order# 00001654). They easily installed in 5 minutes no problem. The difference is remarkable. Don't get me wrong, I still know the engine is running, but now the vibration is significantly reduced and quite tolerable without 15 minute "dead-hands". Your bar-ends have saved me and my Tmax from a costly divorce. And they are good looking and very well made to boot. Thanks so much for your great product.

Sincerely,

Jerry Hermel.

4-13-10

just installed the manic salamander Smooth City bar ends on my '08 AN400. I'm glad I bought these instead of the previous model (which is currently on clearance) because these have shims which allowed for excellent fit on the throttle side. These are the regulars in chrome (13 oz.), not the throttle lock units. On the highway especially, the reduction in buzzing through the grips is significant and the mirrors are clearer. Much more relaxing. Construction and finish are excellent. I like what they add to the appearance as well. No change in steering dynamics. Even though these are wider in diameter than OEM, you can still roll on the yellow O-ring reported elsewhere as the poor man's throttle lock. Very pleased.

Attachments

b-man

Active Member

8-4-09

Your bar-end weights have transformed my 76 Bonneville 750. I can now ride for hours without my hands going numb. Its nothing short of a miracle !  Thank you for supplying such a quality product. Tim

7-30-09

Just wanted to say, Great,Great product! It addressed both my concerns with my bike. 1. I get vibration through the handlebars at certain speeds that makes my fingers go numb (especially my throttle hand). 2. On longer trips the aforementioned vibrations make traveling on the highway uncomfortable, so it is nice to be able to take my hand off the throttle momentarily. Your throttle lock virtually eliminated the vibes and lets me rest my arm on longer slab rides.

The other thing worth mentioning was my concern about accidentally twisting the lock on while accelerating. There is a kind of closed detent that holds it in the closed position so there is no danger of this, which was my only safety concern. Again, great attention to detail.

Installation couldn't be easier. I think it took me 15 minutes.

Which also goes to it's simplicity. Other manufacturers of similar products have model specific kits and they are about 3 or 4 years behind the times. I called to see if their kit for an older model would fit my bike and they hung up on me!

I have a Ducati Monster 696 and it works great if any other potential customers ask.

Thanks

T Kesler

7-19-09

Paul,

After taking more measurements, I realized that I could just use your standard kit.  I ordered one, it arrived in 3 days, I installed and the next day rode the bike to the beach, about 180 miles one way.  It worked great.  Far and away the best throttle lock system that I have ever used.

Thanks,

John

7-14-09

Hello Paul;

I ordered your throttle lock for my Moto Guzzi California Vintage and installed it recently.  You may recall we spoke on the phonewhen I had a question about installation.   I cut the heated grips in the way we discussed, and installed your throttle lock and left side bar end weight, no problems at all.

I am completely pleased with the function of my new throttle lock and the fit and finish is second to none. The operation is commonsense and very well thought out. I feel this throttle lock is as safe as not having one, in that in does not create a potentially unsafe situation. I find it perfectly natural to disengage your throttle lock, no thought process required.  It is a fine setup, and looks as good (or better) as the stock metal finish anywhere on the bike. It definitely looks like it came from Moto Guzzi, not like some cheap add on accessory. If anything it enhances my bike's appearance.  I feel this product is well worth the cost involved.

Thank you for providing a great product for my bike.

sincerely;

J Crane, FL

10-6-08

I just wanted you to know I received my bar end weights yesterday.Whenthe UPS man handed the package to me I was quite surprised by the weight of the package. I then opened the package to see just how big these weights were. My previous experience with bar end weights was for a pair that I purchased for a Buell Blast that I had previously owned. What a difference in the quality, weight and size. I then installed them on my '06 HD XL883R and went for a ride. I can hardly believe the difference. I can now see objects in the mirrors and my hands to not go numb. This is a great addition to my bike.

Thanks for a great product and the timely delivery.

Sincerely,

M Feher

9-22-08

Hi,

Received the items 4 days ago. They have reduced the vibrations and made the riding more comfortable.

Thank you

Allan

6-13-08

Hello,

I just wanted to send this note to thank you for your excellent product (weights w/ throttle locker) and also thanks for the quick shipping.  I fitted this on my Kawasaki Concours 14 and here's a little feedback on the installation:

Instructions are pretty easy as was the install. On my particular bike, I used the shorter bolts and needed no washers other than the lock washers for a perfect fit.  Speaking of which, my kit had one lock washer that fit and the other one was way too small to fit over the bolt…no big deal as I had a washer on hand that fit just fine.

Anyhow, I am very pleased with your product as far as the overall operation (it works great!). Hey, it really looks great on the bike too!

I will definitely recommend you folks to all my friends.

 

Yours truly,

Art

5-16-08

I got the DR last summer and one of my biggest problems was that my hands went numb by the time I got to the first street light, which is about 6 miles from my home. I bought the bar  ends from Manic and on the next ride to town my hands felt fine. For most part, the bar end weights eliminated most of the problem. (Keep in mind that you are riding a single cylinder engine motorcycle and there is always going to be some vibration, especially in older designs like the DR.)

The manic web site has a lot of interesting information on how the bar end weights cut down on vibration..I bought the ones that allow attachment of bar end mirrors. The quality of machining is outstanding. I have not taken any longer trips with the bar end weights, but on 40-50 mile rides they really help me a lot.

S Malachowski

2-10-08

Hello Paul. I hope all is well with you and yours. This is Alan With the FZ6 of course, and I need to tell you that my first observation of the bar ends was inaccurate. The buzz used to be from 5 or 6 thousand RPM on up! I can now say that the vibration is only a problem  at 7500 to about 9000 then it's as smooth as glass. What this means is in the critical highway speeds of 60 to 75 mph, it's a LOT better. From 75 to about 86 there is some vibration. Then on up to redline, 14500 it's very smooth. Now I know bikes vibrate and when I say it's noticeable some folks would say it's irritating. But I am Very Happy with the bar ends. I have ran it up to 142mph with no problems. The bike is stable. There is a second benefit that I hope none of your riders ever need. I recently crashed on a left hander at about 30 mph. I'm fine, just sore as hell. But the length of the bar end saved my bike from untold expense. They even held up so well, with a little sanding an some black paint, the left one was repaired. You should look into building frame sliders. I'd buy 'em!! I never found the pieces at that foundry that you told me about. If you have a link, I will try them. As a matter of fact, if you need anything tested that I can help with and I like it, I will pay you full price! I will give you a report either way. Thank you for your gracious help and support.  If you are ever around the Birmingham, AL. way call me . Your friend, Alan.

I installed you're 2 inch handlebar weights on my 2002 Harley Davidson FXDX superglide. The
weights made a very noticable difference in the amount of vibration in the bars. There is no longer any
objectionable vibration in the bars above 2200 RPM and the mirrors are clear which is a real
improvement. This bike has a 117 inch stroker motor that transmitted more vibration through the bars
than the stock 88 inch motor did so to say the least I am very impressed with you're product.

thanks, John Stewart

Hi Paul -
Sorry for the delay. I just got a chance to try out
your bar-ends on my 1971 Honda CL450. Went on a 150
mile ride on Saturday and while the rest of me was
sore, my hands weren't numb at all. Before I put on
the bars the 10 mile commute to work used to numb my
hands. Your bar-ends worked brilliantly and they look
great.

Dean F.

To whom it may concern,
I would like to thank you for making such a fine product that actually works !
I purchased a pair of the 7/8" black powder coated Manic Salamander's from you last week. They
arrived in a few days and were very easy to install.
I proceeded to go on a 260 mile ride on my 03 Kawasaki Concours that I had installed a Storz
adapter and Flanders Mini Ape Hangers. Before the installation within 25 miles I had a "buzz" that was
so annoying that it would put my hands to sleep. After the installation I can ride until the tank
hits reserve (240 miles) with no fatigue at all. I can safely say it reduced the "buzz" by 80 -
90%.

Thanks for the great product,
Kurt Nordstrom

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I was able to mount my stainless steel bar-ends to my 25 year Kawasaki and could not believe the
difference my ride was!  My bars are as smooth going 75 as they are going at 0.  My hands thank
you, my arms thank you and I thank you for a great product. (Only one flaw.  If I wanted to return
them it would have to be the weights only because the mount section becomes a permanent part of the
bike, but hell who wants to return them!)  I am going to let all my KZ650 riders know about the
weights and the difference it makes.

Thanks again,
Pete Kareski

(note: Mr. Kareski was among our first customers. He experienced a tight fit. As of 10-4-03,
all further units shipped were modified to fit in smaller ID's of bar.)

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Paul, the weights worked very well on my 2003 Suzuki Bandit 1200.  The bike is famous for it's
tendency to vibrate the handlebars at certain engine speeds.  The addition of your bar-end weights
virtually eliminated the buzz.  I just returned from two fairly long trips and can report success.
Where I had to wear heavy gloves with the stock Suzuki weights, yours allow riding without any
padding -- even gloveless is okay now too.  
A great product -- one I can heartily recommend.  A friend with a Kawasaki  Concours is a
candidate for some now.

Ray Nielsen

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Hey Paul,
I took a couple of rides on my bike. The handlebar weights really ROCK! I
used to shift by 'feel', because there was so much vibration. Now, I
actually catch myself checking the tach, before shifting, because the
vibration is so reduced. It's nice to get a product that looks good, AND
works as advertised. Also, thanks for your extra work to ship them here to
me. And it looks like you spent a few extra bucks of your own on shipping
also. Thanks for everything.

Dwayne

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Dear Paul,
Thank you for all of your help today. I can feel a real difference in the
vibration in my bars. I just geared my front sprocket down and even with it
geared down I can feel a difference. I really want to thank you for coming
in and puting them on for me. I hope I didn't look like too much of a hack
from throttle tube being so chewed up. Thank's again

Peace
Brian from the hitching post parts department.

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WOW man thank you so much, they took my vibes from about a 10 to a solid 3,
they are more of an afterthought now I feel more vibes in the pegs than in
the handlebars and I never noticed the pegs b4 it just I'm not rubbing my
forearms after riding and only took about 5min to install, the tubes seem a
little bit bigger than 7/8ths but they don't seem quite a 1" but its
possible they don't move around or anything but they didn't look as much of
a snug fit as the picture but the bars were made for screw-in barend's,
either way thanks alot I'll send some pics later on -Ben