[Guest]

I'm interested in having a lightbar put on my 1300R. I have a 17" Memphis Shade windshield. Is that going to be a problem?
I'd like some suggestions on brands to consider and best place to get them.

I had read a while back that the Cobra light bar was not very good.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[BlackJack21]

I have the Hondaline light bar no problems with my windshield when I have one on. I bought it thru HDL now would be the time they are having a 4th of july Sale :lol:

 

[notofthisworld]

cobra light-bar

Don't know if you have your light bar yet, I did the post on the cobra bar taht busted off at 70. It wasn't pretty, I am supposed to be getting a new light-bar from Cobra like this week, and the guy said it was welded correctly for me this time.

You cantouch back with me in the near future on the results. If the thing turns out to be as bad or worse than the last I will probably do a post with the vibration table settings and road profile to back up what I originally said about the bar.

If I were buying another, and I may have to. I would not buy the Cobra, and that is because of the information I got from this person at the company.

I will repost on this next week after the tests confirm or deny the bars integrity.

I have not seen any of the other bars but would love to throw them on the vibe table and punch up a few road vibration templates.

notofthisworld

 

[Gar]

I have the Memphis Shades windshield and installed the Hondaline light bar last year, no problems.

gary

 

[2007VTX]

Hondaline

I do not have the windshield, but I do have the lightbar. From what others have said, it appears to be no problem and I just wanted to add that the lightbar looks great and was an easy install for me on my 1300R. I recommend it if you are not sure about the quality of it or others. I like mine very much.

Curtis

Good luck!

 

[motorcyclereb]

unlike notofthisworld I toohave the Cobra with the memphis fats 19 and love them both. I have not had any problems with my light bar and it has been on for about 4 years so far

 

[dirtdobber]

Light bars are like opinions there are many to chose from. you are on the right forum to find out if any one has prolems with theirs. I went with the big bike parts(custom chrome) with the large lights. The light bar itself is thick and highly chromed and not to wide. In any event you have a clearence problem the solution is easy and simple. You can use a head light extenision under the light bar mount-1.75" works well or you can make one easily. Just cut out a piece of metal of your liking and drill 4 holes that 's the headlight bolts. 2 holes in each end, paint or polish, depending on the metal you use. Problem solved. Remember you are personaliizing, it's what you like that matters
hope this helps
dd

 

[notofthisworld]

Cobra light bar

The light bar in the photo posted by motorcyclereb is the older style bar, and probably a very nice product. They don't make it anymore. They produced a new one and made subtle changes to it to allow for the use of the stock turnsignals.

I have had two bad ones in two months from their production floor, I just received the improved version today and still see manufacturing problems I would never allow out the door of any company I ever worked for.

I did let motorcyclereb know about the differences, they are apples and oranges. While I am sure Cobra makes some very good products, of which I own quite a few, this particular product is not one I would endorse having 2 bad defective ones and a third replacement with what appears to be bandaid style welding to try to correct for the poor choice of materials used for the bar.

The main problem I see with the bar is it has too thin a bar and so they set the welder too low for fear of burning through. The weld bead is really built up well on the bar to appear like it has good penetration, when in fact the plate that attaches to it shows really poor penetration. The penetration on the last bar was less than 1/16 of an inch at it's best areas (2 sections about an inch long on a plate approximately 4 inches long) and practically nil on the rest of the plate.

It also allowed rust to build up inside between the plate and the bar because the weld did not encompass the entire plate, just the bottom and a small wrap on top. I washed the bike twice, had the second bar on the bike for less than 300 miles and it flew apart on the freeway at 70.


I have looked at all three of these bars now and have to say the welding machine is set too low for the disimilar thicknesses of the metals used. too hot for the tube and too cold for the plate.

I am going to buy some other manufacturers bar. The one I just received new from Cobra is going on E-bay and whoever wants to buy it is quite welcome to do so. I don't feel bad about doing this because the last one is still new in the shrink-wrap it arrived in, and all I had to do was do a quick x-ray and visual look with some of my manufacturing freinds at work to determine the welding was still faulty.

Buy whatever you please. This is not meant to discourage anyone from using this bar, just to let people know this product has a problem imho.

notofthisworld

 

[tRazzo]

My first light bar was the Cobra, now have the National Cycle lightbar and I think the cobra is much sturdier. The National Cycle light bar is very flimsy and vibrates a ton! The Cobra can have it's issues, but I am regretting switching from the memphis fats/Cobra setup to the National Cycle shield/lightbar setup.

 

[Billyned]

Hondaline Chrome light bar and 21" Memphis Shade--no problems.

 

[SailorKane]

My first light bar was the Cobra, now have the National Cycle lightbar and I think the cobra is much sturdier. The National Cycle light bar is very flimsy and vibrates a ton! The Cobra can have it's issues, but I am regretting switching from the memphis fats/Cobra setup to the National Cycle shield/lightbar setup.

I am ordering the National Cycle Switchblade 2-up. Anyone know what lightbars work well with that setup? I don't want to have to relocate anything. I was going to get the national cycle lightbar, to ensure that it would fit, but am nervous now with this post.

Thanks.

 

[notofthisworld]

cobra bar

Hey spent the morning over at my friends and we completed the welding Cobra had started. the bar is very solid and we also corrected the welding on the turn signal mounts.

We left no place for water to get into the welded area, cleaned it up did a light sand and chromed it. Looks like new and much stronger than their product started out.

Drilled two 1/8 inch holes near the middle to feed the wiring to the headlamp and ran the wiring through the bar and out the holes.

Some Rtv was used to fill the holes and keep the wiring from getting frayed at the exit point. Looks real clean now.

Still had to buy new turn signals to replace the broken ones from the last fiasco bar I had. Cobra doesn't cover the paint touch-up on the bike nor any other damages thier products might inflict.

So, all told I guess when you dont like something you pay 250 for spend a few dollars and a few minutes and make it right, then when somebody asks whose bar it is , you can sya it's yours. :lol:

Oh, the light bars all wobble from what I have seen, just because where they are mounted and what is holding them there.

 

[tRazzo]

My first light bar was the Cobra, now have the National Cycle lightbar and I think the cobra is much sturdier. The National Cycle light bar is very flimsy and vibrates a ton! The Cobra can have it's issues, but I am regretting switching from the memphis fats/Cobra setup to the National Cycle shield/lightbar setup.

I am ordering the National Cycle Switchblade 2-up. Anyone know what lightbars work well with that setup? I don't want to have to relocate anything. I was going to get the national cycle lightbar, to ensure that it would fit, but am nervous now with this post.

Thanks.

I am sure many people have gotten many happy miles from their National Cycle stuff - and I am sure mine will probablly last a long time. In having had both systems, it is only my opinion that the memphis shield/cobra lightbar system is a better engineered system - not that it will last any longer than the NC stuff. I am just tweaked that the shield mounting system is within thousandths of an inch of my tank when I turn the bars and when rolling down the road at certain RPM's that the lightbar is doing a dance (which my Cobra NEVER did),

 

[Steven Sobon]

I'm interested in having a lightbar put on my 1300R. I have a 17" Memphis Shade windshield. Is that going to be a problem?
I'd like some suggestions on brands to consider and best place to get them.

I had read a while back that the Cobra light bar was not very good.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

Get the bar from SHOW CHROME! If I wa smart enough to email my pics you would buy them hands down. Picture a / THE only thick chromelight bar out there. Go to cruisercustomizing.com

 

[roundabout]

I like Headwinds lightbar set-up

http://www.headwinds.com

 

[Mem-X]

I have the Memphis Shades windshield and installed the Hondaline light bar last year, no problems.

gary

Here as well. 8)

 

[eddiecohen]

They fit together just fine. Here's my setup:

Eddie

 

[JHewett]

I got the National Cycle lightbar and it's giving me an annoying vibrational buzz at several different RPM's. Is there a way to fix this without ripping the darn thing off?

 

[vtxretromark]

no problems here either.

 

[BassFiddle63]

I'm gonna go with the "Show Chrome" bar .. it seems to be the best 'looking' bar I've seen yet. Just a matter of personal preference I guess.