The Harley Hummer Club

Some of you may know I have just reacquired my father's 1958 165 ST. Somewhere along there was a crack in the handlebars where the the throttle cable enters the bar. The guy that had it before me had attempted to spot weld in two places that have now broke free. Is this something that can be repaired, or am I looking at replacing the handlebars? If they need to be replaced can anyone offer up any info on doing this?

To me, it depends on what you want your end result to be… 10 Point Concourse or simply ride it. To me, the crack is one of many life-long battle scars these bikes acquire. These scars are a visible sign of the motorcycles history, signs to be proud of and proudly shown. They help tell onlookers the story of how the motorcycle has been used and survived.
I would attempt to repair the crack at a welding shop and drill a new hole for the throttle cable before tossing the originals.
My .02

I agree totally... but the look of a nice set of bars, whether chrome or black, look really nice. I have both. '48 125 black. '62 Scat rechromed. Like you said... history or restoration... and there are degrees of restoration. And they all tell a story.

A good welder and paint job or re-chrome will probably make the fix look good. You could end up spending the same as getting another set of bars.

If you decide to replace them, the "Parts" link at the top of this website has a list of places where new and old parts can be found. eBay and facebook marketplace sometimes have stuff too.