Originally Posted by
unworthy1
Not 100% sure, but those might be the Moto handlebars that used a molded plastic covering (on the brake lever bodies, too) that looks like leather, but is faux. Fine and dandy until you want to remove the bars, then you have to cut it off...at least I had to.
Ix-nay on the utting-cay...
This has been discussed in earlier threads. The wrap comes off pretty easily if you use a thin stiff tool or wire to open up a gap between the wrap & the bar, and shoot WD 40 into the gap. A long piece of small (flexible) piano wire is a good option, because you need to work the tool down the bar to allow the WD40 to get all the way down. You massage & twist the wrap to work the WD-40 all the way around. Once the lubricant is everywhere inside, the wrap slips off pretty easily, including over the swaged pylons that the brake levers are mounted onto.
Before reinstalling the wrap, clean off all the WD40 the wrap & bar with detergent. You will need a lubricant that evaporates, to reinstall the wrap. Windex works pretty well. Once you have the wrap back on, it may take a day or so for all the Windex to evaporate; the wrap may slip a little bit if the bike is ridden prior to that.