What Do Handlebar Ends Actually Do, and Do I Really Need Them?

You notice it while washing the quad: one end of the handlebar is just an open steel tube, packed with dried mud, with a rust streak running down the grip. Or the bar end is still there but it spins when you twist it, rattles over washboard, or is so chewed up from tip-overs that it's barely hanging on. Maybe your hands go numb twenty minutes into every ride and someone at the trailhead told you "get heavier bar ends."

Bar ends look like a cosmetic cap, so they're easy to ignore. They're not. On an ATV they protect your grips, levers and throttle housing when the machine goes on its side, keep water and mud out of the bar, cover a sharp tube end, and on many machines, add weight that calms down vibration. The good news: they're one of the cheapest parts on the machine and one of the quickest to fix.

Quick note: this guide is about handlebar-steered machines like ATVs and quads. Most UTVs and side-by-sides steer with a wheel, so they don't use bar ends.

Signs Your Bar Ends Are Missing, Loose or Worn Out

• The end of the bar is open, and you can see into the tube or it's packed with mud, sand or water.
• Rust streaks or dirty water run out of the bar end and onto the grip after a wash.
• The bar end spins, wobbles or rattles when you grab it, or it's slowly walking out of the bar.
• The grip slides or twists on the bar, or the end of the grip is torn open.
• The bar end is ground flat, cracked or missing chunks from tip-overs and tree strikes.
• Your brake lever or throttle housing got bent or broken the last time the machine went on its side.
• Your hands buzz, tingle or go numb on long rides, especially at steady cruising speeds.
• The bar has a sharp, exposed edge where a cap used to be.
• Your hand guards are loose at the outer mount, because the bar-end insert that anchors them has worked loose.

What Handlebar Ends Actually Do

1. Protect your grips, levers and controls in a tip-over

When an ATV goes on its side, the end of the handlebar is often the first thing to hit the ground, a rock or a tree. A solid bar end sticks out just past the grip and takes that hit, so the grip, brake lever and throttle housing don't. A missing bar end means the grip end tears open and the lever or thumb throttle takes more of the impact.

2. Seal the inside of the bar

An open handlebar is a tube that collects water, mud and sand. Steel bars rust from the inside out, and the mess drains onto your grips, making them slick and loosening the glue that holds them. A bar end or plug closes the tube off.

3. Cover a sharp edge

A cut steel or aluminum tube has a hard, narrow edge. In a crash, that edge can catch clothing or a body. A rounded bar end gives the bar a broader, smoother end.

4. Hold the grips in place

With open-ended grips, the bar end butts against the end of the grip and helps keep it from sliding outward. Many factory ATV grips are closed at the end, which caps the bar, but a closed grip on its own won't protect the controls in a crash or add any weight.

5. Reduce vibration (weighted bar ends)

Engines and rough terrain make the handlebar vibrate, and that buzz goes straight into your hands. A weighted bar end adds mass at the very end of the bar, which changes how the bar resonates and soaks up some of that vibration. Not every bar end is weighted. Light caps and plugs seal and protect, but do little for vibration.

6. Anchor accessories

Many wrap-around hand guards bolt to the end of the bar through an expanding insert. On those setups, the bar-end mount is what holds the outer end of the guard in place.

Types of Bar Ends

Do You Really Need Them?

You need at least a cap or plug if your bars are open at the end, your grips are open-ended, or you ride in mud, water or sand. A sealed bar is the minimum.

A solid aluminum or OEM bar end is worth it if you ride tight wooded trails, rocky terrain or anywhere tip-overs happen. A $10 to $40 part is far cheaper than a brake lever, throttle housing or perch.

Weighted bar ends are worth trying if your hands go numb or tingle on long rides, you've added a performance exhaust or you run hard-packed fire roads and washboard for hours.

You may not need anything extra if you run closed-end grips on a utility ATV that's ridden slowly around the farm. Check that the grips are glued tight and the ends aren't torn, and keep an eye on them.

What Causes Bar End Problems

• Tip-overs and tree strikes that grind down, crack or knock bar ends loose.
• Expanding inserts that weren't tightened enough, or rubber inserts that have hardened and lost their grip.
• The wrong insert size for the bar's inside diameter, so the plug never expands enough to hold.
• Vibration that slowly backs out the center bolt, especially without threadlocker.
• Grip swaps where the old bar ends never went back on, or were swapped for closed grips and forgotten.
• Bar swaps to aftermarket aluminum bars with a different inside diameter or a factory reinforcing plug in the end.
• Pressure washing straight into an open bar, which pushes water past the grip and into the tube.

What Happens If You Ignore It

• Broken controls. A tip-over that a bar end would have shrugged off can bend a brake lever or crack a throttle housing, and that can end a ride far from the truck.
• Torn and slipping grips. Once the grip end tears or the glue lets go, the grip can twist in your hand.
• Rust inside the bar. Water sitting in a steel bar rusts it from the inside where you can't see it.
• A lost bar end on the trail. A loose insert eventually lets go, and the part is gone.
• Hand fatigue and numbness. Constant vibration makes long days miserable and makes it harder to keep a good grip on the bars and controls.
• Hand guards working loose if they're anchored by a bar-end insert that isn't tight.

How to Inspect Your Bar Ends

1. Look at both ends of the bar. Is there a bar end, a closed grip, or just an open tube?
2. Twist and pull the bar end. It shouldn't spin, wobble or move outward. Any movement means the insert is loose, worn or the wrong size.
3. Check the grip ends. Look for tears, splits and a grip that's slid outward or twists when you grab it.
4. Check for water. After a wash, tip the bars and see if water or rust drains out of the end.
5. Look at the damage. A bar end that's ground flat, cracked or deeply gouged has done its job and should be replaced.
6. Check the levers and controls. Bent levers or a cracked throttle housing after a tip-over tell you the bar end didn't stick out far enough to protect them.
7. Check hand guard mounts. Grab each guard at the outer end and push it up and down. It should feel solid.
8. Notice your hands. If they buzz or go numb at steady speeds, consider weighted bar ends.

Best Fixes: Replace, Upgrade or Install

1. Replace missing or damaged bar ends with the right part

The simplest fix is an exact-fit replacement. Factory bar end caps are designed for your bar, so they go in without guesswork. For example, the CFMOTO OEM handlebar end cap fits CForce 400 through 1000 models. For other machines, browse ATV handlebar ends and check the fitment tab for your make, model and year.

2. Measure before you buy a universal bar end

Universal bar ends hold with an expanding insert, so the number that matters is the inside diameter of the bar, not the outside. Use the inside jaws of a caliper to measure it. Most ATVs run 7/8" (22mm) bars at the grips, even fat bars that are 1-1/8" in the center, but wall thickness varies, so the inside diameter does too. If you're not sure of your bar size, see our guide to measuring handlebars and roll cage tubes. Also look inside the bar: some aluminum bars have a factory reinforcing plug that limits how deep an insert can go.

3. Add weight if vibration is the problem

If your hands go numb, a heavier bar end is an inexpensive first step. Before you buy, check other causes too: worn rubber handlebar mount bushings, loose handlebar clamps, hard or worn-out grips and incorrect tire pressure can all send more vibration into your hands.

4. Install them so they stay put

• Clean the inside of the bar so the insert grips bare, dry metal, not mud or rust.
• Choose the insert size that slides in snugly by hand. Too loose and it won't hold; too tight and you'll tear the rubber.
• Push the bar end in until it sits against the end of the grip, then tighten the center bolt until the insert expands and the bar end won't turn by hand.
• Use a drop of removable threadlocker on the bolt if the instructions allow it.
• Make sure the bar end sits slightly beyond the lever and throttle housing so it hits first in a tip-over.
• Recheck it after your first ride. Inserts often settle and need another snug.

5. Fix the grips at the same time

If the grips have slid outward or the ends are torn, replace them and reglue with a grip adhesive like Threebond Grip Lock. Let the glue cure before you install the bar ends and ride. Browse ATV grips for replacements.

6. Consider hand guards for the most protection

If you ride tight trails where branches and tip-overs are common, ATV hand guards protect your knuckles and levers better than bar ends alone. Wrap-around guards usually mount at the bar end, so they replace the stock bar end. For cold-weather riding, strap-on mitts like the Moose molded foam handguards block wind, mud and water.

Related Parts to Check at the Same Time

• Grips: torn, hard or slipping grips should be replaced while the bar ends are off.
• Grip glue: keeps new grips from twisting.
• Handlebars: if the bar is bent from the same tip-over that wrecked the bar end, replace it. Don't straighten it.
• Handlebar clamps and mounts: loose clamps and worn bushings add vibration and play.
• Brake levers, perches and throttle controls: check them for bends and cracks after any tip-over. See our guide to worn ATV levers and perches.
• Handlebar risers: if you're changing your bar setup anyway, this is the time to adjust bar height.
• Mirrors: on street-legal ATVs, check that bar- or perch-mounted mirrors are tight and still clear the new bar ends.

FAQ

What do handlebar ends do on an ATV?

They protect the grips, levers and throttle housing in a tip-over, seal the inside of the bar from water and mud, cover the sharp end of the tube, help hold open-ended grips in place and, if they're weighted, reduce vibration.

Is it safe to ride without bar ends?

You can ride without them, but you lose crash protection for your controls, the bar can fill with water and mud, and an open tube end is a hazard in a crash. At minimum, cap the bar.

Do weighted bar ends really reduce vibration?

They often help. Adding mass at the end of the bar changes how it vibrates and can reduce the buzz you feel. Results vary by machine, bar and speed, so also check grips, bar mounts and tire pressure.

Do I need bar ends if I have closed-end grips?

Closed-end grips seal the bar, so you're covered there. But they don't protect your levers in a tip-over the way a solid bar end does, and they add no weight for vibration.

How do I know what size bar end to buy?

Measure the inside diameter of the bar with a caliper. Universal bar ends list the inside diameter range their inserts fit. OEM bar ends are matched to your model, so check the fitment for your make, model and year.

Why does my bar end keep falling out?

The insert is usually the wrong size, worn out, or not tightened enough, or the inside of the bar is dirty or rusty. Clean the bar, use the correct insert and tighten the center bolt until the bar end won't turn by hand.

Do hand guards replace bar ends?

Many wrap-around hand guards mount through the end of the bar and take the place of the stock bar end. Strap-on mitts and guards that clamp only to the bar don't, so keep your bar ends with those.

Do UTVs have handlebar ends?

Most UTVs steer with a wheel, so they don't. This applies to ATVs, quads and other handlebar-steered machines.

Close Off the Bars and Protect Your Controls

A missing or loose bar end costs a few dollars to fix. A bent lever, a cracked throttle housing or a rusted-out bar costs a lot more. Check both ends of your bars, measure if you're buying universal, and install them tight. Shop ATV handlebar ends, hand guards and ATV controls, grips and handlebars at buywitchdoctors.com. Not sure what fits your machine? Send the Witchdoctors team your make, model and year, and we'll help you match it.