I‘m getting prepared to replace the grips on my bikes and looking for a show of hands for glue or no glue, for the new grips. I’ll be ordering Biltwell Renegade and Recoil grips (for the XS and Moto Guzzi).
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Handle bar grips - glue or no glue
- Thread starter bosco659
- Start date
I did dense foam grips. Cleaned the bars, rinsed the inside of the grips with isopropyl alcohol and all has been good for 2 years. The Red Bike has a soft rubber (grey) grip. I was not cautious (meticulous)on installation and the left does slide down after an hour of riding.
I have installed grips without anything and been just fine. However some grips just don’t stick well, then I used hair spray, it helps ease them on and then when it dries it acts like an adhesive. But they are still easy to remove later if you want to.
Saw some YouTube vids on guys using hairspray too. If the grips have some natural “gription”, wonder if alcohol will be a good temp lube to help slide them on. It should evaporate fairly quickly (as long as it doesn’t eat the grip material}.
Room temperature Isopropyl alcohol is pretty benign to polymers. It will rinse oils like mold release away but should not attack the cured polymer itself. I use 70% pure rubbing alcohol from the drug store (pharmacy).
Never used glue, but removed plenty of old grips that had it. Much more work removing with the glue. I don't think it's needed. Lots of other good alternatives listed here.
Had a look at the throttle grip on the Moto Guzzi and found this:
The end of the factory grip “folds over” the throttle tube. This means conventional grips won’t fit unless I hack up the throttle tube and I’d prefer to not do that. Maybe I’ll try the slip on foam grips?
The end of the factory grip “folds over” the throttle tube. This means conventional grips won’t fit unless I hack up the throttle tube and I’d prefer to not do that. Maybe I’ll try the slip on foam grips?
Maybe you could slice off that foldover part of the grip and then reinstall the foldover portion with a new grip.
I clean with rubbing alcohol and then use liberal, but not dripping, hairspray. May take overnight to set.
I clean with rubbing alcohol and then use liberal, but not dripping, hairspray. May take overnight to set.
Wow! That’s pretty specialized! Are you just wanting something to take the edge off of the vibration?
If so, look at a product called grip puppies, a foam sleeve that goes over your stock grips. There are also knock offs of that product. I ran them on my Suzuki V-Strom, which had tingly grips, and I liked them a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/Grip-Puppy-C...=9030152&hvtargid=pla-406164258433&th=1&psc=1
If so, look at a product called grip puppies, a foam sleeve that goes over your stock grips. There are also knock offs of that product. I ran them on my Suzuki V-Strom, which had tingly grips, and I liked them a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/Grip-Puppy-C...=9030152&hvtargid=pla-406164258433&th=1&psc=1
Just what the Doctor ordered!! My left handgrip always slips a little on long rides. I guess its the rubber slowly warming through. I must try the hairspray.
I do notice that on "Red Bike" but acknowledge that I really only wipe the bar and shoved the hand grip on to the bar. Another winter project.
Yes I get some annoying vibration through the bars. Factory bars have sizeable bar end weight installed already. Thought grips might help. It’s not a big deal, just a project to work on.
Alcohol wipe then grip glue for me. Safety wire also on dirt stuff.
Yes I thought about doing that too. That would mean destruction of the original grips. Right now the Biltwell Renegades are on back order until November so this may become a winter project.
As previously mentioned, the factory bars have bar end weights. These inserts hold them in place. Any ideas how to remove them?
Appears the handle bar end is swayed over the insert so it can’t be removed
AUTOMAN
XS650 Enthusiast
Gasoline!
White Rain, pump
