Safety, Maintenance and Conscientious Riding

July 2001

Volume 2, Number 3

Ratchet does Grips

Lauranne covers the WIW Rendevous

Billy Street Waltzes

Steve Hunter's Day Ride

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Get A Grip

by Ray Palubin

The day is perfect for riding and you settle into the saddle to enjoy a good, long ride. 45 minutes later, and your hands are numb from the incessant vibration coming through the handlebars. Sound familiar? If you ride an in-line four motorcycle, like a Concours, or a ZXR, you know what I am talking about. And although you cannot completely rid yourself of the vibration, you can take some steps to try and reduce it. One of the easiest and least expensive ways is to replace your stock rubber grips with new, soft, sponge ones.

Getting Started

Start by gathering up the tools you will need to make this happen. You will need: WD40, a medium size Philips screwdriver (at least 8” long), a utility knife, and a can of hairspray. Before you start, get a blanket to cover the gas tank and gauges. That will prevent you from accidentally scratching or dinging the tank in the event you should slip or drop something while performing this task. It will also help to keep the chemicals you will be using from coming in contact with the paint and chrome. Also, because this requires that you strong-arm the handlebars and the screwdriver you will want to take a few precautions to ensure the bike doesn’t get pushed over. If a second person were around I would recommend that that person hold the bike steady while your working. If you are lucky enough to have a center stand, use it.

 Out With the Old

Begin by removing the factory rubber grips that came on the bike. If you have a motorcycle with nothing on the end of the handlebars except the grips, this will be easy. If you have a chrome or black weights bolted or screwed on to the end of the handlebar, it will require a little more work. Let’s start with the plain left handlebar first. If you are not concerned about saving the original grips, use the utility knife to cut them off. I personally like to have a backup plan so I always try to keep the original grips just in case something happens to the sponge ones. It sure is nice to have a quick replacement set in the event your sponge grips rip on a Saturday night just before that big trip with the buds. To remove grips that are not weighted, take the Philips screwdriver and stick it in the little hole that is in the middle of the end cap part of the grip. Maneuver the screwdriver so that the round tip of the screwdriver is between the rubber grip and the metal handlebar. Now take the WD40, with the wand sprayer straw attached to the nozzle, and stick the straw between the screwdriver and the grip and spray. Work the screwdriver around the outer edge of the handlebar in a circular motion and continue to spray the WD40. This will make the end of the rubber grip slick so it can move freely on the end of the handlebar. The screwdriver shaft must remain parallel and against the handlebar at all times or you stand a chance of puncturing the rubber grip with the screwdriver. WARNING, be careful to not stab your other hand with the screwdriver should it find its way through the factory rubber grip. Rotate the screwdriver around the bar again until another inch or so of grip is slick and moving freely on the handlebar. Repeat this process until the entire grip becomes slick and slides right off of the handlebar.

 After the factory grip is removed, you will need to prep the handlebar before installing the new grip. Use alcohol, or some other cleaner to remove all of the WD40 from the handlebar. This will help ensure that the handlebar is clean before attempting to install the new sponge grip. Once the handlebar has been prepped, you are ready to install the new sponge grip.

  Handlebar diameters vary depending on the type of motorcycle you own. For example, my new ZRX has a smaller diameter handlebar then some other brands. I had to install the inner rubber sleeve that comes with most sponge grip kits. If your kit doesn’t come with the rubber sleeve, make sure that the type of grip that you purchased will actually fit your cycle.

  Start the installation of the sponge grips by first installing the rubber sleeve. Use the hair spray to spray the handlebar and the inside of the rubber sleeve.  This step requires that you work quickly. The hairspray is very slick when wet, but becomes like glue when dry. You only have a few seconds to get the sleeve positioned where you want it to be before the hairspray dries. Once the inside of the rubber sleeve is wet push it onto the handle bar. After the sleeve is in place, place the sponge grip over the top of it. To do that, repeat the steps just mentioned, making sure the outer surface of the rubber sleeve and the inside of the sponge grip are saturated with hairspray. Then push the sponge grip onto the rubber sleeve. Again, you only have a few seconds to get the grip positioned in the correct place, so work quickly.

I Oughta Throttle Him

  Because the right grip contains the throttle, a few other steps need to be considered. To remove the factory grip, perform the same steps  mentioned earlier for removing the left handlebar grip. The throttle grip usually comes with a plastic or metal sleeve that slips around the handlebar and allows the driver to rotate the throttle with very little friction. The sleeve will sometimes have fins on it that help to keep the rubber factory grip from slipping on the sleeve. Based on the type of sponge grip you purchased, you may want to cut off the fins, but I don’t recommend it. On some of the thinner sponge grips, the fins actually were visible as small lumps once the grip was installed, but I don’t see that as a problem of function as much as aesthetics. 

To install the new sponge grip on the throttle side, repeat the same steps used for installing the left side. If you have a throttle control or cruise control installed place a thin plastic washer placed between the sponge grip and the throttle control.

A Weighty Predicament

  If you have end weights a little more effort will be required to get the original grips off. On my ZRX for example, Kawasaki placed Loc-tite on the screw that holds the weight onto the end of the handlebar. Getting the screw out required the use of an impact screwdriver. To be safe, this should be a two-person job. Take care to ensure that the impact screwdriver is straight before you hit it with a hammer or you risk stripping the head of the screw. If you are lucky and the end weights are screwed in with Torx or Allen screws, you won’t have a problem removing the weight. Be careful not to drop the handlebar weight, impact screwdriver, or hammer onto the tank or you will end up with a very nasty dent. With the weighted type of handlebar you will need to cut the end cap off of the left handlebar rubber sleeve before you place the new sponge grip over the top. If you fail to do that it will be impossible to install the end weight back on the handlebar.

I have installed sponge grips on almost every motorcycle I’ve ever owned, including my ZRX, and love them. And at less than $10.00 a set, the money is well spent. So, if you want to have a comfortable ride and reduce vibration I would recommend that you get started on replacing those factory rubber grips today.

Be safe out there and happy cycling.

Ratchet

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