How to Install Custom Motorcycle Hand Grips

Custom motorcycle handlebar grips make your riding experience more comfortable, and they give your bike a bit more style. They’re also inexpensive and relatively easy to install. Here are a few tips to make sure you do the job right. If you have any questions, visit us at Big Moose Harley-Davidson in Portland, Maine. We’re also proud to serve Harley Davidson Motorcycle lovers in Scarborough and Biddeford, Maine.

Remove the Old Grips

You must often first remove a bar-end weight in order to access your grips. If you have a rubber expansion-style bar-end, it will pull out easily, and you can get to work. Just be sure not to lose any hardware inside the handlebar tube. If your handlebar has a welded-in threaded bung, you’ll have to loosen a longer bolt.

Most people just cut the old grips off with a box cutter or a knife and throw them in the trash. Saving your old grips usually takes more patience and skill than they’re worth, but you might be able to loosen them up enough with compressed air or a lubricant to slip them off. Be careful not to damage your handlebar or your throttle tube with your knife and to clean up any leftover residue before installing the new grips.

Install the Left-Side Grip

The grip with the larger internal diameter fits over the throttle tube and the smaller grip fits on the left handlebar. When it comes to lubricating the grip before installation, some riders use isopropyl alcohol, and some prefer grip glue. Be sure to review the manufacturer’s recommendations for the best product. You don’t have to coat the entire inside of the grip with lubrication. Spray some to the top of the grip and the grip will coat the handlebar as you slide it into place.

Don’t twist or stretch the grip as you slip it on because you don’t want to damage the rubber. The grips may stick in place, but it’s not a good idea to try to pound them into the right location. The end of your handlebar can cut through your brand-new grips just like a cookie cutter! Just be patient and straighten the grips after they’re in place.

Install the Right-Side Grip

Follow the same procedure on the right-side grip, and make sure that it doesn’t prevent your throttle from operating correctly. Straighten up the patterns on your grips as desired, and reinstall your bar-end weights. Allow your grip glue to set completely before riding.

Visit us at Big Moose Harley-Davidson in Portland, Maine, serving both Scarborough and Biddeford, Maine, to see our current inventory of motorcycles for sale.