Grip problems

[pburgess]

I've got an '02 gz250 that's been serving me well for the past 3500 miles that it's seen in the last 7 months i've had it. just put on a new rear tire and was looking for some new grips while i was at my dealer a few days ago. found some gel progrips and after quizing the salesman to make sure they'd fit, i went over how to change them with him even though i figured it was a completely mindless swap. i figured the whole soapy water thing out but after getting them changed, i put the sliders back on and they wouldn't screw in. turns out the fastener inside the handlebars worked loose and now won't screw back together. which means they're also stuck about 2 inches inside each end of the handlebar. so anyone out there have any good ideas for getting them fixed without sending it to the service dept. at my dealership, seeing as they couldn't even warn me of this in the first place.

[Dupo]

Well what happened was when you unscrewed them you 'dropped' 2 nuts inside the handlebars and the 2 rubbers are now stuck. My only advise would be to get some VERY long needle nose pliers and a makeshift rod with a hook on the end or bend a coat hanager into a hook and try to pull them out very carefully. Spray some WD40 in there to make it easier. Just some suggestions.

If its only 2" then you should be able to get them out. I would say its probably more like 4", the screw for the weights is about that long.

I did this too when i bent my handlebars and had to replace them. Dropped both nuts in there with the rubbers still in it. I managed to get one out with the long screw but the other one was not to budge. Since they were bent already, i just hacksawed the end off to get it out.

[pburgess]

yeah...bent coathanger worked beautifully...might i say though that the rubber thingy is way over-engineered...why not just weld in a nut?

[Dupo]

Better tendency to rust probably. I think the 4" long screws are a little over done though. The rubber should be longer, yet overall shorter.

[Badbob]

I had to take the handle bar off to get nuts out. If the bar is rusty on the inside the rubber will not come so easy. You can get it with a 1/4 inch lag bolt.

[jnortonsr]

so how would you do it without screwing up the nuts and washers in the handlebars?


I just found a tear in the throttle grip and was looking at replacing it with an oem grip. there aren't any instructions out there on the web

[Dupo]

Easy, Dont unscrew the bolts all the way. Just loosen them a little bit to ease the pressure off the rubber (the nut/bolt squeezes the rubber so it doesnt move inside). Then just use the bolt to pull the rubber out along with the nuts still attached.

[Badbob]

If there is rust inside the bar you may need to help it a bit.

I use an open end wrench and and a dead blow hammer. You have get it out far enough using your hand to get the wrench behind it and tap the wrench with the hammer. You might want to pad the weight with tape or something to prevent scratching it. Be aware that it may go flying when it lets go.

[jnortonsr]

Do you have to unhook the throttle cable when changing the left grip?
Do you have to glue them back on?

I know next to nothing about motorcycle maintenance and if it could break while working on it it usually does

[Badbob]

Originally Posted by jnortonsr

Do you have to unhook the throttle cable when changing the left grip?

You should be able to change the grip with out with out removing the cables. However this would be a good to give the cable a good lube and I suggest removing the plastic sleeve the throttle grip attaches to and clean it and the handle bar then put some lithium grease on the bar before you reinstall it. This will make the throttle turn much smoother for better throttle control. When I did this the first time the difference was dramatic.

If you install stock Suzuki grips the throttle grip comes as an assembly.

Originally Posted by jnortonsr

Do you have to glue them back on?

Yes. Here is how I do it?

You need:
Grips
3M Electrical Tape. Not friction tape. Not electrical tape from harbor freight. Unless you want to be sitting on the side of the road trying to put your grip back on.
5 Minute or longer two part epoxy. I use 10 minute.

Clean the bars squeaky clean with something that does not leave a residue. I use acetone and do a last wipe with a new/clean lint free cloth. The idea here is to give the tape something it will just love to stick to. Wrap the bars with one layer of electrical tape. Clean the inside of the grips very well like you did the bars. We don;t want any oil or mold release in side the grips that would interfere with the glue. Do a test fit before you even think of putting glue on anything. You have to work out all the fitting issues before you glue anything because the epoxy is going to set quick and if you have a problem you will be surprised how short ten minutes is. Mix up enough epoxy to glue one grip and spread it on the tape you wrapped the bar with. Quickly push the grip onto the bar and clean up any excess glue. Wait the prescribed amount of time for the glue to set before you try them out. Repeat with the other grip.

Why do it this way? It holds very tight. It's way cheaper and easier to find than grip glue. The tape lets you get the grips off easy and leave the bar clean should you need to change them again later. If you do this right you will destroy the grips getting them off. To remove use a sharp utility knife and cut through the grip and the tape and peel them off.