How could I have been so irresponsible?

[Mackeroni]

Last weekend, I decided to install a few farkles including a set of Honda heated grips. "This should be fun," I says to myself.

I removed the stock grips, and carefully fabricated and mounted a plastic skirt to keep the throttle side wiring from fouling up in my Madco throttle lock. I was feeling pretty proud of myself and preparing for the next step when I suddenly realized the Honda kit did not include any grip glue and my favorite shop was closed, it being Sunday and all. Hmmm...what can I use for grip adhesive? After a careful search through these hallowed pages, I ruled out hairspray and epoxy. One was too temporary and the other too permanent. There did not seem to be any other suggestions here beyond Yama-glue and Honda-glue, neither of which were available to me.

Looking around my shop, my eyes landed an tube of clear 100% silicone bathroom caulk. "Oh no," you're thinking. "He couldn't be so stoopid as to use silicone caulk to mount his brand new heated grips!" Well, apparently I am that stoopid. It seems that silicone bathroom caulk requires exposure to the atmosphere to cure...and guess what. There is no atmosphere under a rubber hand grip. I waited several hours. I heated the grips several times. I waited several more hours...all to no avail. I think the left grip was actually easier to turn than the throttle grip, since it was sitting on a bed of silicone and had no throttle return spring to keep it from spinning freely.

I finally threw in the towel and ventured to Lowes for some fresh mineral spirits to clean off the caulk, and something a little more tacky and cureable than silicone. After several wash cycles including mineral spirits, dishwashing liquid and water, the silicone was finally gone and I re-installed the grips using good old Duro General Purpose Household Adhesive in the blue aerosol can. It works great, in case you are interested. Oh...the throttle tube on the FJR must be just a skosh smaller than a Honda. I had to add three strips of vinyl electrical tape longitudinally to get a nice tight fit.

Lesson learned: Do NOT use silicone caulk to install your grips!

 

[TruWrecks]

3M General Adhesive spray glue also works well, and can be found in many stores.

 

[FJR-RemingtonRider]

Okee Dokee then!

No silcone...I am taking good notes. Wisdom begins with someone else's mishaps being shared.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

wish I could say I've never done anything stoopid in the garage. But I can't. glad it worked out in the end. Sounds like a PIA cleanup. Enjoy the heat!

 

[crankshaft]

Golf grip tape works well also. Can be picked up at any Golf shop or sporting goods store

 

[Panman]

What was that show called? "Thats my Life" Oh what a ride it's been! :lol: :lol:

 

[olsonm3915]

I've always used hairspray to glue grips on, and it works beautifully. The cheaper the better.

 

[doctorJ]

I've also used hairspray but don't have any around usually. I now use dupont teflon multispray to assist getting old grips off and to lube new grips to slide on easily. After several minutes, the slickness goes away and the grips seem solidly placed without using any grip glue etc. So, generally, I've gotten away from all forms of grip glue unless a specific aftermarket grip seems to need it.

doctorj

 

[racer]

Be cautious about using hair spray to glue grips on the handle bars. I used to use hair spray when replacing the grips on my enduro bike. That ended when I rode an enduro in the rain. The hair spray let go in the wet and I ended up finishing with very loose grips that slid around on the bars. Works great until you get them wet.

 

[saltywheels]

Hairspray-kindda flammable? Heated grips=heat. Is that a good mix? Just asking. :blink:

 

[olsonm3915]

Hairspray-kindda flammable? Heated grips=heat. Is that a good mix? Just asking. :blink:

Hairspray is flammable mostly/entirely because of the propellant which doesn't stick around after spraying the product. The actual goo that is deposited is not particularly flammable although I suppose it would burn like most any plastic if you got it hot enough. If it was hot enough to ignite the resin you wouldn't be able to hold on to the grips.

 

[Cigar Mike]

Golf grip tape works well also. Can be picked up at any Golf shop or sporting goods store

+1

Keeping a roll of the tape and some grip solvent is great. I have been doing this for years on the DS bikes. It is also convienent since I do my own golf grips. It is ready for service in a hour or less.

Cigar Mike

 

[user 6393]

What was that show called? "Thats my Life" Oh what a ride it's been! :lol: :lol:

up here we have a show "Canada's Worst Handyman", a kind of serious version of the "Red Green" Show :lol:

 

[Mcgyver74]

I use an air compressor to blast the old grips off, then blast the new grips on, takes less then a minute, and usually don't need any more adhesive then what was left from the original grips, I've only had to apply grip glue once in 15 years for a particularly loose set of grips..

 

[JimLor]

Hairspray, extra hold. So far it has lasted 3+years. Sometimes simple works. Then again, sometimes it doesn't!

 

[Fred W]

Hairspray. My grips have excellent body and hold.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Hairspray. My grips have excellent body and hold.

Excellent Body?? Do tell Fred.

:jester:

 

[Fred W]

Dis here is da stuff you needs:

 

[Patriot]

if there's some leftover hairspray...