I don't have a compressor...

[Spridal]

can I remove the hand grips using a can of compressed air instead? Has anyone removed the grips using this method?

 

[Mooseonagoose]

No compressor myself either, ...so here's a little trick that's part my idea & part from an old riding partner. I've heard of using everthing from soap to rubber cement to install grips, & they all have drawbacks [cement is a mess, soap turns slippery again in the rain,...etc.]. Then my buddy taught me this method for installing grips easily & securely.

Hold the grip w/ the outer end downward and your forefinger covering the small air hole, pour the grip about a third to a half full of gasoline [mineral spirits will work also] put your thumb or palm over the open end & slosh it around to coat the inside then dump the excess [easiest to work outside]. Quickly, before the remainder evaporates, push the grip onto the bar and position it where you want it. It will slide on easily, and after an hour or so will have evaporated completely [thru the rubber]. I have never found it to have any long-term negative effect on the durability of the rubber. The slight chemical melting/reconstituting of the inner rubber surface produces a respectably firm bond on the bar or throttle tube.

Some time later I wanted to remove a set of grips I'd installed using my friend's method. I happen to have a family member who uses hypodermic syringes for a medical issue & have found that having a few in the shop can be handy for many things , such as lubing very tiny items or precise application of liquid epoxys & so on. ...and they aren't terribly expensive even if you can't snag a few gratis like I can... I consequently discovered that a few cc of the instalation solvent in a syringe can be injected through the grip [at a gentle angle] onto the bar surface beneath [do it at several places & quickly] and that it will loosen the bond allowing the grip to be slid off quite easily. Some of my grips have over time endured several re-installs.

 

[germany]

I took 3 zip ties and forced them under the grip at 3 locations to relieve some of the friction and pulled them off. Wasn't too difficult.

 

[JimLor]

I've removed my grips about 6 times so far. I took a long thin screwdriver and taped the end. I slip that under the grip then spray some white lithium grease in there and work the screwdriver around the bar. Grip comes right off. I clean the grease with Simple Green and am set to go. I'm one of those who uses hairspray to put the grips back on - never had a problem. Of course I do use "extra hold!"

 

[fjrbob]

I've removed my grips about 6 times so far. I took a long thin screwdriver and taped the end. I slip that under the grip then spray some white lithium grease in there and work the screwdriver around the bar. Grip comes right off. I clean the grease with Simple Green and am set to go. I'm one of those who uses hairspray to put the grips back on - never had a problem. Of course I do use "extra hold!"

I have used this same method with WD-40 to remove the grips. Works great!

 

[Copyman]

Several years ago I read of a way to remove grips that I used on my old ZR7s. Use a long slim device such as a letter opener. Slide it carefully under an edge. Then spray some contact cleaner under the grip as you push the letter opener further in. When you have the letter opener all the way in lift slightly ann dwork the letter opener around as you spray contact cleaner around the inside circumference. Then grip will then slide off easily. When installing the new grips, liberally spray them with hairspray as you slide them on. When the hairspray dries the grip will stick just fine and will be easier to remove if you decide to make a change.

:bike:

 

[Spridal]

Thanks all!

 

[Randy]

The only time I take grips off is to replace them. The come off real easy when you slice them down the middle with a knife.

When I install new ones, I have a bunch of leftover material from regripping golf clubs. Wrap some of the double sided tape around the bars, squirt some of the juice into the grip (I think it's just rubbing alcohol), slide the grips on and she's good to go after setting up overnight. Might be overkill, but, it's peace of mind (or is it piece of mind?).

 

[HaulinAshe]

+1 on long, slender screwdriver or wire tie, and WD-40. Be sure to wash the grip thoroughly with soap and water before re-use. Break out that bottle brush you used when weaning the kids. It comes in handy for scrubbing grips.

 

[rfulcher]

I've removed my grips about 6 times so far. I took a long thin screwdriver and taped the end. I slip that under the grip then spray some white lithium grease in there and work the screwdriver around the bar. Grip comes right off. I clean the grease with Simple Green and am set to go. I'm one of those who uses hairspray to put the grips back on - never had a problem. Of course I do use "extra hold!"

I have used denatured ETOH instead of Lithium grease. The denatured ETOH seems to provide good lubrication and dissolves the glue. It dries on its own. With some grips I have used the denatured ETOH to reactivate the old glue and just replaced the old grip using the original glue.