Anyone install OEM Heated grips?

[Mr. Fisherman]

I am concerned about the throttle cable and what is this "absorbent of grease?

I have reservations about digging into this but I really need to...

[greywolf]

Throttle cables should not be greased. They are teflon coated and should not be lubed. The grips are not heated all around and are not sturdy. Do a search on heated grips for better choices.

[larolco]

I quite like the OEM heated grips, despite what greywolf says. I find them sturdy, and haven't noticed that they "are not heated all around." No hot grip is going to heat your knuckles, anyway.

They're as hot as you'll want. Cranked up, they burn your palms.

Don't worry about the "absorbent of grease" - someone at Suzuki isn't a good translator.

Use brake-clean.

You won't have any problems with the throttle cables. Just put them back they way you found them.

And make sure you route the throttle side's power cable where it won't hang up on anything. Leave some slack for when you want to open it wide.

Search the forum. There's lots of info about the heated grips, especially on where and how to best hook up the electrical.

It's all very simple, really.

Really.

Enjoy.

[Mr. Fisherman]

I really have no choice about the grips, they were my anaversary present from my wife. They are going on.
I appreciate the tip on the throttle cable. I tend to find the end of the cable often enough :D
I wuill try to find the other threads... I remember soem informative posts on the old board but I can't find them here. Maybe they didn't survive the transfer.. bummer.

[Cheff]

I quite like the OEM heated grips, despite what greywolf says. I find them sturdy, and haven't noticed that they "are not heated all around." No hot grip is going to heat your knuckles, anyway.

They're as hot as you'll want. Cranked up, they burn your palms.

Don't worry about the "absorbent of grease" - someone at Suzuki isn't a good translator.

Use brake-clean.

You won't have any problems with the throttle cables. Just put them back they way you found them.

And make sure you route the throttle side's power cable where it won't hang up on anything. Leave some slack for when you want to open it wide.

Search the forum. There's lots of info about the heated grips, especially on where and how to best hook up the electrical.

It's all very simple, really.

Really.

Enjoy.


I could not have said it better. If its not under 45F the grips burn my hands not just my palms. I feel heat all the way around. Install is straight forward, I had no trouble with the throttle cables. Go and install them man they make a huge difference in comfort.

[Mr. Fisherman]

OK, so I have seen that some guys have done this in as little as 20 minutes. My main concern is in getting the old grips off and gettng the new ones on right. I am not worried about the wiring.
The instructions offer nothing on getting the old ones off.
Any advice?
I would like to get this done before my next mid to low 30 degree commute...

[greywolf]

Use a long, thin screwdriver blade to get into the glue joint then run the blade around. The glue bond is like rubber cement and it breaks easily.

[MightyShep]

I found that an Xacto knife was the secret to removing the old grips. Just slice and remove. You have new grips already, so just cut those puppies off. Also I found that if you use a little hair spray (I know sounds wierd, huh?) on the inside of the grips they will slide right on without any pushing, shoving, air hose using nonsense.

[fastwally]

Use a long, thin screwdriver blade to get into the glue joint then run the blade around. The glue bond is like rubber cement and it breaks easily.

Do what greywolf said, and to make it real easy just slide the thin screwdriver all the way under the grip and squirt a little WD40 under it and then run the screwdriver around and the grip will fly off. :) Another little trick if your putting the old grip back on is to squirt just a touch of WD40 inside the grip and slide it back on and after it sets overnight the glue will rebond.

[MZBuckeye]

Are you guys re-gluing the new grips on with new grip-glue?

[fastwally]

Are you guys re-gluing the new grips on with new grip-glue?

New grips= yes, I do

[TheTwins]

I have them. They work really well. I followed the instructions line for line, word for word, and that was well over a year and 7500 miles ago.

[larolco]

Are you guys re-gluing the new grips on with new grip-glue?

Nah, I didn't bother. After a few weeks it cooked on pretty tight.

I just made sure I cleaned everything up well with brake clean and slid it on before the cleaner evaporated.

If I ever find it gets sloppy, I'll glue it, though.

It's just the left side, really, that's an issue.

I suppose any old epoxy would work.

[Mr. Fisherman]

So, what about the throttle side?
Any special considerations?
How about the throttle cables?

[fastwally]

I suppose any old epoxy would work.


No, it's handgrip cement. It's like rubber cement. You put a little on the grip and put it on real quick because it dries real fast. If it gets too sticky before you get it on, squirt a little WD40 in there and it will slide right on. You can take a grip on and off using WD and the glue will rebond when you put the same grip back on.

I don't think I would try epoxy.

[MZBuckeye]

Throttle cables should not be greased. They are teflon coated and should not be lubed. The grips are not heated all around and are not sturdy. Do a search on heated grips for better choices.

I got mine yesterday, and although they aren't installed yet, they feel very sturdy IMO. Plus the control switch is very nice. I'm happy I went with the OEM's.

[larolco]

No, it's handgrip cement. It's like rubber cement. You put a little on the grip and put it on real quick because it dries real fast. If it gets too sticky before you get it on, squirt a little WD40 in there and it will slide right on. You can take a grip on and off using WD and the glue will rebond when you put the same grip back on.

I don't think I would try epoxy.

The parts guy at my local Suzuki dealer looked at my like I was crazy when I asked if there was such a thing. On his advice I didn't use anything at all. I have to say, the grip doesn't move. It's stuck real good.

Mr. Fisherman: No special concerns about the throttle side. You might have to do a slight cable adjustment, but I didn't. Just two cables for the throttle that are simply re-installed, and leave some slack in the grip wire for when you twist it. No cement necessary, esp on that side.

[FJR/V-strom trooper]

Get under the grip a bit and use an air nozzle. this usually does the trick without cutting them off.

[fastwally]

The parts guy at my local Suzuki dealer looked at my like I was crazy when I asked if there was such a thing. On his advice I didn't use anything at all. I have to say, the grip doesn't move. It's stuck real good.


WOW, thats not saying much for the parts guy. :) Honda makes it part# 087123-0001

[TomX]

After reading all I could here regarding heated grips, I've decided to go with the OEM's, despite any shortcomings they may have.

The one thing I'm still unclear about - some people have reported being able to make the electrical connection to the harness without removing any tupperware from the bike. I don't see how this is possible. With a strong flashlight, I can barely see the plastic connector deep down in there, much yet get my hands to it.

And if you do need to remove stuff, which stuff? Would you lift the gas tank and remove the air box to get to it?

Thanks in advance!

- Tom

[greywolf]

The only thing I had to remove was the black piece under the left side of the tank. Very long nosed pliers help a lot.

[TomX]

The only thing I had to remove was the black piece under the left side of the tank. Very long nosed pliers help a lot.

One more question - I downloaded the installation instructions and they say to put the left grip on using 'grip cement' and give a Suzuki part number. What kind of glue would this be?

I know another brand of heated grips says to use a very slow curing two-part epoxy. What did you guys use, if anything?

- Tom

[GooseYArd]

I didn't use anything. I used a little wd-40 to soften the glue on the old grips when I took them off. Also helped the heated ones slide on. After they sat for 24 hours or so, the heated jobbies don't budge.

The one thing I would consider though is to hook up the grips to power briefly before you actually install them. Fire them up and feel around on the grip to identify where the hot segment is. I think it might be marked on the grip somehow but it wasn't obvious to me at first. Mark it with some chalk or something so you'll have a visual reference about where you want it lined up when the grip is on the handlebar.

The hardest part for me was wedging my hands into where the wiring harness is. Some of those long pliers would have been great.

[Mr. Fisherman]

One more question - I downloaded the installation instructions and they say to put the left grip on using 'grip cement' and give a Suzuki part number. What kind of glue would this be?

I know another brand of heated grips says to use a very slow curing two-part epoxy. What did you guys use, if anything?

- Tom

I bought grip glue at the stealer for $2. It is a pretty small tube but should be plenty to do the job.

[MZBuckeye]

I just got mine installed. The only thing I haven't done is ziptie the wires, I still want to screw around with the routing a bit. I took a bunch of pieces off the right side of the bike because I thought I saw the connector, but I was wrong. So, I moved to the left side and pulled the black plastic side piece, the one right under the seat, and the connector was sitting right there within finger reach. How lucky! I did back the bike out of the garage to start it up and test the grips, and boy do they get hot fast! All in all, easy install, the throttle grip comes off all in one piece, and the left side grip I cut off with an exacto knife. Added a little Scott Grip Glue from the stealer, and that was that.

Actually, the only problem I had was with the damn bar ends. Very strange design, not one I'm familliar with. I guess you're NOT supposed to remove that screw in the center of the bar ends first. I had to bend a coat hanger into a straight piece to get the nut and little rubber sleeve out of the handlebars. I guess the good thing about this design is if you want to change the bars, the ends of the new bars don't need to be threaded to accept the stock bar ends like on my old FZ1. I guess now I know :)

[Mr. Fisherman]

Well I was encouraged and hoped to find the connector as easy as some had... no such luck.
So I went back to the instructions and started from the beggining. I removed the allen screws and the 2 hidden screws and pushed the centers of the pins in. The red side pieces are loose except for the front... I was afraid I was going to break the left side trying to get it to pop free. Now I am in a delima... How do I get the centers of the pins to pop back out? Can I remove them? do I have to? How do you do it?
I also had a metal clip fall from the left side... if I ever get that side off I should be able to figure out where it goes. I still haven't found the damn empty black clip for the harness.
any help?

[MZBuckeye]

With those little black pushpin things, once the center is popped in, you can just pull the whole pushpin out of the fairing. Then, when you're ready to put them back, just push the pin so the center pops back out again, further out than before, replace the pin, and snap the center piece back in place.

[Mr. Fisherman]

Thanks... did you have to pry them out or use pliers to pull them off? Mine seem pretty tight.
Also, what is the secret to getting the fairing pieces to release at the front?
I really don't want to break them...

[MZBuckeye]

No, once you push in the center button part (I used a small allen wrench to pop the center part in) they should be pretty loose, you should be able to pull them right out. I was unable to get the fairing parts off, but I didn't need to to find that plug. Can't help there, with just that left side lower plastic part off I could see the plug hanging right there.

[greywolf]

There is a screw in the fake vent in the front.

[Mr. Fisherman]

There is a screw in the fake vent in the front.

Yea, 1 on each side, phillips head. I pulled both of them.
I am going to walk away from it tonight and go back to it in the morning.
I work nights and the first day I try to flip back to days is always a challenge. Hopefully it will come together tomorrow.

[larolco]

If you take the full fairing assembly off, there are four screws to watch for. They're all in the same place. There's one in each of the side fairing pieces, right at the front tip, and two more in the front piece, near to the other two screws. Even if I don't take the front piece off, I still loosen it so I don't break any plastic.

You should be able to pull the plastic pushpin things out once you've depressed the centre of them. Just reset them the opposite way (so the centre is raised) before you reinstall them. Then you just push the centre flush to re-engage the pin.

The only other strange fastener is on the side fairing pieces. There's a rubber doohickey (I think that's what they're called) that engages the cowl piece at a 45 degree angle. You have to push the side piece forward and downward to release it.

Just be gentle and look for whatever is still fastened, and you should be fine.

[Mr. Fisherman]

Well, I got it done... Lessons learned...
1st off, in my not so humble opinion, the OEM installation instructions suck.
I started off looking for the connector where the detail drawing showed it should be. Later I looked on the left side under the first piece of plastic you have to remove that covers the tank and frame transition.
I finally found a black connector in this area taped up tight under and behind the frame. I could touch it but it was nearly impossible to get a knife in there to cut the tape. That brings me to lesson 2, don't cut your fingernails very close before trying to use them where they have little business going. It is a pain in tight places and it makes typing updates painful later. I finally got the tape holding the connector cut and could almost get the connector to a place I could connect it to the new harness. Except, it wasn't a black connector anymore... It was a black end cap previously covered in black tape. Crap, once I finally got the cover off and saw it was shunted and in now way possible the connector I was looking for I got to struggle to get the cap back on. No way I can tape it back up. Gotta hope for the best and tuck it up as best I can.
I have found that when working on a motorcycle you can often solve problems if you stand on your head... so there I was standing on my head when I finally spot an empty black connector taped way up behind the radiator, nowhere near the left side frame. Can I get to it to free it from it's electrical tape bondage? Not even after a introductory visit to Jenny Craig... I was finally able to get the cowling off. There were 4 screws, as mentioned in the post above. ( I wish I had read that). Anyway, I figured out the fancy pita connector and had plastic all over the garage. I still could not get to the connector. It just sat in there mocking me like a bug snug in a rug. I decided to unfasten the tank and hinge it up a bit. This gave me enough room to touch the connector if I said the proper incantation from the proper inverted position. My faith restored I found a way to cut the tape and free the connector. There was almost enough slack in the harness to allow me to fasten the new harness to the connector... Almost. It was about this time that I had an epiphany. This would be the perfect time to give the bike a sex change. I already had the knife out and the tank up, why not. I installed the new Bra (tank cover).
By this time the fingers had pretty much stopped bleeding and had accepted their fate. That connector was going on… and it did. Happy day. Routing the harness to the other side of the bike was another problem tough… why wouldn’t it be?
Next step was the one I was worried about… Installing the throttle side. This was no problem at all. I sure appreciate the comments about leaving enough slack for full throttle. I was a little unsure and wanted to test the throttle to make sure I didn’t screw something up so I put the key in and start it up.. start it up… well turn it over. Crap, it won’t start. I found a loose connection on the clutch permissive switch, whew. It fired up and I fire up the heated grips to see where I wanted them aligned. They work great! I positioned the throttle side then went to work on the brake side. After fiddling with a screwdriver for a while I finally took out a fillet knife and cut the old grip off. So far this 1 hour project has taken 2 days. I got the grip mounted and aligned then installed the controller. You can try to install a mirror stalk all day long and until you turn it righty tighty it aint gonna tighten up ever… just in case you want to know. This wrenchin stuff is fun. Time to wash the garage love off and go try out these heated grips… the tank cover looks good too. My Zumo fits without having to move the mount, fantastic.
I get the helmet and jacket on and find my light summer gloves. It is 35 degrees F outside and it is starting to drizzle, melting the snow we received the days prior. Hands started to get cold and I cranked the grips up. No way I can leave them on high. I back them off to about 1/3 and my fingers are happy! Love them. In addition the new heated grips are bigger around than the factory grips. I think I am really going to enjoy them.
Sorry for the long post but hopefully the next guy can learn from my mistakes.
Persistence pays and I can’t wait to go for a proper ride tomorrow.

[larolco]

Congratulations!

Enjoy. :)

[Mr. Fisherman]

Did a little over 60 miles today, 34 degrees F when I left the house in the fog... It was cold but my hands were toasty warm :D .
I had a little issue when I stopped for gas... Filled the tank, went to start the bike and it would turn over but not fire... The attendent and lookie lous were very helpful and all thought the bike was flooded. I informed them that fuel injected motors don't get flooded. I thought for sure it was a loose clutch switch, nope. I found the loose connection on the right side behind the frame below the radiator. My big paws didn't fit behind the radiator very well and I was concerned about something like this, but at least I figured it out and got back on my way. After I got the coupler back together and got the bike started to get out of the way of the gas pumps the red light started blinking and there was an error code. Great. I thought that turning off the bike and restarting it should reset the computer and it did.
On the ride I was not able to leave the grips on high very long at all. They heat up pretty fast and in these cold conditions (for around here anyway) I was comfortable between 25 and 50%. I really like them.
If you don't have any, get some.