I had a local shop install a set of Koso Apollo heated grips last winter. Combined with a set of Hippo Hands, they've definitely allowed me to extend my riding season.
I used them pretty extensively in the spring without any problems. A couple of weeks ago, I started needing them for my morning commute. I noticed the other day, when I had the grips on their highest setting, that my left grip started to rotate, like the glue was loosening up. When I reduced the heat level, it seemed to get better. When the grip is cold, it's tight.
Since I didn't install the grips, I don't know what was used to adhere the grips. I would like to think that, if Koso provided a glue with the grips, it would be able to hold up to the heat.
Has anyone had any similar issues? Or suggestions?
If its loose enough to pull completely off, I'd advise to pull it. Then if it were me, clean the bar end of any old residue. Look inside the grip for any unwanted debris and clean it out best you can. Then give the hair spray trick a shot. Never know, might be something you'll always do from now on. That's my go to adhesive and in the next week or two, I'll be doing it again. Got my new Oxfoford heated grip replacements in Friday. Waiting on my G2 throttle Tammer to arrive in the mail box as we speak!
Hairspray is simply varnish (maybe lacquer), and it doesn't work long term either. The problem is the heat breaks down the glue's bond. There was a thread on this a while ago, and I forget what the successful glue was, but whatever you use, it has to be heat resistant.
You might do a search and see if you can find it. There were a lot of failures, and knowing what did not work for others may save you some grief.
Bottom line, clean the handlebar well w/ a solvent like acetone and you might run a dampened rag through the grip to remove whatever was used before. If there is old glue inside the grip, you will have to remove it, because it will likely melt again, defeating whatever new glue you use. Btw, RTV silicone does not work either. So there are two I have tried that failed - RTV and hairspray. (And I scoured things down obsessively before I used the goop.)
Hairspray works great on normal rubber grips because they are very flexible, not much chop on oxford heated grips they are just too stiff, I have never seen your grips so I can't comment.
I tried a number of different glues on the oxfords and super glue has worked best, I hate working with it but it gets the job done.
Hmm.. interesting. Has anyone had the glue that comes with the Oxford grips let go? I never had an issue on my 650 with them. The glue appeared to be a very fast drying super glue.
Funny you should ask, I just installed Oxford Touring grips on my 2007 Vee. Yesterday, in fact.
I don't think there's anything special about the glue included with the Oxfords. It seems to be just ordinary cyanoacrylate (aka "superglue," "Krazy glue" etc.).
I'm not ready for the commitment of superglue, so I used AquaNet.
So far, it's working. We'll see how long it lasts.
I used a dab or two of industrial adhesive I had. Don't have to remove the grips, just pull them back a bit and put on the adhesive and put the grips back. it shouldn't be too hard to break that bond loose in the future. It's been keep the heated grips solid for several years now.It was Locktite adhesive.
I've installed heated grips with grip glue (some sort of rubber cement, basically?) and with super glue (my last set of Oxford grips came with it).
Neither held up in the long run.
What did work for me was JBWeld (on my V-Strom), and so far, Gorilla Glue on my Fazer 8. But I only redid that one recently. I figure it will work well, though, as it expands as it sets.
Yes, either of these will be a gold plated son of a bitch to remove some day, probably requiring a new throttle sleeve. Better than having a throttle grip that moves around unexpectedly.
The old grip glue on my Vee looked a lot like rubber cement. It was easy to remove. I used a plastic scrubby pad for some of it, but some I could peel off like oldskool Elmer's. I'm a little surprised I never had the grips move, considering that.
I thought about JB Weld for a permanent stick on the new Oxfords. My only hesitation is that if the Oxfords fail, I'll need to replace them. If they no longer work, I won't care too much about having to cut them off, but I don't want to be having to scrape or pry old fragments off the bars.
But if that happens, it may be a good excuse to upgrade bars anyway.
...I thought about JB Weld for a permanent stick on the new Oxfords. My only hesitation is that if the Oxfords fail, I'll need to replace them. If they no longer work, I won't care too much about having to cut them off, but I don't want to be having to scrape or pry old fragments off the bars.
The oxford grips are a little different than what we used to have because of the rigid center. (love my Oxfords) I had the slipping left grip. When hot they expand at the center. I reinstalled the left.
I pulled it off. Left it wired up. I set the heat on max high. Slipped it onto an old handle bar and kept heating it. Then I put two lines of JBW on the bike's cold bar end and moved the grip over to its final destination. If the grip fails before I do, _ I'll cut it off.
I have a different brand (Hot Grips) of solid heated grips installed on my GS850. Per the instructions, they were installed with an epoxy that cures hard, and so when they're hot the left grip expands more than the handlebar and gets slightly loose.
It's always done this, and I barely even notice these days. And I've never really found a solution.
In any case, it looks like the Koso grips are also a solid type and come with a tube of superglue. Super glue is very brittle when it cures, so it's not able to accommodate the way the plastic inside the grip expands.
Super glue can be weakened and dissolved with acetone, but that could also damage these really expensive grips. Supposedly you can soften super glue with water and heat, so if you can figure out some way to get water in there and heat them up, the glue might soften enough to pull the grip off, clean everything up, and try again.
Well, hairspray's out. It let go after maybe 5 minutes of grip heat.
No catastrophic loss of control, but it was slightly alarming to feel my clutch grip rotate.
I didn't push my luck with throttle side.
I like the feel of the Oxfords much better than the stock grips, apart from the heating. Larger diameter and more traction.
This could be a job for JB Weld. I doubt my bamboo skewers will work, if I ever need to take the Oxfords back off (such as to transfer them to another set of bars). However, I don't know of an adhesive that's better for sticking things to metal, while being much less nasty to work with than cyanoacrylate.
I don't think my BBQ skewers would ever be able to get the Oxfords off without dramatics, anyway. They worked on the factory grips because those are soft rubber. The Oxfords are much stiffer.
Assuming they haven't loosened up due to the glue failing, I suspect the only reasonable way to remove the Oxford grips will be to cut them off.
I only ever had to replace a set of heated grips on my Strom because the glue had failed, allowing the grip to rotate, which allowed the clutch lever to repeatedly stress it, eventually breaking the wire. Those were the lousy Suzuki OEM heated grips, anyway (man, 2003 was a long time ago), which didn't heat evenly all around.
I believe the problem is when the grip is pushed into place most of the glue is pushed away and not enough is left to do the job satisfactorily.
I have fitted quite a few sets and have never had a problem with supper glue but before I fit the grip I use a 4" grinder and cut a few groves in the handlebars.
This gives the glue a place accumulate and something for the grip to get some purchase on.
I cut the grove along the bar not across it, that way it will not stop the grip from getting home during the all important assembly.
I also use tape to mark the grip and the switch gear so I get the position of the cables in the exact position I want them the first time.
That's a good idea, it's often helpful to give the adhesive some mechancial foothold vs. relying purely on its shear resistance.
I was lazy and didn't rough up the material on my clutch side handlebar end before applying the JB Weld. Throttle tube of course has ridges that should help as noted. If clutch side slips, I know what I need to do upon re-application.
I'm glad to read the comments about loosening Oxfords simply by running them at 100%. I should rarely if ever need that setting in actual use, and it maybe gives me a chance of moving them without destroying them if needed. For example, if I ever get around to upgrading handlebars.
This topic is timely, as I believe loose (Oxford) grips is the reason I just can't seem to tighten my throttle lock down enough on the throttle grip for it to hold the desired revs. Never gotten round to actually checking, but the throttle return spring can't be THAT strong that it overrides the lock tension.
I've got my Universal Vista Cruise almost all the way back on. I had to source a longer screw because, well, there just wasn't enough reach with the included 1-1/4", #8-32 hex head screw.
JB Weld applied this morning. Giving it 24 hours to set before I try a ride.
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