How to Change Harley Grips

The handlebar grips are a very important part of your riding experience.

The handlebar grips on your Harley Davidson motorcycle are an important part of the riding experience. Old, tattered and dry-rotted grips can be very uncomfortable, leading to irritation on the palms of your hands, wrist strain due to the grips not properly diffusing road vibration, and general discomfort while riding. Learn how to install new grips on your Harley to get that good, old riding feeling back, and save time and money over having the local shop change them for you.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• New handlebar grips
• Compressed or canned air
• Grip adhesive
• Phillips screwdriver

1. • 1

     Remove any handlebar weights from the end of both sides of the handlebar, using a Phillips screwdriver to allow you to slide the old grips off the handlebar.

   • 2

     Insert the included straw into the nozzle of your compressed air can. Insert the straw between the handlebar and the left handlebar grip and press the nozzle. The compressed air should free the handlebar grip enough that you can slide it off the end of the handlebar easily. Remove the right-side handlebar grip in the same fashion by inserting the straw between the right handlebar grip and the plastic throttle sleeve.

   • 3

     Apply a liberal amount of handlebar grip adhesive to the left side of the handlebar. Quickly slide the left side grip---the grip with the small opening---onto the end of the handlebar. Apply a liberal amount of grip adhesive to the throttle sleeve and quickly slide the right grip into place.

   • 4

     Reinstall any handlebar weights removed previously, using a Phillips screwdriver. Allow the grip adhesive to dry for one hour and take your bike out for a ride. Feel the difference a new set of grips makes to your riding experience.