So yesterday, while at the Harley shop taking delivery of the bike, I decide that it would be sinful to not get this new set of hand grips I'm standing there looking at. I've done grips on a Valkerie years ago, I vaguely remember something about the throttle cables being a pain in my ****.

Not to worry, I'm as smart as the average guy, I'll figure it out, but something is nagging me about those throttle cables.

Back to the house, my daughter and I are looking at the bike and I can't stand it, the grips are going on - now.

So, I go at it, left one is tough, stupid instructions say to "loosen" the screw on the switch housing, NO WAY the grip is going in there unless you take it apart. Not to worry, it finally goes back together after about 15 minutes of fumbling.

Now for the other side.

As I'm removing the switch houseing, cutting the grips, I get to the cables, I discover that this is not as easy as the other side, because they don't just "pop" off. Somehow you have to loosen the tension. What's the big deal? So I start snapping off the plastic pieces on the old grips...and then it dawns on me, I'm not going to have the same luxury when installing the new ones...HMMM.

OK, follow cable down a little way, and theres a nut. HMMM. Well, loosen that too. Bike is starting to feel like a project, it's an '05 and it has less than 20 miles on it...

Nervous? Nah, why should I be?

Alright, back to that nut. Neighbor drops by, we discuss the bike...he asks me why I'm sweating in 60 degree weather...I AM? Didn't notice, but thanks for asking.

Back to that nut. So, I loosen that nut, and finally through twisting, turning, and contorting myself, I get everything in the new grip. One problem, the grip is not on the handlebar, it's hanging below it. OK, take everything back out of the grip and slide grip on handlebar. Now cable won't reach.

Back to that nut.

Finally I get enough play to get the cable into place without snapping any plastic pieces, nor do I fray any cables...

Back to that nut. Where was it before? OH BOY.

So I play with the settings, get it all back together and take it for a test ride. I notice the throttle doesn't snap back to idle the way it used to...maybe it's that nut.

Back in the garage, me and that nut.

In the end, I got it all figured it out, and I learned a little bit about cable adjustments.

Not exactling Tinkering, but it was a lot of fun!

:cheers:

Mac

 

LOL, good tale. Now when that HD joint opens back up you need to be there asking for a service manual. Doesn't matter if you do nothing but change oil and filter yourself, if even that. Lotsa good dope in there, and it'll help you understand what's going on 'twixt your knobby knees.

 

Pococj,

Not to worry friend, I have one on order. They told me the would have it at delivery, but I guess the Christmas mail messed everything up. I was actually wishing that I had had it yesterday, I was certain that it would have helped me somehow, if nothing else I could have used it for chock.

I actually own a factory manual on all of my vehicles, they really are a good piece of gear.

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

Mac

 

I figure that I can normally install most stuff myself,
ordered some new grips off of ebay.
arrived last week, then they sat on my bench daring me to put them on.
Decided I had to put them on, started at 10:00pm last night.
Left one went on OKish............eventually.
Finally gave up on the right one at about midnight.

 

I tackled my grips without any previous experience, kinda like to try anything once, the Harley shop is only two minutes away!!!!! Everything went well, the only real problem I had was taking a razor knife to my brand new Heritage, just had an eerie feeling doing that. but all in all the ISO grips were well worth the pain.

 

Pilot, If it's rubber grips, one trick I learned from a scuba diving buddy when he saw me sweating trying to put my guages in my console, is to heat up the rubber in hot water, and they expand, making them easy to slide on, and are flexible, and will "pop" into place without having to take the casing apart. I tried it on the bike, when I changed mine last time, and I was able to carefully pop it into place.

And yes, now the wife asks what the hell I'm doing cooking my scuba gear when I have to change the battery in the computer.

 

Great story Pilot, I did get a little chuckle. Did you and your friend get the handlebars adjusted on his RK?

 

No, he didn't want to fool with it over the weekend. The problem is, the bars move with force, they don't have enough whatever to keep them in place. He things he needs to pull the bars and "score" them a little to get them to hold where the brackets tighten down. His ride, his choice. I think I would fix them by now, but that's me.

Mac

 

The bars should'nt move like that. The bar clamp bolts must not be torqued correctly. He should check them ASAP! Accident in the making!

 

I would think the bars have knurling where the clamp goes....I think it is either a torque issue, or a size issue with bar diameter...Best be careful in this area....I would mike or vernier the old bars and the new bars to be sure..(Since the clamps are the same!

BRUCE