How To Change Grips On 2017 Street Glide

If y'all're looking at changing out your Harley grips then you're probably trying to solve one of two issues. Either your existing grips are causing you mitt problems or you just don't similar the expect of what'due south currently on your bike. For me the story was a combination of both. The stock Harley-Davidson grips are terrible in both look and function, so I wanted an upgrade. For this project I chose the Roland Sands Designs Tracker Grips, and I'1000 really impressed with both the installation process and the end results.

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Removing Stock Harley Grips

Loosen housing on throttle side
Slide grip off from handlebar
Loosen housing on clutch side
Pry or cut grip off from handlebar

Replacing Stock Motorcycle Grips

For most bikes, removing the stock grips is a pretty simple process. On the throttle side you'll likely have a housing of some sort that you'll need to remove so the grip will slide right off. It'due south possible, however, that you'll have an application where there's a tube inside the throttle grip that volition need to be saved. If that's the case, this can unremarkably be washed by splitting the grip with a precipitous pocketknife and then peeling information technology away from the tube. But for almost aftermarket grips, yous'll find that they come up with a replacement tube.

For my 2016 Harley-Davidson FLSTC, it was every bit simple every bit removing two torx screws in the housing, then sliding the grip off from the bar. The beginning spiral sits in the height, toward the dorsum of the housing. The 2nd spiral is under the housing and toward the front end. Once those screws are removed, the height of the housing lifts right off. You'll desire to and so carefully and lightly wiggle the bottom part of the housing to get it to move downwardly. There's wiring in here that yous'll want to protect, so just be gentle. Once both sides of the housing are removed, the throttle grip slides right off.

Moving to the clutch side, chances are that the grip simply sits inside of the housing at the very terminate, but the housing probably doesn't concord the grip in place. The grip is going to be secured past a mucilage, which means that you lot'll have to do some work to get this 1 removed. The instructions provided with the Tracker grips say to use a long-shank, apartment tip screwdriver to remove the grip, only I plant that slicing the grip with a sharp pocketknife and then peeling it off was a meliorate option. Either fashion you cull, chances are that you lot're going to ruin the grip and so only exist prepared to trash it instead of adding information technology to the "back to stock" box.

Installation of New Grips

New Motorcycle Grips

Throttle Side

Slide throttle grip or throttle tube into place
If using a throttle tube, slide grip over tube
Tighten housing
Check to meet that grip returns to neutral position
If grip sticks, adjust housing tightness or slide grip out slightly

Roland Sands Tracker Grips

Clutch Side

Slide clutch side grip into place
Mark location for drilling divots
Remove grip, drill divots
If desired, apply grip adhesive to bar
Slide grip into position, tighten placement screws
Allow glue to dry according to directions

Depending on which grips y'all choose, your installation procedure could be slightly different. Specifically, some throttle side grips will accept a two piece installation with a throttle tube and a grip that will need to be slid over it. Lucky for me, and perhaps because of the electronic throttle on the FLSTC, the Tracker throttle grip is a one piece design. All I had to do was brand sure that the logo was in the right position and and then slide the grip into identify.

Or so I thought.

Come to detect out, the Tracker grips are a fleck longer than the stock H-D rubbers, and so I had to do a bit of tweaking with the main cylinder housing. Loosening the 2 torx screws on the main cylinder housing, I was able to slide it in toward the middle well-nigh ¼ of an inch, allowing the grip to slide into place. With the grip in place, slide the lower housing back over the lip of the grip, then install the upper housing. Tighten the housing torx screws to stock torque specifications and yous're done with your throttle side.

As a side annotation: When installing your throttle grip, slide it into place then tighten information technology down, but turn your throttle simply slightly and release information technology. If the grip sticks, ane of ii things has happened. Either y'all've tightened the housing too much (your maintenance manual should give you torque specifications here) or yous've actually pushed the grip too far onto the bar. The latter is what happened to me. I slid it into place, tightened everything downwards and and so tested the throttle to observe that it was sticking simply slightly. This can be solved by sliding the grip out ever then slightly so that the gear is still engaging but the end of the grip isn't dragging on the terminate of the bar.

For the clutch side, the motorcycle grip installation is a bit different. The grip is held in place by ii screws that sit on the inside flare. You'll desire to position the grip, then mark the bar by using a tap through the 2 screw holes. I didn't accept a tap handy, and so I used a thin drill bit to scratch the bar slightly. You'll then slide the grip off and, using a drill, make a divot into the bar at both of your marked locations. What you're aiming for is a slight depression where the screw will seat. Brand sure to do this carefully and so that you lot don't drill completely through your bar.

With the divots drilled, slide the grip back into place and secure it with the two included screws, using a drop of medium duty thread locker such as Loctite. For those not installing these specific grips, or grips that are non secured by screws, you'll want to use grip adhesive. Follow the label instructions and make sure to let it cure earlier riding.

Quick Tip: When sliding rubber grips into place, fill up the grip with rubbing alcohol earlier attempting to put information technology onto the bar. The booze will act as a lubricant, simply will evaporate quickly to let your adhesive cure.

Y'all might discover that y'all'll have to move your clutch housing in order to go it to fit the grip placement. But as you did on the throttle side, loosen your screws and slide the clutch housing into a position that allows information technology to sit next to the grip, or allows the inner lip of the grip to sit down within the housing if that is how your grips are designed.

Installing grips is a quick and easy project. With simply a couple of tools required, most whatever rider should be able to knock out an install in an hour or less. The Tracker grips from Roland Sands Designs accept been great for me. They have a slightly larger bore than the stock grips, but not then much that I had to accommodate any levers. The wider grip makes them more comfortable for me, and the Renthal rubber ways that my hands never skid. I honey the blacked out look that I chose, just there are a few different finishes to friction match any awarding.

28th Sep 2016