Author: Tim *the Edge* Egger      Ride: 97 1500 Classic (Grn/Wht)
Submitted: 1998 Jun 09
   Rating: n/a

Read this whole thing before attempting this little customization.  It may save you a lot of pain and suffering!

1. Remove the chrome plastic end caps from both sides.  They are reverse-threaded onto the ends of the grips, so grab some pliers and act as though you are tightening them to unscrew.

2. Use a utility knife to cut away the rubber handgrips, then remove the grip top chrome rings from the handlebar (these may be held in place with o-rings)

3. On the left grip, the threads are metal, and have been welded to the end of the handlebar.  On the throttle (right) grip, the threads are part of the molded plastic throttle grip.

4. The throttle tube (white plastic) is connected into the throttle housing, and can be removed by unscrewing the two halves of the housing, and disconnecting the two throttle cables (one is for acceleration, the other is deceleration.)  The tube will slide right off the handlebar.

   Prior to removal, you may want to go ahead and cut the plastic threads off the end of the tube.  They will not be used again, and will cause problems if you leave them on.

5. *** Very Important! ***  Measure the length of the new grips and compare to the length of the white plastic throttle tube.  Chances are, the grips will be shorter than the tube.  Cut off enough of the end of the tube to let it fit all the way into the grip.  The tube should be at least ¼" shorter than the grip so you don't "bottom out" when you try to shove the tube into the grip.

6. Here's where I ran into difficulties.  *** Important ***  Once you have satisfied yourself that the length of the throttle tube is proper for insertion into the new grip, check the diameter of the tube against the inside diameter of the new grip.  My mechanic not only didn't cut off enough of the tube, but also tried to force the large tube into the new grip, which resulted in the rubber and chrome grip bulging out like a snake that has just swallowed a mouse.  The tube was so tightly jammed into the grip, that the only way to remove it was to destroy the tube and the grip.  (The grip being bulged out was already destroyed).

7. To avoid some of these difficulties, check before installation.  In a set of two new grips, one may have a larger inside diameter than the other.  If so, the bigger one goes on the throttle!  On Harley stuff, the packaged grips may also contain a replacement throttle tube (black plastic).  Unfortunately, the Harley tube is slight different than the Kawasaki tube, and won't fit into the throttle housing.

8. If you have carefully cut the white plastic throttle tube, and the diameter is not too big to fit into the new grip, you are lucky, and this part is easy.  Insert the tube into the grip and use the rubber mallet to whack that sucker into the grip!  Although I didn't try it, if the inside rubber on the grip is a little too thick to insert the tube, you may try to chill the grip prior to installation (this might make the rubber contract) or heat the grip (this might make the rubber more pliable) or use some type of grinding tool (to sand down some of the rubber on the inside of the grip).  In any case, you might also want to apply some oil or grease to the tube to make it slide a little easier.  Just be careful when pounding in the tube!!  If the grip is very resistant to insertion you may want to stop pounding and try something else.

9. If you are lucky, you have not tried to force anything, and insertion of the throttle tube will have been a roaring success!  If so, slide the newly covered tube back on the handlebar, reconnect the throttle cables, and screw the housing back together.  There is a good possibility that the shorter grip will cause a gap between the throttle housing and the master cylinder/mirror assembly.  Just loosen up the bolts which secure this assembly, and slide the whole thing down flush against the throttle housing.  Tighten the bolts back up.

10. If you have decided that forcing the new throttle grip onto the tube was a good idea then you are in for a lot of trouble.  You have two choices: you can order a new throttle tube to replace the one you destroyed (Kawasaki should have the part to you in 2 weeks) or you can begin work on modifying a Harley throttle tube (one might have come with the grips, or you can pick one up at a motorcycle parts store).

    The HD tube will fit the grips just fine, but doesn't exactly fit into the throttle housing.  My mechanic had to grind a channel around the tube that would match the throttle housing.  This was accomplished with a hand file, and a lot of swearing.  Eventually, he was able to file it down enough to make the HD tube fit the Kawasaki.

11. This is where the fun begins!  On the left grip, the threads need to be cut off the handlebar.  This can be accomplished either by cutting the two spot welds that hold the threaded bolt in place, or by cutting off the last ¼ of the handlebars.  My mechanic used an air-powered miniature circular saw/grinder to cut the little welds, and the threads came out easily.

12. The left grip should easily slide onto the handlebar once the threads have been removed.  You may need to whack the end of the new grip with a rubber mallet, but I enjoyed that part!  After the new grip has been whacked into place, loosen the switch housing and master cylinder and slide them down the handlebar to take up the excess space between the them and the grip.  *** Caution! ***  Most aftermarket grips are slightly shorter than the stock grips, so don't assume that you need to keep whacking the grip to meet the switch housing.  You can damage the new grip this way.

13. It is not advisable to do the left grip first, as this is the easy one.  You will want to work on the throttle grip first, as it is much more involved, and if you hose something up, and have to buy another new set of grips that don't exactly match the first set (like I did) you won't want to fight to get the left grip off, too.

Once it is all finished, go for a ride.  You deserve it (unless you screwed it up and by now you are on beer number 6, and you may as well go inside and sleep it off!).

One final note: If you dicked around with the throttle a lot during installation, your engine is now flooded beyond belief.  You may have to open up the throttle all the way and let the engine burn off all the excess fuel.

I may have had a lot of problems with this installation, but it was the mechanic who did all the work, while I smoked cigarettes and looked at my watch a lot.  It was still worth it, as the new grips look and feel great! Good luck!