just got new handlebars. took them to powdercoat (as they were shipped to me raw) and when i got them back, the ends where your grips go were not coated. now that i'm assembling everything back together, my brand new throttle tube just feels gritty and awful. bars have too much texture on them in the uncoated area, looks like the guy fell asleep while sandblasting and beat the heck out of it. anyway, i put some white lithium grease on there but that didn't solve it. any other thoughts besides bringing out the 800-1500 grit sandpaper and re-working them?

 

Nope, but I'd start with 400,,

 

Agreed,
and clean all the grease out of the tube and off bar. Lube cable tips a tiny bit and graphite on the bar/tube contact surfaces. Grease will become a sticking agent as time go on as well as a magnet for dust and dirt.
Just my $.02 for what its worth, but has worked for me for years on my street and offroad bikes.

 

It shouldn't take too long to smooth them out.

 

Sand 'em smooth, and use graphite rather than grease.

 

Google: Arlen Ness Roller Bearing Throttle Kit