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Buy a service manual. In said manual where it says put a spacer between the brake lever and the housing during instalation, DO IT! This prevents breaking the brake light switch in the control pod. That switch is a pain in the **** to replace! A small piece of cardboard is all it takes.
I would suggest you check out the Kuryakyn grips. Very comfortable.
You should have a manual to refer to.
There is one instruction about placing a shim in the brake lever. DO THIS.
1. Left grip is very simple to change. Loosen or remove the switch housing. Cut the old grip off. Clean the handle bar. Put a bead of grip adhesive around the opening of the grip and slid it on.
2. The throttle side is a little more difficult! Put the shim in the brake lever. Count the threads exposed on the throttle cables. Loosen them. Remove the switch housing. Push the cables up so you can disengage them form the throttle. BE CAREFUL HERE. There are brass ferruls on the cables that will come off, hit the floor, never to be found again! Slide the old grip off. Reverse the procedure to install the new throttle grip.
Be sure you get a new throttle, the piece the grip goes on, if the grips you buy do not come with one.
I would look at Kuryakyn ISO grips with the throttle boss on them if reducing vibration is one of things you want - The sweat from your hands will ruin all chrome grips over time which is why I prefer mixing rubber and chrome and I would also search around the forum because I remember there is a tip out there for NOT gluing the left side on which is something I wished I read before I changed grips! By all means use the cardboard to protect the switch and be careful when you drop the little brass thingy's on the end of the throttle cables as they disappear faster than houdini!
I like textured grips as they allow a little ventilation between your hand and the grip on hot days. That said, it's hard to beat Kuryakyn's ISO grips.
Like others mentioned be careful and take your time, especially with the throttle/brake side.
DON'T KNOW WHAT YEAR OR MODEL YOU HAVE, OR WHAT TYPE GRIPS YOUR INTERESTED IN. I CHANGED THE STOCK GRIPS ON MY '06 SG TO FOAM W/CHROME CAPS. LARGER THAN STOCK AND VERY COMFORTABLE. HARLEY WANTED $35 FOR THEM. I GOT THE SAME SET, LESS THE HD LOGO, FOR $18 AT A CUSTOM SHOP. THE GRIPS CAME WITH A PLASTIC SLEEVE FOR INSIDE THE THROTTLE SIDE. THE STOCK RUBBER GRIPS PEELED OFF EASILY AFTER SLICED LENGTHWISE WITH A BLADE. I WAS ABLE TO TWIST AND WORK THE NEW GRIPS ON WITH LITTLE EFFORT. THE OEM THROTTLE SLEEVE WAS USED, SO I DID NOT NEED TO OPEN UP THE
THROTTLE CONTROL ASSEMBLY. TOOK ALL OF 10 MINUTES. HOPE THIS HELPS!
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