After reading several posts about hand numbness and after-market grips, I decided to purchase a set of the black Kuryakyn ISO grips. Amazon seems to sell them for less than most suppliers. It was hard to find the correct size, though. Kuryakyn's website suggested part #6340, but they were much too large for my 2004 ST. I sent them back and ordered part #6341, which were much better.
Installing them was pretty easy. Removing the stock grips was a breeze. Just use a sharp utility knife and be careful not to cut into the throttle sleeve too deeply. The right/throttle-side grip went on with just the right amount of resistance. After removing the stock grip, I simply put a dab or two of dish soap on the end of the bar and began to push on the new grip. It went on just fine. (Incidentally, the Kuryakyns are longer than most grips and due to their metal housing, it will take some precise cutting if you want to retain the use of your bar ends. I read that the Kuryakyns absorb a lot of the engine vibration--even without bar ends, so I put them to the side, for now.) The left grip, however, was a little too loose, so I applied electrical tape to the bar, as per the instructions. I had to wrap the bar several times before the grip went on with more resistance. But the resistance wasn't enough, so I reached for the glue that came with the Kuryakyns but both tubes were dried up. I used super glue instead and it seemed to work, for now. A hot day with my bike sitting out in the sun may prove otherwise.
I immediately went for a 30-mile ride and was impressed with the amount of absorption they had. I usually encounter slight hand numbness after 15-20 minutes of riding at highway speeds. The grips don't eliminate my problem but they seem to help quite a bit.
Installing them was pretty easy. Removing the stock grips was a breeze. Just use a sharp utility knife and be careful not to cut into the throttle sleeve too deeply. The right/throttle-side grip went on with just the right amount of resistance. After removing the stock grip, I simply put a dab or two of dish soap on the end of the bar and began to push on the new grip. It went on just fine. (Incidentally, the Kuryakyns are longer than most grips and due to their metal housing, it will take some precise cutting if you want to retain the use of your bar ends. I read that the Kuryakyns absorb a lot of the engine vibration--even without bar ends, so I put them to the side, for now.) The left grip, however, was a little too loose, so I applied electrical tape to the bar, as per the instructions. I had to wrap the bar several times before the grip went on with more resistance. But the resistance wasn't enough, so I reached for the glue that came with the Kuryakyns but both tubes were dried up. I used super glue instead and it seemed to work, for now. A hot day with my bike sitting out in the sun may prove otherwise.
I immediately went for a 30-mile ride and was impressed with the amount of absorption they had. I usually encounter slight hand numbness after 15-20 minutes of riding at highway speeds. The grips don't eliminate my problem but they seem to help quite a bit.
