How To Install Heated Grips On 2017 Road Glide

Heated grips are a treat on dank rides. Not only do they brand you lot more than comfortable when it's cold out, they ameliorate safety by keeping your digits limber and sensitive on the controls. Photos by Spenser Robert.

Heated grips are great for extending your riding season and staying comfortable when the temperature drops. When it comes to choosing heated grips y'all essentially have 2 options: cheapo panels that get below your existing grips, or complete assemblies with integrated heating elements. While they tend to be more than expensive (in the $sixty to $160 range) and a little bulky, integrated kits usually work better and come with higher-quality controls and wiring.

Integrated heated grips—wherein the heating elements are molded into the assembly—offering better functioning, appearance and durability than universal under-the-grip heating panels.

Before you can install your new grips y'all'll demand to remove the one-time ones. Getting your OEM bar-ends off can be a bear, then apply a T-handle for leverage and agree the bar-stop with a pair of aqueduct locks and a rag to continue the weight from rotating. Employ a razor blade to slice off your quondam grips (no going back at present!) and so scrape off any glue residue and wipe the bar and throttle tube clean with a rag doused in isopropyl alcohol or carb cleaner.

OEM bar-ends are often installed with Loctite or even interference threads. Wrap the weight with a rag and grip it with channel locks to proceed the bar-end from turning.

Some OEM throttle tubes have ridges and/or a flange molded into them that you'll need to knock down before y'all can slide on the heated grip. A sharp utility knife and some 120-grit sandpaper will do the play tricks, but if you have access to a bench grinder or a benchtop chugalug sander, that volition yield the quickest and cleanest results.

Advertisement

At present that you've got your confined prepped, information technology's time to slide on those grips. Most integrated heated grips are too rigid to be blown on with my favorite installation accessory, compressed air. Your best bet is to douse the inside of the grip and your bar with a quick-evaporating fluid like–you lot guessed it–isopropyl alcohol, and then push the grip on with a twisting motion. Some grips are so robust that they need to be coaxed into place with a rubber mallet.

You tin usually utilise compressed air to blow your old grips off the bars, but a razor blade will make exceptionally quick work of the job. Be careful not to piece into the plastic throttle tube.

Depending on the kit, you may have a dial or control switches that need to exist mounted in a convenient identify. Regardless of how easy or visually appealing it might exist to place said switches on the right side of your cockpit, don't exercise it. You desire those controls as shut to your left grip as possible so they're easy to use. Some kits, like the Koso Apollo grips I installed for this article, take the controls build right into the flange. That means you lot can operate them without removing your hand from the controls. It as well makes for a really make clean installation.

When it comes to running the grip wiring back to your battery, it'southward best to route it along a frame rail abroad from compression points and moving parts, which often means removing some bodywork or perhaps the tank. Secure the wires with zip ties and make certain you get out enough slack at the correct grip and headstock to conform full throttle and total steering sweep. If your bike'southward bodywork is a nightmare to remove, you can use a fish tape to push button the wires from the headstock back to the battery.

Accept your time running the wiring back to the bombardment, and don't be afraid to utilise lots of nothing ties. Removing the bodywork is a pain, merely it provides the access needed to do the job right.

The last step is to get the grips powered up, and with most kits it'due south equally piece of cake equally slipping the supplied fused ring terminals under the battery bolts. Every bit always, you'll want to disconnect the negative (black wire) terminal first and affix it last to avoid an unpleasant and potentially unsafe brusque. Most accessories come with fused power hookups, but if not it's important to wire in a fuse of the advisable amperage (typically 5 to 7.5A) to protect confronting shorts. And y'all should review your possessor's manual to brand sure y'all're not overburdening your bike's electric system.

Route the grip wires along your bike's other cockpit wiring to keep it tidy. Cheque to see that you have ample slack to accommodate total rotation at the throttle and full steering lock at the handlebar.

The platonic wiring situation for heated grips and any other electrical accessories is a relay or switched power-distribution box, merely we'll salvage that topic for another commodity. In the meantime, go your grips hooked up, test them to run into how toasty they get then keep an eye out for a decent mean solar day to go for a ride.

Source: https://ridermagazine.com/2019/03/12/hot-tips-for-installing-heated-grips/

Posted by: zamoradrecandlere1979.blogspot.com

Share this post