Author Topic: Modification to throttle tube to fit Oxford heated grips. (Read 7066 times)

mrp192 · « **on:** November 10, 2016, 08:09:05 »

Hi, I'm just about to fit some heated Oxford Premium touring grips to my Glee and have read several threads on here and watched videos on You Tube and the only thing concerning me is modifying the plastic throttle tube.
I see it is necessary to remove the plastic lip on the outer end and all seem to say this is straightforward. However is it necessary to take off all the ribs back to a flat surface?
Also the one that worries me is the plastic ramp at the inboard end. Some say to remove this but others not. Is this a solid piece of plastic or hollow? It seems to be the only thing between the rubber grip and the switch housing. There doesn't appear to be the thin plastic 'washer' that all my other bikes seem to have had to stop the rubber grip binding against the switch housing. If I take this off, to get the grip on the same position as the current one should I try and find one of these to fit between the new grip and the housing?
Thanks.

listermint · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2016, 23:29:53 »

Yes have to remove the outer most one. Yes you have to take the ridges down near to flush. It doesn't have to be Polish finish at all. I used a Stanley blade for all the work took very little time. Hair spray to lubricate and stuck it on. The inner one provides the stop so I didn't take that off if I recall. Have a write up somewhere here in my post history with images.

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Hondaman · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2016, 07:20:59 »

As above, remove the outer lip & the longitudinal ridges. I left the inner lip but trimmed a chamfer on the lip of the grip so it sits a bit closer in, there will still be a gap and it doesn't have a great look when installed.

UK_Vstrom650 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2016, 15:00:54 »

I removed all of them and just glued it into the correct position leaving a gap between the throttle and the housing.

Hondaman · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2016, 15:45:42 »

How did you remove the inner one out of interest?

UK_Vstrom650 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2016, 22:42:39 »

Dremmel on a low speed.

listermint · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2016, 22:47:31 »

Bearing in mind op if you do need to remove for repair or otherwise gluing is madness personified

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UK_Vstrom650 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2016, 09:52:11 »

The original grips are glued on and not an issue to remove if needed. Anyway, I use Dr Bike heated grips which I understand are Oxford ones but only cost £35 so if they do need removing and I damage them it's not the end of the world.

But I've heard hairspray works well too. (I prefer glue as I'm paranoid that they'd rotate under heavy braking)

Hondaman · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2016, 12:10:34 »

DR Bike grips glued on for me.
I've never felt the need to remove them

listermint · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2016, 18:02:39 »

Don't glue them on its a mugs game. The originals have to be cut off. There is no benefit to gluing them on at all. Hairspray gives the exact same fix and they are removable should you need to swap or service one. Gluing is pointless I can't be clearer on that.

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UK_Vstrom650 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2016, 23:47:35 »

I didn't cut the originals off. You just put a screwdriver down the end and go around the grip then it comes off

porter · « **Reply #11 on:** November 13, 2016, 08:36:53 »

I went in for petrol many years ago on a wet old day, put my right hand on grab rail, left hand on handle bar grip to heave bike onto the main stand. Ended up with my newly frtted baja fome grip(not glued) in my left hand and bike in a heap on the floor. I'd glue!

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2016, 09:08:10 »

Just glued my lh grip on with gel super glue, due to the slightly less than snug fit. When warm it used to rotate until the cable entry lug faced forwards and the clutch lever wouldn't pull right back. Not what you want. Not sure hairspray would work on a larger gap like that.

MartinW · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2016, 13:00:48 »

I had the same problem with the cable entry point stopping the clutch lever coming back to the bar.

mrp192 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2016, 22:50:35 »

Throttle tube modified with a careful combination of Stanley knife, Dremmel and a file.
Several hours later and all sorted. I took the inner ramp off and left the new grip to sit up against the small ridge right next to the switch.
Very lucky with the Oxford glue! The left side went on OK and allowed me to pull it into place so that the clutch could be pulled right in. (You have to have it positioned slightly further back than the Oxford instructions suggest.)
However when putting the right side on to the plastic throttle tube, as opposed to the metal handlebar, I luckily got it fully on and in the right place as the glue set in just a few seconds! I had put it on slightly forward planning to twist it back to exactly where I wanted it but didn't get the chance to move it. Thankfully it's only about 1 or 2 millimetres out so still works fine but I was surprised how quickly the glue set as the instructions suggest you have to be quick but get a bit of time to play with it.

BaggyB · « **Reply #15 on:** November 24, 2016, 20:50:31 »

I fitted some adventure grips. wasn't as easy as I thought if I'm honest but nothing too taxing. But well worth the effort. Rubbed off the ribs on the throttle and the end ramp with a dremel. Have some photos of the work if that would help.

mrp192 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 24, 2016, 23:59:24 »

Thanks BaggyB. I'm now happy they are fitted OK, more by luck than judgement (fast acting glue), so now waiting for an opportunity to get out for a ride to test them.

Freddyfruitbat · « **Reply #17 on:** October 22, 2017, 20:53:38 »

Quote from: mrp192 on November 22, 2016, 22:50:35

However when putting the right side on to the plastic throttle tube, as opposed to the metal handlebar, I luckily got it fully on and in the right place as the glue set in just a few seconds! I had put it on slightly forward planning to twist it back to exactly where I wanted it but didn't get the chance to move it. Thankfully it's only about 1 or 2 millimetres out so still works fine but I was surprised how quickly the glue set as the instructions suggest you have to be quick but get a bit of time to play with it.

I read this post last night, having scoured the forum for tips on fitting Oxford Premium grips to my Glee, which I'd planned on doing today. Found lots of useful info, including the recommendation of cutting away the flanges at either end of the throttle tube along with the longitudinal ridges, which I did today very carefully, using junior hacksaw/Stanley knife/sandpaper/file (I'll buy a Dremel one day!). Mindful of the advice that there's very little time to play with once the superglue is applied I did several dry runs, and even stuck little dots of yellow tape on the grips and bars which had to align when I pushed the grips on. All looked good, so I finally took a deep breath, applied the glue and went for it. Bloody hell! I swear the glue on the throttle side must have gone off in 2 secs flat. I'd shoved the grip nearly all the way on but not quite, and still had about 4 mm to go - pretty much the width of the flange I'd just filed off - when it locked up solid, and will never move again. Fortunately the alignment of my dots is correct, and the grip's plenty far enough onto the bars; so it will work OK and is safe, but just looks a bit shite which is especially galling after all the trouble I took to get it right.

It's really annoying as I thought about using an alternative and much more appropriate adhesive like Evostik, but bottled out when faced with the dire warnings in the instruction book about not using other glues. With hindsight I can see there are two reasons why Oxford would recommend cyanoacrylate glue - first, this stuff's pretty much guaranteed to stick fast whatever the end user does, so minimises the risk of getting sued by said end user if the grip were to come loose; and secondly, unlike the OEM grips which I removed intact this morning, the Oxford grips are clearly never coming off my Glee without destroying them in the process, so (assuming I like them) I'll certainly not be able to transfer them to my next bike. Go figure

Possibly the fact that the surface of my throttle tube was very much roughed up after being worked on, rather than being polished and shiny, may have affected it. Should've used the hairspray, eh?!

kwackboy · « **Reply #18 on:** October 22, 2017, 21:21:51 »

Quote from: listermint on November 12, 2016, 18:02:39

Don't glue them on its a mugs game. Gluing is pointless I can't be clearer on that.

How come Oxford supply glue with their kit ?

Gluing is perfectly fine as long as it's the correct glue.

mrp192 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 22, 2017, 21:36:48 »

I think you hit the nail on the head Freddyfruitbat about roughing up the surface to remove the ribs causing the glue to go off so quickly. If it was smooth and shiny you probably would get a little while to reposition. I was lucky they went fully on with the first push and just 1 or 2 mm out rotationally.