Grip Puppies alternatives

[richtea]

Just bought some, Rae, so belated thanks for the review/recommendation.

It was a choice of recurring white finger (just in one finger oddly) or fat grips - so fat grips it is.
Not sure if it's weather-related, age-related, or even new-to-me bike-related, but it's an unwelcome irritation.

I'll let you know how I get on with mine.

Is it the usual soapy water to fit them?

[raesewell]

It's funny you should resurrect this thread Rich, I have just bought some of these after having the very expensive Grip Buddies until they wore out.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133794371739      Thinner than the ones I had before about 3mm I would say. I made a modification to help with heat transfer from the heated grips.


with one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333718042458?var=542801231342.

Another thing to think about Rich is your Brake Lever Lock you will have to trim them short or cut a piece off and slide it on first before the main section and when you want to use the lock peel it back. Or leave it intact and peel the whole thing back a bit.

[richtea]

Oooh, good point on the brake lock - hadn't thought of that. I have a disc lock too, so I can revert to that temporarily whilst experimenting.

I'll give the ones coming a go first, and if I find them too chunky, I'll give your suggested thinner ones a go.
Not sure I'll need need holes yet - we'll see, but an excellent idea. They look quite funky.

[Forcefield]

Just got myself a set of grip puppies and wondering how the heated grips work with them?. The guy in the shop said they can melt?

Got the bike finished this weekend! (will update thread today) and went for first proper ride yesterday of around 80miles. My right hand was having some pretty bad cramps, and when I got off some tingling in my thumb and index finger.

My gloves were pretty big chuncky and cheap winter ones, maybe a size too big that I think was contributing. I also have pretty big hands and the bikes grips might be slightly narrow for them?.

I also bought some alpinestars summer gloves in the shop, which are so much more dexterous. But when I went out today for 30 mins to test the ESA settings ( Il save that for the other thread ) , the cramping was much better, but the tingling of the hands wasn't. I was however riding the whole time up and down a bumpy bit of dual carriage way at 60mph on all the different ESA settings and being bounced out my seat, so I was probably holding on for dear life!

No sympoms felt in my left hand, and to be fair I do have a battered right hand from 35+ years of being a drummer and have had some issues lately with my ulner nerve. Holding a mobile phone for too long starts to hurt.

Saying that, on a recent trip to Thailand for 1 month I rented a honda crf300 the whole time and never once had any symptoms.

Im thinking the forward lean angle might not be helping and that helibars are prob next on the list.

Anyway, thats a lot of waffle for a post on grip puppies.

[Swindon Andy]

Grip puppies don't melt on the K. Just not as warm on the hands. I've got big hands and need the puppies. One pair of gloves I've got have a divider inside, where I can have less insulation on the palm and more on the back of the hand. Seems to work quite well, but ordinary winter gloves work OK as well, just not as toasty.

[richtea]

Oooh, good point on the brake lock - hadn't thought of that. I have a disc lock too, so I can revert to that temporarily whilst experimenting.

I'll give the ones coming a go first, and if I find them too chunky, I'll give your suggested thinner ones a go.
Not sure I'll need need holes yet - we'll see, but an excellent idea. They look quite funky.

Well, things change. I never quite got round to fitting the thinner grips, even though they're a lot closer to what I wanted, and before I realised the problem had gone away. I managed to ride to the Alps and back with no white finger.
Instead I now have a little wrist ache instead.  Who ordered that?

Thinking back, the white finger may well have been from riding at certain speeds for a long time, and thus certain vibration rates were doing the damage. I experience most vibes around 65-75mph, whereas normal K crusing territory is another 10-15mph.

The aching wrist - not sussed that yet, but I did buy a pair of Helibars just in case. Not yet fitted. Who knows - that ache might also go away.
(If so, it probably indicates I should continue buying never-to-be-fitted equipment for the rest of my life in order to drive away the pains.)

[Forcefield]

Grip puppies don't melt on the K. Just not as warm on the hands. I've got big hands and need the puppies. One pair of gloves I've got have a divider inside, where I can have less insulation on the palm and more on the back of the hand. Seems to work quite well, but ordinary winter gloves work OK as well, just not as toasty.

Thanks. Im going to put them on and see how I go... Heats not such an issue tbh, especially now were getting into spring,  its all about the comfort !

[Forcefield]

Oooh, good point on the brake lock - hadn't thought of that. I have a disc lock too, so I can revert to that temporarily whilst experimenting.

I'll give the ones coming a go first, and if I find them too chunky, I'll give your suggested thinner ones a go.
Not sure I'll need need holes yet - we'll see, but an excellent idea. They look quite funky.

Well, things change. I never quite got round to fitting the thinner grips, even though they're a lot closer to what I wanted, and before I realised the problem had gone away. I managed to ride to the Alps and back with no white finger.
Instead I now have a little wrist ache instead.  Who ordered that?

Thinking back, the white finger may well have been from riding at certain speeds for a long time, and thus certain vibration rates were doing the damage. I experience most vibes around 65-75mph, whereas normal K crusing territory is another 10-15mph.

The aching wrist - not sussed that yet, but I did buy a pair of Helibars just in case. Not yet fitted. Who knows - that ache might also go away.
(If so, it probably indicates I should continue buying never-to-be-fitted equipment for the rest of my life in order to drive away the pains.)

i think im defo going to order helibars or similar. Been putting it off coz there quite expensive and wanted to ride the bike more to be sure, but after yesterday, I think its a good move. When im on a straight and I lift my hand off the bar for a rest, I find the natrual position is an inch or so above and back from the stock. The only thing thats putting me off is I was going to utilise the inner bar ends for a mounting system my friend was going to fabricate for me.

[Phmode]

You can still use the inner bar ends with Helibars. I have the Hornig inner mounts for sat nag etc. I drilled and tapped the inner end of the Helibar to take the Hornig mounting bolt and cut the expanding portion of the Hornig off.

Been working perfectly for 13 years, man and boy.

[richtea]

You can still use the inner bar ends with Helibars. I have the Hornig inner mounts for sat nag etc. I drilled and tapped the inner end of the Helibar to take the Hornig mounting bolt and cut the expanding portion of the Hornig off.

Been working perfectly for 13 years, man and boy.

Unlike the owner. Boom tish.

Ooo, which reminds me - I must invite myself to sit on your bike and try your Helibars before I waste my time piddling about fitting mine (knowing full well it will take me 3 times longer than a normal human bean to fit them).

[Forcefield]

You can still use the inner bar ends with Helibars. I have the Hornig inner mounts for sat nag etc. I drilled and tapped the inner end of the Helibar to take the Hornig mounting bolt and cut the expanding portion of the Hornig off.

Been working perfectly for 13 years, man and boy.

Thats great to know! I was wondering about this route 

[Swindon Andy]

I fitted helibars but they weren't enough of a lift. So I eventually went for a 'superbike' bar conversion. That did it.

[Phmode]

Yes, the HeliBars are a 'subtle' change, not a dramatic one.

There is a limit to how far you can lift and pivot backward before you start to stretch the cables and pipes.

Also, by the very nature of pivoting adjustments, the further back you move the bars, the lower your lift and the higher you go, the further from the seat they move. 'tis obvious if one bothers to study the geometry but, meh!

An alternative route followed by at least some(?) in here is to fit the bars and top yoke from an R which is more dramatic and doubtless more effective but I have no idea about the downsides.

[Phmode]

You can still use the inner bar ends with Helibars. I have the Hornig inner mounts for sat nag etc. I drilled and tapped the inner end of the Helibar to take the Hornig mounting bolt and cut the expanding portion of the Hornig off.

Been working perfectly for 13 years, man and boy.

Unlike the owner. Boom tish.

Ooo, which reminds me - I must invite myself to sit on your bike and try your Helibars before I waste my time piddling about fitting mine (knowing full well it will take me 3 times longer than a normal human bean to fit them).

Well, you could invite yourself over to help with the radiator problem on mine and we could fit your BellyHa's at the same time. And kill two intercoms with one stone.

Just got to get myself out from under my rotting ex-bathroom floor and get the shiny new shower system installed, week four approaching, civil engineering phase and first fixes almost completed and about many weeks still to go.

But days off for playing with bikes are allowed for in the project plan contingencies section and costed accordingly 

[Forcefield]

I fitted helibars but they weren't enough of a lift. So I eventually went for a 'superbike' bar conversion. That did it.

How tall are you? what was the reason ? pressure on wrists? I was looking at the superbike bars, but £400+ is a bit of a stinger