Greetings,
I recently purchased a set of Fasst Flexx Bars for one of my motorcycles, with plans to get another for my 800 Max. I did so for the reduction in impact and vibration they afford you while riding, but then immediately realized my plans to install 'Hot Grips' heated grips on the bars would pose a problem. (I only run 'Hot Grips' brand heated grips on my vehicles after finding that the 'glue-on-the-bar'-type heating elements proved inconsistent and inferior in their heating ability as compared to Hot Grips.)
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The issue is that the Hot Grips I planned to install require that you epoxy the grips to the bar with high-temp epoxy, and this would prevent me from changing over to softer, more shock-absorbant, non-heated grips in the warmer months, when the harder, heated ones weren't required. While my motorcycle and 800 Max both have twist throttles, the issue of epoxied, non-removable heated grips would only effect the left side of the bar, as I could interchange throttle tubes on the right side with the seasons, i.e. one with the soft grips for the Summer, and one tube with an epoxied-in-place Hot Grip for the rest of the year.
The solution to this problem, I determined, rested upon my ability to figure out a way to 'fix' the left side grip in place without epoxy. The problem wasn't preventing the grip from moving laterally along the bar, as my metal hand guard would capture it on one end, and the bike's switch housing would also do so on the other end, but how to prevent it from twisting on the bar. If it was a normal, non-heated grips this wouldn't be an issue, as those type of grips are normally forced on the bar, expand, and then contract on it to form a tight, non-twisting fit. I determined that the best way to prevent the grip from twisting was to drill a series of small holes along the bar, and then insert roll pins into the bar, which would then mate into the ridges in the Hot Grip.
Measuring the depth and width of the ridges within the grip, I determined a 3/32" Diameter x 5/16" Length roll pin would have the pin fitting snugly in between 2 of the grip's ridges, penetrate to the base of the ridge's valley, while still leaving about .130" to penetrate into the bar (which was actually the bar's approximate wall thickness). I used a 3/32" drill bit, as suggested by a machinist's manual to provide the prescribed amount of compression on the pin's OD, and drilled 4 holes, each about 1" apart, along a straight line the length of the bar where the grip would be located. I then took a small hammer and gently tapped each pin into the bar, leaving exposed the length of pin equal to the depth of the grip's ridge.
This worked perfectly! The grip slid on the bar with very mild resistance, and had absolutely no movement when I tried to twist it.
Now all that's required when I want to change out the Hot Grips for warmer weather is to slide the left side Hot Grip off the bar, pull out the 4 pins with a pair of pliers, and install another inexpensive throttle tube on the right side. The pin holes are so small, and few, that they won't be felt through the summer grips, nor do they weaken the bar any appreciable amount. Then, with the coming of colder weather, I will simply cut off the left side grip, install 4 new pins, slide the left side Hot Grip on, and change out the right side throttle tube to one that already has a Hot Grips grip epoxide to it.
I hope this will be of interest to those who want to run these great bars with heated grips, but don't want to give up the ability to run regular grips in the summer (or have to incur the cost, $350.00!!!, of another dedicated set to do so).
ktm950se
I recently purchased a set of Fasst Flexx Bars for one of my motorcycles, with plans to get another for my 800 Max. I did so for the reduction in impact and vibration they afford you while riding, but then immediately realized my plans to install 'Hot Grips' heated grips on the bars would pose a problem. (I only run 'Hot Grips' brand heated grips on my vehicles after finding that the 'glue-on-the-bar'-type heating elements proved inconsistent and inferior in their heating ability as compared to Hot Grips.)
The issue is that the Hot Grips I planned to install require that you epoxy the grips to the bar with high-temp epoxy, and this would prevent me from changing over to softer, more shock-absorbant, non-heated grips in the warmer months, when the harder, heated ones weren't required. While my motorcycle and 800 Max both have twist throttles, the issue of epoxied, non-removable heated grips would only effect the left side of the bar, as I could interchange throttle tubes on the right side with the seasons, i.e. one with the soft grips for the Summer, and one tube with an epoxied-in-place Hot Grip for the rest of the year.
The solution to this problem, I determined, rested upon my ability to figure out a way to 'fix' the left side grip in place without epoxy. The problem wasn't preventing the grip from moving laterally along the bar, as my metal hand guard would capture it on one end, and the bike's switch housing would also do so on the other end, but how to prevent it from twisting on the bar. If it was a normal, non-heated grips this wouldn't be an issue, as those type of grips are normally forced on the bar, expand, and then contract on it to form a tight, non-twisting fit. I determined that the best way to prevent the grip from twisting was to drill a series of small holes along the bar, and then insert roll pins into the bar, which would then mate into the ridges in the Hot Grip.
Measuring the depth and width of the ridges within the grip, I determined a 3/32" Diameter x 5/16" Length roll pin would have the pin fitting snugly in between 2 of the grip's ridges, penetrate to the base of the ridge's valley, while still leaving about .130" to penetrate into the bar (which was actually the bar's approximate wall thickness). I used a 3/32" drill bit, as suggested by a machinist's manual to provide the prescribed amount of compression on the pin's OD, and drilled 4 holes, each about 1" apart, along a straight line the length of the bar where the grip would be located. I then took a small hammer and gently tapped each pin into the bar, leaving exposed the length of pin equal to the depth of the grip's ridge.
This worked perfectly! The grip slid on the bar with very mild resistance, and had absolutely no movement when I tried to twist it.
Now all that's required when I want to change out the Hot Grips for warmer weather is to slide the left side Hot Grip off the bar, pull out the 4 pins with a pair of pliers, and install another inexpensive throttle tube on the right side. The pin holes are so small, and few, that they won't be felt through the summer grips, nor do they weaken the bar any appreciable amount. Then, with the coming of colder weather, I will simply cut off the left side grip, install 4 new pins, slide the left side Hot Grip on, and change out the right side throttle tube to one that already has a Hot Grips grip epoxide to it.
I hope this will be of interest to those who want to run these great bars with heated grips, but don't want to give up the ability to run regular grips in the summer (or have to incur the cost, $350.00!!!, of another dedicated set to do so).
ktm950se
