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If you’re anything like me and have spent more time than you’d like to admit on the ground, chances are your grips need to be replaced. In this post, I’ll be showing you how to put new hand grips on your dirt bike.
Changing the grips on your bike is actually a super simple process that should take no more than 30 minutes. The grips on your bike tend to take a beating so there’s a good chance you’ll have to replace them often. The good news is though is that they’re cheap to buy and easy to replace.
You should think about replacing your bike grips when they start to tear apart or when they start to spin freely on the handle. If you use your bike a lot your grips will start to wear down and lose grip. This won’t really be a problem when it’s dry out but add a little water into the equation and you’ll really wish you had more grip on the handle. Let’s jump into it (there’s also a video below):
How To Remove Dirt Bike Grips
The first thing you’ll need to do is remove your old grips. This is a pretty easy process because you can simply throw them away and don’t have to think about saving them. Here are a few common ways to remove your dirt bike grips:
- Stick a flat head screwdriver between the grip and the handle and pry them off.
- Take an air compressor and blow air between the grip and the handle.
- If those don’t work you can always cut them off.
If there is glue holding the grips you can squirt in some sort of lubricant to make things easier. WD-40 tends to work well and so does contact cleaner. You really shouldn’t have any problems with it.
How To Put On Dirt Bike Handle Grips
After the old grips have been removed the next thing you’ll want to do is clean up the handlebars. You’ll want to make sure all the old glue and any other debris are taken off (otherwise the new grips won’t attach properly). Once you’ve done that you can start putting the new grips on. Remember that the grips will be of different sizes. The grip that’s slightly wider will be for the throttle side. Here’s how:
- Heat up the new grips using a hairdryer. This makes them much easier to work with and attach to the handles.
- Put some sort of lube on the handlebar itself and also inside the warm grip. If you want something that’ll make the grips stick to the handlebars you can use glue or spray paint. I normally just use spit or WD-40 and it holds on just fine. You may have to use an air compressor to blow air between the grip and the bar to get them on.
- Let the grips dry out to make sure they’re attached properly. If you’re using glue or spray paint you’ll probably need to wait 6-8 hours before you use. The longer the better in my opinion.
That’s pretty much it. Some grips are easier to get on than others. Some of them will need some sort of adhesive to attach properly but most of the ones I’ve used didn’t require it. Try it without and see for yourself.
How To Install Dirt Bike Grips Without Glue
Like I was saying before, I actually don’t use grip glue or any other adhesive (most of the time). Most of the grips out there will attach fine just by themselves, but I have had certain grips that required glue. Here’s how you do it:
- Heat up the grips using a hairdryer.
- Put some sort of lube (spit or WD-40) on the grips and the bars.
- Start working the warm grips onto the handlebars. If it’s hard to get on you can grab an air compressor and blow air between the grip and the bar. This works really well but you’ll need someone there helping you.
What Are The Best Dirt Bike Grips?
There are hundreds of different grips out there for your dirt bike. I’ve tried quite a few and to be honest, most of them are pretty similar and I don’t notice too much of a difference. The only thing you’ll want to make sure is that they’ll fit your bike (obvious) and they have a good amount of grip (some don’t).
The last couple of times I’ve changed my grips I’ve used these Scott grips on Amazon. They’ve done the job just fine and they’re cheap. That’s pretty much all I’m looking for in a set of grips.
Can You Use Gorilla Glue For Dirt Bike Grips?
You should not use gorilla glue on your dirt bike grips. I’ve never tried using gorilla grip on my grips but have heard from people who have and they wouldn’t recommend it.
Gorilla glue will expand when it dries and will cause the grip to slide off eventually. Also, it’s not very water-resistant and that’s why it won’t make a good glue for grips. Use regular grip glue or hair spray if you need it. I don’t normally use anything though and it’s worked fine for me.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
Looking to get some new dirt bike gear? Click here to check out our recommended gear page to see the stuff we’re actually using and the cheapest place to get them.