Symtec Grip Heaters - Need Install Advice

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Installing a set of Symtec grip heaters on my '02. Have always used wife's hairspray to install grips - will it be as effective, installing over the heater elements, or will the 2-part epoxy (recommended) work better? I know many of you have installed these, so any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks.

John
 

dduelin

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There was no way I was using epoxy for the elements in case one or both failed at some point. I bought some ordinary grip glue (Honda brand or Renthal??) and used that to reinstall the OEM grips over the elements. They have been trouble free for three years.
 
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I used the hairspray and an air compressor to put the Honda grips back on over the Symtex heaters. No prblems since then at all with them
 

Highrider

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I use a small bit of grip glue, only on the end of the bar outside of the heater element. I have a custom air tool that I use to install the grips, it inflates them for easy installation. I woudn't suggest using any epoxy, you would harm the grip and the heater if you ever needed to remove the grips.
 
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Evo-stik impact adhesive. Don't let it dyr, just smear it on wet, slide the grip on and leave it overnight to cure. You can remove them later if needs be, as it's not as permanent as epoxy.
 
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Have never used any glue or adhesive on grips. Hairspray has always worked fine, including over the heaters.
 
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If you have an air compressor it makes it really easy.
They grip fine using just alcohol as a lube.
Hair spray should be plenty of stick.
I'd stay away from epoxy, rtv, honda bond etc. Just makes it a chore to get em off later.
 
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you shouldn't need any adhesives for the heaters themselves. The trick is for the bars to be clean and ready for the stick on elements. I must have installed a few dozen sets of grips and never have I used any type of advesive. Except on a few bikes that either do not have bar end weights (cruisers using ISO grips) or very thin and slippy grips. Then I use hairspray.
 
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J. Fitzgerald
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Thanks for the input - I got the heaters installed & used hairspray on the BMW grips. They look good, but, not finished with switch - debating about drilling plastic just below left fairing pocket for location. That seems to be a logical place for it, but, just hate to make the hole. Any suggested alternatives to locating switch? FWIW, I have the round switch, not the toggle.

John
 

Mark

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Just to the right of the left fairing pocket... there is a small area that fits the round switch just fine. Well okay... it is a *small* area so you do have to take care when drilling it... but the switch is mostly unseen in that location.

Mark
 
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Thanks for the input - I got the heaters installed & used hairspray on the BMW grips. They look good, but, not finished with switch - debating about drilling plastic just below left fairing pocket for location. That seems to be a logical place for it, but, just hate to make the hole. Any suggested alternatives to locating switch? FWIW, I have the round switch, not the toggle.

John
Do you have the handlebar covers in place on the bike? I have no place to mount switches on a cruiser, and since I needed quite a few buying handlebar switches was out of the question, so was paying $50 for a brake or clutch reservoir switch housing. I came up with this.



It's a simple radioshack project box. It's mounted using a U-bolt from underneath and there are two nylock nuts inside the box. The nice thing about nylock is that it does not transfer an electrical load. I tested with a test light the u-bolt and there was ground, I tested the nylock nut and nothing. I also dabbed. Since the end of the threading on the U-bolt doesn't protrude past the nylock nuts and is actually not even halfway in I just dripped some silicon in the little well. This way if a wire ever comes loose I won't blow a fuse or make any sparks within the enclosure.

If you still have the cover on your handlebars and don't want to drill any holes in the outside fairing, how about INSIDE one of the gloveboxes? Or you can pick up a switch that just sticks on with double sided sticky tape. Here are a few I found online.

4 position pushbutton panel mount switch. $1.50 from allelectronics.com


SPST pushbutton, $1.35 at all electronics.com
This is a simple on off switch though.


Hella Micro DE switch, for fog lamps, available at RallyLights.com for $8.67


Microbug switch, $14.95 from electrical connection.com


I however prefer a rotary dial such as this one from hotgrips.


They do make a no drill solution for heat trollers. Here are a few that are mounted within their own project box's that you just sticky tape or velcro anywhere on the bike. There are a few companies that offer them, they are all identical internally. They also make portable ones with a belt clip, plug one end into the bike, the other end into your jacket, but since you want yours for heated grips you do not need a portable unit, and you can always get a belt clip for these anyway.

From WarmN'Safe


From Firstgear


From Gerbings
 
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I put my switch in that little rectangular snap-in cover thing by your left knee. Drilled the hole in that, thereby avoiding putting a hole in the fairing pocket. Easy, and you can snap it back out anytime..
 
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