Renthals on a 2002 GSA 1150 with heated grips....

[Mike F]

As part of my plans to crash a bit better whilst enjoying our green and pleasant lanes I want to fit renthals as my standard bars are starting to resemble the slightly upwards pointing cow horns I had on the pushbikes of my youth....

I have trawled round the forums, spoken to a few people and have a whole bunch of good information. But a question or two still about tackling the dreaded heated grips with the wires in the bars.

I am fitting Renthal Twinwalls, bought off flea-bay for a song, £30 with cross brace.

I bought handlebar clamps / converters which also give a useful 1" raiser. They are: 01-1084 Pro Taper Clamps TAI-49 just £19.16 from MD Racing Products TEL: +44(0)1935 429646

Tobys tips on fitting Renthals to a 1200, chopping off the flange of the original bar weights and using rawlbolts with a 100mm countersunk caphead bolts all looks good. All these bits were a fiver! See http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51923

Earthmovers approach (link in above thread) was more complex, involving Helicoiling - but this might be the way to go. Again his was for the simpler 1200 with external wiring. Will have a strip down and check out options on Saturday.

All the above is a dodle to do. Then we have the b*stard heated grips to contend with.

Adopting Tobys approach I cant imagine how I can thread the wires in from the end, even at all (see below about reversing the heating elements).

Some things I have heard...

- Cant drill Renthals as it weakens them.

- Alloy (ie Renthals) dissipates heat away from grips.

- Rewind grip elements in reverse so wires feed into the inner face. See http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226268

- Just fit Oxford Heated grips and be done.​

So, any comments on the above?

Does the alloy really dissipate heat to such an extent that its not worth doing anyway. I hope so in that I am lazy and mechanically inept, but I hope not as I commute 80m every day rain or shine on the beast.

Has anyone fitted Oxford Grips, do they go straight on? Thinking of the Sports ones. I'll bet their bar mounted control switch is for regular 22mm bars, not 28mm - probably easily fixed tho'.

Has anyone drilled Renthals and had a few offs, any comments on compromising strength (although it obviously will).

Are there other threads that specifically address all the above that I have missed?

Thanks for any help / comments / tips.

 

[khpossum]

Consider http://www.hippohands.com/ or something like it, would be a lot easier than retrofitting heated grips. Unsighly, but a lot warmer as well for that daily 80 m commute.

KP

 

[Mike F]

Got something similar already, and a fur lined wrap around apron. They both go on when it gets really cold and stay on for the winter. Due to corroded fasteners they all require a bit of zip tieing so wont be coming on and off too often.
Dont know how that'll fit in with plans to do a few LDTs in the winter.

So anyhow, all in all I'm keen to keep the heated grips.

There's info coming thru on another thread I'm that looks promising...

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2874500#post2874500

 

[Tobers]

Did I say elsewhere to try R1150R bars which are a much nicer shape and already drilled for heated grips. Much easier for you.

 

[Canuck]

I'd fit aftermarket heated grips, or as tobers says R style bars. The problem with the Renthals is that they aluminium won't store the heat as much and you may find that in the winter you won't notice any heat through your gloves. However,,, give it a go and let us all know!

 

[DrAlf]

A mate of mine has fitted standard 22mm renthals to his 1150 with heated grips. He drilled the bars for the heated grips and hasnt had any problems. Not an easy job though. I've had both oxford and OEM BMW grips fitted to various 1150's. The BMW grips are nicer and look a lot better than aftermarket grips in my opinion.

Good luck and thanks for all the info. Keep us posted - I've wanted to fit 28mm bars to mine for ages!

 

[craig10]

Check this thread http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162485&highlight=megamoto+grips

I've fitted the Symtech grips to a wee trailie that I've got which has Renthal 22mm trials bars, to be honest the ally sucks a lot of the heat away, esp on the left bar where it doesn't have the insulating effect of the throttle tube. Keep meaning to take the left heater off and put some big heatshrink on the bar first to help.

They're still good, but nowhere near the GS ones. I did't want the Oxford ones as they have quite a big outside diameter.

I've used F650 grips on top of the Symtech elements but they're a bit narrow when the winter gloves are on.

 

[Mike F]

Hmmmm Sods Law. The Symtech heated grips look interesting, especially using regular grips.

The heat shield you mention, is that this...

http://www.heatshrink-online.co.uk/...254mm-Diameter-Black-Heat-Shrink-Per-05m.html

And I assume it'll work with Oxford grips as well as the Symtechs?

I say Sods Law as today I spunked up £40 on some used Oxford Prods Sports grips on Flea Bay.

And its occurred to me that the BMW hand guards wont fit on the fatter twin wall Renthals that I have gone for.

So I need a pair of suitable used bark busters, or taking the path of least resistance reverting to a set of 22mm Renthals.

Time to have a look on Flea Bay, again.....

How hard could BMW have made this....

 

[Mike F]

Also Tobers, whole point of the Rental Twinwalls is better crashability on our green and pleasant lanes......

or rutted tracks as we call them in Berkshire.