Stay in Contact with the Bike, Select the Right Grips

Whatever else you do while riding a motorcycle you would like to hang on! Being comfortable with your grips can have a major effect on maintaining control over the motorcycle while clutching, braking and twisting the throttle, not to mention staying in contact with the motorcycle through thick and thin.

For every motorcycle, grips are an important part of its setup (and grips are often ignored), and grips are chosen based on personal preference. Taste dictates the perfect grip. It trumps durability, pattern or rubber density. With the multitude of grips available on the market, we thought it would be helpful to explain the details to look for when searching for the perfect grips for your motorcycle.

The length of the grip, is the portion of the grip that readily accommodates the hand. It is best to select grips that are bigger then you hand, and not forget you may wear motorcycle gloves. Also check how fat the grips are. The diameter of the grips to the top of the waffle pattern or nubs acceptable for you hand?

Regular motorcycle grips are softer, while race grips tend to be more thin and harder. Motorcycle grips come as extra soft, soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard and hard. And check them as much as possible as it is very personal and no sales person can help you with selecting the hardness of your grips. In the same personal preference selection is selecting the pattern of the grips. What type of raised protrusions does the grip have? Raised rectangles, diamond shapes or some other design.

Materials used to make the grip are also important, single-compound grips use one density. Hard grips are durable, but rough on hands. Soft grips have great tactile feel, but wear out quickly. Multiple-compound motorcycle grips have softer material for the hands and harder material on the inside and edges for better durability.

Most motorcycle grip companies have many different models. Within the same basic model of grip, however, different patterns and other options may be available.