1983 KZ550 LTD C3/C4 Throttle Assy Changeover

Bought this bike 2 months ago, handle grips are different. Left has original, but it's thrashed. Right has some aftermarket squid crap that looks like junk.

I've got on order, the factory grips from Kawasaki. in order to get the right grip, I had to order the Throttle Assembly. This grip on the throttle now is significantly thicker (Aftermarket crap) than the one on the left (original).

I didn't find much regarding handle grip changes for this specific bike online or in my manual. I believe the handle bars are 7/8". Has anybody done this changeover? What does it entail? If possible, I'd like to avoid a throttle cable adjustment project and just want new, matching grips.

Is there a how to write up somewhere?

Thanks

Bars and grip Inner Diameters are a standard size on almost all bikes. There's nothing unique or specific to your bike. When you receive your new grips, one will have a larger ID. That is for the throttle tube side. Unless you're trying to save the old grips, slice them with a razor knife lengthwise and peel them off. If you're installing a new grip on your current throttle tube no cable adjustment will be required. I'm not sure exactly what you'll get with the "throttle assembly". You should have been able to buy just the grip. It maybe pre-glued on a throttle tube. If so, you're going to have to replace the tube. That's a little more involved, but not hard. It only requires a Phillips head screw driver.
Grips are normally glued on. They sell "grip glue" specifically for this purpose. It's basically contact cement you can buy from Wally World. I've also heard of using hair spray, lighter fluid and all kinds of other concoctions. If you're a novice, just buy the grip glue. Dry fit (no glue) the grips first to see how tight they are to install. You don't want the grip getting stuck half way on when the glue starts to set. You'll be cutting them off and buying new grips. If they're really tight, leave them in the sun for an hour of so to soften them up.
An old dirt bike trick is to drop a coin (nickel I think) in the grip. This gives a solid surface at the end and keeps the hollow bar from cutting thru the grip.

I like the grip end protector coin trick. Removing & reinstalling the handlebar control switch is pretty straightforward. no special skills needed. It would be a handy time to lubricate the throttle & cable ends.

If you have ordered "factory grips from Kawasaki" then fitment isn't going to be an issue.

However, FYE, there are two specific sizes of grips available and these are made to fit so-called "metric bikes" like our kzs with 7/8" bars and Harleys which have thicker 1" bars. Most grips will advertise which they are made to fit. If it says Harley, then it won't fit your kz. Also, they can be exhaustive to fit depending on the condition of your bars and the quality of manufacture (ie: not all aftermarket is squid poo :lol: ).

So, you can buy the wrong sized grips but that isn't going to happen directly from Kawasaki.

I personally think the stock Kawasaki grips are too skinny. They cause my hand to go numb on long rides, so I changed every grip on all three of my kzs to aftermarket because they're larger diameter and thus, easier on my nerves so I can ride indefinitely now.
The process is actually pretty easy.
- Cut off the old ones with your favorite razor knife.
- Clean the bar ends of any ick or old glue.
- Spray some rubbing alcohol inside the new grips as a lube and slide them onto the bars.
- Done.
Should take you about 15 minutes because you've never done it before. Faster next time.

Buying the whole throttle assembly just to get the grip is kinda' odd but whatever. I suck at online shopping too! :laugh:
Just make sure the entire throttle assembly you have bought is designed to work with a 2-cable system and all should be good.

Two phillips screws, accessed from the underside, will split the throttle control into two halves and expose the inner cable grooves of your throttle grip. The electrical wires will kinda hold the control halves close to the bar and you don't want to stress them but you will have to separate the halves enough to be able to slide the grip off the bar end once the throttle cables are disconnected. From there it's only a matter of recognizing which cable goes in which groove, removing them from the original throttle and moving them over to your new throttle grip. It's been a few minutes since I did this so I forget if adjusting the cables was needed to provide the slack for removal or if you can just twist the grip to get the throttle cable room? Still, if it takes you longer than 15 minutes, you're probably doing something wrong.

LesbianSeagull wrote: Bought this bike 2 months ago, handle grips are different. Left has original, but it's thrashed. Right has some aftermarket squid crap that looks like junk.

I've got on order, the factory grips from Kawasaki. in order to get the right grip, I had to order the Throttle Assembly. This grip on the throttle now is significantly thicker (Aftermarket crap) than the one on the left (original).

I didn't find much regarding handle grip changes for this specific bike online or in my manual. I believe the handle bars are 7/8". Has anybody done this changeover? What does it entail? If possible, I'd like to avoid a throttle cable adjustment project and just want new, matching grips.

Is there a how to write up somewhere?

Thanks

Quick update - Sent factory grips back and sourced 1" thick grips from pro grip. less expensive, somewhat chinsy, perfect for my purposes.

LesbianSeagull wrote: Quick update - Sent factory grips back and sourced 1" thick grips from pro grip. less expensive, somewhat chinsy, perfect for my purposes.

"1 inch grips" probably means "Harley Davidson" only (some recent Japanese cruisers and Victory Motorcycles also use 1" bars, though) and might not fit your standard Japanese 7/8" bars...

My favorite replacement grips are actually Honda's original grips for the '83 Nighthawk CB650SC and '86 Nighthawk S (if the bar ends don't go through the grips), or the 1979 CBX (for bars that stick out past the grips), Honda has used this design for most of their street line up since the 79 CB750F, and they are still available relatively cheaply from Honda dealers and mail order parts sellers like Partzilla and Bike Bandit.They don't look it, but Honda must have spent a great deal of effort in designing these, both shape and material. Over a day of riding, they are the most comfortable (and durable) grips I've ever tried. Only my '83 GPz1100 and my '04 Yamaha R1's don't have a set of these grips on them, for now, that is...they will get changed eventually.

My mistake - the internal diameter is 7/8", but the OD is 1" on my new grips.