Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

by **Griffo** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:53 am

Over the weekend I gave into my age and purchased a set of Oxford HotGrips. The instructions were quite simple and I didn't have any major problem installing them although an extra set of hands would've halved the install time i'm sure! I've only 2 real problems since installing them. Please forgive the ratty quality of the picture. You can see the controller (square badly reflecting shape) I mounted quite easily on the left hand side but the connections between both handlebar HotGrips and the controller attach to the loom beside the ignition. As we don't have rain anymore the other way moisture could get in is via the heavy frosts we get and I couldn't find a simple place where they could all connect but still remain waterproof? :oops:

They do work as I used them Monday morning so my hugging the tank with hands on the engine casing are now over!

The other problem i've found is that the accelerator doesn't spring back to closed most of the time? A type of cruise control but definitely not a safe one. A lack of concentration and off to hospital I go. It seemed to be fine when I did the dry run connection as per the instructions. This included sliding on the handles. Has anyone had similar issues or know a simple solution to both questions? The hardest part of the install for me was trying to actually get the original bar ends off!

Any and all help gladly accepted.

Cheers
Griffo (should upgrade to an 07/08 Z1000) :lol:

by **z900/zx9** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:29 am

Maybe your throttle grip is too close to your bar end and a spacer is needed

by **deafwish** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:30 pm

Hi mate,
I installed the exact same system on my Z1000.
I fitted velcro pads on the front fairing 'dash' that is on the left of the speedo housing - black in colour.
You need to leave a little bit of slack on the throttle side grip cable so that it springs back to 0% throttle easily.

by **6maniac** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:53 pm

To waterproof the connections, try a short length of heatshrink tubing ( Dick Smith or Jaycar ). Probably best to get the type that has the glue/mastic inside - will seal better. On the minus side if you need to disconnect the wiring you'll need to carefully cut the tubing off and do the whole thing again afterwards. Cheers, Ron.

by **Che** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:34 am

My taiwanese $40 heatedgrips work fine

by **Griffo** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:49 pm

Thanks for all the input! I ended up leaving the control on the supplied bracket but turned it sideways facing towards the Tacho. That then allowed me to just squeeze all the connectors back down through the side of the steering head. They then were a bit fiddly to physically connect but it means they're much better protected from the weather. As for the Throttle body sticking I unscrewed the offending bar end and very carefully shaved the outside edge so as not to expose anything and it seems to have done the trick. I got some of the heat shrink tubing from SupaCheap Autos but even the widest diameter will be a struggle and especially now where the connectors are located! Still only $10 so not too big a deal. Will try and see what Dick Smith and Jaycar have.