GPz550 Newsletter 11/26. Full of the rich atmosphere of Yoshimura grips (*´ω｀*) 671-400-1000 (L=120mm)

I write up the GPZ 550 Newsletter all at once in a day.
Less ice, more flavor? That’s how we’re rolling.

Handle grip rubber is surprisingly tricky to choose, isn’t it?
Of course grip feel matters, but there are lots of other factors like design and whether it absorbs vibration.

I basically love thin grips and usually go with Renthal grips.
The problem is getting this grip is a bit niche and it’s frustrating when you can’t get it right away.
So this time I tried Yoshimura grip rubber and it turned out to be pretty great!

There are two length options so be careful.

Older bikes are 120mm! Make sure to measure it.

It has a pretty normal, understated design that looks great.
If it’s too flashy it doesn’t look cohesive, so this kind of subtle approach is nice.

As for grip feel, I think it comes down to personal preference, but I thought it felt pretty good.
*By the way, I haven’t registered it yet so I haven’t actually ridden the bike. . . .

Ideally using Daytona’s “Flat Throttle Sleeve”

Since it’s a single-cable setup, there aren’t many similar shapes available.
Plus, single-cable setups are pretty much non-existent these days so nothing new is being released.
And since it also serves as a stopper,
you have to consider the position of the barrel and stopper height.

In other words, there’s a very high chance of buying something that doesn’t work.

I’ve already made a mandrel for grinding the throttle, so this time I’ll just grind off the knurling.
For customers, labor costs add up, so
buying Daytona’s flat throttle sleeve is more economical.

I’m too lazy to use adhesive, so I’m in the anti-slip tape camp.

I always use the thinnest 3M anti-slip tape every time.
With this treatment, it pretty much won’t slip.
Grip replacement and handlebar replacement can proceed very smoothly.

The downside is that it’s expensive and the tape adds thickness.
At 0.6mm thick, you won’t notice the extra thickness even with gloves on.

With this approach, without relying on wire rings or adhesive,
it’s firmly fixed and the work is very clean.
If it still slips, you can add a wire ring for even stronger holding power.

You can swap grips easily as many times as you want.

You don’t have to worry about adhesive curing or removing wire rings.
When you feel like changing grips, just blow it off with air and swap it out.
Once you’ve done the prep once, future swaps are super easy.

When you peel off the tape, there might be some residue left,
but it’s nothing compared to adhesive.
It’s nice when you can keep work clean and efficient.

Anyway, let’s go with Yoshimura grips!

Grip rubber is a consumable you can swap out and enjoy.
It doesn’t cost much, so you could even change the look every year or every couple of years if you wanted.

To make that easier,
using Daytona’s flat throttle grip and anti-slip tape makes the work much simpler.