Roadmap: 9/19/24: I’ve finally gotten around to finishing this up.
These posts only cover my experiment with the left side grip on a BMW Wethead RT. There are three parts, i.e. this original post, plus two updates.
Part 1 is this post.
Update #1 immediately follows this post.
Update #2 - Final (9/19/24) - Conclusion & results (much further down this thread)
It’s not as difficult or scary to remove and replace the rubber grips on a Wethead, as my first two posts indicate, but it IS a chore. Of course, it’s easy-peasy of you buy a new OEM grip. Overall this effort was a failure, but since I found no specific information on the internet by anyone who's actually tried to do this task, I decided to give it a go. I still think it's possible to do this repair to a BMW Wethead; and since I'm a glutton for punishment (and ...uh... a cheapskate), I'll probably take a shot at the ($350!) right grip over the winter.
The goal when finished:
(Well, actually the goal is to have this thingy fixed and re-mounted back on the bike's handlebars, but I trust you get my meaning.
)
So again, this post and Update #1, explain initial attempts at this repair, i.e. removing the existing rubber grips and replacing them with a very-good OEM by an Italian company, Ariete. Update #2 covers the conclusion, plus adds paraphrase instructions from BMW’s shop manual (with my own comments added), for replacing the heated grip with an OEM replacement.
Title Disclaimer: "Definite Method" is tongue and cheek, as in, "maybe ya definitely don't wanna be doing this ...".
BMW has, in fact, on it's Wetheads (and probably Shiftcams), embedded the heating element and unshielded connector wires into the rubber grip itself. Replacing it will involve shaving away the rubber grip, without damaging either the element or the delicate connector wires, and/or doing a bit of soldering, or other electronic repair.
But, ~~ IF ~~ you're a stubborn SOB, and you INSIST on replacing them, here's what you're in for.
First, research the cost of replacement before you tear into your grip. (Know the cost failure, before you fail.
) For my 2018 RT, these are the two part numbers:
61 31 8 552 117 HANDLE LEFT - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $150.40 *, $116.28 **
61 31 8 552 122 E-THROTTLE GRIP - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $406.55 *, $315.77**
61 31 8 552 124 E-THROTTLE GRIP - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $430.83 *, $315.77**
Note: Part #124 is probably for bikes with cruise control - verify with BMW
* MAX BMW
** MSP (Europe based, no VAT, no duty, reasonable shipping)
I'd go with MSP from Europe, personally.
This is where I started. Six year old 2018 R1200RT, grips look fine, but are hard, shinny, and slippery. They need replacement, by something (Grip puppies, rubber washers, or .. here's a wild and crazy idea, NEW MOTORCYCLE GRIPS!)
BMW's engineers were flat out lazy, in not creating a viable maintenance path for a rubber wear item. NO motorcycle's grips, are "for the life of the bike". Forcing owners to replace the entire assembly, is akin to telling owners "Oh, yeah, that rear tire, it's replaceable as an assembly only. New tire, new wheel, and also everything attached to it even though they have nothing to do with the rubber tire itself, i.e. final drive, ABS brake caliper, ABS sensor ... etc.". Second, the part of this process that has really tripped me up, i.e. the unshielded, unprotect, probably 22 gauge connector wires, embedded into the rubber grip itself, is lousy engineering. I'm sorry, but one does not embed thin, unprotected wires, inside a replaceable rubber grip. Don't bother arguing the point. Either you think it's fine, or you're an engineer, or a owner with common sense, one or the other or both. This grip thingy is probably reason #184 why this is my last BMW, i.e. car, motorcycle, tricycle. The German's at BMW Motorrad are arrogant, lazy, and elitist.
But, I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Start with peeling away the old grip. There's more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case, a BMW rubber motorcycle grip. I tried to cut a thin line across the grip from end to end using a box cutter razor blade, but that tool quickly gave way to more exacting hobby knives. Work horizontally above the surface, hopefully gliding over the embedded heating element wires.
I attempted to work around the handle, again, skinning this grip the same way a hunter skins an animal. I lifted the rubber grip "skin", until the rubber stretched and stressed, then ran the blade across between handle and grip, severing the connection of that section of grip. Over and over, and over again. Lift, cut, lift, cut. And, this "animal" is still alive. No booboo's allowed!
Pro tip #1: These sharp razor blade tools will cut very nicely thru fine wire, just in case you're out in the field, need to cut wire, and don't have anything other than your handy, razor sharp knife on ya at the moment. (Or, in this case, DON't cut, nick, or ..ahh.. bend the wire.
)
"Oops"
At some point, working from either the controls, or the end of the bar, you will run into thingy's that feel suspiciously like electrical connectors that don't appreciate sharp things cutting and jabbing next to them. That will cause some delays (maybe drinkin' too; certainly two extra strength Tylenol applied for me).
Pro tip #2: When you expose the area near control end of the grip, you'll see a fine Torx bolt, through the bar, out the other side, with a nut on it. If you remove that, the entire assembly will slide off the handle bar util you reach the maximum length of the attached wire bundle. The assembly can also twist around the bar, again, limited by the attached wire bundle, enabling you to reach the bottom of the handle & grip without trying to look at it from upside down, giving you a headache in the process, and possibly buggering up the wiring. (Don't ask me how I know.) Anyway, remove the screw once the top half of the grip is stripped.
We're on a roll here, boys, some limited success, but I think this is what we're after (see the first picture, top half mostly stripped). My hope was that getting the top half off, would allow me to start peeling the bottom half off. Nope. Every inch/CM of that grip is (probably, heat-) welded to the conductors and handle bars. You'll have to manually strip off every part of that grip. My theory of the case was, get the thing off, expose, identify, and protect the heating element and connecting wires, then use another type blade to scrap off as much of the rubber as I reasonably could without damaging ... stuff. Note that the top of this picture, i.e. near the control end, is still proving a problem. I'm hitting hard stuff, not the coil, and the rubber is again, just absolutely welded to every part of that handle.
I found (cut into, more or less) two connectors attached to the end of the heating element wires, which is when I really slowed down, and tried to cut around the edges, and ease the grip off, until I could find and protect the connecting wires. So, I managed to pull off part of this section, and found those wires. (Crap!)
At this point, I know that I'm in the sh*t on this project. Those wires have definitely been nicked, and are also definitely embedded in the rubber, i.e. there's no other way to strip that grip from the handle without running into, and probably causing some damage to those wires. Simply trying to pull the rubber away, would eventually yank the wires from the control connector (if I haven't already managed to do that). However, I've worked with some liquid wire insulation that I could potentially use to recoat these wires. If that doesn't work, I have some aviation rated 18 & 22 gauge wire that should work. Remember, whatever goes back under this grip will get hot. Second, any repairs I make, need to be minimal enough that the new grip will fit over it. (Yeah, I'm DEFINITELY, well, probably screwed.)
So, ahh, how was YOUR day?
The following picture is pretty much the sum of the damage. I can tell that the copper red wire has been severed. And the black (kind of looks like it might have had a Teflon write wrapper, who knows), has been chewed on as well. The shiny things on top are the wire crimp connectors. My guess at this point is, if I'm gonna fix it, is to cut the connectors out, remove the original wires, and somehow splice new ones to the heating element wire using a new crimp connector, and probably splice it into the wire going to the plug for the switch (since I'm certain the plug these wires are connected to, is BMW custom, and I can't buy a new one. (No, I'm not real good at doing this electrical kind of stuff, but that's never stopped me from blundering forward and trying to, in the past.) Note, those two "lumps" that the wire's pass under, are almost certainly that, i.e. plastic bumps with a hole thru them for the wires to pass through, to hold them in place. Again, when you're blindly clawing thru the rubber, and come across those metal connectors, bypass them, and when you run into those two little hard points that you didn't really think would be there, you ... go get a beer.
By the way, the heating element wires are essentially one single wire, with a double "loop", that wraps around this other little raised knob thingy at the end of the handle grip. Bottom line: If you can figure out WHAT the heating element looks like (i.e. I've seen some video's about BMW heated grips, which look like a regular rubber grip slid over a round electronic circuit board looking kind of thingy, i.e. the heating element is a circuit embedded into a computer board, which wraps around the handlebar. This one ain't that), and figure out the direction and location of the first wire, the rest will pretty much be the same distance apart and running in the same direction, until you run into the connectors, cut the wires, and screw yourself over. You pretty much just skin the rubber grip off, running parallel to the handle, scraping along over the wires without damaging them (much).
Obviously, even if I get this repaired and it tests for continuity successfully, I still have a ton of scrapping to do to clean up the grip, then I have to successfully install the new Ariete grips (which I am pretty certain, are compatible with the Wetheads).
Once you get to this point, you'll KNOW that you should never have started this, at least not without ensuring that neither Grip Puppies or the 200 rubber washer thingy that other use, both over the OEM grip, doesn't work well enough for you.
The most important "lesson's learned" from this effort is in the first couple lines of this post. Read it, then step away, drink something alcoholic, and read it again. Then let a friend read it to you, just to ensure proper reading comprehension. (No, not your wife or girlfriend, cause, how trustworthy can they be at helping you AVOID pain - get real, man!
) There are alternatives to tearing your grip apart (i.e. "grip puppies", rubber washers, tennis racket grip sheath, etc.).
Update to follow.
These posts only cover my experiment with the left side grip on a BMW Wethead RT. There are three parts, i.e. this original post, plus two updates.
Part 1 is this post.
Update #1 immediately follows this post.
Update #2 - Final (9/19/24) - Conclusion & results (much further down this thread)
It’s not as difficult or scary to remove and replace the rubber grips on a Wethead, as my first two posts indicate, but it IS a chore. Of course, it’s easy-peasy of you buy a new OEM grip. Overall this effort was a failure, but since I found no specific information on the internet by anyone who's actually tried to do this task, I decided to give it a go. I still think it's possible to do this repair to a BMW Wethead; and since I'm a glutton for punishment (and ...uh... a cheapskate), I'll probably take a shot at the ($350!) right grip over the winter.
The goal when finished:
(Well, actually the goal is to have this thingy fixed and re-mounted back on the bike's handlebars, but I trust you get my meaning.
)So again, this post and Update #1, explain initial attempts at this repair, i.e. removing the existing rubber grips and replacing them with a very-good OEM by an Italian company, Ariete. Update #2 covers the conclusion, plus adds paraphrase instructions from BMW’s shop manual (with my own comments added), for replacing the heated grip with an OEM replacement.
Title Disclaimer: "Definite Method" is tongue and cheek, as in, "maybe ya definitely don't wanna be doing this ...".
BMW has, in fact, on it's Wetheads (and probably Shiftcams), embedded the heating element and unshielded connector wires into the rubber grip itself. Replacing it will involve shaving away the rubber grip, without damaging either the element or the delicate connector wires, and/or doing a bit of soldering, or other electronic repair.
But, ~~ IF ~~ you're a stubborn SOB, and you INSIST on replacing them, here's what you're in for.
First, research the cost of replacement before you tear into your grip. (Know the cost failure, before you fail.
) For my 2018 RT, these are the two part numbers:61 31 8 552 117 HANDLE LEFT - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $150.40 *, $116.28 **
61 31 8 552 122 E-THROTTLE GRIP - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $406.55 *, $315.77**
61 31 8 552 124 E-THROTTLE GRIP - 5,5 OHM (from 08/14) $430.83 *, $315.77**
Note: Part #124 is probably for bikes with cruise control - verify with BMW
* MAX BMW
** MSP (Europe based, no VAT, no duty, reasonable shipping)
I'd go with MSP from Europe, personally.
This is where I started. Six year old 2018 R1200RT, grips look fine, but are hard, shinny, and slippery. They need replacement, by something (Grip puppies, rubber washers, or .. here's a wild and crazy idea, NEW MOTORCYCLE GRIPS!)
BMW's engineers were flat out lazy, in not creating a viable maintenance path for a rubber wear item. NO motorcycle's grips, are "for the life of the bike". Forcing owners to replace the entire assembly, is akin to telling owners "Oh, yeah, that rear tire, it's replaceable as an assembly only. New tire, new wheel, and also everything attached to it even though they have nothing to do with the rubber tire itself, i.e. final drive, ABS brake caliper, ABS sensor ... etc.". Second, the part of this process that has really tripped me up, i.e. the unshielded, unprotect, probably 22 gauge connector wires, embedded into the rubber grip itself, is lousy engineering. I'm sorry, but one does not embed thin, unprotected wires, inside a replaceable rubber grip. Don't bother arguing the point. Either you think it's fine, or you're an engineer, or a owner with common sense, one or the other or both. This grip thingy is probably reason #184 why this is my last BMW, i.e. car, motorcycle, tricycle. The German's at BMW Motorrad are arrogant, lazy, and elitist.
But, I'm jumping ahead of myself.
Start with peeling away the old grip. There's more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case, a BMW rubber motorcycle grip. I tried to cut a thin line across the grip from end to end using a box cutter razor blade, but that tool quickly gave way to more exacting hobby knives. Work horizontally above the surface, hopefully gliding over the embedded heating element wires.
I attempted to work around the handle, again, skinning this grip the same way a hunter skins an animal. I lifted the rubber grip "skin", until the rubber stretched and stressed, then ran the blade across between handle and grip, severing the connection of that section of grip. Over and over, and over again. Lift, cut, lift, cut. And, this "animal" is still alive. No booboo's allowed!
Pro tip #1: These sharp razor blade tools will cut very nicely thru fine wire, just in case you're out in the field, need to cut wire, and don't have anything other than your handy, razor sharp knife on ya at the moment. (Or, in this case, DON't cut, nick, or ..ahh.. bend the wire.
)"Oops"
At some point, working from either the controls, or the end of the bar, you will run into thingy's that feel suspiciously like electrical connectors that don't appreciate sharp things cutting and jabbing next to them. That will cause some delays (maybe drinkin' too; certainly two extra strength Tylenol applied for me).
Pro tip #2: When you expose the area near control end of the grip, you'll see a fine Torx bolt, through the bar, out the other side, with a nut on it. If you remove that, the entire assembly will slide off the handle bar util you reach the maximum length of the attached wire bundle. The assembly can also twist around the bar, again, limited by the attached wire bundle, enabling you to reach the bottom of the handle & grip without trying to look at it from upside down, giving you a headache in the process, and possibly buggering up the wiring. (Don't ask me how I know.) Anyway, remove the screw once the top half of the grip is stripped.
We're on a roll here, boys, some limited success, but I think this is what we're after (see the first picture, top half mostly stripped). My hope was that getting the top half off, would allow me to start peeling the bottom half off. Nope. Every inch/CM of that grip is (probably, heat-) welded to the conductors and handle bars. You'll have to manually strip off every part of that grip. My theory of the case was, get the thing off, expose, identify, and protect the heating element and connecting wires, then use another type blade to scrap off as much of the rubber as I reasonably could without damaging ... stuff. Note that the top of this picture, i.e. near the control end, is still proving a problem. I'm hitting hard stuff, not the coil, and the rubber is again, just absolutely welded to every part of that handle.
I found (cut into, more or less) two connectors attached to the end of the heating element wires, which is when I really slowed down, and tried to cut around the edges, and ease the grip off, until I could find and protect the connecting wires. So, I managed to pull off part of this section, and found those wires. (Crap!)
At this point, I know that I'm in the sh*t on this project. Those wires have definitely been nicked, and are also definitely embedded in the rubber, i.e. there's no other way to strip that grip from the handle without running into, and probably causing some damage to those wires. Simply trying to pull the rubber away, would eventually yank the wires from the control connector (if I haven't already managed to do that). However, I've worked with some liquid wire insulation that I could potentially use to recoat these wires. If that doesn't work, I have some aviation rated 18 & 22 gauge wire that should work. Remember, whatever goes back under this grip will get hot. Second, any repairs I make, need to be minimal enough that the new grip will fit over it. (Yeah, I'm DEFINITELY, well, probably screwed.)
So, ahh, how was YOUR day?
The following picture is pretty much the sum of the damage. I can tell that the copper red wire has been severed. And the black (kind of looks like it might have had a Teflon write wrapper, who knows), has been chewed on as well. The shiny things on top are the wire crimp connectors. My guess at this point is, if I'm gonna fix it, is to cut the connectors out, remove the original wires, and somehow splice new ones to the heating element wire using a new crimp connector, and probably splice it into the wire going to the plug for the switch (since I'm certain the plug these wires are connected to, is BMW custom, and I can't buy a new one. (No, I'm not real good at doing this electrical kind of stuff, but that's never stopped me from blundering forward and trying to, in the past.) Note, those two "lumps" that the wire's pass under, are almost certainly that, i.e. plastic bumps with a hole thru them for the wires to pass through, to hold them in place. Again, when you're blindly clawing thru the rubber, and come across those metal connectors, bypass them, and when you run into those two little hard points that you didn't really think would be there, you ... go get a beer.
By the way, the heating element wires are essentially one single wire, with a double "loop", that wraps around this other little raised knob thingy at the end of the handle grip. Bottom line: If you can figure out WHAT the heating element looks like (i.e. I've seen some video's about BMW heated grips, which look like a regular rubber grip slid over a round electronic circuit board looking kind of thingy, i.e. the heating element is a circuit embedded into a computer board, which wraps around the handlebar. This one ain't that), and figure out the direction and location of the first wire, the rest will pretty much be the same distance apart and running in the same direction, until you run into the connectors, cut the wires, and screw yourself over.
You pretty much just skin the rubber grip off, running parallel to the handle, scraping along over the wires without damaging them (much).Obviously, even if I get this repaired and it tests for continuity successfully, I still have a ton of scrapping to do to clean up the grip, then I have to successfully install the new Ariete grips (which I am pretty certain, are compatible with the Wetheads).
Once you get to this point, you'll KNOW that you should never have started this, at least not without ensuring that neither Grip Puppies or the 200 rubber washer thingy that other use, both over the OEM grip, doesn't work well enough for you.
The most important "lesson's learned" from this effort is in the first couple lines of this post. Read it, then step away, drink something alcoholic, and read it again. Then let a friend read it to you, just to ensure proper reading comprehension. (No, not your wife or girlfriend, cause, how trustworthy can they be at helping you AVOID pain - get real, man!
) There are alternatives to tearing your grip apart (i.e. "grip puppies", rubber washers, tennis racket grip sheath, etc.).Update to follow.
Last edited:
