How to Put Dirt Bike Grips On (Without Glue)

Dirt bike grips are essential for your safety, you’ll want to make sure you have them and that they’re good quality. Picture riding your dirt bike down a new track and hitting a hard obstacle that you didn’t realize was there. Now imagine you have no grip on your handlebars or your grips just spin on the bar. Yeah, it’s not a pleasant image. 

There are multiple ways that you can install dirt bike grips without glue. You do not need any glue to guarantee your grips are on tight and secure. If you install your grips without glue, you can ride your bike immediately after fitting, given the right adhesive solution. 

If you’re anything like myself, when I have new grips on my handlebars, I’m basically ready to test them out and get on the bike right away. If you don’t have any grip glue that’s not an issue. Read on to find out how you can put dirt bike grips on without any glue. 

How to Install Dirt Bike Grips Without Glue

Grip glue isn’t something we all necessarily keep in our toolboxes. And for those of us who do, grip glue might not be your favorite method for installing your grips. So when it’s time to change your dirt bike grips and you don’t have any glue on hand, rest assured you don’t need it. 

Our bikes need respectable grips so that we have better control of the bike and have a better riding experience. Grips essentially protect us from our hands sliding off the handlebars in all conditions to prevent avoidable injuries to our bodies and damage to our bikes. 

Without further ado, here is a list of ways that you can install your dirt bike grips without any glue starting with our very own solution:

Risk Racing Fusion Bonding System

At Risk Racing, we’ve designed and manufactured a bonding fusion catalyst. A no glue, and no wire, non-slipping system to easily install new grips on your dirt bike. 

Wires break and glue slips and can be messy. But this spray is designed to avoid that hassle and create a stress-free installation process for your grips. 

You can check out more information on our fusion solution here, for a quick step-by-step installation guide and information on our fusion grips that the solution comes with. 

Advantages:

• Comes with fusion grips.
• Quick, clean, and easy.
• Ready to ride within 5-10 minutes, no waiting hours for the solution to dry.
• Long-lasting.
• You won’t break the bank with our cost-effective grip solution.

Zip ties

Zip ties come in handy for almost anything that I can think of, and I have a whole packet of them in my toolbox. You might want to think about it too. They can be used for all sorts of things from mechanical issues, to camping safety. 

Using 4 or 5 zip ties inserted into the tube of the grip, you can use zip ties like a runner to slide the grips onto the handlebars. 

Try not to twist the grips on if you’re using this method as they can get stuck between the handlebar and grip and be a menace to get out. 

You’ll also want a pair of pliers to put the zip ties out once you’ve pulled the grips all the way into place. 

Advantages:

• No solvents or solutions are needed.
• Once on, there’s no drying time and you’re ready to ride immediately. 
• Cost-effective.

Disadvantages:

• Although the zip ties work as a runner, they can get stuck if you twist the grips.
• Need to use a lot of elbow grease as there’s no lubricant for the grips to easily slide on. 
• You're typically left with a sharp piece of the zip tie sticking out.

Hairspray

The hairspray method works the same way as the spray paint method, but with slightly fewer side effects. 

Borrow some hairspray from your partner, mum, or sister, don’t worry we won’t tell them. Use it to spray inside the grip tube, making sure to cover every surface, then tip any remainder out. Quickly slide the grip onto the handlebar and the hairspray should dry within 10 minutes. 

If it’s not dry within 10 minutes, you can poke a small hole into the tip of the grip to let some air in to dry the hairspray quicker. 

Avoid spraying any hairspray onto your bike and altering any mechanic functionality of the bike. Be generous with the hairspray and make sure you fill the grip tube with enough spray that there are no surfaces left uncovered that would risk the grips sliding out of place. 

Advantages:

• Quick and easy, the hairspray acts as a lubricant for ease of sliding onto the handles.
• Ready to ride within 10-20 minutes.
• Cost-effective.

Disadvantages:

• Hairspray is sticky and will most likely get on tools and equipment that you didn’t want sticky.
• If you don’t have your own hairspray you have to borrow it from someone else and answer questions. 
• Using a generous amount of hairspray might raise suspicion if you’ve secretly borrowed it from your sister, resulting in you having to pay her back or buy her new hairspray. 
• Risk spraying mechanical parts of your bike that shouldn’t be near hairspray. When spraying the grips, do this away from the bike. 

Lock on grips 

Lock on grips is easily the quickest method for getting grips on without using any glue. 

They are, however, not our favorite option as they are only designed for specific bikes and can’t be used on all handlebars. If you have the right bike, you might consider this option. If not, our fusion bonding system is a better option for you. 

Advantages:

• No mess, clean and quick application.
• Durable and easy to adjust.

Disadvantages:

• Not designed for all bikes. 
• The rubber on the grips is thinner so there’s less cushioning. 
• More expensive than other options. 

How do I Keep my Dirt Bike Grips from Slipping?

To keep your dirt bike grips from slipping you need decent grips, and you need to have them installed properly. The better you install your grips, the harder they are to remove and to slip. 

Glue is a favorite method for installing your grips securely, but with our developed solution of fusion grips, glue might be a thing of the past for dirt bike riders wanting to ensure their grips don’t slip. 

Remember that when removing your grips, you should clean your handlebars before applying new grips. Check out our blog on How to Change Handlebar Grips on a Dirt Bike for more information. 

Things to remember when installing your dirt bike grips:

• Clean your handlebars, remove all dirt and grime and any previous glue. 
• Put them on the right side. Remember that your clutch side and throttle side will be slightly different in size. 
• Squeeze out air pockets. Air pockets are bad for grip and create surfaces that are susceptible to slipping easier. 
• If using a type of liquid solution (like fusion spray), ensure you cover the whole surface with the solution. Leave no surface untouched. 

Conclusion

Installing decent grips on your bike won’t matter if you don’t install them right. Consider Risk Racings Fusion solution to properly get your grips on your handlebars with an easy to install, quick, and clean process that gets you back out on the track within 20 minutes.