Wasted hours...

Message

wayofthedarkhand · #1 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:48 pm

...fitting heated grips in the dark, and the bloody right one doesn't even work.

I got the bar ends off no problem. Got the left grip off after about 15mins. Left heated grip just slid on (in fact i need more spray).

The right grip was more difficult to get off. I ended up rolling it off. The right heated grip was a bugger. It's hard rubber, not particularly flexible at all. Anyway I got in it by just pushing the end. Seem to have got in about 4/5th of the way up the bar.

I then thought i'd wire them up. negative to battery, positive to the top-left wire from the fuse box. The R&G grips are odd as you have to add in your own wire and run it all the way back up the bike again if you take the positive from the fuse box.

I figured the heat would expand them and let me slide the right on. But of course the right one won't come on.

I switched the wires around, but still only the left works.

What next? I'll never get them off again in order to take them back.

#2 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:07 pm

Can you do a continuity test on the RH hotgrip? That should tell you whether the fault lies in the grip wiring or elsewhere. If you can get them working (if...) then the heat from the grip should make it more deformable and easier to push fully home. Perhaps.

If it doesn't work, then we have to figure how to get it off again.

Samray · #3 Post by **Samray** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:11 pm

A kettle of hot water should warm it enough to get it moving.

wayofthedarkhand · #4 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:14 pm

I'm not sure how I can test the wires of the grip. Obviously I have access at the plug end, but that's it.

fatboy · #5 Post by **fatboy** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:18 pm

BUGGER ! Im not sure that R n G do customer servvice, had a major drama trying to fit upper crash bungs on Falco, emailed, phoned, emailed, phoned and got naff all response. Turned out to be lumpy plating on a washer preventing a fit. My mate had 3 sets of bolts shear on GSXr bungs, they dis owned him/ responsibility. Too busy riding the crest of their own wave

wayofthedarkhand · #6 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:22 pm

I wonder how likely it is that the wires/heating elements in the grip itself are broken? I would presume that they are built to all the grip to flex/expand somewhat.

Looking the bright side, I have a lovely warm left hand.

#7 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:25 pm

Do you have a multimeter with a continuity test option and a couple of probes? If not, then your local Maplins should have one for a fiver:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/domestic-multimeter-37279

wayofthedarkhand · #8 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:38 pm

mangocrazy wrote:Do you have a multimeter with a continuity test option and a couple of probes? If not, then your local Maplins should have one for a fiver:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/domestic-multimeter-37279

I have that. I don't know what a continuity test is though.

I would have tested for resistance on the wires. But i only have access to the plug end, the wires are otherwise sealed.

If i start stripping wires and taking the grip apart, then I won't be able to return it.

Aladinsaneuk · #9 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 8:42 pm

http://www.dansmc.com/electricaltesting.htm

flatlander · #10 Post by **flatlander** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:05 pm

FAIRY??!!!

Liquid helps acts as a lubricant but you already knew that

#11 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:05 pm

Continuity is a fancy way of saying 'checking for an unbroken cable or lead' - i.e. a continuous circuit. You'll have a connector on the grip with (probably) 2 female sockets. You take your multimeter probes and stick one in each socket. If you have continuity (i.e. the circuit is unbroken) then you will get either an audible or visual signal (i.e. a buzzer or an LED lighting up). If not, you have a broken circuit.

It's the simplest form of electrical testing, and probably the most useful.

wayofthedarkhand · #12 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:16 pm

mangocrazy wrote:Continuity is a fancy way of saying 'checking for an unbroken cable or lead' - i.e. a continuous circuit. You'll have a connector on the grip with (probably) 2 female sockets. You take your multimeter probes and stick one in each socket. If you have continuity (i.e. the circuit is unbroken) then you will get either an audible or visual signal (i.e. a buzzer or an LED lighting up). If not, you have a broken circuit.

It's the simplest form of electrical testing, and probably the most useful.

I see.
So checking it for any form of resistance too would also tell me if the circuit is broken or not too. No reading would indicate a fault.

Viking · #13 Post by **Viking** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:24 pm

wayofthedarkhand wrote:So checking it for any form of resistance too would also tell me if the circuit is broken or not too. No reading would indicate a fault.

Yep.

Measure the resistance of the left-hand grip (so you know how much resistance the heating element has) at the plug. Then repeat the reading for the right-hand grip.

If the numbers are the same, then the heating wire in the RH grip is OK. If it's infinite, then the heating wire is broken.

wayofthedarkhand · #14 Post by **wayofthedarkhand** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 9:57 pm

Just been out and tested this. The left one shows a small amount of resistance. For the right grip it's infinite.

So back to the start. Looks like the only options are:

a) find fault in the wire and replace the wiring. (of course if its the actual heating element i'm out of luck)

b) Try and see if I can return just the right grip (got to get it off first though.

#15 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:45 pm

Are you testing just the right grip (i.e the wiring inside it) or the right grip plus some other wiring? Try and break the testing down into the smallest possible section so you can pinpoint the area where the fault is.