PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
PHOTOS: ANDREW FREDRICKSON
iring your grips on is an added precaution so they don’t come undone during a moto. Here’s an in-depth look at how a factory mechanic does it.
First, I like to use .025 width grip wire. I think .032 is a little too big and .020 is a little too small. I measure out about 10” of wire, and I use a little piece on top of the canister to determine our length. I always start to the outside of the grip first, just in case there’s any air trapped under the grip. As you start to wire, it will force that air back out. If you start on the inside first, all the air is trapped.
I start 3/4” from the end of the grip. When I wrap my wire, I like to stay to the right-hand side, toward the outside of the grip. That’s because when you twist it, it will twist those two wires together underneath instead of apart. Once you start to get your first wrap on, go ahead and put two to three twists in the bottom of it, just to put a little tension in the wire.
Align the wires, making sure the wires are touching each other and perfectly straight on the grip. That ensures a nice, even look. After two to three twists, with tension in it and your wire straight, pull down on the pliers to tighten the wire even more before you start to spin it. Otherwise a lot of times it will break and won’t pull the wires as tightly as it could. Just don’t pull too hard, because you can cut through some softer grips.
I just twist it by hand. You’re only going 1/2” or so. That gets your wire properly seated into the grip.
After that, cut the very end off leaving 2-3mm sticking out. That’s just beyond the ridge, if you’re running something with a waffle. If you’re running something without a waffle, just estimate the 2-3mm. After I cut, I like to bend the outside wire toward the inside of the grip. Then same as the center one. I like to bend those two toward the inside of the grip.
Repeat the process above, but in the center of the two wires. You just want your spacing to be even. Once you have your center one done, bend the tab of that one to the inside as well. That would be toward the center of the bike.
As you start your third one, repeat the process again. Wrap it, put some tension to it, then use some diagonal cutters to cut this one. That allows you to get a lot closer—it’s tough to get those safety-wire pliers in there to actually make the cut. That’ll get you down to 2-3mm. Then bend that tab toward the center of the grip—it’ll be opposite of the other two, or toward each other.
That’s it! That’s safety-wiring grips. The number-one thing is just to make sure it’s nice and even and clean. As a side note, if you have a mud race, or if your rider relies a little bit more on grips than gripping with their knees, you can do four ties on the grips. In mud races, four wraps helps ensure that water and mud can’t get under the grip should the glue loosen or anything like that. Hope that helps! 
