[nr07]

I bought the Triumph Speed 400 on July 31st this year (switching from the Duke 200 Gen 2).

Initially, I experienced pain in my palms during short and city rides, especially when I wasn’t wearing gloves on my left hand, which had a prior wrist injury (fractured, with a plate inserted and later removed). This led me to consider trying Grip Puppies.

By the time I ordered and received the Grip Puppies, which was around 15 days after buying the motorcycle, the pain in my palms had significantly reduced. However, I decided to try them anyway. I also bought the Route 95 grips but never installed them.

I love the Grip Puppies. They feel plush and premium, and they provide a nice cruiser-like feel. However, the increased grip width caused some minor aches and pains. I didn’t go on any long rides for about another 15 days.

After two 100 km rides over two days last week, I developed persistent pain at the base of my thumb and the area between my thumb and index finger on my left hand (the one with the previous wrist injury). My throttle hand also experienced some minor aches in the same area.

I believe the reason for this is that I have smaller hands than the size these grips were designed for (British people?). Additionally, I often stand while riding over rough patches and bumps, sometimes pulling the clutch at the same time. I think this increases the impact due to the larger grip diameter. Plus, I wear gloves on longer rides, further adding to this.

I’m waiting a few more days to see if I can get used to this, but I don’t have high hopes. :-( I think I might have to give these up, sadly.

TL;DR:

PROS:

Feels amazing and premium
Reduces vibrations
Does its job

CONS:
Increased diameter might not suit people with smaller hands
Gets wet in the rain
Needs cleaning after your bike goes to a mechanic

I did not bother with Route95 one because it is ever thicker than the Grip Puppies. Any recommendations for thinner grips?

[Rahulkool]

In my experience, if you using good quality riding gloves then you dont need any additional grip on the handlebar. I have used few bikes with various types of grips and while they feel ok, if you are riding without gloves, otherwise they always feel too big for my hand.

[TheHelix0202]

I relate to what you’re saying. I’ve only tried the Route 95 ones on my Gixxer SF and GT 650 (both having clip ons).

While on the GT the grips did cure my carpal tunnel pain, my thumbs hurt now post a 300km ride. And I’m 6’2 for reference with large hands.

Strange to hear that the Grip Puppies are not as thick as the Route 95 ones. Perhaps I’ll give the former a go sometime in the future.

[prakash_ajp]

I second the idea about just using a good pair of gloves with sufficient padding. I ride one of the smoother bikes (Honda CB350) and still get pain if I ride for long without gloves or even with my RE gloves. This happens since I got way too used to the fantastic Viaterra Tundra gloves. So, I guess just some good gloves without the soft grips should be good for you.

[VW2010]

I started using a squash racquet grip or tennis racquet grip. I was able to achieve two things. Softer grip and custom loading of grip size based on needs. You can shape the hand grip as per your needs. A couple of friends who rode my bike have taken a similar route.

I use something from Decathlon and it has worked well.

Secondly - invest in good gloves. The lower priced ones have hard rubber that gets harder over time and starts hurting your hands/palms. It is better to go after good gloves where the leather gives you maximum protection and flexibility.

[saisailendra]

I've removed grip puppies off my Street Triple.
With bare hands it's okayish, but with Gloves, they're just too big for my hands.
And I've realized it's very difficult to ride long distances without gloves once I'm habituated to the safety they offer.
Gloves with grip puppies ... way too big and uncomfortable for my moderately sized hands (7.5 Glove size)

[Sebring]

Here, a dealer suggested GRAB ON. Its thinner and the material seems better. Price is almost the same, though.

[ostrish]

Yes, I too removed grip puppies from my Interceptor after years of persistence.

The penny dropped because of cycling actually. I use ESI foam grips on my race bike, which are like a firmer version of grip puppies. While replacing them I decided to try a thicker version and immediately felt less control (though they were comfy).

So decided to try removing them from the Interceptor and instantly felt I had more control! Never going back to them.

I think my mantra across 2W is going to be thin grips, chunky gloves if I need the padding.

[akshaymahajan]

I have felt the same and need to remove my gloves after a while to reduce wrist pain. Never made the connection clearly though. Have an upcoming long ride - will remove grip puppies before that and compare.

[nr07]

Originally Posted by Rahulkool

In my experience, if you using good quality riding gloves then you dont need any additional grip on the handlebar. I have used few bikes with various types of grips and while they feel ok, if you are riding without gloves, otherwise they always feel too big for my hand.

Originally Posted by prakash_ajp

I second the idea about just using a good pair of gloves with sufficient padding. I ride one of the smoother bikes (Honda CB350) and still get pain if I ride for long without gloves or even with my RE gloves. This happens since I got way too used to the fantastic Viaterra Tundra gloves. So, I guess just some good gloves without the soft grips should be good for you.

Originally Posted by saisailendra

I've removed grip puppies off my Street Triple.
With bare hands it's okayish, but with Gloves, they're just too big for my hands.
And I've realized it's very difficult to ride long distances without gloves once I'm habituated to the safety they offer.
Gloves with grip puppies ... way too big and uncomfortable for my moderately sized hands (7.5 Glove size)

Thanks guys for the suggestion on gloves. The thing is I wear gloves all of my rides (15-20km+ probably). But, on weekdays I am just in my very small town and do not wear gloves (please don't judge because I get death stares from other people while wearing gloves locally) and this Speed 400 has uncomfortable grip (never had problem on Duke). However, I am guessing I would have to get used to this because using the Grippuppies while wearing gloves causes too much problems.

[itisravi]

What is the width of Grip Puppies? I have a pair of cheap grips on my bike that I got from ebay (Honda CB300F launched at Rs. 2.26 lakh) that are 4mm thick and feel super comfortable with and without my street gloves.

[Deamon0508]

Funnily enough, I have been contemplating buying Grip Puppies for my current ride. The reason is that I'm fairly used to larger diameters for grip due to the RTR200, and as a result I usually have a red patch on both my palms after riding 30-odd minutes on the CB300R, the reason is partly because the front is stiffer, and does transfer a lot more of the road to the palm. I do wear gloves no matter how short the ride, since I'm pretty used to riding with them, and would rather not have sweaty and slippery palms on the grip.

Now looking at the number of people complaining about Grip Puppies, it might just be worth to live through it and eventually condition myself for the grip. Thoughts?

P.S. - I never thought having a softer grip might hamper the ability to control the bike, but yeah, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

[nr07]

Originally Posted by Deamon0508

Funnily enough, I have been contemplating buying Grip Puppies for my current ride. The reason is that I'm fairly used to larger diameters for grip due to the RTR200, and as a result I usually have a red patch on both my palms after riding 30-odd minutes on the CB300R, the reason is partly because the front is stiffer, and does transfer a lot more of the road to the palm. I do wear gloves no matter how short the ride, since I'm pretty used to riding with them, and would rather not have sweaty and slippery palms on the grip.

Now looking at the number of people complaining about Grip Puppies, it might just be worth to live through it and eventually condition myself for the grip. Thoughts?

P.S. - I never thought having a softer grip might hamper the ability to control the bike, but yeah, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

I am on a similar boat. I think the shorter handle + slightly better grips were good enough for me on the Duke. However, the Speed one is problematic and my palms get red. I spoke with another owner who had said the same thing. The problem for me was that it would start paining almost immediately in city traffic and pain would get lesser after some amount of riding. Better if gloves are on. I think I got used to it though but it would take me some time riding without the grips again to figure this out.

I would suggest you to just try giving it a few days. If your problem does not go away, try the grip puppies or whatever other grip you might want to try. Since this is not a permanent mod, there are no risks involved.

[SithDefender]

I had tried Grip Puppies for my Interceptor, but I too abandoned them as it didn't solve my wrist pain and finger numbness. Rounded grips, like those on the Meteor and the new Interceptor, are far better for my specific case.

[a_chelat]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Here, a dealer suggested GRAB ON. Its thinner and the material seems better. Price is almost the same, though.

I have these on my Adv 390. It feels nice and does cut out the buzz but I am not sure if there is going to be a perceptible difference in the thickness. Still feels a bit chunky. Would definitely be too thick with gloves on, with my hands being on the smaller side.