Spider Grips Slim Line SLR Grips | MC TESTED

Your handlebar grips are the primary points of contact with your motorcycle, helping you steer the bike as well as serving as information conduits for what the engine, suspension, and tires are doing. Whether they’re worn out or you’re just looking for a simple upgrade, new grips are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make your bike feel fresh.

We became fans of Spider Grips’ products after trying them on a variety of machines, from racebike builds to long-term testbikes. Spider Grips offers many on- and off-road models to choose from, but its Slim Line SLR grips are our favorites for street use. They’re incredibly slim and have a tacky surface that makes you feel connected to the bike.

And these aren’t just cheap extruded rubber sleeves. The SLRs have a dual-compound design with a vibration-damping “acoustical rebound layer” core and an outer sheath of grippy rubber that’s covered with a large, blunt diamond pattern. The outside ends are open so you can run bar ends, and the inner flange is the perfect size for street use. A lower-profile section near the inner flange is just wide enough for your gloved index finger and encourages that “hold it like a screwdriver” hand position that so many race schools suggest. There are even channels molded into the surface so you can safety-wire the grips to your bars so they don’t spin during aggressive riding.

The SLRs are soft, which yields good feel, but also means they wear quickly. (The throttle grip pictured here was twisted for 24 hours straight during an endurance event; the left grip is in much better shape.) But like a pair of gloves or boots, they get better as you break them in. The Slim Line SLRs are available in 10 colors to match any brand of bike.

PRICE: $16.95
**CONTACT: Spider Grips www.spidergrips.com

An easy, affordable upgrade that you’ll really appreciate.