knee grips, anyone got them

[R-III-R Turbo]

i stuck a pair on there yesterday, noticed that they are lifting in middle.
seems to be the curvature of the tank and the pads are too stiff and want to straighten out, pulling off at the middle.

anyone else experienced this?
any ideas on solving it (may need to remove them in future so no superglue :shock

 

[Captain Rich]

I've had mine on since the bike was new in '06 and have had no problems; if the pads are under 1 yr, see if your dealer will provide a warranty replacement. If not, a thin piece of double-backed tape cut to shape would be my recommendation - an adhesive might get messy (and you may want to peel them off at some point).

 

[barbagris]

Make sure they're WARM and that the tank is too. Otherwise they wont adhere properly. My dealer used a hot air gun to get them flexible.

ime they're a bit useless. My left knee hits the bearclaw before the rubber. And on the right using it involves 3rd degree burns. I still like the aesthetics though.

 

[barbagris]

I have them on my RE and they work fine. :razz:

careful Ian - they're holding the tank together. :catfight:

 

[R-III-R Turbo]

I am about to fit a pair of knee pads to my Phantom Black Roadster, any last minute instruction from those who have done it.

Turbo, what colour do you have, I know the flat black can be a problem because of the rough finish of the paint.

phantom black too.
trouble is i did heat them up, and the tank too, between letting it idle for a few mins and a 500w halogen lamp.
now i did polish the tank just before i did it, maybe the slippy polish is the reason. i'll take the polish off tomorrow with something and try again

 

[gra53]

I took the time to clean the tank with alcohol wipes (phantom black), they stuck for a few months. Was constantly pushing back the edges till I removed them - by then dirt had got in behind them. They are a waste of time and money. The one on the top of the tank works.

 

[zimtuff]

I had the side pads on when I bought the bike and added the top one myself. Mine are fine after 3 years and I like them because Harleys dont have them.

 

[R-III-R Turbo]

Torbo, most definately you have to remove any polish thats for sure, sound like some people have been successful and some not. The kit came with a special cleaning cloth to remove any polish and dirt.
I will let you know how I get on.

yeah i rubbed a bit of petrol in to remove the polish, and heated the pads up real good and they appear to be sticking properly now.
only problem is, my old man gave me a hand and the right one is on a little crooked... /-: went to pull it off and try again but the glue was so hot it just started coming apart so i left it..... ah well!

I had the side pads on when I bought the bike and added the top one myself. Mine are fine after 3 years and I like them because Harleys dont have them.

XD yeah true. if anyone ever asks me is that a harley, i wont be impressed!

 

[Navigator]

It is interesting in that no one mentioned the adhesive. I assume the R3 knee grips come with a peel off backing. 60s vintage also did, as do the aftermarket replacements. I've restored a number of 60s vintage Triumphs and always used a good double bonding agent, not relying on the factory glue. Cleaning the tanks with alcohol and hitting the grips was also necessary back then. It sounds like nothing has changed.

 

[Flyingscotsman3]

Hi,Fitted these on my classic last year, & even in this climate of damp/rain riding their still on with no problems, using the original backing adhesive.
The three things you`ve gotta remember are......
1)Clean the tank area where there going properly!!!!, with anything that`s going to cut through them layers of polish, like petrol/alchohol wipes etc & buff off till it squeeks!.... clean.
2)Make sure your shed or Garage is warm so there is no damp air involved at all.
3)Remember you get one shot at positioning them where you want em, when you`ve made contact with the backing paper off!!.
Kev