Koso Apollo Heated Grips

[SethInIllinois]

Has anyone used Koso Apollo Heated grips? While I've got my new Connie apart this winter, I thought I might install a set of heated grips. It should make the first and last month of riding here in Northern IL nicer.

I was looking at Oxfords, but unless you get the really expensive ones, they all have a bulky external control panel. These have a small integrated control module on the left grip.

Anyone have experience with these?

APOLLO | Heated Grips | Universal Fit - 120mm - KOSO North America

Our Apollo heated grips are designed with an integrated adjustable thumb switch, which allows them to easily fit on any kind of motorcycles on the market.

kosonorthamerica.com

 

[rlievenski4555]

I got a pair of Koso grips for Christmas last year. They were a breeze to install this spring and have made cool days much more pleasant. The integrated control looks so much better than the Oxford units. I tend to use the yellow or orange settings mostly. Red is great when starting out with cold hands, yet is a bit hot for having on too long. The grips make Michigan riding so much better!

 

[Jorge]

Just now saw your question...
My wife Irene was given a set (thanks Jim!!!!) - She loves them.
They are really neat with the grip-mounted controls, and a straightforward installation.
The module that converts and controls the power is small enough I was able to tuck it away, even on her Vulcan-S.
Nice design, seems well-built.

 

[Bud]

Those look nice.

 

[Jpd11958]

They get very good reviews on the Versys forum. The only complaint I have heard is that you can inadvertently hit a button while trying to get to something else on the left switch pod.

 

[SethInIllinois]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Looks like I'll buy a pair, especially considering they are pretty affordable. My only reservation the space taken up by the button, as I have big monkey-paw hands, but it looks pretty slim. I often end up with my pinky off onto the bar end anyway. All my bikes have been Japanese bikes with 120mm grips, but I bet I would enjoy the wider grips on adventure bikes (130mm) or HDs (125mm). If I reeeeaaly cared, I could modify a spare set of Connie bars to use 130mm grips, but it hasn't been enough of an issue on all my years of riding.

 

[SethInIllinois]

Oh, one more question: what have the rest of you used to glue heated grips on? I see they usually give you a tube of regular CA super glue, but some folks say gorilla glue or RTV works better. I'd like something that I can get off in the future without destroying my grip tube, as it's got a nice ThrottleMeister on it, and I don't think parts are available for it anymore.

I figure getting the grips off is destructive, but if I'm taking them off, it's probably because they are dead anyway, but something that doesn't destroy the throttle tube would be nice.

 

[SethInIllinois]

I figured I'd come back and update my experience with these Koso Apollo grips. I put them on the bike when I had it significantly torn down this winter doing a bunch of other work, including major re-configuration of all the accessory electrical. I used the 120mm version, which fit well, and I love how they feel and look on the bike. The control switch is beautiful, and honestly looks OEM nestled right up against the left switchgear. They are larger OD than the factory grips, which are more comfortable for my big hands (I usually wear XL or XXL gloves).

The electrical part of the installation went well (I zip-tied the controller/junction block on the left fairing stay, hidden up behind the left dash pocket and routed the power cable along the frame with the bundle of other accessory power back to the aux fuse block on the right side of the battery box. The controller has a 4-amp mini fuse in it, which I can access by removing the left inner black fairing that has the dash pocket.

The grip installation itself was a bit less smooth. Getting the factory grips off wasn't too bad (I used a compressed air blowgun, which worked pretty well). On the left side, the Koso grip fit REALLY tight, so I didn't use any adhesive, and just struggled to push it on. It's rock-solid and not going anywhere. In hindsight, I probably could have used some alcohol or other volatile solvent to provide a bit of short-term lubrication to make the job easier.

The right side, though, was an ordeal. I shaved down the ridge on the throttle tube, after which the grip fit over snugly. I then spent a LONG time experimenting with orientation to get the offset from the switchgear correct and so my Throttlemeister would still work properly, as well as get the power cable in an orientation that wasn't in the way during the full throttle rotation, or prevent spring closing. Then, I marked it, pulled it off, and smeared up the tube and inside of the grip with superglue, then pushed it on. The grip slid on too far, and in the half second it took me to realize it, the glue set up tight and I could not move it. F F F F F!!!!!!! I'm sure any of you that have screwed up something can understand the emotions in that moment! The grip was tight against the switchgear and prevented the throttle from rotating smoothly.

Figuring I'd need to buy a new $35 throttle tube and $125 grip, I frantically googled for ideas to remove superglue and discovered that acetone is supposed to remove it, so I took the tube off the bike and started dousing it with acetone and working a thin pick into the gap. Surprisingly, I was able to make some progress without destroying either part, and after about a half hour of careful fiddling, I managed to get them apart!

After I got all the residue cleaned up, I decided I was not going to gamble with that risky approach, and I assembled it again dry, and then used some really thin superglue that wicks into tiny spaces. I keep it on hand for fixing cracks in things (and kids toys), and it's pretty great stuff. It's about the consistency of thin solvent (it's thinner than water), and really does soak into tiny spaces. I'll see how it holds up over the long term, but I'm OK if I have to re-glue it again given the disaster I started with.

Anyway, aside from that, I love these grips. I rode an hour in the rain yesterday in 50-degree temps with my summer ventilated Held gloves and kept my hands comfy. The 5 settings are handy to keep the temp regulated at what I need.

Lastly, the friction collar for the Throttlemeister wouldn't fit without modification. I could have cut it down, but since they are NLA, I didn't want to modify it, so I measured what needed to be different, and my neighbor made me a revised version on his 3D printer, which worked perfectly. I honestly am not a huge fan of the bar-end style throttle aids, but it came on the bike, and looks great, so I'm going to stick with it for the time being. My preferred style is one that locks with a thumb lever/button, like a Vista-Cruise or Atlas. I have an NEP (similar to the Vista Cruise) on my 600, which took a fair bit of modification and fabrication, but the operation is SOOO much more convenient than twisting a bar end.

I'll report back if I have issues, but so far, I'd highly recommend these grips. At about $125, they are a great price too.