They are one of the most-overlooked items on your motorcycle when you are setting it up for your personal taste. Grips should be like the shoes on your feet: comfortable. ProTaper's new grips are designed to stop your sensitive hands from blistering and are built to take a thrashing. The ProTaper grips are constructed from Kraton synthetic rubber, which is designed to help absorb any harsh feeling being generated through the handlebar. The rubber offers a tacky feel to the hand and utilizes a diamond-patterned texture for better overall grip.
When I first put them on one of our test bikes, I was a bit concerned the soft grips might tear upon installation. In the past with some other brand's soft-compound grips, I have torn them at the end with just minor pressure on the bar-end. While the ProTaper grips have a soft feel to them and the compound is soft, the rubber held up during installation with no problems. Two small grooves allow safety wire to sit flush with the grips and are deep enough that you can double up on the wire. I opted to do so to do away with any possibility of slippage. On the track, the ProTaper grips felt very tacky, and grew stickier with time. Usually grips lose that new, tacky feel after a few washes, but the ProTaper pieces seem to do the opposite. ProTaper offers this compound only in white with a half waffle. Initially, the grips look trick but lose their sheen after a few rides. ProTaper grips run $7.95 per pair and, overall, are one of the most-functional grips I have tested.
--Corey Neuer