I’ve been riding for over a decade.
Whether I needed new grips because of a crash, or just due to wear and tear I can tell you one thing; I’ve tried pretty much every single set of dirt bike grips you can imagine.
And now, I generally head straight for Renthal motocross grips.
Whether you need MX grips to reduce vibration, improve outright grip (for instance, in the mud), or just want something hard-wearing for trail riding; this guide will help.
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Where Do You Start, With So Much Choice?
If you’ve started searching for the best dirt bike grips, there’s a good chance you’ve gotten a little confused.
Soft, medium and hard?
Waffle and diamond?
What the heck does all that mean!!??
This relates to the compound.
Renthal Grip Compounds
When choosing Renthal dirt bike grips, you’ll see different compounds on offer.
Basically, you first choose how hard you want your grips:
- Soft
- Medium
- Hard
Then, you choose whether you want waffle, diamond, or both (we’ll explain all this below):
- 50/50 (Waffle/Diamond)
- Full Waffle
- Full Diamond
So, with 3 different waffle/diamond combinations, and 3 levels of grip hardness, there’s 9 different grips to choose from.
Density
Soft
- Best grip overall – great for mud and trail riding
- Most likely to wear out gloves and induce blisters
- Most absorbent – say bye-bye to handlebar vibrations
Medium
- Slightly less grip than softs
- Won’t wear out gloves or induce blisters as easily
- Will absorb most vibrations, but not as much as softs
- Great all-rounder
Hard
- Expect more vibration, and less grip than medium and soft
- Not great for wet, mud or trail riding
- Bonus: they’ll last longer than both soft and mediums.
Waffle/Diamond
The best Renthal dirt bike grips offer one, or a mixture of:
- Waffle
- Diamond
So you can get full waffle, full diamond, or a grip that combines the two (50/50 waffle/diamond).
Waffle
That’s the square patches you see on the grip. This offers additional grip, which is especially important when you get arm-pump, and when you ride in the mud.
Diamond
See the little spots all over the grip? That’s the diamond part of the compound.
A straight-up diamond provides plenty of grip in the dry. But, if you get arm-pump or ride woods, you might want a combination of the two.
The Best Renthal Dirt Bike Grips
I use medium. You get just enough grip, and they still absorb plenty of vibrations through the bars.
At the same time, you don’t wear out gloves, or get blisters, and they last.
And, I use a 50/50. So, that’s half waffle and half diamond.
They look like this.
The Renthal medium 50/50 grips I use is the best middle ground of everything.
Whether you trail ride, ride in the mud, the sand, or a motocross track; I’ve found these last, provide the grip I need and don’t give me blisters.
The Best Dirt Bike Grip Glue
If you didn’t know already, you’ll need glue to fit your grips.
As I use Renthal grips, I always head straight for Renthal’s own brand grip glue.
If you don’t make a mess and clear around the cap when you’re finished fitting your new grips, their MX grip glue will last for at least 4-5 applications (that’s a lot of riding).
So, you’ll only need one tub of grip glue for like, every 4-5 sets of grips.
How To Fit Dirt Bike Grips
Each manufacturer of grip glue will have specific instructions on the back of the tub.
The variation in instruction usually comes down to how long their glue takes to dry.
I’ll tell you one thing; it dries fast, and it gets everywhere 🙂
- Don’t Wear Your Best Clothes, Because You’ll Never Get The Glue Off
- Make Sure There’s A Pin-Prick In The End Of The Grip, This Releases Air As You Work It Onto The Bars
- Get Towels Ready To Mop Up Excess Glue, After 10-15 Seconds, You’ll Never Remove It
- Cut Off Your Old Grips, And Make Sure The Contact Patches Are Clean
- Put A Thin Layer Of Glue On The Bars And Grip
- Work The Grip Around The Bars Into Position
- Don’t Pull Back On The Throttle Side, You’ll Snap The Cable (Trust Me)
- Clean Up
- Leave For 24 Hours For The Glue To Set
- Ride Hard!
What’s Next?
Thanks for reading my 2-minute guide to the best dirt bike grips.
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