I have a love/hate relationship with billet grips. I love the custom look, but living with them day-to-day is a chore. For that reason, I decided to re-install the stock rubber grips. Unbeknown to me, the grips are not the same size. The stock throttle side is slightly larger than the clutch-side grip. After making the throttle side fit with lots of lube and pressure, I ended up with an oversized grip on the clutch side that was too big for the bar. Woops! I swapped the stretched-out stock ones with Progrip Superbike grips, which also added a bit of color.
During the lever test in the October 2007 issue, I was impressed by the build quality and functionality of Pazzo Racing's levers. I immediately ordered a set once they were finally made available for the ZX-14. The machined silver finish with blue adjusters look trick and have a custom race-bike feel. I like short levers on the brake side for two-fingered pulls, but prefer the extra leverage that long levers provide on clutches. Rather than compromise on one side or the other, Pazzo sent a short brake and long clutch for the best of both worlds-and at no extra cost. Pazzo levers are also available in a wide variety of colors and combinations to make the perfect match for any bike.
The wide-tire conversion is still in the plans and I keep hounding the delivery driver every day in eager anticipation. Timing of the installation should be perfect to keep the dust from accumulating on the bike as the winter weather sets in. Until next time, just remember...the one with the most chrome wins.