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Sticking tank kneegrips

Submitted by ian_cordes on Monday, 2 June, 2014 - 01:00
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Heavy Twins

Yes, I know; use glue.....! Trouble is -

I recently purchased 2 pairs of stick-on rubber knee grips, suitable for early Widelines, from the club spares scheme, as I was restoring 2 tanks. Having finished one, I duly glued the grips on with Evo-Stik. However, on a ride-out the other day, one came off, never to be seen again. Having a spare pair, I glued another on last week, and on Saturday went with the excellent Tamar Valley branch to the Bideford Classic Bike Show. The same pad came off on the way.,.. Fortunately, I retrieved it, and could see that the glue adhered well to the chrome on the tank, but had just peeled off the back of the rubber. I asked Neil Shoesmith if he had any ideas, but he said no, he would have done the same as me.

So, apart from maybe abrading the back of the pad with sand- or emery-paper, does anyone have any ideas, or indeed, has anyone had the same problem, and found a way to cure it?

Thanks. Ian

Submitted by gordon_johnston on Monday, 2 June, 2014 - 01:01

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You have answered it yourself - abrade the back of the pad and all should be well. Here's a bizarre tale. I lost a kneegrip from my Domi. A few days later I was at a wedding and lying in the car park was - a Domi kneegrip. It wasn't the one I lost but it was stuck on my tank the next morning!

Submitted by roger_hainsworth on Monday, 2 June, 2014 - 01:02

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Before you abrade it, clean the rubber surface to be glued really well with a cloth soaked in cellulose or acrylic thinners (wear protective gloves) to remove all traces of mould release wax.

Paint/motor factors will have a much more powerful contact adhesive (3M do a good one) used for fixing trim and beading in the car body repair industry.

Submitted by ian_cordes on Monday, 2 June, 2014 - 01:03

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OK gents, thank you for the prompt answers. I think the problem is the release agent, which is also used on tyres of course, whch is why you have to run them in to scrub it off.

Cheers

Ian

Submitted by neil_wyatt on Monday, 2 June, 2014 - 01:04

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Ian, I answered this one before on another thread. When I stuck the knee grips on my 650 I used silicone, but it wasn't long before one almost came off.

My slimline model 50 on the other hand has it's knee grips attached with double sided golfing tape and not budged in more than 14 years.

Submitted by ian_cordes on Tuesday, 3 June, 2014 - 01:00

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Neil, that sounds like a good plan. Trouble is, I have never heard of double sided golfing tape, or would have any idea where to buy it. I wonder what a golfer would want double sided tape for....?

Cheers!

Ian

Submitted by lionel_yexley on Wednesday, 11 June, 2014 - 01:00

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If you have ever re-soled or heeled shoes then you would know that you need to abrade the glue face and clean it with a high-end solvent. Cellulose thinners is OK but ordinary 'drinking' meths would do - it's my easy-access cleaner of choice! wink Back in the day I always used Evo-stik but perhaps it ain't what it used to be?

Submitted by lionel_yexley on Wednesday, 11 June, 2014 - 01:05

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PS. Obviously the chrome will need cleaning - ideally it could have a slight abrasion with 1000grade - but who's going to bite that bullet?

Submitted by stuart_munroe on Wednesday, 11 June, 2014 - 01:06

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Tried Evostick (applied too much) and it didn't work, then double sided tape, which lasted two days. Finally used a spray contact adhesive from Parts Centre after cleaning with meths and masking the rest of the tank. Absolutely spot on - solid as a solid thing!

Submitted by lionel_yexley on Wednesday, 11 June, 2014 - 01:07

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Presumably you used the Evo-Stik as a contact adhesive? Spread it on the rubber and the tank let it dry then, VERY CAREFULLY, aim and stick it down all in one go. Spread any bubbles out from the centre of the grip. Of course it isn't petrol-proof, but what is? Sprasy =on is good then but it can get where other lagers can't reach I expect!

Submitted by ian_cordes on Thursday, 12 June, 2014 - 01:00

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I suspect it is not the fault of the Evo-Stik, but the fact that I failed to abrade, and importantly, clean the back of the rubber with solvent.

When I had the tank re-chromed, the chromer did not finally linish the areas to be painted, or where the knee pads go, to assist with adhesion. The Evo-Stik has stuck to the chrome like the proverbial to a jaggy blanket... It resists any attempts to roll it off with the thumb, as glue can sometimes do. I guess a slosh of Tesco's unleaded petrol will make short work of it though!

I have used spray glue on a Constellation tank, but masking was a pain. I will attempt the job today, if time allows, or tomorrow, and will report back.

Many thanks. Ian

 



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