Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips

When you talk about accesories for your Suzuki Intruder, what do you think of first? I'm betting you don't think of Suzuki Intruder hand grips, do you? No, I bet you think of getting some motorcycle saddlebags, or maybe some new Suzuki Intruder handlebars, even. You probably entertain the idea of getting a custom paintjob for your gas tank, don't you?

But I would be surprised if you gave the handgrips much thought. You should though, and here's why:

Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips

There's nothing wrong with the stock handgrips that come on the Suzuki Intruder. In fact, I rather like them. They look good, they feel good, and they're comfortable enough on a long ride. But what if you want to customize your stock Intruder grips? Or worse yet, what if you find a great deal on an older Intruder (say, a 1986 Suzuki VS700 Intruder) and the rubber handgrips are torn up or rotted away? There's only thing you can do:

Buy new Intruder hand grips, of course!

But what kind do you buy? You can get replacement handgrips from a dealer, but I find that most dealer only replacement parts are too costly when you can just as easily get something with a lot more personality in the aftermarket segment.

Where do you get these new Intruder handgrips? From anywhere, really. I would look online for them, though, as you'll probably find them a lot cheaper from an online dealer than you would from your local Suzuki dealer.

What Suzuki Intruder Hand Grip Choices Do You Have?

You can get hand grips made specifically for the Suzuki Intruder. I've seen some great looking grips out there that are Intruder specific. All the way from solid chromed metal with maybe some nice, etched designs to chromed grips with rubber inserts to keep your hand cushioned from vibration and afford a little extra grip.

For that matter, if you really like them or you're trying to restore your motorcycle, then you can always go ahead and get Suzuki Intruder stock replacement grips, as well.

There are, however, other choices available. As long as the diameter is the same, nearly any grip will work.

What Grips Fit A Suzuki Intruder?

Because the Suzuki Intruder handlebars are one inch diameter, this means that in addition to the Suzuki Grips made for the Intruder, you have a huge selection of custom handle grips made for Harley's (which also have one inch handlebars) to choose from.

While the accessories for the Japanese cruiser market have come a long way over the last ten years or so, from what I can tell, there hasn't been much support for the older style cruisers, especially the Suzuki Intruders. It's a shame, really, but it's good to know that as you're a little bit mechanically inclined you can find plenty of Intruder accessories for you motorcycle that aren't neccessarily made for the Suzuki Intruder.

And when it comes to handgrips and handlebars, thanks to Harley there's a bucket load of them available.

So next time you're out looking for new accessories for your Intruder, make sure you don't overlook the handle grips. Take a good look around online, too. You'll find plenty of resources for your Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips.

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Suzuki Intruder Hand Grips

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Motorcycle Saddlebags For Suzuki Intruders

I'm going to stray just a bit here and talk for a moment not of Suzuki Intruders in particular, but of motorcycle saddlebags generally and for Suzuki Intruders.

Motorcycle Saddlebags

When your out and about riding through town on your Suzuki motorcycle (or any other brand, for that matter) sometimes it's nice to be able to stop at a store and pick up a few things to take home. Other times, like when you decide to take a long trip on your motorcycle, you need to be able to pack some personal effects to take with you. In a car, this is easy of course. On a motorcycle, not so much.

This is where saddlebags come into play.

For those of you who do not know, saddlebags resemble--and get their name from--the bags that the cowboys used to strap over their horses for the long trips. On a motorcycle, the mounting scheme is usually a bit different, but the overall idea remains largely the same.

Motorcycle saddlebags consist of two "bags" connected by a yoke. This whole setup is usually made of leather or a leatherlike material, though there are some manufacturers who use hard material, such as fiberglas or something similar, usually for the purpose of offering solid, waterproof construction. While hard saddlebags for motorcycles are okay in their place, in this post, I won't be delving into the hard saddlebags too much because they don't really fit well with the Suzuki Intruder motorcycle. An exception to this would be the big classic style cruiser of the Intruder LC1500 which works well in hard saddlebag, touring type setup.

Sometimes each of these bags contains pockets in addition to the main compartment, but usually it just one big compartent per side. Generally, a flap closes over the top of each one lengthwise and is secured by a snap on one end where the other end is sewn in. Another, larger, flap closes over this flap and is buckled into place by one, two, or three buckles.

The yoke is used to mount the saddlebags on the motorcycle, usually underneath the rear seat. This is simple enough, but you also need one other piece of equipment unless you want your saddlebags flying all over the place when you ride while getting beat up by the rear wheel. What is this extra piece of equipment? Glad you asked!

Saddlebag Supports

These are metal pieces shaped in a sort of a square "u." Each manufacturer has a specific method of attaching these so I can't go into too much detail. But generally, they either mount under the rear fender or between the fender and the fender rails. Once these are in place and you've got your yoke underneath the seat, all you have to do is tie or otherwise attach the saddlebags to this support. Now they won't sway and bounce all over the place when you ride.

Now that we know a little bit about these things and how to mount them, let's take a look the two main styles they come in.

1. Straight Saddlebags
   
2. Slanted Saddlebags
   
Straight Saddlebags

These hang straight down and resemble in profile a square. They offer a lot of usable room and work well on a monoshock style motorcycle or cruisers that have a lot of space between the rear shocks and the end of the fender. On a more compact motorcycle with exposed shocks the bottom front corner of these bags must overlap the shock thereby causing the front of them to pooch out. While functionally this may have little impact, aesthetically it is very tacky.

Slant Saddlebags

If you take the straight saddlebags and slant them backward, this is what you get. Instead of resembling a square they look more like a parallelogram. While they do not offer as much usable room as the straight saddlebags do, they are a great option for those cruisers with a compact back end and exposed shocks. The slanted style means that the saddlebag can actually sit behind the shock instead of on top of it, thus bringing it back into an acceptably aesthetic profile. On a monoshock "soft tail" style motorcycle, however, I think these might look a little out of place.

Which Style of Motorcycle Saddlebags Is Right For Your Intruder?

While I've seen each style used, I can say without a doubt that I think the slant saddlebags fit the bill here. They sit comfortable behind the shocks and help to fill out the thin, almost anemic look of the back end while still keeping with the sleek look of the chopper cruiser. For a quality set, I would look into Willie and Max saddlebags, sissy bar bags, and toolbags. I've always had great luck and pleasant experiences with Willie & Max.

So the next time you're out looking to add something new to your Suzuki Intruder, do yourself a favor and pick up some nice motorcycle saddlebags.

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Motorcycle Saddlebags For Suzuki Intruders

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