Installing the grips and bar-end mirrors from the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit

Installing the nFieldGear C5 Vintage Kit continued -
The Grips and Bar-End Mirrors

After I was done with the mini-bullet turn signals (see that post RoyalEnfieldsinAmerica - Installing the Vintage Kit), I decided to go for the new grips and bar-end mirrors. This turned out to be more of a chore than I expected, and took me about 4 hours total! The bar-end mirrors supplied with the nFieldGear C5 kit require some modification before they can be installed, so get your hacksaw, file and vice ready!

First, the grips... The new grips supplied with the Vintage Kit are larger diameter and more cushioned than the originals, so I was really looking forward to trying them out. I removed the factory bar end weights using a hex wrench, then cut the original grips off the handlebars using a box knife. Be careful with the throttle grip when cutting - there's a plastic tube under the grip (this is the tube that rotates around the bar for throttle control. After slicing the old grips along their length, peel them off the bars and clean up the bars a bit.
My trick for installing new grips is to coat the inside surfaces of the grips with a very soapy solution (lots of soap mixed with a little bit of water). This acts as a lubricant when sliding the new grips, and unlike other lubricants (vaseline, oil etc. - don't use those!), the soap will evaporate quickly, leaving no slippery residue. I also have a rubber mallet handy for those last two inches or so. The left grip went on fine. Before installing the right-side grip, you have to do some modification to the throttle tube. The tube has plastic moldings on it in the form of riblets that run inboard/outboard all around the circumference. These riblets have to filed down smooth for the new grip to have any chance at all of installing. There's also a plastic rim molded into to the outboard end of the tube, and it has to be filed off as well. So, grab your file or rasp, a beer, and get after it!
After the throttle tube is smooth, you'll need to make a modification to the throttle grip. You can see from the photo below that both grips have molded rubber ends. If you try to install the throttle grip without cutting off the end of the grip, you will not be able to turn the throttle! This is because when you re-install the bar-end weight, it will squeeze the end of the grip very tightly, making the grip impossible to rotate.

Cut this end off for the throttle grip

Install the throttle grip with the soapy solution as described above.

Now for the bar-end mirrors. This is where the hacksaw comes into play. The bar-end mirrors that ship with the Vintage Kit are designed for hollow-ended bars, so they come with a lug cast into the mirror bodies that must be cut off before installing on the original bar end weights. The photo below is from nFieldGear.com, and shows the cast lug that must be removed:

After cutting off the lugs from both mirrors, installing them is a breeze. Use the new bolts that come with the mirrors - they should screw right into the factory bar ends. 

Here's the left-side grip and mirror installed:

And the right-side:

I've ridden about 50 miles with the new bar-end mirrors installed, and they seem to be pretty stable - no more shaky than the original mirrors. And I really like the look much better than the Mickey Mouse ears that came as original equipment.

Next: Installing the front mudguard number plate!