Answer Series III Grips
ANSWER SERIES III GRIPS
CYCLE WORLD EVALUATION
ANSWER'S ANSWER TO A BLISTERING QUESTION
When it comes to off-road motorcycle handgrips, there’s only one thing that everyone agrees on: Most riders don’t agree on anything. Except, perhaps, that stock Honda CR/XR grips are among the most comfortable grips around.
And by the appearance of Answer Products’ Series III grips, you might conclude that Honda has a new rival in the grip popularity contest. The pattern of the Series III grips is a dead-ringer for that of Honda Stockers. The Answer grip has a rectangular pattern with eight ribs running the length of the grip and five ribs running circumferentially, very similar to the Honda grips.
On the track, though, Answer’s grips probably will never match the Honda grips for universal popularity. One reason is that the Series III grips are about a half-inch shorter than the average motocross grip. In fact, only stock RM Suzuki grips are as short. Many large-handed riders find that the grips are so stubby that their hands are both pushed against the inside thumb ring and hang over the outside of the grip. This is important, because everyone has a different technique of holding the handlebar. Some riders push inward against the thumb ring, some grab ahold of the middle, and others locate their hands at the grip’s outer edge. The problem with the Answer grips is that they don’t give you that choice.
There are several areas, though, where Answer has managed to oneup Honda. For example, the end of each grip is especially thick, so it’s unlikely that the handlebar will poke though if you’re in the habit of leaning your bike against your truck. And it’s just as unlikely that Answer grips will ever slip on the handlebar. Each Series III grip has four “glue grooves” on its inside surface that allow space for rubber cement or gasket sealer. Additionally, each grip has three circumferential safety-wire grooves on the outside that keep the wire straight and make it less likely to snag.
Overall, the Answer grips show a great deal of thought. Still, there are a few areas, such as the length, that are ill-considered. That’s why, when compared to Honda CR/XR grips, the Series Ills come up a little short.
