I decided to make a pair of leather handgripsfor my bicycle that I just put a gas motor kit on. This was a fun project, and adds a nice handmade touch that I was looking for.

Step 1:

Things needed:

1. Artificial sinew (Tandy Leather)

2. Beading needles (Tandy Leather)

3. Sewing awl (Tandy Leather)

4. Exacto knife

5. Scissors

6. Small ruler

7. Metal straight edge (Not pictured)

8. Leather

Step 2:

So get a grip on yourself and lets get started. Punching holes along sides. I punched mine 5mm apart and 5mm from the sides. I put a piece of tape on my awl to make each hole the same diameter. My needle and sinew were a tight fit in these holes. The sinew is waxed so this aides in pulling it through. The throttle side is 1'' and the left side is 7/8''. Hold leather around handlebar tightly and mark where they meet. You need to cut slightly shorter than this for a tight fit...my first one was too short. I ended up cutting about 3/32" shorter.Use your metal straight edge and xacto knife AND BE CAREFUL! I used a piece of scrap wood under the leather to protect the table...Don't forget to do this!

Step 3:

I cut the artificial sinew 4 foot long and threaded a beading needle on each end.Starting on the outside of the leather, I pulled each needle through the first hole on each side and then up over the top and down through the 2nd hole crossing from one side to the other and so on. Hope the picture is self explanatory.

Step 4:

When you get to the end, you need to go back and pull each stitch tight, working your way back down again. Try on your bars to check for fit. If everything went well, you won't need any adhesive.