As the weather was cool and rainy, my spouse Genny, who was following me solo on her Can-Am Ryker, teased me by saying that my hands were nice and warm on the heated grips of my Super Ténéré. It’s true—she doesn’t have heated grips on her Ryker—so we decided on the spot to install some. That’s all her already well-equipped bike needed.
Choosing Heated Grips
To avoid any issues and ensure a hassle-free installation, we decided to install genuine Can-Am heated grips. So we called the dealership, and surprise, nothing was available for our Ryker. Can-Am has only been offering them since 2022, and they aren’t compatible with earlier Ryker models.
So we had to settle for a universal aftermarket kit. A quick search online revealed that the Ryker has a unique handlebar feature: the diameter is 7/8 of an inch on the left and 1 inch on the right. Good to know!
We thought we were stuck with this situation, but Koso has developed the Apollo, specifically designed for the Can-Am Ryker.
Product Description
Koso products enjoy an excellent reputation for high-quality materials and efficient performance. Upon examining these grips, we notice that the finish is very close to that of original equipment (OEM), which sets them apart from universal kits.
Let’s also look at the ends of the grips and yes! The throttle grip has a diameter of 25 mm, and the other has a diameter of 22 mm. This is perfectly suited for a Ryker and should make installation easier (well, partially, as we’ll see later).
Thanks to the control button built into the left grip, the integration is truly excellent. There’s no external control box attached to the handlebars. The wires are very discreet, and the result looks like factory-installed equipment.
Heating, Controls, and Battery Protection
Easily accessible with the tip of your thumb via push buttons, the Apollo grips offer 5 heat settings. They warm up in less than two minutes. According to user reviews online, the highest setting is powerful enough to ride near freezing temperatures with good gloves. Thus, the intermediate settings are well spaced.
The Koso system features electronic discharge protection.
If the battery voltage drops too low, the grips shut off automatically. This prevents the battery from being completely drained and the bike from failing to start. By intentionally leaving the grips on, we observed that the protection system cuts off power as soon as the voltage drops by 0.1 volts. This is a feature not offered by all budget kits.
The control for the heated grips consists of a push button located under the left thumb. This button, integrated directly into the grip, gives the system a much more premium look than external controllers. It allows you to select one of five heat settings without letting go of the handlebars. You can also immediately see the selected setting thanks to the colored LEDs.
Installation Challenges
Although this kit was specifically designed for the Can-Am Ryker, we encountered a few surprises during installation. First, when removing the rubber grip from the throttle, we noticed that the throttle is electronically controlled. It consists of a plastic sleeve that slides over the metal tube of the handlebar. So be careful here, the throttle mechanism can be delicate, and you should avoid handling it roughly.
The plastic sleeve has a mushroom-shaped end cap. You must remove it to allow the heated grip to slide on. When trying to slide the heated grip on, you’ll quickly realize it won’t fit there. You’ll need to reduce the thickness of the throttle sleeve. So we disassemble the throttle and use a belt sander to reduce the thickness of the plastic tube. Once the size is adjusted, we put everything back together. We position the electrical cable correctly and ensure that the grip rotates smoothly without any resistance or binding.
On the left side, the grip slides into place without a hitch with a firm twist of the wrists. We then made the electrical connections as usual.
A final result that’s very satisfying
Once installed, the Koso Apollo heated grips provide powerful heating that’s easy to adjust. The finish is neat and looks like it came straight from the factory, which is gratifying because it doesn’t detract from our bike’s appearance with a control box bolted to the handlebars.
The Apollo handlebar set for the Ryker is the best fit for a pre-2022 Ryker. That’s actually why my BRP dealer recommended it when I called asking for a Can-Am OEM kit. He was right.
