Counterpunch Installation
- Loosen the grip collar bolt and remove the packaging.
- Loosen the bolt on the Counterpunch and remove from the grip.
- There is a plastic insert inside; remove and discard.
- The rubber part of the grips are not directional, but the grip collars are mirrored. Choose whether you want both collar bolts facing to the front of the bike or the rear, depending on your lever setup. (The split in the collar will be facing to the ground).
- Make sure the inner plastic core of the grip is lined up properly with the metal collar, then slide onto the bar until the end of bar is exposed. Note: If it's difficult to slide the grip onto the bar, a small drop of chain lube on the end of the bar will help a lot.
- Grease the bolt/nut and the flat inner sliding surfaces of the split wedges of the Counterpunch.
IMPORTANT: Before inserting into the bar, tighten the nut/bolt a little so the nut sits inside the channel on top of the split wedge. You don't want to insert the wedges when they are so loose that the nut comes out of the slot. Otherwise the nut may be forced into the wedge on an angle and crack it. If you skip this step and end up cracking the wedge, you can just swap the two wedges so the undamaged one is against the nut and the cracked one is against the Counterpunch, and it will still work as intended.
- Insert the Counterpunch split wedges into the end of the bar. They are the same shape left and right, but the laser etching is mirrored. The LL Arrow Logo should point toward the ground.
- Slide the grip back toward the end of the bar so the plastic tabs are inserted into the slots on the Counterpunch. You may need to push the grip back off the end of the bar a little to get them in, but not so far that the split wedges come out of the bar. Once the plastic tabs are fully inserted, push the assembly back onto the bar until the end of the bar is hard up against the inside groove of the Counterpunch.
- Start with the Counterpunch level with the ground. Some people like them a little up, and some a little down, but most people find dead level is the best. Torque to 5-6Nm
- Try to twist the Counterpunch with moderate force, as this may settle the split wedges. If it moves, tighten a little more until it doesn't.
- Tap the grip collar with a rubber mallet to close any gaps between the rubber and both metal parts.
- Torque the grip collar bolt to 2.5Nm
- Apply a drop of chain lube to the bolt heads on the Counterpunch to prevent corrosion in wet weather.
Torque specs: Counterpunch 5-6Nm, grip clamp 2.5Nm.
Having the Counterpunch too loose will actually increase the risk of bar damage under impact, especially if it's loose enough to pull out.
If you're concerned that 5-6Nm is too tight for a carbon bar, the video below should put your mind at ease. It shows an attempt to crack the bar by overtightening well beyond that torque. This is absolutely not recommended however.
The video below shows how much impact force a properly installed and torqued Counterpunch can take without damaging a carbon bar.