FUNN’s Combat II grips are a bolt on, and forget product that lasts well beyond what the white colour would suggest.
Design
The FUNN Combat II grips have a ‘waffle’ pattern running almost the length of the grips with the outer edges tapering to meet the clamps and a FUNN logo embossed on the top and bottom of the grip. They have a thick flanged edge on the inside with one clamp on either end attaching them to the bars. There is a hard plastic inner lining that extends past the rubber where the clamps can attach to via a 3mm hex bolt each.
The Combat II’s come either flanged or unflanged and in black, grey or white. Aluminium end caps in a variety of colours are also available. These would replace the clamps and plastic end caps that fit into the end of the bars.
The grips taper at the ends to become flush with the clamps, which is a nice feature, and the FUNN logos on the tops and bottoms of the grips are actually appealing. I’m not usually a fan of over-decalled products, which is the reason you won’t see any branding on my originally over-stickered Nukeproof Snap. But the FUNN logos on the grips and on the clamps were welcome, and I even made sure they lined up on either side. Bolting them on was a breeze, too, but trying to line all the clamps, bolts and logos together took a bit of time to get right. But that’s just pedantic me.
Compound
The thickness was medium, as was the compound, which I found was just about perfect. You can feel everything on the trail while also not getting jarring sensations through your hands. It also isn’t too thick, which could cause cramps for some people. I found that riding with gloves or bare handed there was no issue of grip and I never found myself in a situation where I was wanting more. Sweat wasn’t a problem at all, but I never rode with them in full-on rain, so I unfortunately cannot attest to that. But I wouldn’t see the Combat II’s having a problem getting a bit wet.
I’d never ridden with flanged grips before, but it never really got in the way. I’m a bit of a fiddler, so I found myself messing with them a lot. They were never a hinderance like I thought they might be, and for the most part I didn’t even notice them, not even when I was fiddling with them.
Durability
Throughout the couple months I’ve been riding the Combat II’s I never once feared the premature demise of the rubber. From day one they worked flawlessly. The clamps never came loose and I enjoyed the security of having a clamp on each end.
But white, really? Ok, so it didn’t look bad when I first installed them onto the even more bling FUNN Fatboy ‘cappuccino’ coloured handlebars, but after not very long the inner chameleon came out and they started to resemble the trail I was riding on. After a trip to the pampering LBS they looked a bit closer to their original shade, but after 5 minutes back on the bike they reverted back to camouflage.
Durability has been great, though, with no signs of early retirement from the grips, the locks or the end caps. The end caps in particular have taken a decent beating but have held up admirably as have the lock-ons on the ends, with only the tops looking a bit scratched up from when I flip the bike upside-down.
FUNN offers alloy end caps, which I assumed would be included with the Combat II grips, but only plastic ones were. It’s almost better, because I would have worried more about damaging them if they were alloy and colourful and pretty. Now, I don’t worry at all about what the end caps look like, just as long as they do their job, which they have done.
What’s Missing?
Not much negative can be said about the FUNN Combat II grips. For what they are designed for, they perform wonderfully. They may be a bit heavy for some at 145g, but for the rider that wants a grip to last at least a season, these are a great choice. Why anyone would make a grip in white, I couldn’t say. They quickly lost their pristine shade, going brown almost as soon as I looked at them funny. I couldn’t really care too much about the colour of my grips, but I am a fan of the standard black. There’s something classy about understatement sometimes.
In the End
I’ve spoken to many people who are looking for a comfy grip that is thicker than the often diamond-shaped grips that barely cover the circumference of the handlebars, but also don’t want spongy foam between their hands. The Combat II’s offer a great compromise between the two extremes. They may not be the lightest grip out there, nor will the flanges appeal to all riders, but these are a pair of grips that you can bolt on and forget about until you start to feel the plastic underneath, which won’t happen for some time.
FUNN’s Combat II grips are not expensive, and at R180 undercut many non-lock-on grips. They offer great feeling and will probably out-last many other perishables on your bike. A no-brainer for most people looking for a bit more grip on their bars. Just don’t get them in white.
Nice review, dude... Where did you get them from? Not many FUNN stockists out there!