Hi All,
When one looks at the hand grip design for the Model 45 it changes over time. I have seen the erganomic moulded rubber design, a similar hard plastic design and a round soft grip (the latter are generally the same/similar to the ones currently available as replacements). With respect to the latter design the handle bar itself is round rather than the oval shape associated with the earlier variants. I would suggest that these changes were more associated with reducing component/manufacturing cost rather than true improvement in design. I particularly note that the round soft grip design is similar to the handlebar grips that I had on one of my first full sized bikes.
I suspect that the only reason that the moulded rubber grips have not been reproduced to date is the generally low demand. From what I have seen they tend to hold together fairly well even after years of use and are often able to be "mended" with a bit of superglue or duct tape to extend their life - certainly not good enough for a restoration but for everyday use it is probably adequate.
In terms of producing restoration parts, it generally requires someone with the interest and the capital to get such a project off the ground (or the ability to do it as a trial or a once of basis - e.g. at home as part of a restoration). This is certainly the case in terms of specialised replacement parts for classic cars and other machinery.
Cheers,
Sir Chook
