i usually get a long thin plastic stick thing and cover it in washing up liquid, stick it inside the grips and move it all about then just twist and turn the grip until it can move and then just pop it off. i dont see why you dont cut them, i only use the above method if i want to keep my grips but if you do cut them and if it does make a little scratch, it wont matter because the new grips will cover it up. thanks John Kan