i never grind them, one less thing that can damage the motor! i soaked my pinions in denatured alcohol to remove all residues and once they dried picked one added small amount of locktite and haven't spun one yet! i change pinions frequently.
If you don't grind the flat spot and your pinion slips will anything bad happen have a 1515/1y I am putting together and it scares me to grind on my 300buck motor