Heated grips vs. heated gloves, and battery vs wired for heated jackets

"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce) 09/19/2020 at 20:42 • Filed to: None

0

22

Alright, riders of oppo, enlighten me - should I get heated grips for the KLR or just get some heated gloves? And when it comes to jackets or vests, should I get one that has its own battery power, or get one that needs to be wired to the bike? I want to extend my riding season on it and since I am about to spoil it with some farkles, I figured taking an extra few minutes to address heated gear would be well spent.

jminer > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 20:58

1

I put heated grips on my CB500 this spring and wish I had done it sooner. I also wish I hadn't bought such a cheap pair as the left gets warmer than the right so I'm adjusting between a cold right and a sweating left regularly.

XJDano > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 20:59

0

I’m not super hardcore, I use lines jeans, and a long John under pants. Then long sleeve shirt, hoodie and a p leather jacket. But I have a big windshield that blocks a ton of wind.

If I had some chaps I’d probably be ok for quite some time. I headed out this morning in 48°F for a 15 minute ride to a meeting this morning. Only my shins/  ankles were getting chilly because of jeans. 

IJustWantMyZBack > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:09

1

My dad and I both put Koso Apollo heated grips on our gen 2 KLRs and loved them. We preferred them for how well integrated the controls were. There are a little larger diameter than normal so that took some getting used to but was probably more comfortable on long rides.

Biggest advantage for the heated grips was knocking the chill off on the early morning rides when we rode part of the TAT. The rest of the body we just layered. But we didn't ride anywhere especially cold like c90adventures did in -20C. 

Note we paid are trusted mechanic to install so I can’t speak to that process.

gettingoldercarguy > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:13

0

Grips and wired vest. You can swap out gloves to which ones suit your condition best and fit you best. Wired vest because you’re never worried about running out of juice, if the battery was charged, etc.

onlytwowheels > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:21

1

Not sure what other farkle s the KLR has, so remem ber you have to take into consideration of what the charging system is capable of, and the power required to operate the bike.

A good set of heated grips wo uld be fine.  Electric clothing may be too much.

See: https://www.klrforum.com/threads/gen2-amperage-output.36577/

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > XJDano 09/19/2020 at 21:24

0

I have a thermal liner for my pants and I wear a hoodie under my jacket but over my work clothes and that is fine until around 40F. I also wear an oversized traditional glove over my riding gloves since a) I cna still wear my expensive, but awesomely comfy and safe riding gloves andb) if the ride home is warm, I can just put the gloves in the backpack and c) I actually wear those gloves in winter when I have to work outside so I’m not double-buying gear.

All that said, my limit is that if it’s below 50 at any point on my ride, I am FEELING it. I can get by for a short trip and it’s fun for the first 10-15 minutes, but I want something sustainable for commuting or a weekend trip. Heated gear is becoming necessary.

XJDano > jminer 09/19/2020 at 21:24

0

Do you swap out the grips for summer or not turn them on? This may be a thing I didn’t know I needed. 

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > jminer 09/19/2020 at 21:26

1

I’ve heard good things about oxford brand heated grips. I might get those and their little LCD controller. ALl in it’s aro und 100$.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > onlytwowheels 09/19/2020 at 21:33

0

farkles in this case being a new tail and luggage setup as well as a proper skid plate and I installed a new windshield earlier this season. Nothing relating to power.

I might get just the heated grips for now and see how much I like them, but also make sure it;s ready for a heated jacket or vest.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:34

0

I don’t think there’s any correct answer. If you don’t have bark busters, heated gloves might be better (I’ve heard of palm heating but back hand cooling with heated grips). I’ve heard good things about heated vests

I personally can ride for an hour in full perforated racing leathers with UA 4.0 cold weather base on a naked bike at 45F (7C) dry . N o shell or anything, just the base layer...

jminer > XJDano 09/19/2020 at 21:35

0

I just don't turn them on when it's warm. I bought like a $25 pair on Amazon and wish I'd spent more, probably will later.

jminer > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:37

0

That’s not bad. I bought a nicer set but didn’t go to install them for a while and they ended up shipping me  a Harley set of grips so they wouldn’t fit on my Honda. After that I cheaped out and bought a $25 set.

XJDano > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:41

0

I think I could probably really stretchy riding with some chaps and the grips/gloves and jacket you mentioned.

Bummer is it’s always for leisure as construction work makes me drive my own car or a work truck because of the vast majority of tools I may need.

onlytwowheels > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:46

0

I wasn’t sure if you were putting additional lighting. Heated grips are awesome, from the one bike I rode with them.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > jminer 09/19/2020 at 21:48

0

I found out the oxford kit on revzilla is 90$ and it comes with the grips, the wiring, the fuses, and an integrated controller that automatically shuts off if the bike is off. For whatever reason, amazon breaks apart the kit into the grips and wires in one kit and the controller and other bits into the other and charges more for them. Also the shipping is much faster at revzilla.

jminer > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 21:58

0

That definitely seems reasonable. I'll probably replace mine with a nicer set in the next couple months. 

Textured Soy Protein > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 22:01

0

All I know about this topic is a friend who did a cross-country wintery ride on a Triumph Bonneville several years ago, including visiting me when I lived in Madison, WI, had a full heated suit including gloves. The jacket plugged into the bike and the gloves plugged into the jacket. Don't remember exactly what the deal was with the pants but they may have also been heated and plugged in some kind of way.

bob and john > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 22:52

0

heated gloves and barkbusters / wind deflectors. heated grips are GARBAGE and really only help if its slightly chilly at night. 

SmugAardvark > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 22:53

0

I personally prefer heated grips over heated gloves. Sometimes on long rides, my hands would get a little too warm, and it was more comfortable to adjust where my hands were on the gri ps rather than how the gloves were fitting.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/19/2020 at 23:39

0

Here’s my two cents about heated grips:

They work no matter what gloves you’re wearing, or even if you aren’t wearing gloves at all. Totally worth it.

As for heated jacket... I rode in near-freezing weather quite a bit in a Speed and Strength cold weather/waterproof jacket with liner (which I don’t believe they make any more). No electric heater, totally comfortable in the dry, a bit miserable when it was 38 and raining, but I frankly wouldn’t choose to ride in near-freezing rain if I could avoid it.... my point being, I don’t think I’d bother with an electric jacket, but I’m not you... insulated riding pants are not too expensive and keeping the heat from being lost by your legs makes a big difference in how your core feals.

AestheticsInMotion > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/20/2020 at 00:55

0

I’ve got Oxford heated grips. Overall, I love them. I commute in all weather conditions, and don’t want to fuss with electrical connections.

You do get a *bit* of the hot palms, icy top-of-hands issue, but it’s not too bad. Dead of winter I can still ride with a thin racing glove and keep full movement in my hands and not have to deal with a bulky snow glove or similar.

Controls are super simple. You get a tiny m odule that you can mount on or near your bar in a ton of different ways. I'll turn it to 30% while my bike is warming up. 

Grips have 5 heat settings. I’ve yet to us e 100% a s I haven’t needed it even riding in 40° weather with perferated leather gauntlets. If it’s under 60 I’ll use 30%.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 09/20/2020 at 02:00

1

Now this is an area I have some experience! Buckle up.

I ride year round unless there’s ice. If it’s 10F but I know there’s no ice on the way to work, I’ll ride. Don’t care. Through much of the winter it’s 35-45F and rainy, with average ride time probably at 40 minutes. Plenty of longer rides and touring trips with weather down into the 20's and every weather imaginable. Ultimately, if you’re riding for less than an hour and not below 40F, you probably only need grips, but might get a little chilly depending on your outerwear and layers.

So that’s where I’ll start . Personally I don’t like heated gloves because they don’t come with as much protection as their powerless counterparts. So I just wear the right gloves for the weather and use my heated grips, oxfords on the Africa and the Monster. Middle LED is out on the Africa controller, but otherwise works perfectly. They get very hot and shouldn’t be touched without gloves on the high setting. If those and a pair of decent gloves don’t keep you warm then you probably have nerve damage. For gloves I wear Rev’it Taurus for extreme cold, a pair of middleweight Fives for 40-65ish, and Rev’it mesh gloves for everything else.

Next easiest part. Heated insoles, the wired kind, are fucking magical. I have the hotwired brand, bought from cycle gear.

Heated pants you probably won’t need unless you’re touring all day below 45F, depending on your outer layer and base layers. I use an REI thin base layer, hotwired plug-in liners, and Rev’it dominator pants for all day winter rides. Super comfy. The base is just to keep the heat from touching my skin directly, just to be safe as they can get very hot. I usually leave them on the low setting. These plug in to the insoles, but the insoles come with their own wires so you can use them independently of the pants. I don’t bother with either of these for rides under 2-3 hours unless it’s below freezing, and even then I don’t bother for less than an hour.

As for the top half. I’ve got a Gerbing/Gyde 7v battery powered vest that I use for commuting. Honestly, it’s not great. It has four settings and I can only feel it on high and medium-high. The heating zones are small compared to the plug-in version. It won’t keep you warm so much as it will just barely keep you from getting cold, unless you’re wearing mesh in which case it will do nothing for you at all . But even that has its limit. More than an hour or two below 40F, or in heavy rain below  about 50F, and it just can’t keep up with how fast heat is getting sucked out of you. I have three batteries because I wanted to use it for touring (each lasts about 2- 3 hours on high) but it just isn’t warm enough. It is absolutely perfect for commuting though with how convenient it is. It is also great for winter hikes or just working outside or sitting on cold bleachers at a sports ball match , etc; and for things like that the two lower settings are sometimes adequate.

For anything more than commuting I use a hotwired plug-in jacket. Like the pants I use it almost entirely on the low setting. I use it without the pants and insoles too. It’s amazing. I can even use it with a super light mesh summer jacket for up to about 3 hours at 45-50F. I could ride to Alaska and back in January with my hotwired gear.

I’ve run all three plug-in pieces on high off of the factory SAE battery charger pigtail without blowing the fuse (7.5A...?) or causing other issues. They don’t use much power.

What I don’t like about the plug-in stuff: looks terrible as far as fit and style go, but who cares because it goes under actual riding gear; and dealing with the wiring can be a pain. That’s it. Though if your outer layers fit pretty snug, then these might be too bulky. If you can fit an average hoody under your outers, then these should fit fine.

Another thing to note, plug-in gear looks to be very very similar between different brands and often uses the same connectors between different brands. A coworker of mine also had a heated jacket setup by a different brand but I honestly can’t tell them apart aside from the logos, which are in the same location. Seriously, they’re the same materials, wiring, fit, everything; they’re identical to my eye. I don’t remember which brand his is though.