| Author | Message | ||
     Riding_tall |
I'm planning on continuing to ride to work even through the winter months, if you can call december and january "winter" in atlanta. Still, it is in the 30's - high 20's in the mornings so it's a bit cold. The budget only allows one farkel this month, so the question is, what will help more. Heated grip's or a tall windscreen ? I have the stock short windscreen and now have a pair of winter BMW winter gloves. My ride to work is 20 miles on the superslab - speed is 80 to stop-and-go , depending on how weird things are that day. So far on the days where it's been in the low 30's my hand's were a bit cold by the time I got to work. I don't yet have proper winter gear but the icon leather jacket ( see my avatar pic ) will have to do for a while. so - what would help the most, taller windscreen or heated grip's ? | ||
| Svh |
I have an XT and have both the taller screen and heated grips. I really like the heated grips a lot. I will never have a bike without them. I have never ran without the windshield so my vote is for the heated grips. | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
I vote also for heated grips. After using mine on the XT I will always have them. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
One thing you could do is invest in a light jacket filled with primaloft or some other down-imitating substance to wear under your normal riding jacket. It'll be far superior to whatever fleece liner you have in your riding jacket. I have something like this from OR http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/m_s_neoplume_j acket.html This will buy you a few extra degrees. | ||
| Riding_tall |
Opps .. wrong web site ,, no avitar here. Jonnylunchbox .. that's a good idea .. I think I will take out the cheap liner and just wear some slim winter gear underneath instead. so far it's all heated grips .. I've never had a bike with much of any windscreen or heated grip's so I don't really know and when I lived in the north I was'nt crazy nuff to ride on the street in the winter .. taking the dirt bike out in the snow was great fun though .. got to pretend I was Jay Springsteen .. nothing like being a full lock through a turn with a 40 foot roost of snow behind you to put a smile on your face.  | ||
| Xbimmer |
Heated vest or jacket liner, first IMHO. I really need to do the grips or electric gloves thing some day. But I've ridden in sub-10F before with just the vest and winter gloves and gear and survived, for far longer than 20 miles. Heating the torso sends warmth to the digits since the brain doesn't think the circulation is required in the torso, and opens up the capillaries to your hands and feet which are the first to close when you're really cold. A heated vest in a leather jacket is more than adequate for a 20 mile commute, and eliminates a LOT of bulk both for a day ride and a tour. Look into a balaclava arrangement too, inexpensive, keeps your head warmer, tricks your brain also. If your head and torso are warmer, your extremities follow suit. | ||
| Bearly |
Heated Gloves and Grips = luxury! | ||
| Tginnh |
Get them both! I installed a heated grip kit last season and still think it's the best $27 dollar farkle I've made to the bike. You don't get a fancy thermostat, but you do get flaming hot grips for a fraction of the price. http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Heated-Grip-Kit-p-16539.html  | ||
| Brakes2late |
Ditto what Xbimmer said. The heated vest with collar is by far the best weapon in my winter riding arsenal. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
A heated vest is great. I have one and it's saved my ass a few times, Mr. Riding Tall has suggested that he is on somewhat of a budget this month so it may be a bit cost-prohibitive. | ||
| Brakes2late |
Yeah, they can get expensive, but I spent some time surfing ebay, craigslist and some other bike sites and found a Widder for $50. Even came with the controller! | ||
| Seanp |
There are too many possible problems with a new windshield - it might be too tall, too short, give too much turbulence in the wrong place, etc. I'd wait for the windshield until you have enough funds that you could use trial and error to find the right height. Heated grips, on the other hand, seem pretty easy to get right - it's either hot or it's not. So there shouldn't be any problems with not getting it right the first time. I'm thinking I'll be getting heated grips and/or a heated vest next fall when I'm living in NY. | ||
| Etennuly |
Heated grips are sweet. I find that if my hands stay warm the rest will follow. It can be done in a couple of hours for less than $30. I have the Polly Heaters. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Depending on how cold it actually gets when you ride (you said Atlanta, not nearly what we get here in Maryland) I'd +1 Xbimmer. Go for the electric clothes. Screw what Bearly says  I've run heated grips, and when it's actually cold out (like, below freezing), they're worthless to me. My palms get sweaty and they do nothing for my fingers. Disclaimer - I've always had bad finger circulation, and getting them caught in a car door as a pre-teen didn't help. I now have a heated jacket liner (with sleeves), and heated gloves. Hands down (no pun intended), they're the best money I've ever spent on motorcycling. I've also had iffy luck with the tall screen for the X - it puts the turbulence wave right at my head (I'm 6'4" with a tall torso). Stay warm, seal the wind gaps (gauntlet gloves, neck gaiter/balaclava), and the wind - regardless of temp - won't seem as bad. Also, just changing from leather to textile will help neutralize atmospheric temps. I wear leather in spring/fall, textile in winter, and mesh in summer. I know....sounds like a "girl's wardrobe"...lol | ||
| Longdog_cymru |
For me, heated grips win EVERY time!!! | ||
| Hooper |
Grip it, then rip it. Definitely. I just put the OEM's on my '06 - super easy. That said, I ride with my index finger (the right one) on the front brake lever, and in really cold weather it about freezes off. I need a glove that has heating elements in the fingers, or ones with some sort of massively insulated index finger. | ||
| Packdog |
Heated grips. They made the biggest difference for me here in the Pacific NW. I installed the grips before I installed the tall windscreen. The tall windscreen helps me more with diverting rain than with keeping warm. For extra wind protection Aerostich Wind Triangle does wonders for $20. That and an inner windproof fleece jacket thing keeps me plenty warm for my 30 minute commute with temperatures in the 30's. | ||
| Sekalilgai |
here's my 1.5cents Between windshield and heated grips? : the grips. Less money than the shield and certainly useful at times other than winter. The windshield, as others have posted, is a bit of a trial-and-error proposition whereas the heated grip is kinda guaranteed ROI. When the farkle-bank builds up though.... I'm with Ratbuell..heated gear is very nice. | ||
| Skinstains |
I put the OEM grips on my 05 Bolt and think they were a waste of time and money. My palm gets warm but it does NOTHING for my fingers. I also keep a finger on the brake and clutch 100% of the time wich doesn't help. I ride all year in northern New Jersey and will be buying the electric gloves this winter. I'm old enough to realize that suffering just for the sake of suffering doesn't do it for me. The grips just don't do it for me. | ||
| Riding_tall |
Thanks All It's good to get the opinions of people that have actually used the stuff. Good thing for me is that anything I get is extra, I don't really need anything other than gas and oil. There is lot's of stuff I want but I don't need anything. The gear I have will do. It never really get's that cold here in Atlanta. If I can I'll get the heated grips this month .. though the budget for farkles may have just been used up .. stupid garage door spring broke and I had to get it replaced. Trucks stay outside but the bike gets to stay in the garage. I had to get the bike out and the wife would'nt let me ride it through the house  (Message edited by riding_tall on November 14, 2008) | ||
| Mad_doctor |
Heated Grips are nice, But my .02, Heated gear/Vest is the best money I've ever spent. I bought the vest, chaps, and arm chaps, but only had to use the Vest. I ride in 20 degree weather for hours.I'm always warm. Just don't forget to put cat crap, (windshield anti-fog on your visor). | ||
| Garyz28 |
"I had to get the bike out and the wife would'nt let me ride it through the house" Wives can be funny that way! | ||
| Crusty |
I ride year round in New England (Except when the roads are snow/ice covered)and if it's a choice between the taller windshield and the heated grips, then get the grips. I haven't noticed much difference in protection between the low and tall windshields, but the heated grips are a treat when the temps drop below 40°. However, an electric vest or jacket liner trumps both the grips and windshield combined, if you can swing the cost. You won't believe how much more comfortable you'll be by keeping your core warm. | ||
| Skinstains |
I use a "Foggy Res-pro breath guard" and my shield NEVER EVER fogs up. I don't even crack the visor to let cool air in anymore. $20.00 very well spent. | ||
| Bertotti |
I have the same kit Tginnh has. | ||
| Mad_doctor |
Hey Skinstains, Tell me more about the "Foggy Res-pro breath guard". What is it and how does it work? Thanks, Mad Doctor | ||
| Tootal |
+1 for the grips over windshield. I did the grips first, then the handguard extenders from Touratech, then the wind shield. Everything helped but the grips were the right thing to do first. I have low blood pressure so even though my core is warm my fingers are the first to go. The handguard extenders took the air flow up higher on my arm and not right into the zipper of my gauntlets! The taller windshield is warmer but the noise level went way up. It doesn't make a huge difference though. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
Question on the Respro Foggy - is this the one you're talking about? LINK:http://www.helmetharbor.com/Products/ProductDetail s.cfm/ProductID/69861 . | ||
| Babired |
I love my heated grips in the winter. When I'm traveling in the summer with light gloves when caught in the rain turn I them on to get the chill out of my hands. I've only used the lowest setting on the stock heated grips they get real hot. I have heated gloves too but don't use both. K | ||
| Bud |
You won't believe how much more comfortable you'll be by keeping your core warm. yep.. basic cold survival 1 on 1 when the core body temperature drops, the blood veins to the ligaments shrink, reducing there blood flow, to keep the core warm... so you get cold feet and hands. when you use a heated vest, your feet and hands also stay warmer but the grips and touratech extenders, otherwise you palms are hot but the wind blowing over the back off you hands still feels cold. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
heated grips are fine but the tips are still cold and unless you get a windscreen that's taller than the xt tall, you have to deal with the turbulance. the heated vest sounds like the best deal. | ||
| Ourdee |
When it gets really cold I wear Columbia Convert mittens. They work. |
