| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
I'm considering getting rid of my Widder heated gloves and installing the factory heated grips. For those of you that have the factory heated grips, how do you like the grips themselves? Are they holding up OK? Does anyone know if just the heated grips are available from Buell when the originals require replacement? I guess I'm a little leery of getting stuck with grips that aren't comfortable or that don't hold up. Thanks in advance. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The grips themselves are plain dense rubber They seem to be holding up fine after 10,000 miles. I was most concerned with the throttle side's wire always being flexed but I guess they figured out how to make them not fatigue. I've heard from many that heated gloves are superior to heated grips. This is my first experience with heated stuff so I lack any basis of comparison. | ||
| Froggy |
The grips have been fine for me, I love them. If **** happened and you ruined or just want to replace a worn grip, you can order it. I will look up the numbers for you, off my head $40 a side. | ||
| Froggy |
I lied N0050.5AA HAND GRIP, LH, HEATED Retail Price:$70.40 N0051.5AA THROTTLE ASSEMBLY W/GRIP, HEATED Retail Price:$70.40 Oh and get a 9/64 bit, the one that comes with the kit sucks so much you would be better off gnawing on your bars to make the hole. | ||
| Johnboy777 |
I purchased the factory heated grips last winter, but can't seem to install them, and part with my BMW grips which are pretty comfy. If you ride, like I do, with two fingers covering the brake lever, then maybe heated gloves are a better option. Just a thought. . | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've used both grips and gloves. As a very "general" observation...gloves work a thousand times better than grips do, at least for me. Just my .02  | ||
| Hughlysses |
Froggy- thanks much for the info. John- I've thought about trying the BMW grips. I've never had a set of grips I was really satisfied with for long distance riding. My main reason for considering the change is convenience. The gloves are a bit of a PITA to hook up and put on and the grips would ALWAYS be there if I needed them. That and Widder glove sizes run unbelievably HUGE. I wear large or extra-large in other glove brands. Widder initially sent mediums and they were like wearing Giant Foam Finger gloves. I sent them back and got smalls and they still have ~1/4" of extra space at the end of each finger, which can interfere with the controls. (I've had them for 3 or 4 years so swapping them for X-smalls is not an option.) These gloves also appear to basically be unarmored skiing gloves, so I don't think they'd offer a huge amount of protection in an accident. Other brands of heated gloves might be a lot better, but I think I'm gonna try the grips for a change. | ||
| Hooper |
+1 to Johnboy... I recently put on the factory grips, and they're awesome, but my poor index finger that sits out there on the brake lever full-time is about to die of frostbite in any temps above 45-50. I have the handguard extensions, and I wear very good winter gloves and silk liners, but I may need to look into some sort of heated glove for when I ride in REALLY cold weather - it's really just for the index fingers...the rest of the hand stays warm. That said, the heated glove HAS to be armored. The Cortech Scarab Winter gloves I was wearing when I went down last February have interesting and sobering abraisons on many of its armored pieces. I'm glad I wasn't wearing my fluffy warm leather Olympias that day. | ||
| Froggy |
You will want to use a combo of both. I just got gloves last night, been using grips. Grips work great, but overall your hands are much warmer in the gloves. Grips can be turned on for when you least expect it to be cold, like unexpected rain at night. Also I like the grips because I wear the same light waterproof summer gloves year round. Oh, and when off the Harley heated gloves I just got make my hands colder than my summer gloves... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Try the HD/Gerbings gloves. They're not any more bulky than a pair of Gore-tex gloves I used to wear, before I started 'cheating' with electrics. I agree on the convenience level of grips - they are nice for those days when you don't get home before sundown, and it gets chilly. However, if you're going *out* in the cold...gloves all the way. With the HD set, they have a pigtail that plugs into the cuff on my heated jacket liner. No stringing wires, plug first, hand in next, gauntlet outside jacket cuff, done. | ||
| New12r |
Try the HD/Gerbings gloves. They're not any more bulky than a pair of Gore-tex gloves I used to wear, before I started 'cheating' with electrics. I have them and dont really like them, I like a heavy leather gauntlet style with the heated grips. My Gerbing heated gloves are bulky, not that warm even though my hands are sweaty, when I pull my hands out the liner comes out with them and then I have to fight to put them back on. I find that I dont "feel" like I have control over the bars. I still wear them, but one day I might be able to afford the grips and I will prolly never use them again. | ||
| Skinstains |
I bought the Buell heated grips and went through a lot of time and energy hooking them up to my 05 Bolt. I wired the whole harness in so that I could just plug them in in winter and take them off in summer without having to solder and re-solder any wires. When all was said and done, my palms are ok but my fingers are freezing. I will be buying electric (cheating) gloves this winter. By the way RatBuell, if you're over 40 it's not cheating, that is the standard I am adopting in hopes that it will soon be an understood. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Seeing how we have a complete lack of a consensus here, I think I'm just going to route some flexible ductwork from the cooling fan outlet to the handguards...  I did read somewhere (Iron Butt site) about a BMW airhead rider that plumbed an engine oil line into the handlebars so that the circulating oil warmed them up. | ||
| Ratbuell |
By the way RatBuell, if you're over 40 it's not cheating ....I'm only 36...but I have a lot of titanium in me now, does that count?  | ||
| Ourdee |
For every ounce of titanium you get to add one year to your age for qualification purposes. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I've got stainless steel wires in my breastbone- does that count? | ||
| Cycletlh |
Try the Polly Heaters. They slip inside the bars so no other modifications necessary. Also, no moving parts. Wires come out at the bottom in the middle of the bars. Mounted a metal 3 way switch inside the hand guard. Think there is already a hole there that just needs to be larger. Mounted a metal 3 way switch inside the hand guard. They were less than $30 from Appleton. I installed the traction grips at the same time which are thicker than the stock grips. Can hardly hold on when they are on high. Others have used these before me with great success. Do a search. I also have extensions on my guards similiar to the touratech. Over those I use a set of mits for an ATV. Mine are called Quad Boss. $19 at the local quad dealer. 35 degrees and light rain, hands warm and dry. | ||
| Glenn |
Hi, Plus 1 on the Polly Heaters for the reasons above. They do take a little time to get up to heat and I also have the Traction Grips. I'd also recommend using an electronic rheostat to control the heat which you can get here at a good price: http://www.casporttouring.com/thestore/prods/5978.html This is how I mounted it:  | ||
| Jkelly |
Adding these would make your hands toasty! http://www.hippohands.com | ||
| Ulykan |
JKelly, You may have had a good experience with Hippo hands but I didn't like them at all. That said, I used them on my Sportster w/o anything else other than HD FXRG winter gauntlets. For me they didn't make much of a difference and I sold them. Too, I didn't think that the quality of Hippo hands was very good, the velcro tabs began to unravel as soon as I used them the first time. With the Uly's heated grips and hand guards they might be ok. I finally gave in and bought Gerbing heated gloves after spending many $$ on other methods of warming my hands. So far I haven't used them with my Uly but I have used the Gerbing heated jacket liner with the Uly. | ||
| Cycletlh |
Glenn, great idea on the rheostat. Here is a link to the Quad Boss. I had to remove part of the stitching to get them over the handguards. They appear to have larger holes to get your hands into when riding compare to the Hippohands. This system works well if you have handguards as on the Uly. Without the guards the wind pushes the covers against your hands and they still get cold and wet. With the guards your hands stay warm and dry. Hope this helps. | ||
| Cycletlh |
ooops, forget the link. http://www.quadboss.com/qbweb.nsf/Products/2BC3962 674F8D91286256E7E0060EC95?opendocument I am not saying that heated gloves are not the way to go and they could be used with this combo. For under $60 the combo of polly heaters and mitts is a solution that works. I carry my mitts in my tail bag along with my raingear so I am always prepared. Ride safe, ride warm. |
