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Johnnymceldoo
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 07:30 pm: |
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Id like to ride a little later in the fall but need some warmth for my hands. Heated grips seem like the most cost effective way to go but gloves would be nice too. I just bought a set of traction grips and would kind of hate to get rid of them to get a set of heated grips. I know I have about 3 options for grips: *heat element integrated into the grip *heat element adhered to the bars under the grip *heat element inside the bars I like the idea of having the elements inside the bars but fear it would take a while to heat and I may not be able to use bar end mirrors. What about the setup the uly uses? Ive read they work good. As for gloves I read good things about the warm and safe brand but they are pricey, almost double what heated grips would cost. Whats a good path to go? |
Froggy
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 07:50 pm: |
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Both. I have the Buell heated grips, they are great year round. There are times even in middle of summer, its chilly and damp at night, just flip them on low for a few minutes and your golden. Grips also allow you to use your normal gloves, which is a huge advantage when your going to be riding hard. This weekend will be a little chilly for the Headless Horseman Run, but I will have my summer gloves on. In the winter use a combination of both. |
Rpm4x4
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 08:33 pm: |
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You wouldn't even know these were snowmobile racing gloves. They look just like motorcycle gloves but they are good down to below freezing temps. Just $50 bucks http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Prod uct.jsp?skuId=3411999L&store=Main&catId=302&produc tId=prod1960239&leafCatId=&mmyId= |
Hughlysses
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 08:34 pm: |
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I assume you're asking about heated grips vs. heated gloves. I've had a set of Widder heated gloves for about 4 years now. They work very well, and will keep your hands warm in very cold conditions. OTOH they don't appear to provide extensive protection in the event of a crash. They're also a bit of a PITA to hook up (thread wiring harness through jacket, put jacket on, plug gloves into harness at sleeves, sit on bike, plug harness into pigtail from battery, put on gloves). And of course, you've got to have them with you if you're out on a ride and it turns cold unexpectedly. I can see where heated grips would be very handy- they're always on the bike, no hookups required, and like Froggy said, you can use them with your favorite gloves. Someone's posted here that somebody even makes gloves that are insulated on the back but not on the grip side specifically for use with heated grips. |
Etennuly
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 10:17 pm: |
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Poly heaters are about $25.00 fairly easy to install. Takes five minutes to warm up and stay warm for five minutes after shut down. Hi setting will have no problems frying bacon on your grips, even the thicker traction grips. When it is quite cold and damp the back of the hands can get chilly with the palms sweating. The right gloves can cure that. I second the niceness of having them there in the summer for cool nights, especially if it rains or is damp. |
Midnightrider
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 10:49 pm: |
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I've had heated grips and heated gloves. Definitely prefer the gloves. The grips do a good job of keeping the palms of your hands warm ( easy now !) but at freeway speeds the back of my hands were still freezing. Admittedly I am a cold-blooded critter. The only warning is that once you get some grips or gloves, and warm hands, you may start noticing other parts of your body are feeling cold now. I started out with a $50 pair of hot hands/hot grips, traded them in for a $50 pair of battery powered gloves. Soon I had ditched those for Gerbing gloves, jacket liner, pants liners, and socks with dual thermostat ( about $600 total) Best money I ever spent |
Jumpinjewels
| Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 11:49 pm: |
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I've got the Warm N Safe heated jacket liner, gerbing pants and gloves. The only problem for me with the gloves is I have small hands and they are somewhat bulky, but warm. |
Baggermike
| Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 10:37 am: |
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gerbing sell heated glove liners but are back ordered and cost 90 with shipping I think, I got mediums but do not fit, I use there way of measuring the hand but should have ordered XL which I am waiting for now, real nice quality and can pick the glove you want to go over them, I also ride with two fingers on the levers so heated grips are not for me because the metal levers suck the heat out of my fingers. |
Froggy
| Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2008 - 07:38 pm: |
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quote:I also ride with two fingers on the levers so heated grips are not for me because the metal levers suck the heat out of my fingers.
I do the same, but have never had an issue. |
Mikef5000
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 03:16 pm: |
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Anyone have a good link to the poly heaters? Where do the wires run with them? Out the end of the bars? Do they work with bar end mirrors? |
Swordsman
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 03:34 pm: |
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I just found these, and plan on ordering a set shortly: http://www.newenoughhp.com/accessories/grips__heat ed_grips/symtec/motorcycle_grip_heaters.html Adhesive heating elements that fit under any grip. Pretty darn cheap. ~SM |
Baggermike
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 04:39 pm: |
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www.aerostich.com has heated grip wraps so you do not have to remove the grips just wrap and attach with velcro. I also heard you can use the heated grip switch housing from the ulysses and think www.americansportbike.com sells them. I am getting glove liners from gerbing but are back ordered, I received a pair going by there size chart and they did not fit but could not feel any wires and liked them allot. I got a first gear heat troller that has two adjustable outlets so there are many options, like gloves can be on one and the jacket liner on the other, if you have the whole suit then you can have that on one setting and the gloves on the other, if heated grips then upper and lower, or if just a jacket liner and gloves you can adjust the two. I tried first gear last year and had the liner pulled out and was very hard to get it back in and had to use a pencil to get the liner into the fingers so is why I am going with the liners and gloves over them so do not know if this is common with heated gloves but have a pair of E X O gloves coming and will see how they are. I am using a first gear heat troller which is rectangle box two knobs to control the heat and stick with double velcro sticky pads, they have two color wire ends and a red and yellow light that blinks to full on, and the connectors snap to the battery fused side connector which is very nice and water tight, I first thought they were to loose until I snapped them together and got a water tight seal. My son challenged me to a iron butt ride to Niagara Falls and back, almost 1000 miles from were I live and back, almost did it last year in 18 hours but was not documented and only did 970 miles by my gps and was late and figured who cares I know I could have done it and that is all that matters, but this is going to be in below freezing weather, I think my butt will give out before the cold gets to me, but still think I will win. I have not tried it but the zumo gps can be downloaded to google earth for all to see the trip. Mike |
Mikef5000
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 05:29 pm: |
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Swordsman, American Sport Bike carrys those! My problem with those is the wire must hang down beneath the throttle to allow the grip to turn (like the OEM), I wanted to avoid that if possible. Anyone know where the wire goes on the Polly heaters? |
Fireboltwillie
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 06:18 pm: |
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you have to drill a hole in the bar to let the wire pass through. the kit comes with a grommet to prevent chafing. from there you are on your own running the wire. |
Rkutzner
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 07:09 pm: |
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Those velcro grips or the gloves would allow you to use it on different bikes for those who have more than one bike....or keep it when you sell and/or trade up. |
Baggermike
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 08:18 pm: |
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Gloves comparison, widder had to use the thermastat with them on, and got hot, E X O gloves can be plugged in with no thermastat and got warm and the liner do not pull out like the first gear did, they say they are watter proof all year round gloves, next Gerbing Glove liners not as warm as I thought they would get so widder is looking good but old and does not block against wind and I am now got to choose between the gloves or glove liners which cost 90 with shipping, the E X O gloves expensive but nice and felt the heat on top of the glove than the bottom and would be good with heated grips. will let you guys know when I test them in the riding in the cold how they perform. Mike |
Ft_bstrd
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 10:01 pm: |
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I prefer the heated grips because I don't have to think ahead when it gets a little cool. I just flip a switch. I don't ride in 20* temps much, so I don't need the gloves. Grips are cheap. You could always do both. I recommend the Polly Heaters. They cook like stink. |
Mikef5000
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 10:25 pm: |
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you have to drill a hole in the bar to let the wire pass through. That's what I wanted to hear! Anyone have a picture? |
Lighninginthesky
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 11:17 pm: |
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I had Hot Grips. http://www.hotgrips.com/ and just removed them to install the Buell Ulysses grip kit. More comfortable and simpler installation. Plus the switch is in the control pod. The Hot Grips system will not with the Buell switch. long story short I like Buell system much better. Cleaner, simpler, and Buell. Now what I'm looking for is a pair of unheated winter gloves that offer the same protection as my summer gloves. Can any one recommend a pair? |
Andymnelson
| Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 11:21 pm: |
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"That's what I wanted to hear! Anyone have a picture?" http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/391999.html |
Jaimec
| Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 09:24 am: |
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Personal Experience: Heated gloves WILL keep your hands warmer as it warms your entire hand, not just the palms. However, heated gloves won't do you a damn bit of good if you've left them home and the temperature drops drastically when you're out on a long ride. Heated grips are ALWAYS available with the flick of a switch, and you lose most of the heat from your hands through your palms anyway from squeezing the ice cold grips... |
Jaimec
| Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 09:31 am: |
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Froggy: In regards to your ice cold brake/clutch levers, do what I do. Many years ago as a goof I had Iron Braids installed on my Yamaha Venture Royale. I immediately noticed how much more comfortable it was to ride in the winter with the levers wrapped in leather. Since then, I've had the levers on every bike I've owned wrapped with Iron Braids. For my Buells I go without the fringe (who wants fringe on a sportbike??) but on my K1200LT I went with the fringe for the hell of it. There are other, less expensive, brands of wraps out there, but they'll all do the same thing... insulate your fingers from the bare metal. PS: If you look at my profile photo, you can get a glimpse of the brake lever on my XB12Ss wrapped with black and orange leather. (Message edited by Jaimec on October 29, 2008) |
Swordsman
| Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 11:54 am: |
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Just read up on the Polly Heaters. I've changed my mind... THAT'S what I want. ~SM |
Baggermike
| Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - 12:59 pm: |
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I just bought rubber grips that slip over the levers from JP cycles, part #510-246 and about five dollars and are called black progrip lever covers, I ride with two fingers on the lever so this is going to help me allot this winter as well as providing better lever grip, spayed some windex on the levers and slipped them on and now are on tight. I also have the under the grip heaters that I bought last year and just laying around so I think I am also going to install and try them. I HATE WINTER. Mike |
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