| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
Clever. They are using teflon coated 30 guage wire, which they claim has a resistance of 1 ohm per foot (they claim, sounds high to me), and more or less shorting out the battery. Not a bad idea. I always figured you needed to scare up some traditional heating element wire (nichrome or something), but enough of this stuff should work fine. Now you got me thinking about throwing together a set of my own heated grips. Anybody looked up how much margin the Buell power system can bleed off without beating up the electrical system? | ||
| Johnc |
The resistance of the 30 gage wire is .1032 ohms per 10 foot length. If you want more heat you could use 28 gage which has .0649 ohms per 10 feet at 68 deg F. I'll check the specs for output on the Buell charging system and try to figure how much margin there is for extra loads. If you used 50 ft. of 30 gage it would require 28 watts, and 50 ft of 28 gage would use about 44 watts. I have used handle bar heaters designed for snowmobiles and quads on my bike with good success. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thanks for that clarification... I must have read it wrong. I thought 1 ohm per foot was awfully high. It would be nice to scare up some stuff that is thick enough to be more durable and easy to work with, but thin enough that you can get it distributed in the clothing without leaving waffleprints on your back. Hmmm.... Wonder whats in those hose wraps you can get at the hardware store... you could probably play with length to get it to get the right heat at 12 volts... | ||
| Loki |
ahhh just got my hands on a Joe Rocket '02 spring catalog. I know there are a few of us with the Pooenix jacket out there. Now they have a set of pants to match. Not to mention a set of gloves...I tried a set of gloves on the other night. Talk about comfortable. | ||
| Shieldshade |
(post deleted by admin) | ||
| Admin |
shieldshady: Ditto my reply to your post on the Accessories page. | ||
| Sparky |
I second Henrik's opinion of the Widder System 2 'Lectric Vest with removeable Arm Chaps. I looked at Gherbing's & Aerostich's heated jacket liners for use with a snug fitting Roadcrafter suit but found out they are too loose & bulky for my needs. The Widder System fits snugly & transmits heat effectively. For our annual HOG Death Valley camping weekend in January, I used it layered over a Duofold long sleeve turtleneck tee and under a sweatshirt inside a Roadcrafter riding suit. This combined with Riderwearhouse's Warm Wrap grips (search for 102-103) made me a happy camper when the temps were mid 20's passing through the Antelope Valley. A nifty feature of the arm chaps is that the metal snaps make the electric connection -- no fussing with wires. Sparky 96S1, 98S3 | ||
| Orion |
Hey guys, I'm looking for some gloves to wear this summer. I live in Boise, so 50 degrees in the morning on the way to work, and somewhere between 75-95 on the way home. I've never had a good pair of gloves for street riding, so I'm up for suggestions. thanks, J.D. | ||
| Blake |
JD: I'm not sure Buell still carries them, but I really like the sport gloves I bought back in early '98. Leather with kevlar reinforcing and rivets on the palm for abrasion protection in case of a fall. Very good quality. Looks like they have made some improvements, the closest thing Buell now carries are the "Puck" goves. See http://www.buell.com/products/productslist.asp?Menu_ID=1&ID=1535&MITEM=70 for the details. | ||
| Oldman |
picked up a pair of the 60.00 x1 gloves and so far not so bad, any colder than 50 i'd have to go back to the nylon gloves. but these took some of the vibration out of the ride to so i'm happy. | ||
| Henrik |
I swear by Held gloves from Helimot. Great stuff that will hold up in a crash. Henrik | ||
| X1glider |
I need to buy some sport bike riding gear. I saw something in the First gear catalog I liked, pants and jacket but they are 1/2 leather and 1/2 450-500 denier something. They do have a backpad and removeable armor in the shoulders, elbows and forearms. Can I get away with this combo or do I need full leather for track days, even if I do not race. I know full leather is the best but really don't want to shell out twice the bucks. What do you also think of the gloves with the composite armor on them, necessary? | ||
| Buelliedan |
X1, There is no definative answer to your question since some tracks require full leather while others allow you to wear Cordura. One rule that they all seem to have though is if they are 2 piece they must zip together with no less than a 3/4 zipper. The 6 inch zippers will not cut it. As for First gear, I can say they are top notch! I went down in a First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket last year. Slid for about 100 feet and walked awy from the accident. Jacket held up perfectly. No tears in any seams and only pinhole size wear holes in the fabric. My Joe Rocket gloves were CRAP!! Seams ripped apart. If I had slid any further my hands would have been toast. | ||
| Henrik |
Riding gear: think of the price this way: when you realize you're going to crash - the split second before you go down or hit something hard - at that moment in time, how much would you be willing to spend on your safety equipment ... Henrik (yeah, I'm a fanatic - 'cause I know how hard these things are to fix  ) | ||
| X1glider |
I just found a Joe Rocket "Highside" suit. All leather, lots of good features, looks much better than the First Gear one I saw, and best of all, I can get it at Discount Motorcycle Apparel for $505. (Sorry to disappoint, Henrik, can't spare the extra 1k on a Vanson) Looks like a steal! Comes in 1 or 2 piece. I'll have to find out more on the full length zipper issue for the 2 piece. Any comments on wether a 1 piece will, uh, cramp my style, when reaching foward? Any comments on 1 pc vs 2 pc would be appreciated. | ||
| Buelliedan |
X1, I personally will never buy another Joe Rocket piece of gear again after I saw the way my gloves came apart. If their suits are sewn together with the same thread I would be very worried about crashing in one especially if you are thinking of using it for track duty. | ||
| X1glider |
Bueliedan, so how much First gear stuff do you have? I've see the Killamanjaro before, looks like a great piece. What others would you bet your skin on? | ||
| Buelliedan |
X1, I upgraded to the First Gear Scirroco Jacket after my crash(insurance company confiscated my Kilimanjaro) and it is really awesome. It's not a race jacket though. It's a touring jacket. I wear a Vanson Buell jacket combined with 4 star(cheap) leather pants. If I ever decided to really take up track days I will buy some Vanson leather pants to go with the jacket. Have you looked at AGV suits? I use their gloves and have been very impressed with the quality and price. But I don't know much about their leather riding suits. | ||
| Hootowl |
I have the FirstGear Speed Pant and Jacket, and I love them. The jacket has a removable liner, and the armor is removable from both the jacket and the pants. The jacket has chest and back vents, but the pants are not vented at all. They do zip together, but not 3/4, just about 10 inches or so in the back, so that may not work for you at the track. Construction is excellent. Best price I've seen is here... | ||
| Buelliedan |
Any good leather shop can sew in a new zipper for you quite cheaply. Glad to hear someone else likes the First gear stuff.  | ||
| Rempss |
All First Gear I have seen has been top notch, great quality, good pricing. Technical features seem nice also, but I have not experienced them firsthand. Dan says OK and I believe him. I wear First Gear Kenya in warmer weather, and a Langlitz Leathers Columbia in the colder weather. If the Langlitz had better ventilation it's all I would wear. I have tried many gloves, so far I have never (12 years 20 pairs) found a pair of gloves I found comfortable. I alternate between a First Gear pair of summer gloves an a HD branded pair of full leather gauntlet style. I ride sport/touring so I have nver tried a suit, and probably never will. My 2 cents. Jeff | ||
| Ccryder |
1 word.......Aerostich  I have had my one piece Roadcrafter for a year and it's the best investment I have made in tooooo long. I admit that for my 3-10 mile in-city jaunts I'll wear my Belstaff. MY day-to-day is 100 miles and I always wear my "Stich". You will take heat from many not-so-knowledgeable individuals but I would rather sweat than bleed, been there done that and I don't need to be taught twice. I have never heard a bad word about the product or the people at Aerostich. THey know riding motorcycles and what it takes to protect the unprotected area below your chin. YRMV but my have not. Neil S. | ||
| Dave |
Roger that about the Aerostich Neil! I wear it dern near anytime I'm on my Buell or Harley (XR1000 for sale btw). So what if I look like a Power Ranger! (right BOb?) DAve | ||
| Henrik |
X1Glider: call Vanson, they get used suits in from the track schools every now and then. I paid around $700 for a nice, pre-crashed, but perfectly intact suit. Also check out New Enough. They have good prices on used gear and an honest online review of the condition it's in. I don't know enough to comment on other brands, but when my friend crashed on a track day he shared the ER with a guy in a very soft and comfortable - but now torn suit. Buyer (and user  beware. I've borrowed a very good friends Aerostitch for way too long now and love it. I actually ordered a 2-piece suit for myself, but couldn't get it to fit over my shoulders (they're working on alternate patterns for a more forward riding position), so I had to send it back. But the stitch is worth every penny - and then some. I look like a dork (blue suit and purple S2 - clashes horribly ) but I'd rather be dressed for the slide than the ride. The 2-piece option seems optimal to me, since you'd be able to unzip the pants and just use the jacket, if you're just heading out to the store on a road trip. Gloves: I've never had anything better than my #2279 Held gloves from Helimot. Pricey, but well worth it when I crash tested them - twice - last season. They're all I've been using for 4 full seasons; some 20K miles of sport and touring, and about 20 track days. Now they're being retired to street-only duty since my last crash took out some of the rivets in the palm. Otherwise I wouldn't be worried about running them for another season. Boots: I'm using Daytona Roadstar GTX boots (Helimot as well). Great boot for sport touring. Waterproof and very comfortable. I wish the sole was just a hair stiffer for more support on longer rides, but the benefit of course is complete feel for the bike through the softer sole. Ankle cups on both inside and outside of the ankle, heel cups and toe protector (not slider), shin protector. They're even bearable to walk in. Last year took a toll on the toes - I ground them down, and am looking for a replacement. Buying gear will seem to cost you a fortune, but I built up my "collection" over time, and now feel I'm covered (sorry ). And if you're going to be pushing the envelope (track days/racing) you *really* don't want to skimp on protection. Even if the club you're riding with will let you "get away" with it. Henrik (I said I was a bit of a fanatic, didn't I ) | ||
| Jasonl |
Henrik - aren't you in the health care profession? I'd say that gives you an almost unique position to judge the value of protective gear. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Neil's right, Aerostich rules! Very well constructed, bult like a tank. I've had my 2 piece suit for about 15 years and around 25K miles (I didn't put that many miles on in the early pre Buell years). Other than the normal zipper pull problems due to excessive use, I've had no problems. Aerostich stands behind their products. Period! They sent me a zipper pull repair kit with detailed instructions at no charge! Enough parts for all zippers on the suit. I've definately got my moneys worth. I just wish they were a bit more "styling". I'm a bit tired of the crack about snowmobile riding in the summer.. BTW, any of you outdoor types know if Gortex break down after a number of years? Brad | ||
| X1glider |
I've been using Gore-tex stuff for 15 years and they still work fine. So aging isn't a problem. I am told that heavy UV rays can break it down. I only ski one week a year so prolonged exposure at 10-12k ft hasn't been a problem with gloves, jacket and pants. In the winter I use my ski suit and gloves on the bike in pouring rain, pollution and high speed winds so the (ab)normal wear and tear hasn't been an issue either. Construction wise, Gore is usually underneath another material like nylon or leather to protect the Gore from harm. No matter what, it's still the best. You can sit in a puddle of water and your butt will not get wet. Amazing stuff. | ||
| X1glider |
My confusion has been cleared up by the CMRA big cheese and FULL leather is required for the track days here, no mixes. I've been looking at the "New Enough" site and WOW! there's some killer deals in there. I've seen many possibilities. The closeout deals look great. So what if it's a 2001 suit? I am awaiting a reply from Vanson before I make a move tho. Hopefully any they have aren't Honda red from Freddie Spencer's race school! Good link Henrik. | ||
| Ara |
I just picked up my new pair of Sidi Vertebra boots, and I am delighted with the quality and sefety features. Check them out at www.motonation.com. I was told that they run a little small, so I bought the 10.5 - 11 size. My feet are 10.5 and I found the boots to be a tad big, but not so much that the 9.5 - 10 size would fit. I put some sports insoles in them and they fit like a charm now. Based on my experience, don't believe that they run small. Buy the size that fits your foot. Russ |
