OK, I get it now... [Archive] - Kiwi Biker forums

Tubbsy

2nd June 2009, 08:59

Up until this morning, I couldn't understand why anyone would need heated grips. I mean, just wear good gloves right? WRONG!!!!

Hollee faaaark!! :shit: The rest of me was fine, but my fingers from the mid joint to the fingertips actually lost feeling. I was a bit nervous I'd not be able to pull the brake or clutch. I have the good gloves, and I was wearing a pair of 'rev'it' wind barrier gloves I picked up, under them too. No dice, the wind chill must create such cold that the air inside the gloves become like ice. No wind actually got through, but that didn't matter.

Headbanger

2nd June 2009, 09:00

The interior of my car was nice and cosy.

Tubbsy

2nd June 2009, 09:07

I bet the interiors of all the cars I passed stuck in the evil AKL traffic were nice and cosy too. :shifty:

They may still be there.

yod

2nd June 2009, 09:24

cold?

in auckland?

pffffffffffffffffft

oldrider

2nd June 2009, 09:25

Slyer

2nd June 2009, 09:30

After going without them for 55 years I believed I didn't need them! :confused:
As I understand, men back then were real men and didn't need them.

Tubbsy

2nd June 2009, 09:31

Seems likely they don't come any slower! :stupid:

Did they have heated hand grips 55 years ago? :shit:

p.dath

2nd June 2009, 09:31

Do any bikes come with heated grips as standard?

I don't have them, but I'm starting to wonder if they are so great then why are they not a standard feature.

sunhuntin

2nd June 2009, 09:32

heated grips will be my first real alteration to the bike once i get the $$ to arrange it. ive got gloves, but they are beyond shit. in the rain at 100k, my hands are warmer with NO gloves that with the shitty things ive got.

Tubbsy

2nd June 2009, 09:33

Do any bikes come with heated grips as standard?

I don't have them, but I'm starting to wonder if they are so great then why are they not a standard feature.

Probably because they're only a good feature in places where it's really cold, and as most(all) bikes are imports here, they'd be optional add-ons

Headbanger

2nd June 2009, 09:44

My GPX had them, and I refused to turn them on.

Sometimes I wonder about the shit I do.

At the time it made perfect sense.

Blackshear

2nd June 2009, 11:24

So what happened to yesterdays Herald stuffed down your jacket?
Heated grips, pssshaw.

Tubbsy

2nd June 2009, 11:52

A Herald stuffed down your jacket won't warm the ends of your fingers will it? Or am I missing the point there? :mellow:

NighthawkNZ

2nd June 2009, 12:11

Do any bikes come with heated grips as standard?

Some BMW's possible the big Tourers as well

slofox

2nd June 2009, 18:15

Gave my new heated grips the run through this morning as well - went out in minus 1.4 degrees, travelled 70km at highway speed, and the hands survived much better than without the grips. The outside edges did still get cold but last time I did this run without the grips both hands were stone dead by the time I got finshed. To the point where I couldn't feel the hand levers either...a little disconcerting, that.

Another benefit that I wondered about but had not expected, happened as well. My right palm has, as a result of surgery, quite a lot of scar tissue in it, and a constant hold on the throttle tends to cause the right hand to lose sensation. The scar tissue, I think, compresses either nerves or perhaps blood vessels with resultant loss of feeling. The heated grips have made this much less of a problem as well. I did 150km yesterday afternoon, which would usually see me having to let go the throttle and shake the hand back to life several times over. Didn't happen at all with a little extra heat in the palm.

So its not just the cold that they help with.

roadracingoldfart

2nd June 2009, 19:01

I had heated grips on my old CBX750 F2 and even though most of the hand could be tucked into behind the fairing the cold still got them. Heating is good.
At work i try to get hold of a transit van to work on in winter as they have a heated drivers seat and its really really lovely on a cold day.

Has anyone ever tried one of those heated vest things on the market ??? , they would have to be better than a newspaper down the jacket.

Paul.

rosie631

2nd June 2009, 19:11

Have never felt the need for these. But riding back from the Brass I was pretty comfortable except for my hands and I have good gloves. It's not a nice feeling hands stiffening up and wondering if you'll be able to pull the clutch in. Think I will have to get some. Definitely before next years brass anyway.

varminter

2nd June 2009, 19:37

Heated grips = BLISS. 'er indoors reccon's it's a waste of money, get some good gloves she said WTF I have good gloves, cost $160 still got cold fingers. Not any more. Oh yes, she did suggest heated gloves,(so, not completely stupid) anyone seen any??

howdamnhard

2nd June 2009, 19:53

Only really gets cold enough for them a few days of the year up here in AKLD so I haven't bothered. But on those days I have wished I had, had them. Not being able to feel ones fingers which one relies on to control bike is no fun.

BIG DOUG

2nd June 2009, 20:43

Yea I have a widder electic vest and gloves which keep my whole hands warm but I think widder went out of business

Tubbsy

3rd June 2009, 08:10

Top tip for the morning.......actually, it comes from Radar who sold me my beastie.

Once you get over the incredible un-cool factor, plastic shopping bags over your gloves actually work!

Yesterday, good (expensive) gloves, plus inner(expensive) gloves....didn't know if I'd be able to pull the brakes or clutch getting close to work because hands were so cold. Had to run them under warm water to get feeling back.

This morning, 3 degrees overnight and 6 this morning, cold for Akl (colder than yesterday), I just had my gloves on, no inners, and wrapped plastic bags loosely(so I could work clutch, indicators etc) around my gloves, and what do you know??? My hands were good when I got to work!!! It's awesome! :wari:

Not so awesome I spent loot on ineffective inner gloves, but them's the breaks.

rosie631

3rd June 2009, 08:31

I just had my gloves on, no inners, and wrapped plastic bags loosely(so I could work clutch, indicators etc) around my gloves, and what do you know??? My hands were good when I got to work!!! It's awesome! :wari:

I might try that. My gloves seem to be ok for few hours riding but then get cold, especially if sun gos down. Don't really want to tap anything else into my battery if I can avoid it so plastic bags could be the go.

Tubbsy

3rd June 2009, 08:35

I was a bit sceptical to start because they're just a thin plastic membrane, but nothing gets through, and grip on the handlebars was good.

I'm guessing shops don't sell plastic overgloves (if there is such a thing) because there'd be no profit to be made, or a very tiny margin as opposed to the heated hand grips, inner gloves etc that get sold now.

Slyer

3rd June 2009, 08:45

http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/content/catalogueViewEntry.aspx?profilePK=sports&entryPK=2089
and
http://www.motoretail.co.nz/product.cfm?ID=7770

Mmm lobster.

Tubbsy

3rd June 2009, 08:57

I stand corrected.....plastic bags still worked a treat though. :wari:

slofox

3rd June 2009, 09:53

Minus 2 this morning...found that the lighter summer gloves were warmer with the heated grips than the heavier winter gloves....

Jantar

3rd June 2009, 10:03

I guess I'm just a nana. I don't have heated grips, and today its so bloody :cold: I took the cage to work.

I've only ever fitted heated grips to one bike, used them once and took them off again. Now once the temperature gets below -6C I leave the bike at home.

crazyhorse

3rd June 2009, 10:31

Plastic Bags do work a treat. But when your hands are cold, then you are cold. And I know what its like to pull on the brake and not actually feel that you are pulling it on. Bad circulation at times too....

I've had heated handle grips on two of my bikes, and they certainly are useful at times. I would imagine thinner gloves would be a trick to use too.