Oxford HotGrips - bad fittiing or bad advice in the Comic

[Spuds1234]

After leaving my hotgrips on twice this week (leaving them on at all is rare) I think I'll be doing this after the brass monkey. Or maybe I'll sort it out tomorrow if I get around to it.

[sinned]

Yep, I'd have to add to the relay comment, I trip mine off my numberplate lights and it runs my radar detector. When I get them, it'll run the hotgrips too... :-)

Finding a hot feed to operate a relay is simple and you don't need to break into the main wiring of the ignition switch. All bikes run the tail light when the ignition is on and the tail light wiring has to be the easiest way to get a hot feed. Slofox gives a good explanation of how to do this.

[p.dath]

This is my blog entry on my own experience of fitting the hot grips myself:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/en...xford-HotGrips

I would probably go somewhere else. They can definitely be wired into the ignition system.

[trailblazer]

mine is wired to my ignition so no chance of me leaving them on. Great to see a shop maning up and sorting the problem. Good on you guys.

[rustic101]

Mine are wired through a relay. Ignition off, grips off.

Am going to install a cigarette lighter socket in a few weeks and will use another relay for that too.

[CookMySock]

They don't draw a huge amount of current, but enough that you should not wire them direct to the ignition circuit.

I connected ours to the headlamp relay, so it is impossible for them to activate with the engine stopped. I didn't change the fuse, and it has been running perfectly for more than a year. There's no way this is a complicated thing to do.

One of our 650's has a temperature controller, and on the other bike the hotgrips run on full heat whenever the engine is running. They can be unplugged in the summer, and they usually are.

We have no problems at all. Start bike, ride away.. oh theres the hotgrips warming up - nice!

Steve

[Flip]

My hot grips are wired into the switched auxiliary circuit on the bike. There is a small water proof 2 pin 12v electrical plug under the seat already there for this purpose. I did buy a double plug adapter because I also needed a plug for Hector. I guess when you only build 3 bikes and your head is not stuck up your ass you listen to what the customers want.

[hayd3n]

Hi there Clyde,

I doubt we would've told you it's not possible, as there is always a way, albeit often expensive. But I've asked Bruce to contact you regarding this.

Cheers,

Pete

expensive its not harder than wiring in a car stereo look for acc and add a relay how hard can that be?

[sinned]

Hi there Clyde,

I doubt we would've told you it's not possible, as there is always a way, albeit often expensive. But I've asked Bruce to contact you regarding this.

Cheers,

Pete

expensive its not harder than wiring in a car stereo look for acc and add a relay how hard can that be?

There is additional cost to add a relay, cost of relay, cost of connectors (they add up), bit more wiring and time. IMO no installations should be done without a relay and the bike shop should point this out to its customer and give her the choice of relay or hard wired. My estimate is the extra cost would be in the range of $50 - $80 and it is worth it.

My hotgrips were installed by the shop without a relay and within a few days the battery was flat from them being left on. I then installed a relay myself and no more problems.

[gonzo_akl]

I see you list your bike as a bandit, if you are not comfortable fitting a relay I found this site when I was doing song some research prior to fitting grips on my bike.

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Bi...it/bandit.html

It looks pretty easy, thought about it but I wired up a relay triggered off the tail light, was a bunch easier than I expected. Only real problem was I picked the wrong wire on the tail light - couldn't find a wiring diagram so I guessed. You can get all the bits from either Jaycar or Repco

[Gremlin]

budget on the oxford grips using up to 4 amps, 2 per grip. I've got two accessory circuits, so all that stuff is wired into them

[cowboyz]

whats the big deal about having them wired to the ignition? I wired mine directly to the battery as per instruction sand they turn themselves off if voltage is below (a certain level which i cant rememebr) but it doesnt drain the bettary enough not to start the bike.

[Owl]

whats the big deal about having them wired to the ignition? I wired mine directly to the battery as per instruction sand they turn themselves off if voltage is below (a certain level which i cant rememebr) but it doesnt drain the bettary enough not to start the bike.

Cutoff is about 11.?V isn't it? May find different bikes have different needs, as mine needs 12.6V to start when cold. In saying that, my Hotgrips are wired directly to the battery, but I don't forget they're on.

[dipshit]

When I picked the bike up, the shop advised that this was not possible and that I would have to careful to turn the grips off after stopping etc etc.

when I purchased mine the salesman told me it could be wired to the ignition however my ignition is a sealed unit so that proved to be a no goer.

WTF...

You don't tap into the ignition... you tap into an ignition on source! i.e. tail light or numberplate light power (if your bike is one of those headlights always on when the ignition is on types)

Go to Repco or Supercheap and get yourself a common as muck general-purpose automotive relay for around $20. One wire goes to the tail light power, say,... two wires directly to the battery + (with a fuse of course) and - and a fourth wire becomes the power feed for your accessory. Quick and easy to do and your accessory will be drawing directly from the battery so you will not risk any mishaps with your bike's wiring... plus it will only be live when the ignition is on. Done.

Just don't go to bike workshops where the mechanics are either clueless or full of shit. You'll be better off finding a better mechanic somewhere else or learning to work on your bike yourself.

[sinned]

whats the big deal about having them wired to the ignition? I wired mine directly to the battery as per instruction sand they turn themselves off if voltage is below (a certain level which i cant rememebr) but it doesnt drain the bettary enough not to start the bike.

You may have been lucky but plenty of people have not been able to start their bike after leaving the grips on. If left on they do drain a lot out of the battery before the grips turn off. Whether or not your bike will start depends on a number of factors. On the busa (new bike new battery) and a frosty morning the ignition lights etc lit up but there was not enough juice to crank the motor. Making sure you turn them off is not the answer either as if the bike is parked up in public all day and someone turns them on same problem.