Bad Vibrations!

[Groins_NZ]

WARM, TINGLING HANDS...

“AND THEN… it all became clear to me on the way home over the Takas, the problem was I was getting some wicked, and most annoying vibrations coming through the handlebars. I came to realise it because my hands and forearms where starting to tingle.”

THE STORY IN FULL
I’d been after some 'hot-grips' for sometime and decided I didn't want to hack up my original grips so opted not to get the combined’ element+grip’ type. I thought I'd go for the wrap-around product that Oxford produces (although I was wary of the added bulk to the bikes standard grips) but when I went into Wellington Motorcycles they showed me an alternative – an internal handlebar heater from NZ’s own WarmFit (www.warmfit.com). If you haven’t seen this product before, they look like little bar heaters approximately 2inchs in length that go inside the handlebar, heating the grips from the inside. I thought this was a great idea (and it is) - all you have to do is drill a couple of holes at the bottom of your handlebars for the wiring to feed out, mount the switch and connect a couple of wires (basically).

My first and only real obstacle\s were my existing bar ends which as I found out after taking off the knobs, occupied all the space inside the handlebars – running the length of the grip. The heaters need to be right under your grips inside the handlebar – with my stock bar ends this wasn’t going to happen.

But, I was so determined to install WarmFit’s answer to cold phalanges that I brought some Oxford bar ends – the type that uses expanding rubber to grip the inside of the handlebar as you tighten the screw. These were the answer since they occupied very little space within the handlebar and gave me enough room to install the heaters.

The hardest part was getting the ‘stock’ bar ends out which had stubborn cir-clips holding them in real good. Some time later, after much cursing and a little butchery I succeeded in removing them. The stock bar ends are quite weighty combined with the internal component running the length of the grip which was also solid metal. Removing this evident weight from each end of the handlebars was my undoing which gets us to the beginning of my story, which is also now the end…

Anyway, got the WarmFit installed and turned them on – they take a few minutes to warm up, and boy do they warm up! I was stoked – now I can ride in some comfort during the frosty rides to work in the morning, whoopee!

Today I went out for my first long ride with the heaters installed and the whole time I was riding I felt really uncomfortable yet couldn’t figure out why. Somehow I could feel every nook and cranny in the road. I thought I had a flat tyre or something but that wasn’t the case. For most of the ride I just thought I was having an ‘off’ day and didn’t really feel like keeping up with the rest of the group due to a notable lack of riding confidence.

I checked that everything was tight and secure. The cause of all this bad vibration of course is because I’m missing my stock bar ends which when compared to the new Oxford ones I brought are properly more than 6 times heavier. Alas, I have at last heated grips but have now inherited a bad vibration that is ruining my ride and will make long trips almost unbearable – jeez I’m pissed!

I must say this; theirs nothing wrong with the WarmFit product itself – don’t get me wrong, it’s a great idea and they work like a treat, it’s just unfortunate that by installing them I’ve screwed up my bikes handling characteristics and gained some unwanted vibration. I’m going to see how the next couple of weeks go with the heaters installed but I’m strongly considering taking them out and reinstalling the old bar ends.

THE END

[Jeremy]

Could you turn off the text colour formating please, it's nearly impossible to read on the old vb skin.

[Ixion]

Could you turn off the text colour formating please, it's nearly impossible to read on the old vb skin.

Hit CNTRL-A, is easy then

[Spaz]

I hear filling your bars with sand can substitute bar ends. Mind you that could stuff your heater. I hope that helps you in some way.

[Groins_NZ]

I hear filling your bars with sand can substitute bar ends. Mind you that could stuff your heater. I hope that helps you in some way.

Great idea! - thanks for the tip Spaz.

Could you turn off the text colour formating please, it's nearly impossible to read on the old vb skin.

Sorry mate, didn't realise you could still use the old skin?

[XTC]

Hit CNTRL-A, is easy then

Now that is clever.... Shame I sat there squinting trying to read it and then scrolled down...

How much are the WarmFit heaters?? Your link above for warmfit doesn't work?

[vifferman]

If I were you, I'd look at keeping the heated grips (they're great in winter!), but working out ways of adding more weight to the bars. The sand idea is good, but you'll need to put a plug of some sort in between there and the heaters. If you can get the added weight as close to the end of the bars it will work better.

[scumdog]

If I were you, I'd look at keeping the heated grips (they're great in winter!), but working out ways of adding more weight to the bars. The sand idea is good, but you'll need to put a plug of some sort in between there and the heaters. If you can get the added weight as close to the end of the bars it will work better.

Saw an article in a bike mag where the dude used those chrome screw-on sleeves that fit over plumbing taps.

He filled them with lead and drilled a hole down through the centre of them to bolt to his bars. (that's the tricky bit for you I guess - where do you bolt them to?)

Looked good, you would never pick what the really were and the dude said they worked really well. ( he had lost one weight while out riding, mind you after the ride home with one missing weight i suppose ANYTHING would be better!!)

[Groins_NZ]

Now that is clever.... Shame I sat there squinting trying to read it and then scrolled down...

How much are the WarmFit heaters?? Your link above for warmfit doesn't work?

$99 from Wellington Motorcycles.

If you click on the link in my post it won't work because the end bracket is part of it - once it's in your browser's address bar you can remove it.
Again it's, www.warmfit.com however, I see the site is under construction anyway - hate it when they do that.

[Sparky Bills]

Did you know that you can get heavier bar ends?? (aftermarket)
Same style as the Oxford ones. about $35-40 a pair.
I know exactly what you mean though.

[Spaz]

reflecting on it, I reckon you could get a long plastic bag and pack the sand in that, I could not be sure where from. Good luck with it anyway.

[Hitcher]

The only advantage that Warmfits have is that you keep your original grips. They're harder to fit and take considerably longer to heat up than grip replacements, like the Daytonas. You also lose your bar ends and have to replace these with chromed-plastic caps which need to be superglued on, because they easily nudge off. You also have to drill holes in your bars to get the cabling in (or out), leaving an untreated surface that will allow rust to start.

I would not recommend Warmfits to anybody. Go with the replacement grips.

[Groins_NZ]

The only advantage that Warmfits have is that you keep your original grips. They're harder to fit and take considerably longer to heat up than grip replacements, like the Daytonas. You also lose your bar ends and have to replace these with chromed-plastic caps which need to be superglued on, because they easily nudge off. You also have to drill holes in your bars to get the cabling in (or out), leaving an untreated surface that will allow rust to start.

I would not recommend Warmfits to anybody. Go with the replacement grips.

Oh great one, I fear you are speaking the truth... If only I'd got the wrap around heaters from Oxford - I think I'd be much happier and more tolerable of the bulkier grip than have a bike that doesn't handle like it used to.

We live and learn...

[Hitcher]

Oh great one, I fear you are speaking the truth... If only I'd got the wrap around heaters from Oxford - I think I'd be much happier and more tolerable of the bulkier grip than have a bike that doesn't handle like it used to.

We live and learn...

Wrap-arounds are a suboptimal solution too. What's the problem with using grip replacements and keeping your old grips in case you ever want to put your bike back as "stock"?

[Pwalo]

Wrap-arounds are a suboptimal solution too. What's the problem with using grip replacements and keeping your old grips in case you ever want to put your bike back as "stock"?

I'm with Hitcher on this one. I had a set of Daytona heated grips on my last GS. Worked really well. Miss them now.

May be best to junk the in bar system. I think that I'd rather have less vibration and be a bit cooler.