heated grips

[BM-GS]

Heated grips are about the best thing you can do to a (working) bike to make it user-friendly.

I've fitted the Oxford ones to a few bikes and they're pretty good, though not adjustable - except by turning them of when your hands get too hot and on again when they start to cool off.

It's best to take the time to wire them to a switched 12V cable, not direct to the battery, cos then you don't flatten the battery when you forget to turn them off by accident - don't ask me how I know, but this is a big problem on any big, high-compression, engine with fuel injection. I used the front parking light on one bike, which seemed happy enough.

Top tips:

1. Use WD40 or simlilar to get the old grip off easily (spray under the grip using the red straw) and, after thoroughly cleaning off all the cack under the grip and throttle tube, use contact cement to put the new grip on. This will help the grip slide onto the throttle tube and then stop it rotating around it; meaning when you go to open it up in a panic overtake, you actually open the throttle, not just twist the heated grip bit.

2. Make sure that the heated grip doesn't foul on either end of the throttle assembly and lead to sticky-throttle syndrome - the opposite of the problem above, but likely to lead to the same painful end... A Stanley knife is useful here, and the heating elements are (in my experience) far enough from the ends of the grip to allow some trimming. If you see metal, STOP CUTTING!

[Keystone19]

Women and their dodgy circulation problems!
I've got a pair of winter gloves you can try. They kinda thick...so you cant feel anything...and you need a bit of strength to bend the fingers but they work!

Thanks Devil!

Will catch up with you tonight.

(For some reason I read circumcision when I first read your post. Hmm, wondered about that for a moment...)

[Lou Girardin]

:envy:

I want these suckers! Like Keystone19, I'm having a real hard time keeping my hands warm. So far, I've tried two different pairs of leather gloves (one with kevlar, one without), one of which had thinsulate (which didn't!), and polypropylene gloves underneath that. Yesterday I picked up some silk gloves from a tramping shop, and then rode home - only about a 4k trip home, but my fingertips were already icing up again.

I'm gonna look seriously at these heated gloves when in Europe, it's very very disarming riding along with no sensation in your hands - my gear changes suffer! I wonder if they do heated boots too...

Well come on up to AMPS little girl ( in my best sleazy voice) and you can slip your hands into these.
They're all soft and warm and lurvely.

[vifferman]

Well come on up to AMPS little girl ( in my best sleazy voice) and you can slip your hands into these.

It was very quiet there at lunchtime - were you guys all out the back practicing sleaziness?

[thehollowmen]

Got mine put on professionally, but that took about an hour so it mustn't be too hard. Some bikes have factory plugs for heated grips, mine included.

Love them to bits, although I wish it wasn't just an Off / Start / On thing, because I find the "on" lasts about 20 minutes before it cools down.

[Eurygnomes]

Well come on up to AMPS little girl ( in my best sleazy voice) and you can slip your hands into these.
They're all soft and warm and lurvely.

Ha ha ha...ride up to AKL I DON'T think. At least - not without heated grips. Oooh...what a conundrum!

I'll wait till I get to EU - not sure how the $$'s will last so not purchasing $500 worth of equipment I"m afraid (from you or anyone, it's nothing personal dahlink). Besides which, by all NZ accounts, it's colder there than here! I'll just use numb hands as an excuse to stay in bed longer in the am...

[mikey]

My hands have been finding it a bit chilly these last couple of mornings and I was wondering about getting some heated grips. I'm a bit of a nana in the cold and find that using the clutch and brake a little awkward when I can't feel my fingers.

Are heated hand grips any good and how difficult are they to fit and remove? I am planning a bike upgrade sometime in the next year and wondered if I could transfer them to a new bike or would I be better to wait and just get them when I get the new bike.

try wearing gloves. i used to get wicked cold hands until i tried some. an if your hands ever get cold with gloves on take gloves off an toughen the hands up again then gloves feel warm again.

sweet?

[F5 Dave]

One thing that might stop you tranferring heated grips to an new (presumably bigger) bike could be the diameter on the handlebars.

Well um, maybe if you bought a Harley, but aside from comedy bikes everything has std bar size.

I bought some Hot Grips, which is a US brand. They seem to be better than other types I've tried. Do lok at your gloves. Another option is some MX handguards. They look silly, but just the caper for winter & stop the windchill/rain.

[Lou Girardin]

It was very quiet there at lunchtime - were you guys all out the back practicing sleaziness?

I didn't know you were in, you should have asked someone to get me out of sleaze practice.
Did you see the Sprint?

[Lou Girardin]

I should have asked first, what sort of gloves do you use?

[JohnBoy]

when i brought my Gixer i was lucky enough to inherit some from the previous owner. they are ok, i personally would have not spent money on them but they are nice on a colder day.
the only gripe is that my hands are too big for the grips and they tend to dig into the palms of my hands, not too cool on longer rides. might be an idea to check different types out to suit.

[Zed]

In the meantime, try some thermal gloves (thin, polyprop ones) under your gloves - they make a huge difference.

Hey Jill, I've never ridden with heated grips but it sounds like the users on this site are sold!

I have 2 pairs of gloves I wear regularly during winter, my thinner summer ones most of the time except on cold mornings when I change gloves to my thicker lined winter ones. I havn't suffered from frozen fingers for a long while!

Now I'll say it - you're a wuss!!

[pritch]

Got mine put on professionally,

I'm getting mine fitted when the bike goes in for a service next week.
Hopefully everything will be working well for my trip south the following week.

An early start from Christchurch on a frosty morning so as to make it to the return ferry about lunchish doesn't bear thinking about...
.
Must find my handwarmer too, so I can put it in the chest pocket if necessary.

[XP@]

They are worth it on any bike, I used to think them a bit soft... but my beemer had them on when i bought it. Now try getting me to turn them off!

BTW If you are reasonable good with bike electrics you can make your own for about $10!

[geoffm]

The Beemer came with them as standard. I'm sold - wouldn't have a bike without them in winter.
Geoff