Heated hand grips. Tank bags. Any regrets?

[Oakie]

I'm 90% sure I'm going to get heated handgrips for winter commuting this year having ridden a bike with them on a few weeks ago on a cold morning. Anyone ever got them and wished they hadn't? Do they draw significant current?
Also looking at buying a tank bag to help spread the load for our longer trips. Are they worth it? Do they scratch the tank much? Any particular sort to get?

[Karma]

I've got an Oxford Expander Tank Bag - Loads of room, magnets on it are real powerful, not gonna move at all.

Doesn't scratch the tank at all, just need to be careful that the magnets don't pick anything up when it's off the bike that might scratch it when you put it on... things like paper clips and that...

[onearmedbandit]

Got a magnetic tankbag for the thou, no scratch problems and very convenient.

[denill]

I'm 90% sure I'm going to get heated handgrips for winter commuting this year having ridden a bike with them on a few weeks ago on a cold morning. Anyone ever got them and wished they hadn't?

Have fitted Daytonas to every bike I have owned in the last 20 years. OK, call me a wimp - but I'm a warm one................

[pritch]

I bought Oxford grips when faced with an early(ish) departure from Christchurch to catch a ferry. A frosty morning just didn't bear thinking about.

No regrets. I can't advise about current but I have run them for hours and the battery didn't go flat. Yet.

Apparently a lot of dairy farmers have them on their four wheelers now. Makes sense to me at the hour they are up and about.

Can't be quite so positive about my Motoline magnetic tank bag. At the sort of velocities that the Hornet attains when passing sheep trucks the bloody thing becomes airborne. Disconcerting if not actually dangerous. Didn't do the paint on the tank any good either...

It might work better on a bike with a fairing where it was sheltered but I wouldn't buy another one of these bags.

[BEAMER89]

Cant go past daytona heated grips on a cold day, as 4 the tank bag, if you go 4 a good quaility bag the extra room comes in handy at times.

[limbimtimwim]

IAlso looking at buying a tank bag to help spread the load for our longer trips.

Tankbags are the best bags, in my opinion. They keep the weight high and central. Not low and wayyy behind the centre of mass. Also one seems much less effected by sidewinds with a tankbag compared to when you have crap piled on the back of the bike. And (I say this all the time) but a tankbag also lets (me anyway) lean on it. Takes the weight off the wrists. Long trips, no problem.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I have an oxford expander tankbag as well, hve packed it so much that it split. The only problems I have had with it are 1) with it expanded it gets tall, and if you pack heavy stuff in it, it sways, causing the bike to sway mid corner if you nit a bump. No worries in the tight stuff, but on long sweepers it is not quite so nice. This is not really a fault of the tank bag though. 2) because I packed it very full, the stitching has split a bit on one side.

Have you got a steel tank?

Good points? I can keep my chain lock in it, and it stops the front from getting light and head-shakey with all my gear on the back. It is also easy to move when I need to fill up - just unclip the halter and lift the magnets to pull the bag back.

[Buster]

Ive got a motoline tank bag and i think its really good. Its very handy having the clear compartment on the top where I can put maps, cellphone etc. Can all be seen at a glance so dont have to rummage every time I stop. It sticks to the tank really well and hasnt marked the tank in the 5000 odd kays its been used. Its good to keep stuff like wet gear in it so its easy to get to without unpacking the rear luggage. Keeps a little wind off the chest too.

[Pixie]

Most grips seem to draw about 1 amp

[danb]

I have got an oxford tank bag and they are brilliant. Prices for them are not too bad either.

[Blackbird]

I've had Daytona grips for about 3 years and wouldn't be without them. From memory, running settings are about 12 watts and boost at 22. Only once have I found them inadequate but that was pretty extreme. The grips aren't completely shielded from the wind on the 'bird and going through the south island at 4am in -4 degree temperatures last May was a bit tough, even with heavy gloves on. I just switched it to boost for a few minutes at a time and that helped a lot. I'd say fit them - there isn't a down side!

[Posh Tourer :P]

A further few points - I find that the oxford is very well designed for me. I can use the clear pocket on top of the bag, or zip off the bag and just have a map compartment. Also useful to leave the bike for a short time, and take valuables with you, as it is a backpack too....

[Lou Girardin]

I've got an Oxford Humpback tank bag. It's perfect for me, doesn't get in the way, doesn't move once in place and holds lots of stuff even unexpanded. They're around $260.
I thought about heated grips, but settled for fitting a pair of Buell handguards instead. If I lived in southern climes I probably would fit the grips.

[Warr]

I had the Oxford Heated grips on my XJ900.
The front fairing gave no wind deflection to the hands and I found them barely adequite. Riding in cold fog I kept them on the "Boost" setting for 30+ minites and the 2pot Bostic glue I had used gave out.
I just reglued and took it easier on Boost.
There is propper glue available if you want to part with more $'s

On my VFR havent been through a winter yet, but there is noticably less wind blast on the hands due to the design of the fron fairing.
If I do add Heated Grips it will be the Oxford ones again.

And I wired mine so that they could only opperate when the lights were on. Park or full. Reason XJ always started first press on the button and when idling forever at the lights was a bit rattlie. So's I just off with the kill switch & lights till the traffic lights turned green.
No depleted battery, and I had wired in a new feed to the front for some headlight relays, so having the grips on the old lighting circuit had no detremental effect.