Toasty warm hands

[windboy]

Yo adventure fellas,

Just a quick line to highly recommend you getting heated grips. After a few years of debating if they were really worth having, I got a pair of Oxford "Hot Grips" on Saturday.

Only a couple of hours over a few beers in my garage and got them mounted ready to go. I was out today through cold rain and chilling winds wearing my summer leather gloves; felt toasty warm for a good 3 hours (by the way the gravel road to puhoi from kaukops was an absolute minter, not too muddy).

I even had to set the grips to the second to lowest setting. What a difference, should have installed these puppies years ago!

later,

[Toaster]

Yes my hands are always warm.

[TerminalAddict]

do they replace your original grips? or are they the wrap around type?

[warewolf]

Grip Heater Kit

Fit under whatever grips you prefer, such as ProGrip dual-gel.

[Transalper]

do they replace your original grips? or are they the wrap around type?

Oxford have both types available for about the same price, i've always installed the 'replace your original grips' type on my (and the missusss s) bikes.
I've all ways said they are worth while... some people just don't listen to me.
They are even more effective on bikes with hand guards.

I haven't seen the ones warewolf linked to for sale here, but they look worth while investigating... except for the temperature control where the Oxford is totally variable instead of just two heat settings of high or low.

[windboy]

do they replace your original grips? or are they the wrap around type?

I got the "replace your original" ones; they're called "Hot grips". The more provisional ones are called "hot hands"

I haven't seen the ones warewolf linked to for sale here, but they look worth while investigating... except for the temperature control where the Oxford is totally variable instead of just two heat settings of high or low.

I reckon the variable control knob is the way to go. I spent a bit of time finding the right setting. Later, it got a bit warmer and I had to adjust to even cooler... It would be a nightmare if you had to keep flicking the switch on and off cause you kept burning your fingers.... The other option I found was the "daytona" one. But they only had 2 settings: "full blat" for starting them and then "on".... Talk about lack of adjustment... Although to be fair I have to say that the Oxford variable adjustment control is far from easy to the eye (for the aesthetically conscious...)

The handguards definitely help keeping the back of my hands warm. I enjoy using my summer gloves as my winter ones are too bulky...

Never saw the werewolf ones before, seems like a cool idea match them with your favorite grips. Having said that most handlebars being made out of ally, are bound to dissipate a lot of the heat. This means that unless you insulate them from the bars you would need more power to keep the fingers warm...

[sels1]

I used to think they were a bit wussy....until I bought the Tiger and they were already fitted. They are a great accessory for riding in the cooler months. I am still using my light and comfortable summer gloves rather than the bulky winter ones I would normally be wearing this time of year.

[skelstar]

Made my own out of heater wire, a couple of 5W resistors, two connectors, mountain bike innertube, cable-ties (of course), and some fine tubing. I kinda designed them too hot and managed to burn the insides of my palms (not friction burns) last year ...they kinda blistered a bit.

Plan to make a digital thermostat controller this week. Thats a bit trickier.

[Puddlejumper]

Glad they are working for you. Me, I've had a couple bikes with heated grips and haven't found em much use. Sure, the palms are warm but my biggest issue is my fingertips. ( Poor circulation cos of advancing years.) I find at 100-120km on a cold morning that the grips are not effective as the wind is on the OTHER side of the hand. I can see that hand guards of some kind would help. What I'm thinking of doing instead is getting a set of heated gloves from Challenger motors.( Yes, I'm a wuss.) Has anyone had experience of these?

[Mr Merde]

Try using them in conjunction with their handlebar mitts.

Used both whilst couriering in the UK. All weathers and no chilled fingers.

Very comfortable.

[oldrider]

I used to think they were a bit wussy....until I bought the Tiger and they were already fitted. They are a great accessory for riding in the cooler months. I am still using my light and comfortable summer gloves rather than the bulky winter ones I would normally be wearing this time of year.

Bought a pair for my TransAlp, they are still in the shed and the T/A is gone.

Bought a new Tiger complete with heated hand grips, tried them and didn't like them.

Tried them again recently in the Lindis Pass when we encountered our first frost of the year.

Have to admit it was nice to have my hands warm and think I will be tempted to use the a bit more now that winter has officially arrived!

Must be getting soft in my old age...! Maybe even sensible! Cheers john.

[warewolf]

I haven't seen the ones warewolf linked to for sale here

The internet is your friend. $50 NZ delivered.

except for the temperature control where the Oxford is totally variable instead of just two heat settings of high or low.

What you want is the Heat-Troller.

But really, who needs the extra fuss & bother (weight, cost, complexity)? High & low is fine. It is extremely rare that I want another heat seating between high & low. My thought there was to use a 4-position switch and a couple of well-chosen resistors to have three heat settings.

The best thing about these heaters is that you aren't stuck with the lousy grips that are an inherent and unchangeable part of the system. And you use the grips far more often, and they are far more critical, than the heat function.

[warewolf]

Never saw the werewolf ones before, seems like a cool idea match them with your favorite grips. Having said that most handlebars being made out of ally, are bound to dissipate a lot of the heat. This means that unless you insulate them from the bars you would need more power to keep the fingers warm...

The heaters have a higher wattage going through the clutch side to counteract that effect.

However, it helps to have three layers of foil insulation tape around the left bar, one layer on the throttle tube. Works sweet.

Some people buy an old throttle tube from a wrecker and two pairs of grips (to get the second throttle-tube diameter one) but that won't work with most off-road grips that are shaped specifically for each side. You would also have to buy the snowmobile kit that has the same wattage on each side.

[vifferman]

I thought heated grips were for wussies, and not needed except in maybe the colder parts of NZ. I rode to work nearly every day I lived in Chch without them and coped OK. But then I bought the VFR with them already fitted (with a dial-type adjuster). The first time I used them, the lovely warm feeling made me smile for about 10 minutes! I dunno what brand they are, but the grips and controller are part of the kit, and they have integrated insulated wires.

The advantage of them is I don't need bulky gloves (we hatesss them we doesss), and the dial means the perfect heat can be dialled up, unlike the snowmobiles we rode a few years ago, where the amount of heat was related to engine speed, and there were only two settings. Made it very difficult to get the right amount of heating.

[windboy]

Good point Colin, forgot about the throttle tube...! Should be a bloody good insulater.

I reckon if you don't insulate the clutch grip you will definetily notice the temperature difference between grips.