Heated grips advice

[Kameloil]

Two great days of riding but this morning was properly cold. I need to sort out some heating for the bike and first thing is some heated grips. Can anyone suggest anything other than the oxford products?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-OF693-Hot-Grips/dp/B000R57XAS

[He11cat]

I had Daytona and they where a pile of..... temp was sporadic , I went back and complained about them as they where so bad you hardly got any heat through gloves (which were not thick) but was told thats how hot they got ????? really bad.

I know you said no Oxford but I got Oxford sports heated grips they are way less bulky then the standard ones and have been fantastic I will be getting another pair not as ugly either.

[gary tompkins]

How about a pair of warm muffs?

[Kameloil]

I'm not averse to the Oxprod but just wondered if anybody had an alternative? How long does it take to install assuming mechanic (me) is an idiot?

[Kameloil]

they come in pairs?

[uksurfer]

i must admit i have been thinking after riding last wednesday that i need to start using my winter gloves soon

i got a heated pair of grips somewhere kicking around i think, i might try to find them

[He11cat]

Greedy......
under an hour.... the hardest bit is getting them over the bars ... wiggling them on..
The sports grips are nicer then standard honest :)

[gary tompkins]

You can get furry muffs too

http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=231946

[NewMon]

I fitted Oxford sports grips last weekend in preparation for the winter. I have never used heated grips before so I can't compare them with anything else. However, I did a load of internet research before buying them and believe they are a good product. A cheaper alternative were the Hein Gericke own brand grips which were on offer the other week for about 40 quid I think. I didn't like the look of them quality wise and paid twice as much for the Oxfords.

So far, the weather has been pretty mild but I have been doing a 35 mile blast up motorways at night and the grips on lowest setting have been great. I got back the other night and hands were toasty.

Fitting them was pretty easy. A couple of wires from the battery to a small sealed box of electronics that I stuck to the battery holder using supplied sticky pad. From there, a DIN plug/socket connects via a long wire to the control box. I mounted that on the supplied bracket to the right hand wing mirror. Not the best location and I had to put the control box upside down to make the wiring neat. It all works though and you only have to switch it on and select power - best done before putting gloves on.
Another wire connects via a splitter to the grips themselves. I had to do a lot of filing and sanding to get the throttle plastic tube to the required 25.6mm diameter to fit the grip. Some things on a Ducati are made from Girders!! - that was the hardest part of the job. I also had to remove the instruments to thread the cables from each grip down to just in front of the airbox where they met the splitter. The famous Ducati rubber bands on the frame took care of routing the cables from battery to front of bike. A few cable ties also helped. I thought it would be a long job but I was finished in time for a shakedown test before it got dark - probably spent a couple of hours not including a trip to Wickes for a better sander. Downside is that direct connection to the battery means it is possible to leave them on and drain the battery - they will shut off if battery voltage drops too far but I really don't want to test that.

You definitely want some with adjustable heat control. The oxford go from 25% to 100% with 2 steps in between. So far 25% is all I've needed. But I've been wearing Pathan gloves (the claw!!) and using Acerbis handguards as well. I am really looking after my fingers this winter!!

Hope this helps...

[AndyC_772]

I have Daytona grips on my bike, and had a pair on my last bike too. The grips themselves are good quality, but the heat level is a bit 'all or nothing' with the standard controller.

Fortunately electronics is what I do for a living, so I just built new controllers which allow the power level to be varied - and with that modification they're excellent. Not sure whether that helps unless you're handy with a soldering iron, though...

[AndyC_772]

Downside is that direct connection to the battery means it is possible to leave them on and drain the battery - they will shut off if battery voltage drops too far but I really don't want to test that.

Can't you wire them via a relay driven from the headlamp or some other ignition switched 12V feed?

[He11cat]

Mine where dreadful on run/ start up they heated up then you have to switch them down to the maintain heat mode don't you? Well as soon as I switched onto the maintain heat you couldn't feel a thing through gloves.
So the only thing you could do was run them on the start up mode all the time which Daytona advided me not to do!
now I have four settings on the oxford controls love it.

Pretty shoddy of them I thought as you buy a product you expect it to work not to have to modi it to get it to function... lucky you could sort yours out mind!

[NewMon]

Yes, you can wire them into any part of the circuit - switched would of course be better. I may do this soon as I am a bit paranoid about leaving them on. One thing to be wary of though is that whatever circuit you choose to wire them to needs to be able to handle the extra load.

[AndyC_772]

Their problem is that the controller is just a simple switch, it either wires the two grips in series or in parallel depending on the switch position. Wiring them in parallel (start mode) gives full power, putting them in series (run mode) gives 25% of that, which isn't enough.

With my controller I usually run around 50% power which is nice and toasty.

[AndyC_772]

Yes, you can wire them into any part of the circuit - switched would of course be better. I may do this soon as I am a bit paranoid about leaving them on. One thing to be wary of though is that whatever circuit you choose to wire them to needs to be able to handle the extra load.

Funnily enough I've just spent a while today fitting a new feed straight from the battery via a relay for just this purpose; my new controller can drive two separate devices, and I want to be able to run my heated jacket off the bike too.

[NewMon]

Very cool. What relay would you recommend? I won't ask about siting it as I no longer have a kwakker.

[AndyC_772]

It's nothing special: 12v coil, 20A rating with spade terminal connections. My local motor factor sells them in blister packs along with fuses, crimp terminals and stuff.

Tip: once it's wired up, wrap the base of the relay and the spade terminals in self-amalgamating tape to keep the water out.

I did fit one to a Monster last year... there was a handy space near the battery, if I remember correctly, and I took the ignition switched +12V feed from the connector to the horn near the front of the bike as it was easily accessible.

[NewMon]

Right. You've inspired me to finish the job properly! I'm off to get some parts. Thanks.

[steeevvvooo]

Grips are good, but only heat the inside of you hand. The knuckles take the brunt of the cold, so lots of people add either a pair of muffs or bash guards like on offroaders to stop the wind chill factor.

If you can stretch the budget I would seriously consider the Exo 2 Stormshield gloves. They really are a revelation… very warm, decent gloves in their own right, with heated lining all the way to the fingertips both inside and outside the hand. Plus, you can build on the system adding heated waistcoats etc which all plug together, with one plug going to the bike. The controller is additional, but I have never fitted the one I bought… plug in when cold, unplug if they get too hot, simple! I’d fit the controller if I get around to it, but never bothered yet.

Highly recommended, when you think how much gloves, heated grips and handmuffs would cost, £130 for a total solution isn’t that bad imho…

[J.P]

I second that from Stevo, had my Exo 2 gloves for years and definitely much better than heated grips.
There are a number of manufacturers out there offering similar products.

[ladybird]

I have recently had the Oxford grips fitted, the permanent ones not the wrap arounds, they have been in a box since I was given them a Christmas or so ago.

I got them fitted during my service.

After13+ years of biking in all weathers this is the first year I've ever had any kind of warming and they are lovely.

70% works well for me on the commute with summer gloves, although I've not needed to use every day.

The control box is mounted on the handlebar risers for ease of access, but it looks ugly.
The grips feel a bit bulky to start with but you soon get used to it.

Although they would keep the wind off and rain/snow out which is the other main problem, muffs are not for me, but I may get some wind guards to keep the knuckles a bit warmer.

They definitely beat trying to wrap your hands in the engine at lights.

[utopia]

I have a set of the Oxford wrap arounds. They came free with a mag subscription a few years ago, but I've only just got round to fitting them.
I have a socket for my a battery maximiser fitted near the handlebar clamp, so I fitted the same plug on the hot-hands so they just plug in there, with the on/off switch fitted on the bar clamp with a reuseable cable tie.
They have no regulator, but they seem to be about right most of the time, and if they get too hot its easy to switch them off for a while (with gloved hands).
Advantages are....
They're simple to fit in seconds, but in the warmer weather they stay in the shed, leaving the bike free of extra wiring etc.
I can use the same pair on all my bikes.
If they break they're simple to replace.
They're dead cheap, but do the job.

I use them in conjunction with handguards...it has to be sensible to keep the cold blast off your hands as much as possible in the first place. Most are brushguards rather than for wind protection though, so I made my own.

Haven't road tested them a great deal yet, but I was pleasantly surprised at being able to do a non-stop run across the peaks from manchester down to leicester the other evening, without numb fingers.

[Kameloil]

So Oxford sport grips it is. I think I'll leave the electrics to a professional....so Gary you were saying furry ones, in pairs, tell me more.

[the_adam]

I second that from Stevo, had my Exo 2 gloves for years and definitely much better than heated grips.
There are a number of manufacturers out there offering similar products.

Just curious whether you've found they drain the battery significantly, know they shouldn't be that much of a problem but I get paranoid about these things :)

Recently got a pair myself and they seem to work fairly well, heating seems to be mostly on the back of the hands rather than fingers although there hasn't been a proper cold day to test them yet. I found I was using them on the setting one below maximum so not sure whether the controller was really worth the extra expense, guess it can't hurt though. Even unplugged they're probably better than my RST winter gloves from last year, just have to make sure the cables are out of the way :thumbsup:

[digga]

I always use heated grips from http://www.windingroads.co.uk

very easy to install, they fit under the grips ( so new grips will be req'd after fitting unless you are very careful) they come with a neat toggle switch and at last view they were doing a neat CNC bracket with the package. dead easy to wire via the headlamp, that way you can't leave them on !!.. toasty warm but as another poster said... handguards increase the warmth.

they are not expensive either...

The heated back pads are brilliant ....ne'er mind heated waistcoats et al

[Altaian]

After an extended season, I've been thinking of heated grips. Enquired about the Multistrada ones, but was advised that they are loom specific, and require a section to be enabled within the brains of the electronics in order to activate that function - sadly this is model specific to my knowledge. I like the idea of being a purist, but may need to look at alternative options if I go down this route.

[BluprintZ]

Heated grips my arse....you set of pussies, wot u like?

Sorry about that, everything went black (disclaimer).

I've thought about heated grips a couple of times, not that i purposely go out of my way to ride in the depths of winter...or anything resembling it but we do have to occasionaly.
The only thing that has stopped me hitting the "Buy" button, is the pair of Trialsmaster mittens i've had for over 20 years.
Admittedly, they don't get used every winter because i have a car and at my age, it's no contest, i don't get any joy out of riding in the cold and rain like i used to years ago, car in winter, bike in summer, as is the way of things.

So on the odd occasion that i have wanted to go out on the bike with the lads on a coldish Sunday afternoon, i've got well wrapped up and put the mittens on over my normal riding gloves and i've had no problems with cold pinkies at all, not even near.
One or two of the lads have complained that the heat from the grips, could have been a bit better, windchill being the main culprit there i would think, i could be wrong.

In my opinion, the mittens over my normal gloves seem to be one of the better solutions.
It's like having two jumpers on, the heat gets trapped in the spaces between them, it's the same with the two-glove jobbie, plus because the mittens are waxed, the rain just runs off them, whereas the heated grips with just gloves, become useless in the rain, as the gloves can get soaked and then the old windchill comes into play again, not good.

I've used the mittens over those 20 years (or so), riding in horrendous snow and torrential rain, plus everything in between and they have never let me down, i've not once thought "sh!t, my hands are freezing", although my crotch has become waterlogged many times but at least my pinkies were toasty.
It's all down to preference really but i think i'll stick with the mittens, less stress i feel.

G ; )

[He11cat]

Blue you need waxed pants my dear :) or a waxed codpiece to stop the crotch soakage!

[uksurfer]

Heated grips my arse....you set of pussies, wot u like?

Sorry about that, everything went girlie (disclaimer).



G ; )

With you on that one G.:banana::banana::running:

[Kameloil]

Getting cold is a distraction and a drain on energy. Two things I can do without. The Oxford sport grips are great (thanks Hellcat). It's amazing how much better you feel if only one part of your body is being warmed. Left on the lowest setting they are good enough to take the edge of the chill without needing muffs, guards and other paraphernalia.

Sound investment as far as I'm concerned even if I do wear a big girls blouse ;)

[J.P]

Someone needs to invent a fully insulated and heated all in one, CE armour approved, romper-suit.

[the_adam]

Someone needs to invent a fully insulated and heated all in one, CE armour approved, romper-suit.

Something like this should do quite nicely...wonder what the chances are of one popping up in an army surplus shop? :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Iss009e29620.jpg/220px-Iss009e29620.jpg

[Altaian]

Blue you need waxed pants my dear :) or a waxed codpiece to stop the crotch soakage!

Are you into 'kinky' stuff He11cat? Or have you watched too many programs with goosefat being rubbed in ;)

[The Red Devil]

I find heated gloves are better than grips..especially for keeping your sausage rolls warm in winter.... :piglet:

[utopia]

I used to use wax cotton mittens like George does, and I can vouch for their effectiveness.
Mine disappeared years ago though, and I haven't seen them for sale for a long while.
I did buy some nylon/goretex ones by Dainese which work reasonably well, but I usually only use them in the rain.
Ideally though, I like my hands to be as unrestricted as possible, so I wear light gloves whenever I can...hence the handguards for longer winter rides.
When I was younger I usually used to wear a pair of thin ladies leather gloves, acquired from my mates mum, with the fingertips cut out. Nowadays I have poor circulation in my fingertips. I assume the two are connected.

[Altaian]

I used to use wax cotton mittens like George does, and I can vouch for their effectiveness.
Mine disappeared years ago though, and I haven't seen them for sale for a long while.
I did buy some nylon/goretex ones by Dainese which work reasonably well, but I usually only use them in the rain.
Ideally though, I like my hands to be as unrestricted as possible, so I wear light gloves whenever I can...hence the handguards for longer winter rides.
When I was younger I usually used to wear a pair of thin ladies leather gloves, acquired from my mates mum, with the fingertips cut out. Nowadays I have poor circulation in my fingertips. I assume the two are connected.

I'm with you on the summer gloves & being as unrestricted as possible. Currently I'm using Dainese silk undergloves & with the cold/rain I've resorted to using the over mitts, but the combination is quite cumbersome - hence my investigation into heated grips. I have ordered the new multistrada hand guards, to see if it can be fitted to the 'Fighter. It may not be aesthetically the sexiest accessory I'll have fitted if it works. But if it keeps the wind off, and hence the worst of the chill factor & some rain defence it'll be money well spent. Plust it does have the DP log on ;) The bikes for me, and the more practical, the more it'll get used. If it's easy to fit, they may come off in the summer if I don't like the look.

I do like your comment on Dianese nylon/goretex inner-gloves. They sound like they might be better than the silk ones I purchased.

[bryanc]

I had a set of Motrax heated grips with a 5 setting thermostat on my last bike. They were excellent and very good value. Rarely had it up to high setting also automatically switched off and recalled the last temp setting. I had these fitted at a service so reducing costs - grips were approx £43 which was very good value in my opinion.