Heated grips advice

06-11-2011, 08:08 PM

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.../dp/B000R57XAS

06-11-2011, 08:16 PM

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 · 06-11-2011, 08:25 PM

How about a pair of warm muffs?

06-11-2011, 08:28 PM

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?

uksurfer · 06-11-2011, 08:35 PM

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

06-11-2011, 08:30 PM

they come in pairs?

06-11-2011, 08:37 PM

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 · 06-11-2011, 08:48 PM

You can get furry muffs too

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

NewMon · 06-11-2011, 09:31 PM

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 · 06-11-2011, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewMon

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?

AndyC_772 · 06-11-2011, 09:42 PM

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...

06-11-2011, 09:49 PM

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 · 06-11-2011, 09:51 PM

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 · 06-11-2011, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

AndyC_772 · 06-11-2011, 09:53 PM

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.

06-11-2011, 08:08 PM	#1
Kameloil Guest Posts: n/a	Heated grips advice 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.../dp/B000R57XAS

06-11-2011, 08:25 PM	#3
gary tompkins 1/2 man - 1/2 pogo-stick Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Dartford, Kent Bike: M900ie Posts: 7,241	How about a pair of warm muffs? __________________ GT Fully paid up member of the S.A.S. (Scottoiler Appreciation Society) 27,000 miles on original chain - and still going strong!

06-11-2011, 08:35 PM	#5
uksurfer Its all grey now Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: southampton Bike: M1200s Posts: 2,940	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 __________________ Evolution - M600 - S4 - M796 - M1100evo - M1200s

06-11-2011, 08:48 PM	#8
gary tompkins 1/2 man - 1/2 pogo-stick Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Dartford, Kent Bike: M900ie Posts: 7,241	You can get furry muffs too http://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=231946 __________________ GT Fully paid up member of the S.A.S. (Scottoiler Appreciation Society) 27,000 miles on original chain - and still going strong!

06-11-2011, 09:31 PM	#9
NewMon Titanium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rugby Bike: M600 Posts: 401	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... Last edited by NewMon; 06-11-2011 at 09:33 PM..

06-11-2011, 08:16 PM	#2
He11cat Guest Posts: n/a	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.

06-11-2011, 08:28 PM	#4
Kameloil Guest Posts: n/a	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?

06-11-2011, 08:30 PM	#6
Kameloil Guest Posts: n/a	they come in pairs?

06-11-2011, 08:37 PM	#7
He11cat Guest Posts: n/a	Greedy...... under an hour.... the hardest bit is getting them over the bars ... wiggling them on.. The sports grips are nicer then standard honest

06-11-2011, 09:42 PM	#11
AndyC_772 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farnborough Bike: No Bike Yet! Posts: 211	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...

06-11-2011, 09:49 PM	#12
He11cat Guest Posts: n/a	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!

06-11-2011, 09:51 PM	#13
NewMon Titanium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rugby Bike: M600 Posts: 401	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.

06-11-2011, 09:53 PM	#15
AndyC_772 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Farnborough Bike: No Bike Yet! Posts: 211	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.