Heated grips or gloves?

[Jedz123]

Hey guys.
With winter riding upon us in the Northern hemisphere I was wondering what you personal preference was to keep your digits warm? This year I decided to give heated battery operated gloves a go to see if the work better in keeping my fingers warm. I bought some NOS +Venture gloves, I love my battery powered vest from the same company so I decided to give this company a go. I've noticed the glove creates heat on the top part of my hand and fingers but not on the bottom and that's my only real complaint however they keep my hands much warmer compared to any grip I've used in the past. Battery life is very good, never have lost battery on multiple hour rides so far and with the battery glove I can also use them when I decide to do out door projects like shovel the driveway out clear snow off the roof.

I have used grips in the past with some what unsatisfactory results. Generally a grip would cut out and I'd be stuck with only 1 hand staying warm. I'm interested in getting grips for Connie, especially since I let others take my bike for a spin and would like everyone to be comfy... Plus what's a touring bike without heated grips? They didn't come with grips as standard equipment till 2010...

So I'm interested to see what works for some, what hasn't worked and whats the general consensus on glove vs grips and which brands are the best?

Oh pic of my current equipment.

 

[76_Mike_82]

I have both heated grips and heated gloves. I have found that the gloves do only heat the back of your hand and while warm not totally satisfactory. I like the heated grips because they are always on the bike, a cool morning or late evening ride just turn them on and your hands are toasty. I use the heated gloves for more extream cold weather riding where I know I'm going to be cold for awhile. I don't like the gloves as much because I feel I have a little less feel of the bike, but more then if my hands are frozen.
It all comes down to personal preference.

 

[Grimly]

For the past 25 years I've been using snow-mobile type internal bar heaters and simply swapped them over, as needed (only had to do that once or twice though, due to bike or bar changes). That's the advantage of them - you can keep them for years and they don't break or wear out, like over-bar grips do.
The ones I have are long since gone off the market, but the Polly heaters are in the same vein and I think I'll be getting a pair of those for at least one other of the bikes here. As a stop-gap, I bought a pair of relatively cheap over-grip heaters for the XJ, but I don't expect them to last more than a year or two.
Anyway, the internal heaters get a big thumbs-up from me. They have a very simple control - high / low and that's yer lot. Low is the heaters in series and high is them connected parallel. No electronics to go wrong and the resistance elements were chosen wisely to match likely use or need. I find low is adequate for just about any use I have and high is hardly ever needed, but just occasionally it does get cold enough for them. If I were to augment them with bar muffs, they'd be peachy. I should say, they've always been used with either a full fairing or windshield that extends to the ends of the bars, so cold air blast isn't hitting the backs of my hands.

There is one drawback for a lot of modern bikes - the end of the bars where the heaters would go is already occupied by the internal bit of the bar weight doodah, so that kind of kills the idea. On my '80 bike, I've fitted a set of ST1100 bars, and am in the process of removing the bar occupants with extreme prejudice.

 

[Steve]

I have never used grip heaters, but I have a feeling that they would not agree with my riding style, at least on the Wing. :-k
On a longer ride, I will engage the cruise control to be able to relax my right hand. However, since it is a true "speed control", not a "throttle lock", it will apply throttle while going up a hill. I find that if my hand is on the grip, I will follow the movement, but will not follow it when it backs it off going down the other side, which causes me to go a bit faster than intended. Therefore, I tend to take my right hand off the bars when the road appears to be rather predictable. No grip in the world will keep my hand warm in those circumstances.

I have an old set of Widder gloves that do the job just fine. I have never really noticed whether the palms are heated or not, all I know is that they don't get cold. :encouragement:

.

 

[mikerophone]

I'm in the same boat right now, looking at grips and gloves. I'm also considering some heated socks or insoles to lengthen my season a little more.

Jedz123, what did you pay for your gloves if you don't mind me asking? Prices on Amazon go all the way to $300, which seems a lot to me. I would like a pair that is ~$100 or less and use the standard coax or SAE connector and 12V from the bike, although a little more money than I'd like to spend ($138) these Gerbing gloves on Amazon look pretty good.

And they have the Polly heaters for $18.40 with free shipping. Think I'll start with those this year, it's getting cold quick here this year. Last year I rode all the way into December and got the bikes back out in January, which was unusual.

 

[Jedz123]

I'm in the same boat right now, looking at grips and gloves. I'm also considering some heated socks or insoles to lengthen my season a little more.

Jedz123, what did you pay for your gloves if you don't mind me asking? Prices on Amazon go all the way to $300, which seems a lot to me. I would like a pair that is ~$100 or less and use the standard coax or SAE connector and 12V from the bike, although a little more money than I'd like to spend ($138) these Gerbing gloves on Amazon look pretty good.

And they have the Polly heaters for $18.40 with free shipping. Think I'll start with those this year, it's getting cold quick here this year. Last year I rode all the way into December and got the bikes back out in January, which was unusual.

These are typically $200 gloves but I grabbed them on sale for they were NOS for $85. Just keep your eyes peeled on Ebay, I honestly grabbed them as soon as they popped up. They were from a small town dealer some where out west (WI I think).

They are awesome! It was brisk last night... Often I'll roll in, shut the bike off and check the Mercury and its in the mid to low 20's. With my winter gear heated vest and gloves going with windscreen up I'm snug as a bug!... Hands were comfy a bit cool but not uncomfortable or numb had the gloves set to low.

I think I'll invest in a set of heated grips too... I know my big mile riding days are seriously numbered, last year we got slammed with Snow for Thanksgiving. My finger is twitching on the mouse to buy the Touring Screen for the Connie which 100% blocks my body and head (like riding a gold wing)...

Anyway. Still racking!

 

[mikerophone]

Thanks! A windshield makes a huge difference, let's keep racking till we can't anymore (this season)...

 

[dorkburger]

Ive enjoyed my heated grips. I have the kind that stick onto the bars then the grips slide over. The only problem i ever had was a small hole melted into my thin grips. I dont ride in weather as cold as you (40-ish) at the worst, and the backs of my hands do get chilled when its that cold.
If I did it regularly, I've always though barkbusters or similar would do great to fend off the wind blast on the hands.
I think the heated gloves would be great.

 

[Jethro]

Heated grips and solid bark busters/deflectors is the answer. That's exactly how we ride on sleds in temps 50 below freezing. And sometimes colder! In those circumstances we use full gauntlets/muffs, but I don't think I would be comfortable with them on the bike- they take enough getting used to on the sled:

 

[Grimly]

Heated grips and solid bark busters/deflectors is the answer. That's exactly how we ride on sleds in temps 50 below freezing. And sometimes colder! In those circumstances we use full gauntlets/muffs, but I don't think I would be comfortable with them on the bike- they take enough getting used to on the sled:

I used that type you have there for years, but have recently fallen into possession of a set of much better ones with integral frames/loops that can fasten on to the bar end and keep the muff off the levers. That was the curse of the older type; you'd be riding along and the brake would be slightly applied by the wind, or the engine would rev up as the clutch slipped. These ones are so much better.

 

[bwringer]

Both. The answer is both.

Both. The answer is both.

To my way of thinking, you might as well install grip heaters on every bike. (High quality, not the $5 fleaBay crapola.) They're cheap, they use very little electricity, they're always there, and they work with any glove. When it's just a little chilly, I often find myself using the grip heat instead of putting on bulky, numb insulated gloves. I've never had a grip heater fail.

In extreme conditions, heated gloves certainly do work better than grips, but the grips add a lot of convenience at many other times.

Good heated gloves are eye-wateringly expensive, though.

 

[Wingsconsin]

I have a pair of theses and the extra batteries too...
Heated along the top of the hand - but pretty warm and well insulated
They are not too thick to prevent feeling the controls - I use them down to around 40 degrees.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/stree...ks_misc_/joe_rocket/rocket_burner_gloves.html

Below 40 I use my Gordons Heated Gear - they get a lot hotter and are deerskin so flexible and comfortable.
Anything you buy will cost some money - but extending your season is the payback - I am still riding here in Wisconsin in late November while many have already stored their bikes for the winter

 

[alke46]

I just ordered the polly heaters to go on my ST 1100. If they work for me, I'll get a set for the GS.

 

[Grimly]

I just ordered the polly heaters to go on my ST 1100. If they work for me, I'll get a set for the GS.

ST1100, you say? Mmm...
http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...did-you-wrench-on-today&p=2244013#post2244013

 

[alke46]

ST1100, you say? Mmm...
http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...did-you-wrench-on-today&p=2244013#post2244013

So you're saying I might be better advised to just replace my stock handlebar then? Less grief.

 

[Grimly]

So you're saying I might be better advised to just replace my stock handlebar then? Less grief.

As I found eventually, you can get the inserts out easily enough with the right approach, meaning you have less overall disruption once accomplished. The presence of the Polly heaters will provide some degree of bar weighting, but probably not to the same extent as the original inserts+weight.
Otoh, I had to drill holes in the bars for the heater feeds and I'd done that before fitting them. Depending on access on the bike, but you might find it easier to remove the bars anyway, in order to drill the holes.

 

[mikerophone]

Dave, I'll be ordering my Polly heaters soon, where do you recommend drilling the holes? I'm mounting these inside my 850G's stock bars.

Although it will be a little more work to "fish" the wires through, I'm thinking of drilling near the center/bottom so the wires can be hidden by the plastic trim piece.

 

[Grimly]

The bars I'm replacing that had served me well for 20+ years, actually came off a small bike - something like a Honda 185, and they have a slot in the centre underneath, between the posts, which was perfect for the heater wires. The original bars were drilled by me for these same heaters, and I'd put the holes just below the top bend, facing each other.
On this pic, you can see where I've put them on the ST bars

Actually, if I were re-doing these, I'd drop the hole position by about an inch or more, to get it well away from the bend. As they are, they'll do - these bars are tough stuff and it will take a lot to bend them. I'd thought of putting the hole(s) in the centre underneath, but cba with the filing and slotting needed. This way, there's a minimum of fishing through required.

 

[mikerophone]

Perfect, thanks Dave!

 

[Jedz123]

Dave is that a Yamaha Master cylinder I see there???