Sunday will be warm enough to ride

[mike_kelly_68]

Rode last night to look at the Christmas lights. Was so cold that I had to break out the chaps snowmobile gloves and neck warmer. It was 62*.

[pegscraper]

Hey Lynn, how about posting instructions on how to make a heated jacket so the rest of us can make some too? I know that Donna would sure love one.

How do you control the heat? Did you mount a thermostat or rheostat of some kind?

Come on....spill the beans!

 

Joe

 

Donna is not as much of a freezy rider as you are, eh? Here is where I got most of the information about making a heated jacket. Ctraylor has helped several of us make them.

 

Here is another site for some good information. I pretty closely followed the wiring layout diagram given here. But on Ctraylor's recommendations for wire length, I added a couple extra loops to get enough wire length so it wouldn't be too hot.

 

I don't have any heat control right now. It's either on or off. I figure mine makes around 60W or so of heat, depending on what you figure the nominal battery voltage is. Actually I've been thinking of redistributing the wire to even out the heat a little bit. I've been thinking of taking out my extra loops of wire to make the whole thing run warmer too.

 

Just yesterday I got playing with my mental blocks on an idea for cheap heat control. I could run a few diodes in series with the wire and cut the voltage to the wire down. Each diode would drop .7 V. Then use a switch or two to bypass some or all of the diodes to get higher heat settings. It could all fit inside a small plastic box the size of a key fob that would tuck inside the jacket somewhere. Total cost would be less than $10.

 

A heated jacket is real nice. It makes a 25* morning feel like a 65* morning. I literally forget how cold it is outside until I get off the bike somewhere. Indeed, Lori wants one too, as soon as I get mine dialed in perfect. Heated gloves will be the next step. Much more load and I'll have to get Buckeye's HO stator.

 

So Bob, are you riding today? There's no rain here - yet. But we have high winds. It would be a tough ride today. It was nicer yesterday.

[Snarley Bill]

it was warm enough to ride here in mo.,52 degrees, but we had 45 mph wind gusts. rode yesterday was 31 degrees and only had 30mph winds. bill

[Whyner]

Had another chance to take my 2009 RSV out and about today - temps were in the upper 30's and low 40's here in Central PA. Put 200 miles on it today and am getting more and more comfortable with it each time I take it out - weather looks warm for the next day or two but wet. I can only hope and pray for any early Spring!!

[BuddyRich]

Got a couple of hours in , hit 80 here today.

[ddoggma]

Three and a half hours on the scoot. Temps in the low 40s. I had the "space suit" on as my HD uncle called it. :whistling:So I was nice and warm. Rode thru Valley Forge Park, which was pretty nice. Bike is running very well now, since plug change. I'm having a blast on it. These things are smooth...and I still need a carb tune.

[Dano]

Warm, 40 + yesterday, but spittin' rain all day. Not gonna take a chance on it. Guess it's over with for the year!

 

Dan