Heated Grips

[BigShell]

As long as its above freezing and I have a reasonable expectation of arriving dry, I'll ride to work. Last year, the cold started getting to my hands. I wore pretty good gloves with a separate glove liner. In the low to mid 30's, my fingers still got cold and the combination glove/liner was so thick it was hard to hit switches and the throttle was harder to control.

 

I thought about heated grips, but I wasn't too sure about how to change them out. I didn't want to spend $100+ and find out they didn't fit or just felt wrong. I had seen some heated wraps and I think Goose made a home-made set of wraps but I wanted something a little more permanent. I may have found my solution.

 

I bought a DualStar Heated Grip Kit.

http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Rider/heated_grip_kit1.htm

 

I also bought Grip Puppies.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GPLARGE&Category_Code=grips

 

I don't have a real problem with the stock grips, but I figured a little more size for these big hands and a little more padding couldn't hurt. I simply stuck the heating elements on top of my stock grips and put the puppies over everything.

 

It was in the low 40's this morning. I rode without the glove liners and with the heaters on low. Once in a while I had to open my grip a little to let some air in to cool things down a bit. Time will tell if the foam holds up to the heat ok, but for now, I love what I've got!

 

My wife's hands get cold real easy. She is a little reluctant to ride in what I consider just cool weather. I think I may get a set and put them on the rear grab bars. Might give us a few more ride days.

[ventureblue]

I have smaller hands (i wear size med gloves) how much bigger do they new grips make them? I already have t a set of heaters that i was wondering about putting on. This might be the answer to my dilema. If you can, do you have pics to post? I'm wonder what you did with your wiring. I hate exposed wires.

[SteveW]

When I got my 2005 it had heated grips allready installed. I've never had them in the past but they are great.

:cool10:

I have never found any gloves that would really keep my hands warm on long rides. Just on the low setting works fine.

[Lone Eagle]

Would you be able to use heaters with Kuryakin's ISO grips?

[RedRider]

Heated gloves are wonderful. Got a set from Warm&Safe (www.warmnsafe.com) along with a jacket liner and the controls. No more cold hands or body.

 

As for the passenger, unless they are riding with you all the time, go to WalMart or your local hunting supply store and get some chemical hand warmers. They are about $1 a set and last 7 to 10 hours (depending on which ones you get). They work as well on the bike as they do in the tree stand. You can get a lot of chemical hand warmers for the cost of heated grips. I carry 3 or 4 sets on my bike all the time (in case I get caught without my toasty elec gloves).

 

RR

[pegscraper]

I'll second the question - do they work with Kuryakyn's ISO grips?

 

And another question - won't the top sides of your hands and fingers still be cold as the heat comes up from underneath while cold still blows on the top side? I tried sleeping on top of an electric blanket once, thinking that heat rises and the top covers would keep the heat in. It didn't work. The blanket was warm, but the cold soaked me from the top side and I just froze. It seems to me that heated grips would work just about the same way, no?

[Venturing Sole]

I ride every day to work year round. 20 F to 95 F. As long as there is no ice. last winter I tried the Oxford wrap around grips that velcro around the existing throttle. They barely fit my stock RSV grips. I wound the extra wire around the handle bars and ran the battery leads under the gas tank. When I didn't need the grips, I un-velcroed them from the grips and wrapped them around the bars further up. They increased the size of the grip from 25mm to 35 mm. Noticeable difference in grip thickness, but not unmanageable. They kept my palms warm enough, but the tops and tips of my fingers would not stay warm enough when the temps were 20-35 F.

 

I just got a pair of heated gloves. I hope these work better. Have to wait for it to get cold first.

[BigShell]

It looks like the Grip Puppies add about 1/4 inch to the diameter of the grip or about 3/4 to 7/8 inch to the circumference. The foam compresses pretty easy. The heating elements themselves are very thin and basically add nothing to the bulk.

 

If I had been even a little concerned about the bulk, I would have gotten help or just learned how to pull and replace the stock grips. Everything I've read makes it sound easy enough, I've just never done it myself. I have no clue if they work for other grips. My guess would be yes, but that is only a guess.

 

It hasn't been cold enough to say how warm the tops of my fingers will be on a really cold day. That was a concern but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the heat was distributed. The tops of my fingers were very comfortable at 42 degrees. One thing that helps is having the wide Clearview shield.... keeps some of the air off my hands. That's not such a good thing in the summer though. I've about putting some vents in my stock shield and using it for summer riding. Might do that this year.

 

I had considered heated gloves, but I don't want any more wires tying me to the scoot. The headset cable is one too many. I'll sure be glad when there is a reasonably priced bluetooth option that will work with all my toys at the same time.

[ventureblue]

It looks like the Grip Puppies add about 1/4 inch to the diameter of the grip or about 3/4 to 7/8 inch to the circumference. The foam compresses pretty easy. The heating elements themselves are very thin and basically add nothing to the bulk.

 

If I had been even a little concerned about the bulk, I would have gotten help or just learned how to pull and replace the stock grips. Everything I've read makes it sound easy enough, I've just never done it myself. I have no clue if they work for other grips. My guess would be yes, but that is only a guess.

 

It hasn't been cold enough to say how warm the tops of my fingers will be on a really cold day. That was a concern but I was pleasantly surprised at how well the heat was distributed. The tops of my fingers were very comfortable at 42 degrees. One thing that helps is having the wide Clearview shield.... keeps some of the air off my hands. That's not such a good thing in the summer though. I've about putting some vents in my stock shield and using it for summer riding. Might do that this year.

 

I had considered heated gloves, but I don't want any more wires tying me to the scoot. The headset cable is one too many. I'll sure be glad when there is a reasonably priced bluetooth option that will work with all my toys at the same time.

 

Well seeing as i have the heaters already i guess i can drop the $9 on the wraps and give them a try. You never mentioned about the wires. Were they easy to conceal?

[BigShell]

Well seeing as i have the heaters already i guess i can drop the $9 on the wraps and give them a try. You never mentioned about the wires. Were they easy to conceal?

 

The heater I used has a peel and stick back. Once stuck to the OEM foam grips, I don't think they are coming off easily. If you are concerned about the increase in grip size, just put on the Grip Puppies (a little hairspray will help set them) and see how you like them. Since they are just stuck on with hair spray, they should come off fairly easy and if the fit was good, put on the heaters. If you didn't like the fit, only a few dollars lost.

 

Shortly after getting the bike, I ran a fairly heavy hot wire from the battery to the fairing. It's connected to a relay activated by the ignition switch. Thats where I get my power. I simply ran the wires along the bars into the front fairing and found a spot on the left side that I was comfortable with to drill a hole and mount the Hi/Off/Low switch.

 

Used 'em again this morning. Glad I did it.

[ventureblue]

The heater I used has a peel and stick back. Once stuck to the OEM foam grips, I don't think they are coming off easily. If you are concerned about the increase in grip size, just put on the Grip Puppies (a little hairspray will help set them) and see how you like them. Since they are just stuck on with hair spray, they should come off fairly easy and if the fit was good, put on the heaters. If you didn't like the fit, only a few dollars lost.

 

Shortly after getting the bike, I ran a fairly heavy hot wire from the battery to the fairing. It's connected to a relay activated by the ignition switch. Thats where I get my power. I simply ran the wires along the bars into the front fairing and found a spot on the left side that I was comfortable with to drill a hole and mount the Hi/Off/Low switch.

 

Used 'em again this morning. Glad I did it.

 

yeah thats what i thought i would do first. then install the heaters and wire them in. I thought i read somwhere in the owners manual that there was a aux circuit tied to the switch already wired in one of the side covers. I will have to check that out also. Thanks for the info on yours.