Heated grips or Heated gloves?

[BigBear]

I'm considering either heated grips or heated gloves for an 08 RSV. I'm using insulated gloves, and my hands stay reasonably warm...but my fingertips seem to bear the brunt of the cold.

 

What type of hand warming "device" would you recommend?

 

If you own either, would you purchase them again?

[latchkey]

have heated gloves and like them. my winger friend has heated grips and i like them better.

[ahoutzer]

Heated grips help to a point. They are more convenient,allowing you to wear gloves that are not so bulky, so you can still operate controls easier. When the temps get really cold, they are not enough.

 

Heated gloves do a more thorough job of keeping your hands warm at lower temperatures. They also are bulky and they tie your hands to the bike.

[darthandy]

Haven't used them myself yet, but I'm thinking of getting heated glove liners (Gerbing). They are to be used under summer weight gloves and should reduce the bulk normally associated with heated gloves. Plus, you get to keep them if you switch bikes. Of course, they also "tie" you to the bike, but then the urge to ride does that pretty well, anyway. Just a thought...

[RedRider]

Gloves - Warm and Safe (www.warmnsafe.com).

 

RR

[etcswjoe]

Heated grips help to a point. They are more convenient,allowing you to wear gloves that are not so bulky, so you can still operate controls easier. When the temps get really cold, they are not enough.

 

Heated gloves do a more thorough job of keeping your hands warm at lower temperatures. They also are bulky and they tie your hands to the bike.

 

I like my heated grips down to about 45 after that they do not do much for me.

Edited December 6, 2010 by etcswjoe
Still need to learn how to spell.

[Chinto]

I have used heated gloves for several years (Gebrings) and have never had cold hands on the coldest of days. Grips will not keep the back of your fingers warm on the really cold days.

[awsmsrv]

Gloves - Warm and Safe (www.warmnsafe.com).

 

RR

+1

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I have used heated gloves for several years (Gebrings) and have never had cold hands on the coldest of days. Grips will not keep the back of your fingers warm on the really cold days.

 

I disagree. Yes they do. Heated grips keep your whole hand warm, with decent gloves on. Especially if you are riding a full-fairing bike, which the Venture is, but the RSTD is not. And heated grips allow you to use gloves that are insulated but thinner than the huge and cumbersome gauntlet gloves that normally are made into heated gloves.

 

I have used BOTH heated gloves and heated grips and much prefer the heated grips, if I had to make a choice of one or the other.

 

But for EXTREME cold, I have used both heated grips and heated gloves at the same time. I define 'extreme cold' as under 20 degrees (F), and riding for an hour or more, at highway speeds. Normally in that situation the rider will be wearing some type of insulated riding suit...or he will be off the road. I say 'he' because women are smart enough NOT to do that!

 

Heated grips work with any gloves, or NO gloves...and are nice to be able to dial up a low-level of heat even when the temps are mildly cool, such as when starting a spring or fall ride in temps of the 50's, but warming up later, and you havent packed those heated gloves and controllers, and heated vest or liner along on the ride.

 

 

 

[KiteSquid]

I have a 2010 Goldwing that came with heated grips.

 

I have purchased a pair of Gerbing T5 gloves

 

 

I like both.

 

the grips work great on cool rides to keep my hands warmer.

 

on cold days the gloves do a great job of heating the backs of my hands as for me the grips are not enough on cold days.... 40 F and below.

 

 

on very cold days I run both the gloves and grips..... I rode in 28 F for the first time on a motorcycle and my hands were warm the entire trip thanks to both the heated gloves and grips. Money well spent.

 

 

So I guess you have to figure out what the lowest temperature is that you are willing to ride in and your tolerance for cold... I would like to be prepared to ride all year long except for days that there may be ice on the roads.

 

 

also make sure you do NOT put too much of an electrical load on your bike.

 

 

remember to be air tight and insulated, then start to electrically generate heat.

[dynodon]

I have used tourmaster heated gloves for the past two winters, and they do OK, but the wires are seemingly randomly placed. I am going to go with the new microwire Gerbings gloves. My new '04 Wing has heated grips, and in weather down to about 40 or so they do fine with some insulated gloves, but when it gets near freezing and longer trips, I need the heated gloves, and the grips help make sure my hands stay warm.

 

If you really do cold weather rides, for any length, get both, and you will be happy you did.

 

Anyone here have experience with the new microwire Gerbings gloves? My Tourmasters, leave the bottoms of some fingers unheated, and have too many cold/hot spots.

[Panjandrum]

I have the Gerbings gloves, and they do a terrific job of keeping the hands warm with temperatures around freezing and at highway speeds. I do not find they are any more bulky than my leather cold riding gloves.

 

I run the cables inside my jacket. It can be a little difficult to hook the wires neatly into the gloves. I plug in my vest and gloves once the bike is running.

 

In town, the gloves can get very hot, and I need to put a switch into the circuit to be able to turn them off. I can un-plug them, but then it's a pain trying to hook them up again. Certainly not something to do while in motion!

[BigBear]

I live in Central FL...the temps (in the "winter") hover around 40 degrees. I usually ride to work at 6:15 am...so it's the bottom end of the thermometer (36-42 degrees)...and the ride is approx 35 minutes at 60mph. It's about 6-8 weeks of these temps.

 

It sounds like I can't go wrong with a GOOD set of heated gloves!

 

Do the heated grips draw more current than the gloves?

 

I've got the complete set of MotoPort air-mesh Kevlar riding gear with the insulated liners, so the rest of me stays warm...It's just the tips of my fingers that seem to get cold...

[Chinto]

I live in Central FL...the temps (in the "winter") hover around 40 degrees. I usually ride to work at 6:15 am...so it's the bottom end of the thermometer (36-42 degrees)...and the ride is approx 35 minutes at 60mph. It's about 6-8 weeks of these temps.

 

It sounds like I can't go wrong with a GOOD set of heated gloves!

 

Do the heated grips draw more current than the gloves?

 

I've got the complete set of MotoPort air-mesh Kevlar riding gear with the insulated liners, so the rest of me stays warm...It's just the tips of my fingers that seem to get cold...

 

Heated gloves will definitely solve the problem for you. Instead of running the wires to the gloves in my jacket I have them running along the handlebars with about a 16" lead length to plug in the gloves from the handlebar. The lead length gives me sufficient hand mobility without any interference from the wires to operate the bike. The leads are plugged into a rheostat (which is velcro'ed to the dash) to control the temperature. The rheostat is plugged into the power line that connects to the battery under the gas tank. The setup works very well for me. When I am not using the gloves I wrap the lead wires to the handlebar's existing wiring harness which makes it nearly invisible. Caution -Do not use the auxiliary plug to power the gloves. If you do the fuse will blow when to turn on the passing lights.

[rumboogy]

You got pics of that setup...

[awsmsrv]

I've got the complete set of MotoPort air-mesh Kevlar riding gear with the insulated liners, so the rest of me stays warm...It's just the tips of my fingers that seem to get cold...

Hey, me too. Good stuff.

[donaldj2242]

If it gets that cold where I need heated gloves or grips, I'll take my truck with heated leather seats and leave the bike home. With that said and I did liked my snowmoible with heated grips.

[BigBear]

Agreed! MotoPort makes some pretty good gear!

 

:mo money:

[BigBear]

If it gets that cold where I need heated gloves or grips, I'll take my truck with heated leather seats and leave the bike home. With that said and I did liked my snowmoible with heated grips.

 

Does it snow in Michigan?

[donaldj2242]

Does it snow in Michigan?

Does the sun shine in Florida

[aharbi]

I have heated grips on one bike and also heated gloves that I can use on all the bikes. Heated grips are nice but for really cold riding the heated gloves work better.

[Sandbagger]

I have heated grips.

In 30 degree weather over an hour I am cold.

Doesn't do much for my thumb or finger tips.

I am going to buy those hand covers that fit over your handlebars.

I think those in combination with the heated grips will take me to the lowest temperatures

[Tom]

Dont know how the grips work on the Venture but on my Wing I have been at 38 degreesF and fingerless gloves with my heated grips and just had the grips at #2..I believe I had #3,#4 then Max left on the dial......Plenty warm and not bulky.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Dont know how the grips work on the Venture but on my Wing I have been at 38 degreesF and fingerless gloves with my heated grips and just had the grips at #2..I believe I had #3,#4 then Max left on the dial......Plenty warm and not bulky.

 

Exactly my point. Heated grips can do a wonderful job, but the rider needs thinly insulated gloves ( at least on the palm side) for the heat to be able to reach the skin and blood supply. Wearing thickly insulated gloves while using heated grips is counter-productive.

 

Of course the downside to heated grips is that most of them are not portable...they stay with the bike, not the rider. So using them on more than one bike isnt normally easy. But there ARE some portable grip heaters made...although I have not tried them. I have installed the HotGrips units on both of my touring bikes and added the variable controller. They work great...but are a bit of a pain to install. The comfort is worth it though!

 

http://hotgrips.com/

[Bobby G]

Went for a ride this morning, and it was 21F with a wind chill of 11F (very unusual for this time of year, even in north GA!). I had my Gerbin's on high, full face helmet, down coat, thermals and chaps, and I was actually very comfortable. My toes started to feel the cold after about 40 minutes, but my hands never got cold at all. I can't imagine riding in any cold weather under 40 degrees with just heated grips and no heated gloves. The Gerbin gloves I have are not overly bulky either, so it's a no-brainer decision for me on this one.