Fly Racing Ignitor Pro Heated Gloves

[aviationfred]

I have contemplated getting heated riding gear for some time. My reservation has always been.... adding more wiring/pig tails to the bike.  

During this years RPM Rally, Randy showed his battery powered heated gloves. He was very passionate about how well they work and do a very good job even in the rain. He didn't have my size in stock, or I would have bought a pair on the spot. My order came in and i have used them a few times. I actually got a chance to try out their wet weather performance tonight on my way into work. 40°F and a steady drizzle. My digits remained dry and toasty.
The gloves work so well that i don't need to used my heated grips unless the temps drop into the 20's and 30's.

http://rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=IgnitorProGlove&cat=1

Here is another example of a side benefit to attending one of the FJ Rally's. I was actually able to see, touch and feel how well these gloves worked before purchasing. Attending the Rally's and interacting with fellow owners can have surprising results, there are always little things that can be carried away and used to make our riding experiences better.


Fred

[ribbert]

I have contemplated getting heated riding gear for some time. My reservation has always been.... adding more wiring/pig tails to the bike.  

Fred

Great stuff Fred. I too love my heated gear but I wouldn't worry about electrical add-ons.

I've added 13 additional electrical items to the FJ, many of the switched heavier drawing ones (such as clothing, grips and lights) at times running continuously all day and the bikes charging circuit remains untouched from the day it left the factory a quarter of a million kms ago.

I know you ride in the cold, so if you reckon gloves are good, wait till you try a vest!!  Even at highway speed wind chill and near zero temps, mine is too hot above #2 of the 5 heat settings, it heats my entire torso front and back, waist to neck. The hard wired units run direct from the battery with an in-line fuse, adding no load to the harness, not that they draw much. I have fitted a pigtail to each bike and leave it tucked under the seat when not in use.

Heated gear is one of those things that makes me smile every time I use it, amazed by just how much the ride can be improved for not much money. It feels like the sun on my back or walking into a room and backing up to a roaring open fire on a cold night - love it.

Noel

[Tuned forks]

This may be more of a question for Randy than Fred but how many hours of usage per battery?  I'm also not familiar with a 7.4v lithium battery.  Got a model number?  Oh wait, I see it's rechargeable so no battery replacement.  Okay, how many hours per charge?

Joe 

[Country Joe]

I too also love the feel of my battery powered heated vest. It makes a huge difference in the comfort level on a cold ride. The Fly gloves will be my next heated gear purchase.

Joe

[aviationfred]

This may be more of a question for Randy than Fred but how many hours of usage per battery?  I'm also not familiar with a 7.4v lithium battery.  Got a model number?  Oh wait, I see it's rechargeable so no battery replacement.  Okay, how many hours per charge?

Joe  

Joe, the battery life is actually shown on the bag that the gloves come in.



Fred

[Tuned forks]

Which heat level did you use the other night Fred?

Joe

[aviationfred]

Which heat level did you use the other night Fred?

Joe

It was 40°F and drizzle. I used the low heat level.



Fred

[Tuned forks]

Thanks Fred.

Joe

[ZOA NOM]

No visor wiper? I'm out.

[aviationfred]

No visor wiper? I'm out.

I agree 100%.  That is a feature that definitely should be included.




Fred

[Motofun]

OK, one more question....How do you guys think these would work as a ski race glove?  After several frost bite events my fingers are in poor circulation shape.  I probably own 10 different pairs of ski gloves and mittens and they are all junk (of course it's my hands not the gloves...).  I don't crash (much) so I keep them out of the snow but they would probably get wet somewhere along the line....

[ribbert]

No visor wiper? I'm out.

I've got gloves with a wiper but don't use it, I find the road spray too gritty and visors are expensive. I use a beading agent that I have for wiperless cars, even paint wax does a good job, the water just beads and runs off.

Noel

[FJmonkey]

No wiper for me. I used to think it was a good idea. For the same reasons Noel pointed out I use a water treatment on my visor. I rode in the rain quite a lot during an El Ninio period to visit my kids many years ago. With a turn of my helmet to the Left then Right... Or was it Right then Left? Either way the water beaded off with no changing positions of my hands. This requires air flow for you tall windscreen users. The left hand normally stayed warmer since it was down near the engine heat. I also learned that my product of choice (Rain-x) made an anti-fog. That went quite badly. During a very wet ride I discovered at freeway speeds the streaking of the anti-fog (overcome by the high moisture) inside the visor was like looking through a thin film of grease. Riding visor up in the rain till I could pull off and clean it was not safe. The Fly gloves Randy had seem quite comfortable. Fred saying that his fingers stayed dry is worth the price of the gloves. 

[racerrad8]

Fred,

Thank you for posting up about the FLY Racing Ignitor Pro Heated Glove. I am on my second winter season wearing these gloves. I wanted to post when I got them last year, but I thought I would do a full winter riding season and post this year when I broke them out.

Well, time again got away from me. I have been wearing them for almost a month this season.

I like the gloves very much and of the guys I ride with regularly, they all now have them too. At first they say, "I can't justify spending that much on a pair of gloves", but once they try them and realize just how cold their hands are, they bought them.

I like the gloves for a couple of reasons. I ride in all weather year round. I leave the house at 5am daily and once the temps get to the upper 40's (f) I start using them. I don't usually run the heated component of the glove until we get down into the 30's. They are a great insulated glove even without the heat and that why I start wearing them when the weather starts to chill. My vented summer gloves let way too much air in...

In the morning I put them on the highest setting while I warm the bike and set the house alarm. Once I am ready to head out, I put the gloves on and turn them down usually to the lowest setting. It is so nice putting my cold hands into heated gloves...

I usually have the heated grips turn all the way up as well as the bike is warming up before I leave. They too get turned down to a middle to low setting as I head out. My commute is about 35-50 minutes each way depending on traffic. I usually do not run the heated gloves on the way home as it usually isn't cold enough. I commute four days a week and I run all week on a single battery charge. In fact, sometimes it is in the second week they go dead because I forget to charge them.

These gloves are only heated for the upper hand and do not heat the palm. That is why they work so well with the heated grips, as you can turn the gloves down and run the bike heated grips higher if required.

They are completely waterproof and since they are gauntlet gloves, the only thing that ever gets wet for me is the gauntlet at the jacket cuff. I tried to run them under the jacket cuff but the rain ran up the cuff at speed and got my arm wet. If I wore a plastic rain over coat, I could put the over the glove gauntlet and probably be 100% waterproof.

I only have two thing I wish were a little different about the glove.

1) I do not care for the silicone printed grip on the fingers. I find the clutch lever doesn't; have the same "slide" and my clutch use become notchy.
2) I wish there was some heating element around the tip of the thumbs.
    (When I ride, my thumb tips point straight into the wind and I feel the cold (probably because the other digits are toasty warm). I just put my thumbs on the top side of the grip once I am up to a cruising speed and they stay warm.)

Overall, I really like the gloves and wish I would would have purchased them sooner. I recommend them highly if you want to have a more comfortable & enjoyable ride in cold weather conditions.

I did a quick internet search this morning and I do not find anyone selling them cheaper than I am at RPM. Plus with the 2019 RPM Holiday Sale in effect until Monday, you can save even more off the already low price.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Randy - RPM

[racerrad8]

OK, one more question....How do you guys think these would work as a ski race glove?  After several frost bite events my fingers are in poor circulation shape.  I probably own 10 different pairs of ski gloves and mittens and they are all junk (of course it's my hands not the gloves...).  I don't crash (much) so I keep them out of the snow but they would probably get wet somewhere along the line....

They would probably make a pretty good ski glove, but they are only top hand heated. They will provide hand warming for sure, but they will not heat the palm.

Randy - RPM