heated gloves and jacket

[beanbagsj]

I have an 1986 fj1200 I plan on riding well into the fall. I want to add heated gloves and jacket liner to my list of must haves. Does anyone have thoughts on good products. Also do I need the temp adjuster or can I do without them.

[E Double]

I have the Gerbings T5 glove (gauntlet style, with some armor) and one of their jacket liners, also microwire.  The microwire is an improvement in the heating elements used in the garments;  IIRC it is stainless steel wires roughly the size of a human hair arrayed throughout the garment. It heats up and cools down much faster than the old setup.  I also have an older Gerbings vest which is non microwire.  I still use it, and it works well.  You can feel the heating elements a little in the old gear but its not uncomfortable.

For the controller I use the wireless dual controller.  Initially I had a wired single controller in the lower fairing, but it was a pain in the ass whenever I had to remove the fairing, so I yanked it.  The wireless controller works well,  and is easier to locate on the bike.  Downsides are you have to change the battery once a season, and they cost a bit more.  I purchased mine from powerlet, and it was $120 or something like that.  Warm and Safe also makes very good heated gear (I have their heated socks, which you absolutely need an additional controller for) and is not made in China.  I would avoid the Tourmaster Synergy gear,  as I've heard their reliability is dodgy.

The heated gear is definitely the way to go;  With it I've ridden in temps as cold as 14 degrees.  You really have to crank the gear when it gets that cold, and you should also consider a windproof layer, as these liners are not wind proof.  Always wear a long sleeved baselayer below the heated gear.  If you get heated gloves or socks never wear them just on your bare skin.  The chances of getting burned are low at the lower settings, but these heated garments typically have a surface temp between 120-135 degrees F.  On days when the temps drop below say 25-30 degrees and you have the gear cranked it can get uncomfortably warm, especially on your hands and feet, sometimes leading to burns.  Ask me how I know

It will definitely extend your riding season, which is always a good thing.

[Yamifj1200]

I own and use Tourmaster's Synergy vest and jacket liner. I have never had a problem using my vest but the controller for my jacket liner did die. I have heard that some of the early model controllers were failing but Tourmaster did replace the controller quickly and for free. Tourmaster uses carbon fiber heating elements and I think their designs are great for eliminating hot spots in their clothing.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/heated-motorcycle-clothing/tourmaster-synergy/vest.htm

There is also a adapter available that lets you use a heat troller with Tourmaster gear if your concerned with the synergy contoller.
http://www.warmnsafe.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=278

For Gloves I use FirstGear's warm and safe gloves. They are nice and thin so you still get a very good feeling of the bike controls and are warm and toasty.
  http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=TUC_51-2838_G

Eric M

[hein]

        I've got the Gerbing heated jacket liner with the single controller which I just hook onto a loop on my jacket. Gerbing offers a variety of custom sizes to accomodate different body shapes and sizes. At 6'5" and 200 lbs. I'm not  exactly an off the rack fit but Gerbing got me fixed up and I can't praise their product enough. I don't use their gloves only because I could not find a good fit due to very long fingers. I do know a number of people that do use them and they swear by them. For hand warmth I use the Symtec handlebar warmers that go underneath the grips. At about $50.00 Can. they get the job done and also allow me to switch gloves and retain the heat function. A three way switch on the inner fairing panel allows for off, high and low. Electric heat is your friend and will greatly extend you riding season.  Hein.

[SlowOldGuy]

wow, hard for me to think about heated gear.  We're on our 35th straight day of triple digit heat.  I really don't think it will EVER be cold again.  :-(

DavidR.

[DB Cooper]

For what its worth, I went with heated grips instead of gloves. I was concerned about what would happen to them if they got wet. I wasn't worried about shocks or anything, it's just I've had some really nice leather gloves totally ruined after getting caught in the rain. The gloves just never fit right again. I was worried as well that the backs of my hands would get cold, but that isn't an issue. Also, with the heated grips, you are free to wear what ever gloves suits you. With the grips on low, I can feel the heat through a pair of stretched out leather gloves (see previous comment) and a thin gardening glove inside. Works a treat! 
I also went with a heated vest, and just an on/off toggle switch.

Vest   http://www.gearscanada.com/products/details/231/12/gen-x-3-heated-vest-liner.html

Grips   http://www.symtec-inc.com/External-Handlebar-Warmer-Kit-Motorcycle-RR_p_89.html

Stay warm!

Kevin

[E Double]

I have heated grips on my FJ, and I don't like them;  the distribution of heat is completely dictated by how one holds the grips.  Your hands get cold, and your grip gets tighter in an effort to get as much heat as possible to your fingers.  Grip that's too tight+vibration (even if you have vibranators on your bike you're gonna get some vibration)=great opportunity for carpal tunnel issues. 

I've worn my T5s in all day long frog stranglers and my hands stayed dry and the fit didn't change.  But the first thing I do with every leather glove I've owned that I know is going to get wet is treat them with nikwax gloveproof.  That greatly reduces how much water a leather glove absorbs.

[DB Cooper]

Wow, it never even occured to me that a treatment for gloves was available, but it makes sense. I'll have to give it a try.
I never noticed any uneven heat distribution in my grips. The heating element does wrap near the whole way around the grip, and I was particular in the palcement. But, it could also be that after 35+ years of riding with no heated anything, I was just so happy to have them, that I may not of noticed an issue . I do know that the heat output of the symtec grips is more than enough though. My last ride of last year was November 6, and it was +2 Celsius (36F), and I rarely put the grips on the high heat setting.
Kevin

[E Double]

There are other leather glove waterproofing treatments, but I've had very good luck with the Nikwax products so I've stuck with them.

I used to really dig my heated grips, even after buying my heated gloves.  But one day I was out on a loooong ride ( some 450 miles) and I forgot to pack my gerbings gloves.  Of course, after the sun set the high 60's temps of the day plummeted into the low 40's, well below what the gloves I had on were good for (Rev'it GT H20, an awesome all leather "summer" waterproof glove that is good from the low 80's to the mid 50's).  In an effort to try and keep my fingers warm (palms were ok on 3rd highest setting, but fingers were icicles-what I was referring to when I said "uneven heat" before) I guess I must have gripped too hard for too long, because my hands, wrists and forearms were a wreck for days after.

The last time I had that much wrist pain after doing something was the first time I used my gas weed whacker after I switched from the nylon cable head to a composite blade head (read: much higher RPMs).  Grip+lots of vibration=angry carpal tunnel issues.

Plus the tight grip isn't conducive to staying loose while riding.  At least for me it isn't.

My heated gloves heat my fingers and hands evenly, without having to tighten my grip on the bars.

[DB Cooper]

Thanks for sharing the info on the wrist pain, I'll pay closer attention to squeezing the grips too much. I know someone who has a pair of the gerbings and he swears by them too. I might look into them as the "bike budget" allows.
Kevin