Heated gear advise

Discussion in 'Gear & Accessories' started by RDMCD, Sep 21, 2014.

  1. RDMCD

    RDMCD New Member

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    Just started shopping for heated jacket liner or vest. Not sure which one would be better. I know that I do want a 12V system that runs off the bike for 200$ or less. Any recommendations?
     
  2. MichaelD

    MichaelD New Member

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    The only heated gear I recommend is gloves. I have a one piece winter riding suit that is good to 20°f at 75 mph. Any colder and I add a military jacket liner inside.
    If that's not warm enough its time to take the truck. I ride year round. 100 miles round trip daily. I don't do a lot of road trips during the winter due to our weather changing in the blink of a eye around here. So unless your riding for hours at a time id spend my money else where. Also my 6th gen VFRs charging system is a little delicate so I try not taxing it much. Just my 2¢. Some deal with the cold/heat better than others. Just be comfy.
     
  3. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Heated garments for bikes unless there is someone somewhere making something for really old bikes, is going to be 12 volts. The usual connector is directly to the battery posts. Some bikes have a receptacle similar to the female part of a cigarette lighter socket. All manner of styles and fitment is available. Full suits, jackets, jacket liners, gloves, pants, booties ect.

    I have a Widder vest that has never failed. I also have gear from Gerbings. Gerbings makes all the heated garments for HD and they have their own lines as well. Gerbings also make 18v jackets to plug into golf carts and I suppose by now for the real fans golf carts for Frisbee Golf. One more interesting Gerbings product is heated Jackets in the style of the Seatlle Seahawks for the so the rich guys can plug into the stadium power and not freeze their asses off like the rest of us great unwashed.

    Prices are all over the map which includes the Maps of Canada and probably Ontario. Lots of Canadians here that may be able to clue you in as to the best places to buy in the US and maybe not have to pay those exorbitant shipping costs and taxes.

    Gerbings has an interesting history that is a good read.

    I am oot on a limb here. I think you might find a European make full suit too. I have seen these worn by a couple of BMW riders.

    One trick that is rarely mentioned with heated garments is that the rheostat should read ambient not be tucked away inside the garment.

    There are also several sources for heated grips for your bike.

    How well all this stuff works up there near where Santa lives is not in my immediate interest or future.. Good luck..
     
  4. RDMCD

    RDMCD New Member

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    Maybe the rechargeable battery jacket would be a better choice. I could wear it all the time at home in the igloo, butchering polar bear,and eating whale blubber sandwiches. :smug:
     
  5. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    Widder vest and gloves, no thermastat. End of story, you need a one piece snow mobile suit or dedicated mc riding suit for winter too. Cheers.
     
  6. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I hear they both taste like chicken. ;)
     
  7. Motographer

    Motographer New Member

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    I have the heated jacket liner and gloves that Cycle Gear sells and I'm a huge fan of them. I was able to ride on the interstate daily in 20-degree or less weather and still be comfortable outside of my face and feet, and the price was pretty decent. The left sleeve of the liner failed towards the end of the winter, but they warranty the crap out of their gear so I was able to swap it out for a replacement.
     
  8. ridervfr

    ridervfr Member

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    If you have an Eskimo woman and you eat muschi, does it taste like "whale-blubber?" btw you have to google search what "muschi" means, because I am eloquent mo-fo, and I think people from great white waste land :canada: have to work for their laughs.
     
  9. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    The rumor was aboot the taste of Polar bear and blubber. I have no good info on what an Eskimo women taste like. Feel free to add to this vast storehouse of knowledge.

    Muschi I think, is that stuff the Swiss eat for breakfast.
     
  10. PawnBoy

    PawnBoy New Member

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    I use Gerbings heated glove liners, vest and pant liners. Glove liners a a bit of a pain in the ass to install, but at least I'm toasty warm down to around -10C.
     
  11. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I have had Widder and Gerbings. I prefer the Gerbings. I would also get the jacket liner vs just the vest. The sleeves make a huge difference for me in my climate. I have the Jacket liner, pant liner and boot insoles which all plug into each other. You can control them with a simple on off switch (I found that to be a pain in the ass) or you can buy a rheostat (SP) controller, either single or double control. YOu can get controllers that you actually mount in your bike somewhere but I can bring myself to "willingly" cut holes in my plastics. The double will control your jacket and gloves if you get them, separate from your pant and insoles. I never used the glove liners as I was satisfied with winter biker gloves. You do get used to the bulkiness quickly.

    Gerbings are absolutely great to deal with for after sale service.

    A piece of advice for you though. Both heated products I used were good at creating the heat. But when you are travelling at higher speeds, you need a way of keeping that heat next to your body. All of the suits I have had, winter fall and summer, failed at that. Even the winter suits, the wind would get through the seams and basically blew the heat from the liners away. I found that a cheap rain suit, a rubber backed nylon type, had a huge affect on trapping the heat inside, even if you were not wearing the heated liners. A side benifit, they keep you dry too.

    I have ridden very often in -10C (14F) when I was commuting to and from work. Used to get off work at 03:00 so in the winter, even on our milder west coast, it still can be cold. My finger tips and forehead got cold after an hour on the freeway but the rest of me was absolutely warm. I never did use the Gerbing to their fullest while wearing the rain jacket over top of my gear. That would be too damned hot. Actually they even put a warning lable on these that diabetics should not wear them. I ignored that.

    Just looked at my bills, I bought mine January 5, 2008, bike had 43,902 km on it. The liner was pricey, $259.99 back then, but now the bike has well over 185,000 km on it, and there has been no issue with the jacket and pant liners at all. Still going strong.

    Good luck in choosing.
     
  12. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    BTW, if you get the insloes, PM me. There is a design flaw in my opinion that is easily overcome. Gerbings replaced them even well after warranty but the shortfall still exsisted. The cord is that rubber insulated wire that stretches and breaks with repeated on and off of the boot. That chord should be the less flexible but more durable plastic type insulation.
     
  13. RDMCD

    RDMCD New Member

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    Thanks everyone. I'm leaning towards a venture jacket liner, anybody have one? For around $200 it comes with the controller, it's expandable to gloves pants insoles, and is available locally.
     
  14. jvick98

    jvick98 New Member

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    heated gear

    Add a pair of Cabela's ATV mittens to further extend your riding season. A pair of Dual Star heated grips with the mittens will make cold hands history.

    Jim
     
  15. Big_Jim59

    Big_Jim59 Member

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    I just got my Gerbings jacket liner thios year and it is amazing. I rode for 6 hours through a low 40 degree night and stayed comfortable and happy. I could tell how stinking cold it actually was from the small bit of exposed skin on my neck and at the wrists of my gloves. I will never travel without it. The Gerbings takes the place of several bulky sweat shirts I used to pack on under my riding gear. If you are cheap keep ebay watched or better yet you can build your own. The Internet is full of how-tos on making your own heated jacket.
     
  16. Panettone192

    Panettone192 New Member

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  17. RDMCD

    RDMCD New Member

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    I finally did get the venture jack liner. Tried it out for a couple of hours last night in temperatures of 40F, 5C. On the highest setting I was quite toasty, probably could have used medium. I only had jeans and summer gloves on,so by the end of the ride my legs and hands were getting chilly. Glover and pant liners are also available. So far I am happy with it. One thing I noticed, on high at low RPM the battery is discharging so might have to be careful around town.
     
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