Heated Gear?

[Old_Rider_54]

Come on, admit it.   Winter is coming 

I've never riden with heated gear - what experiences have you had with it?   Is the plug-in variety the way to go with a NH that is electrical generating capacity challenged?   Or is the battery-power gear a better bet for the older standards?  How much $$  are we talking about to get set up properly?

[green427]

The heated jacket I made had no effect on the NH's electrical capacity, even with heated grips on full blast. Definitely worth it.

Totally forgot that I made a thread on it: http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,3965.0/highlight,diy+heated.html

Saved $100 compared to the ones you bought back then, but, prices have come down, so it may not be worth doing it.

I was stuck in the house for a few days, bored, and thought I was going to save a lot of money.

[happycommuter]

I use a vest extensively.  It should fit snugly over very little (ideally, just a t-shirt) and be insulated on top off to prevent heat loss.  The one I have now is an Airvantage that inflates to stay in close contact and prevent a big air gap.

No issues with the CB700SC charging system, though I do get nervous and start switching off if stuck idling for more than a few minutes.

A basic vest can be ~$100, I think.  The cables, if not included are $10-15 max.  I never bothered with any thermostat stuff: I just power on and off via pushbutton on a wire, clipped to the suit.

The premise behind an electric vest is to somewhat overheat the torso, your core essentially, in order to supply warm blood to the extremities.  

[Soupskin]

I plan on getting jacket pants and gloves this year.  I refuse to miss a day.

[bajakirch]

The premise behind an electric vest is to somewhat overheat the torso, your core essentially, in order to supply warm blood to the extremities.

I watched a TV show on this once, where they were checking out cutting-edge technology in the area of outdoor gear. One, a product still in development, was a heated vest designed for people working in arctic environments. They did a demonstration in a commercial freezer that dropped the temp down to around 15*, with the test subjects wearing shorts and t-shirts. They judged cold-related incapacitation by a manual dexterity test. Essentially, the colder you get, the harder it is for you to retain small muscle control. Without protection the test subjects began losing dexterity within 5 minutes (evidence the body is 'shunting' -- reducing the flow of warm blood to the extremities).

Then they repeated the test wearing nothing more than the heated vest. The subjects were not only able to maintain dexterity, but could even do so when the temps dropped down to subzero levels.

This has now become my mantra whenever I take the Boy Scouts tent camping in winter or sit in a deer stand all day in November: Keep a Toasty Core! Rather than spending a fortune on super-fancy winter boots, I just make sure I layer up my torso correction. I get better results AND it's more comfortable.

[Soupskin]

Hrm, maybe all I need is a vest then.  I made it all last year but just a couple weeks that didn't get above freezing.  Would be much more economical to do a vest and hand guards on the Bandit since I can't mount my Plexifaring 3 on it.  Speaking of...  I need to get my old NH stuff sold.

[cptgrits]

My only issue with heated clothing is what happens if it fails and you're in the middle of nowhere.  This happened to a friend's wife a couple of years ago on a winter ride in the desert. He was ok, but she was nearly frozen by the time they stopped.  I'm just saying that warm clothing is still required, especially on a bike.  Most of the old cowboys out west keep a heavy jacket and warm gloves in their trucks, just in case they need them.  It's good practice in a cage, even better on a bike.

[detdrbuzzard]

i have been wearing my synergy electric jacket liner since sunday. it hasn't been cold enough to plug it in and turn it on but it makes for good insulation just the same. i have worn my jacket and pants liners in temps as low as 36 with 12mph winds and never took them off the low setting. how they would work on a NH mine are only used on my 1500 wing

[happycommuter]

My only issue with heated clothing is what happens if it fails and you're in the middle of nowhere.

Bingo.  I know that lots of people do it wrong and just wear the Gerbings outfit over street clothes, blazing at full blast.  Besides being inefficient, when a fuse blows it will be a disaster instead of a minor nuisance. 

[cmyers]

that may be true, but a heated vest would be great for those who commute everyday. the worst for me would be a 30 min ride, of holding onto the engine for warmth, which I have done before.

[bajakirch]

that may be true, but a heated vest would be great for those who commute everyday. the worst for me would be a 30 min ride, of holding onto the engine for warmth, which I have done before.

+1. I find that I tend to tuck my knees in tighter to the engine on those really chilly morning rides.

The windscreen I got this year has really seemed to help. But we'll see -- this morning the thermometer reads 35*.

[Wahrsuul]

All I have is heated gloves at the moment.  They've served me well so far, but I'm thinking I need to invest in a vest at least, even with the ST.  On the NH, even with the Rifle, anything below about 48 is too cold for me.

[green427]

I have to agree about vest vs. jacket. Even though it is nice to have warm arms, our protective jackets naturally have small arms, so it becomes a nuisance getting your arms in while wearing a shirt and another jacket.

[detdrbuzzard]

i have no problem with my jacket liner and jacket but my pants are a different story

[LOKi]

I have one similar to this. Mine didn't come with the controller though.
http://www.newenough.com/street/electric_heated_gear/upper_body/tour_master/synergy_electrically_heated_motorcycle_jacket_liner.html

This thing is great! I'm good to about 55* with this and my mesh jacket. With another layer I can take it down to near 50* before I have to put the mesh away for the winter. With the textile jacket there is no limit that I have found.

Just a little review:

The jacket fits nice and is comfortable to wear. It's wind resistant so makes for a good windbreaker even if you don't need the heat. There are plugs in the cuffs to plug in heated gloves if you have those. The front of the jacket has a higher density of wires for additional heat to fight the wind chill. With the full sleeves you can feel the warmth of the coils when you bend your arms and tuck in. The neck is fleece lined with a high concentration of heater wires bundled up in it. Ohhh that is so nice when it's frigged out and you crank up the heat. Imagine if you could bring your cat, wrap it around your neck and have it stay put while you ride. Yes it's THAT warm and fuzzy.

As for blowing fuses. You know there are these things call "POCKETS". They have them on almost all gear. These "pockets" can hold all kinds of things. Like wallet, cell phone, and yes even extra fuses. Grab a few extra and throw them in your pocket.

I use a little higher fuse than what is called for. I think something like a 25amp. Bring some of these bigger fuses just in case the heated gear keeps popping the fuse. Mine did until I went with the larger fuse.

Soup, start off with a vest or jacket and go from there. With the heat on your torso you will be able to handle much lower temperatures. Heated grips or heated gloves would probably be steep two. My only other problem area is my feet. I'm thinking heated foot beds this winter.

[detdrbuzzard]

thats the one i have too loki