heated gear?

[Sheppo]

I wouldn't wait for a review from me. My season is basically over, despite buying this gear.

It's was only 28* this am. I still don't have heated gear and probably won't anytime soon and it wasn't too bad of a ride. I wore glove liners and it made a huge difference.

[Chippertheripper]

There was definitely a crusting of ice on a couple puddles leftover this morning...
I could see it when my helmet was about 36" from the road surface.
Also: pr3's are fucking amazing.

[PhilB]

... How do you like the Firstgear gloves?

I've only had my Firstgears for a few weeks, but I'm happy with them so far. They fit well, they are decently warm and water-resistant even when not using the heater, and the heating is good. This morning was 2 1/2 hours, starting at 24°F (-5°C) and ending at 32°F (0°C); they did fine. Longjohns, extra socks, a windproof neck gaiter, and a cheap rainsuit to block the wind, and I was fine for as long as it took.

PhilB

[nhbubba]

Also: pr3's are fucking amazing.

I agree.

[stoinkythepig]

Also: pr3's are fucking amazing.

How much different than PR2s?

[Chippertheripper]

Never ridden the 2's.

[RandyO]

How much different than PR2s?

they finally wised up and began to use car tire technology, PR3s have sipes

[nhbubba]

How much different than PR2s?

In my humblest of barely informed, likely wrong, half-full-of-shit opinions: Not much. I have run the PR2 and the PR3 on the back of the 'strom and I really can't tell the difference. Both are confidence inspiring. I've started running the PR2 because it lets me cheap out a few bucks on the tire. But both handled great in my eyes. The PR2 is not available in a 19" front for my bike, so I run nothing but PR3's up there. They last 2+ times as long as my rears anyway. So less of a big deal.

Wait, are tires heated gear now?!

[Phat Twin]

I use Powerlet heated clothing. I have had the Gerbring models, which are very good, and also the Tourmaster synergy versions, which also were ok, as long as they were a snug fit as someone mentioned early in the post.

I prefer the Powerlet heated gear because I usually ride late into the season, and having gear that can be adjusted to run either 55 or 105W of power makes a really big difference in how comfortable you can stay while riding. One other big reason is that my jacket plugs into the extra BMW style plug I have under the Seat on the left side, and then I control it wirelessly via a controller velcro'd to my handlebars. The control does both the jacket, and also the glove liners so I can control the two separately. The glove liners are very thin, and allow you to wear your own gloves than you can feel the controls with versus some of the bulkier Gerbing ones I have used. Every type heated gear is personal preference, but price, fit and function will determine the best choice. I have Ape like arms, and a long torso. Powerlet offered 3 & 4 XL gear, so that was a huge selling point for me.

I buy from a local guy who is a Powerlet dealer in NH, as well as being an Autocom dealer who can sort out just about any communication issue you might have. I highly recommend Adam.

http://www.rocketmoto.com/index.php/...r-package.html

[Sheppo]

Hey phat, who's the local dealer? I want to check em out.

[jasnmar]

OK. Not tire related, sorry.

I managed to pick up a used Gerbing microwire jacket for a decent price end of last season. For Christmas I asked for other related stuff to make it work. Ended up getting glove liners, a dual portable controller, and a bunch of wires.

First real use was on my little tour of East central Europe. Gear worked fine. I had to push start my touring hawk all over Europe, but it worked in 0C temps, snow, rain etc.

Used it a few times in the spring as well. It was fine.

I've used it a few times lately. The jacket liner I love. It goes under my leather jacket with the liner in. If anything it is commonly too hot. The glove liners I wouldn't do again. I'm currently wearing them under some snowboarding gloves, mostly because those were the only gloves I had that would fit over them. The glove liners are "fine" from a heat standpoint, but are much too bulky. If doing it over I would go with the gloves rather than the liners.

Today when I left the house it was 21F. About 2 hrs later when I arrived it was 34. Hands and upper body were fine. Feetzies were chilled.
Ride home left the office at around 43. At the bow liquor store temps were right at freezing. I decided to stop and plug in / put on the bulky gloves (I did put on the jacket liner before leaving work, but just put on the summer gloves and didn't plug in). Ride home was about 25 more minutes. Arrived at 28F. Feetzies again getting cool, but not dreadful.

Stuff seriously works.

[Chippertheripper]

Wait, are tires heated gear now?!

They are when they're under my ass.

[nhbubba]

You're doing it right.

[Phat Twin]

Hey phat, who's the local dealer? I want to check em out.

www.rocketmoto.com

Adam Schoolsky

He's located in Hollis, NH. Small shop at his house. Send him an email or give a call, and arrange a time to visit. Nice ride from west ford to Hollis, NH.

[Karate.Snoopy]

Today when I left the house it was 21F. About 2 hrs later when I arrived it was 34. Hands and upper body were fine. Feetzies were chilled.
Ride home left the office at around 43. At the bow liquor store temps were right at freezing. I decided to stop and plug in / put on the bulky gloves (I did put on the jacket liner before leaving work, but just put on the summer gloves and didn't plug in). Ride home was about 25 more minutes. Arrived at 28F. Feetzies again getting cool, but not dreadful.

2 Hours of one way commute to work ????? Wow

I too was looking into getting a glove liner but after reading this might just get the heated gloves.

[gamorg02]

OK. Not tire related, sorry.

I managed to pick up a used Gerbing microwire jacket for a decent price end of last season. For Christmas I asked for other related stuff to make it work. Ended up getting glove liners, a dual portable controller, and a bunch of wires.

First real use was on my little tour of East central Europe. Gear worked fine. I had to push start my touring hawk all over Europe, but it worked in 0C temps, snow, rain etc.

Used it a few times in the spring as well. It was fine.

I've used it a few times lately. The jacket liner I love. It goes under my leather jacket with the liner in. If anything it is commonly too hot. The glove liners I wouldn't do again. I'm currently wearing them under some snowboarding gloves, mostly because those were the only gloves I had that would fit over them. The glove liners are "fine" from a heat standpoint, but are much too bulky. If doing it over I would go with the gloves rather than the liners.

Today when I left the house it was 21F. About 2 hrs later when I arrived it was 34. Hands and upper body were fine. Feetzies were chilled.
Ride home left the office at around 43. At the bow liquor store temps were right at freezing. I decided to stop and plug in / put on the bulky gloves (I did put on the jacket liner before leaving work, but just put on the summer gloves and didn't plug in). Ride home was about 25 more minutes. Arrived at 28F. Feetzies again getting cool, but not dreadful.

Stuff seriously works.

was this on the GL or the CBR?

[jasnmar]

2 Hours of one way commute to work ????? Wow

I too was looking into getting a glove liner but after reading this might just get the heated gloves.

1-2 days a week I travel to our Waltham office. My home office is Manchester. Depending on what time I need to be in Waltham any given day largely dictates how long it is going to take. I have done the commute in 1hr 19min from door to desk, but that's extremely atypical.

Yea, I reasoned that the liners were much more versatile, I could use them with whatever glove I wanted, they are less expensive than the gloves...
Meh. If I were doing it again, knowing what I know now, I'd get the gloves and be done.

was this on the GL or the CBR?

GL, but with a "shorty" windshield (shorty by GL terms, not by motorcycle terms). Still quite a bit of wind protection.

[breakdirt916]

dang...I remember doing an 18 degree jaunt for 20 mins on the ninja & about 30 mins in the 20's to JohnnyV's house on the FZR (his whole driveway was iced) when I lived in MA, and that was enough...I can't imagine 2 hours in the freezing cold!

however...I never owned anything heated when I lived in MA...just layered up and toughed it up. Did not feel so tough when I got to work and could not feel my hands though...

[gamorg02]

1-2 days a week I travel to our Waltham office. My home office is Manchester. Depending on what time I need to be in Waltham any given day largely dictates how long it is going to take. I have done the commute in 1hr 19min from door to desk, but that's extremely atypical.

Yea, I reasoned that the liners were much more versatile, I could use them with whatever glove I wanted, they are less expensive than the gloves...
Meh. If I were doing it again, knowing what I know now, I'd get the gloves and be done.



GL, but with a "shorty" windshield (shorty by GL terms, not by motorcycle terms). Still quite a bit of wind protection.

i follow. i gotta imagine a GL is an ideal cold weather bike. the vmax and the hawkgt just don't have any wind protection, or at least enough to help. heated grips work great but if the wind sweeps through its tough.

when i was first learning to ride i had a yzf600 and i never remember being that cold but as soon as i got the vmax that changed, i believe that wind protection is huge in this case. thanks for the info!

[nt650hawk]

I'll be getting back a new Tourmaster warrantee replacement liner this week.

[Karate.Snoopy]

dang...I remember doing an 18 degree jaunt for 20 mins when I lived in MA, and that was enough...I can't imagine 2 hours in the freezing cold!

however...I never owned anything heated when I lived in MA...just layered up and toughed it up. Did not feel so tough when I got to work and could not feel my hands though...

Exactly what I am doing right now...freezing my nads off .. oh and a naked bike doesn't help much with wind protection either.

[breakdirt916]

naked? numb nads? buy the grips...symtec ones are ~$36 + s&h

wish I did it a long time ago!! I'll turn them on for a 40 degree ride if it's ~1 hour

[nhbubba]

Five muthuhphuckin dollars

[gamorg02]

Five muthuhphuckin dollars

do you have those? it appears they suggest they go OVER the grips?

also a close up on that on/off switch would be awesome as i need to come up with something new for mine.

[nhbubba]

This exact set, no. Something just as cheap and pathetic looking? Yes.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I have a set of cheapie $5 fleabay pads connected to a quality Warm 'n Safe 'heattroller' permanently mounted on my bike. This lets me infinitely adjust the heat. But the simple on/off will work too. Just far less flexible.

You can install them anyway you like, despite what the photos show. Mine are installed almost in the opposite order; shrink wrap on bars (to insulate), then heat elements, then tape to hold them in place, then grips. I also have grip puppies installed over that. Net effect is that I loose some heat to the bars (through the shrink wrap) and a lot to the stack of grips and grip puppies between me and the burners. But they still work.

Next time I'll install as pictured on top of the grips and throw a new pair of grip puppies over the top of 'em. Should give me more direct heat.