360 mile round trip thursday night/friday afternoon to hastings for an interview. Hammering down Thursday night and well chilly friday evening. I have a keis X5 heated waistcoat which made a big difference but arms and legs pretty cold (and hands despite winter gloves and heated grips on full chat). For the first time this year my feet were getting a bit cold too. Does anyone use any heated clothing, and what do you think of it?
I dont have any heated clothing but I have thought of getting a heated vest of some description. I dont want one though that you have to plug in anywhere, I see Maplin Electricals sell heated jackets that will stay warm for about two hours something like that would be ok for me. I came back from Sunderland on Saturday via Swaledale in North Yorkshire and there was snow at the side of the road. :o Twas damn cold.
Why dont you want to plug into anything? I ran a power lead from the battery and it works well.
For survival in the cold I have:
Hand Guards
Heated grips (Hein Gericke)
EXO2 heated clothing (http://www.exo2.co.uk/stormrider-heated-body-warmer-p-38.html?cPath=17_5)
The EXO2 I can recommend. It gets seriously hot. Infact too hot. I purchased the optional controller and wired it to the battery via a fuzeblock.
Quote from: GTRPete on December 04, 2011, 06:41:41 PM
Why dont you want to plug into anything? I ran a power lead from the battery and it works well.
It's bad enough having to cope with a lead to the autocom unit without having another cable I could strangle myself on. ;D
We used Gerbing heated gear for a long time but after some crap service from Gerbing UK have switched to Warm'n'Safe. Unfortunately there is no WnS dealer in the UK so we had to import them. Bike Tek gear gets good reviews from people we know who use it. I'd like to buy the EXO stuff as they have been very helpful in the past but I want warm arms as well as trunk.
Lyn tends to use heated jacket, trousers and gloves whereas I usually forego the trousers. IME heated gear can make the difference between a nice comfortable ride in Winter and being too cold to enjoy it.
We always carry extra layers with us though in case the heated gear packs up which the Gerbing gear was wont to do with regular monotony. In theory Gerbing warrant the electrics in their clothing for life. In practice that obviously depends on the dealer and the last jacket I had replaced had to come from the European distributor after a disagreement with the UK importer (I think I caught him on a bad day but we went past the point of no return). When the replacement arrived with a faulty zip it was cheaper to have that repaired myself rather than send it back to Holland. That jacket eventually failed as well and we changed manufacturer.
Kevin
I am glad this has come up again.... ( a long long time ago ! ) ... with wind deflectors fitted and heated grips I now have the cold crispy dry roads on which to get my heated waistcoat out and plugged into the Gtr, as opposed to last year when I had the wires from under my Honda seat I now have a nice simple jack plug ...... I think EXO2 is good stuff, but I have a waistcoat made by KLAN ... the old style wires running inside up and down with no thermostat it's basic but VERY HOT so I can only use it when it's really cold like now ! I have tried it when not so cold but it's so good that things get pretty warm fairly sharpish I my wife bought it for me about 3-4 years ago and it's still going well. For those cold winter months I would certainly recommend heated clothing it's just a matter of what you fancy !! :)
Quote from: Rusty on December 05, 2011, 09:52:20 AM
<snip> the old style wires running inside up and down with no thermostat it's basic but VERY HOT so I can only use it when it's really cold like now <snip>
[nods] All the heated clothing we've tried over the years has run too hot for us so we've always used a thermostat. Even with one of these fitted Lyn managed to burn her hand (she now uses inner gloves as well as a precaution) and her knee (the way the wires ran on the Gerbing trousers; she stopped using them) so you definitely need to be careful with them.
Kevin
I have finally admitted defeat, and ordered some heated gear this year. Went with Gerbing, as a number of my colleagues receommended it very strongly.
I ordered from the UK distributor, and as Kevin says, it has not been a particularly pleasant experience. I ordered the gear 3 weeks ago, and after non-existing communication and chasing by me, it is supposedly arriving this week - we shall see.
Martin.
Heated clothing? And it's not even freezing outside?
What a bunch of wuzzes!
Another essential item for winter is a balaclava. Really keeps the face warm.
The only heated gear is the grips and the EXO2 body warmer. It would be nice if the body warmer was a heated jacket to warm the arms up, but I don't find it too much of an issue. Having a bigger screen helps, which is countered by the hand guards now deflecting the wind away from the hands and onto the arms. You can't always have your cake and eat it I guess.
Legs don't get cold, but feet do when its a couple of degrees about freezing. I find the cheap thermal socks from Primark do the job.
Just get yourself some Angora underwear, wear a woolly jumper and an extra pair of trousers and socks and you're going to be warm as toast even with frost outside. 8)
I also recommend wearing a kidney belt not only when it's cold.
Once the temperature drops below double figures it's your toes, fingertips and nose that are in real danger of frostbite (not to forget the crown jewels) so you should better stay home or use public transport or a car if you really have to go somewhere. ;)
I used to ride an off-road bike in winter and the lowest temperature I've ever experienced was a half hour ride home at -30oC; and I wouldn't want to feel that pain ever again.
Martin ... if they don't turn up or you have any problems go to " Infinity Motorcycles " ... I think they have a few places dotted about and I use the shop in Great Portland Street London and they have always been very good, both in person and via Internet, and yes they stock what you are looking for ;D
Recently bought a jacket & chaps from these guys in Jarrow, not used them much yet. Wish I could route the cable to come out at front of seat :)
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/simmiperformance/Heated-Clothing-/_i.html?_fsub=480775012&_sid=289237132&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/simmiperformance/Heated-Clothing-/_i.html?_fsub=480775012&_sid=289237132&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322)
Quote from: Andy on December 05, 2011, 01:12:12 PM<snip> Wish I could route the cable to come out at front of seat :) <snip>
I'm probably missing something here but my heated gear plugs into a cable that comes out of the front of the seat (well, left-hand side of the front).
Kevin
Me too but i paid to have mine fitted
The 2011 model has the jackplug just to the right of the dials .... easy to use ... just back from Londre on a very cold dry evening and with grips on and screen up, all plugged in with my waistcoat I was very snuggy indeed ;D ;D
I'm with Mecki on this. Yer all wimps and wussies. ;D
I have heated grips on the GTR1000 but they only get switched on when it's below 0 Celcius.
Other than that you just need layers.
Down to 0C I wear cordura jacket with liner, fleece jumper, t-shirt and "lobster-claw" style gloves.
Lower half I wear jeans, cordura trousers (with liner) and 2 pairs of normal socks plus my boots.
Below 0C I add a longsleeve t-shirt, the 2nd pair of socks are replaced with thick wooly ones and I switch on the heated grips.
Below -5C I take the car. ;)
Too much chance of black ice once it starts to get properly cold.
Have ridden in -20C (Germany, 1984) but had heated long-sleeve jacket, heated trousers, heated socks, heated gloves and a heated balaclava. TOASTY warm! 8)
If you want to buy really good quality heated gear, get the stuff marketed for Snowmobilers. It ain't cheap though.
Quote from: Boomer on December 08, 2011, 12:07:42 PM
I'm with Mecki on this. Yer all wimps and wussies. ;D
I conclude Mecki and you have too many layers of fat ;D
Quote from: Kwikasfuki on December 08, 2011, 08:44:48 PM
I conclude Mecki and you have too many layers of fat ;D
You're just rude. At least I only thought "You're right, I've never seen an elephant seal in a heated jacket" rather than post it!
Kevin (The Pot)
It doesn't matter how fat you are, the heat receptors are still in the skin so us "horizontally challenged people" feel the cold same as everybody else.
But one thing is for sure, if there is a famine or another ice-age we will survive longer. :P
Quote from: mecki on December 09, 2011, 08:21:52 AM
It doesn't matter how fat you are, the heat receptors are still in the skin so us "horizontally challenged people" feel the cold same as everybody else.
But one thing is for sure, if there is a famine or another ice-age we will survive longer. :P
Ah yes but come the Zombie Invasion the fat people get it first..... see Zombieland Rule 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTIxqD2lrE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTIxqD2lrE)
Quote from: mecki
if there is a famine or another ice-age we will survive longer. :P
No we won't. Chances are we won't be able to outrun the hordes of starving skinnies. <LOL>
Also, having that additional layer of subcutaneous insulation means that although the skin may feel the cold, it does not penetrate (core temperature stays higher), so we "chubbies" continue to function when you stick insects are all huddled around the fire moaning about how cold it is. ;)
Quote from: Mogster on December 09, 2011, 09:20:49 AM
Ah yes but come the Zombie Invasion the fat people get it first..... see Zombieland Rule 1
;D ;D ;D ;D
Rules ... wear a seat belt .... love it !! ;D ;D
QuoteNo we won't. Chances are we won't be able to outrun the hordes of starving skinnies. <LOL>
By the time they are so starved that they decide to chase us they are weakened while we lost the extra weight and can outrun them easily enough. ;D
As my ex-wife's grandmother used to say, 'If there is a famine the fatties will be skinny and the skinnies will be dead.' :P
My EXo2 heated jacket stopped working yesterday. Forgot how cold it can get without.
I think its the controller and not the jacket. Although the controller lights up, I can't detect any output at the terminal that plugs into the jacket.
My Gerbings stuff finally arrived last week, so this weekend was spent wiring in the permanent controllers into the Fuzeblock.
I was full of anticipation upon leaving the house this morning, ready for the joys of a toasted core. Turns out I did not leave enough cable free, and the jacket unplugs itself whenever I move about on the bike. What a complete muppet. So I froze once again.
On another winter related note, first proper ice out my way this morning and two cars on their roofs within the first 3 miles of my journey. Why is it that four wheels and a heated cocoon mean you ignore the frost, frozen edges of puddles, and the ice warning display?? Fools.
Martin.
So got my Gerbing jacket wired in and working for the first time this morning.
Toasty is a simply perfect description of this morning's commute.
What a great, great invention.
Martin.
Heated clothing is marvellous. When the folks at work ask"don't you freeze on the bike?", I respond with "I'm probably warmer than you are in your car"
On the GTR I think my winter clothing is about spot on for winter commuting. I've never been significantly uncomfortable on the GTR to want to stop.
Never really needed heated clothing, thermals a decent jacket do for me, but tempted to try some to reduce the layers. Fancy heated inner soles for sure.
Hi - I have the Gerbring heated insoles and I would rate them no better than 'okay'. When I first got them I wired them straight to the bike battery and friggin hell they got too damn hot.
I since added a dual controller, but at the mo only run the insoles.
To be honest and a real wuss/wimp/tart/girl (sorry if any real girls here...) I will probably take the cage more and more this
year. I have a 35 mile commute and I am now finding my hands are bloody cold after 15-20 mins. Oh this is on the bmw f800st I just traded in for the GTR. BUT I had, heated grips, muffs and bloody expensive gloves, but still cold, and it hasn't really got that cold yet.
Maybe the bloods been thinned too much by all the alchohol over the (many) years......
Interesting, I do 70 miles each way all year, had to borrow the wife's cage today and I hate it. She tells me I don't feel the cold as where there's no sense there's no feeling :o
Might explore the EXO kit....
Like a number of us here, commuting by bike is my only option - sun, rain or snow. I have done it for years, and muddled by with a combination of thermals, and layers.
This heated clothing is the way forward though. I found in previous years, the first 30-40 minutes of my commute was tolerable in conditions down to -3 or so, then I simply could not stave off the cold effectively after that. Once your core temperature starts to drop, your body restricts blood flow to extremities (hands and feet) which is why they then get cold.
Heated jacket is magnificent to keep core temp high, and thus keep blood flowing to hands and feet.
I shall also be investing in some of their heated gloves. Heated grips are convenient, but they only heat your palms. The back of your hand is the bit exposed to all the cold air, and that gets no warmth from grips.
I have only had my Gerbings jacket working for two commutes, but I am almost evangelical about its effectiveness. Can you tell? ;D
Martin.
Heated jacket is magnificent to keep core temp high, and thus keep blood flowing to hands and feet
Umm thats intersting, never thought of that.
In cage again today (looong story... had to go BACK to the dealer and 'unlock' the bimmer top box I took off the 800st -some prat closed it and locked it and the ONLY key was the one left with the bike at the dealer...) anyway - I digress, lovely bright day today - not sure of the temp at 06:50 - BUT M25 is a real chore in a cage!!!
Quote from: MJJ_ZX6RR on December 14, 2011, 09:12:37 AM
I have only had my Gerbings jacket working for two commutes, but I am almost evangelical about its effectiveness. Can you tell? ;D
Now I am not sure what the next stage on from evangelical would be, but after a couple more weeks of winter commuting with my Gerbings heated jacket and heated gloves, they are the shnizzle (as my eldest would say, I am assured that is good) ;D
Seriously though, any winter riders without this gear, you really are missing a trick.
Martin.
Just to let you know, Get Geared (http://www.getgeared.co.uk/s.nl/sc.7/category./.f?search=gerbing) now stock Gerbing. The range wasn't massive but the retailer might be easier to deal with. The stores seem to have more variety than the online shop.