Heated gear question

[JET-A]

Does anyone have any experience with heated gear? Mainly a vest.

I have been off the bike for a while due to a bad work schedule, followed by a broken wrist. I will be wanting to ride more through the winter this year, and was thinking about a heated vest. I have a couple questions.

How hard is the power supply to hook up?

How much power do these things pull?

Will the alternator be able to do the job?

Anything else I need to know??

Thanks,
Todd
lease:

 

[Commuta_Busa]

They're very easy to hookup to the battery (two wires). As far as wattage it depends on The vest and how low/high you have it set at.
It wont drain your battery unless you're just sitting around at idle smoking cigars.

Honestly for ridding I think the gloves and the socks helped me the most on very cold days. Your hands and feet are the least shielded from wind and the furthest away from your torso. Frost bite atacks your toes and fingers first so they need to be kept warm the most.

 

[JET-A]

Thanks, I was looking at some gloves as well. My feet, in the riding boots I have, seem to be able to stay relatively warm as long as I don't let them sweat too much before I start riding.

I was thinking of hooking up the "lighter" harness. Any idea how long it needs to be from the seat?

Just trying to look at all of the options now, so I will be ready when it gets cold out.

 

[DREW]

I would pass ont the vest. Had one and upgraded to a full electric jacket. Much better.

 

[Commuta_Busa]

the cords from the vests have a very basic "quick-connect" design to them. You probably could easily find some extension wires if you needed them. you don't want to much wire/cable slack or it'll slap around in the wind.

your best bet would be to get the heated gear first and then physicaly see/check how you want to hook things up. It'll give you a better picture of what best suites your needs.

I used they're heated gauntlet gloves during the winter and they would go down to about 20 degrees ambient (wind chill much higher at speed). Anything below those temps and they just can't heat enough to keep your fingers warm.

I solid wind proof layer, long sleeve, goes a long way in fighting off the cold.

I still remember the days of getting to work during the winter months and having to wash the crytalized tears off my cheeks every morning from the ride in.

 

[kml]

I use a heated jacket liner and it allows me to ride much later in the fall season with out having to resort to winter gloves. Keeping my torso warm just seems to to keep the hands and feet much warmer.

Webshots.com Links Do Not Work

cheers
ken

 

[pashnit]

Same as Ken, don't leave home without it. I have a vest, pretty basic and inexpensive at around $120. Hooks directly into the battery & on-off switch is included. It fits snug and even when it's not plugged in, it's part of my normal riding gear.

I sell the Gears brand if you want to order one.
Buy Now: Gears Gen X-2 Electric Vest & Arm Chaps

The next step up is higher wattage- more money, try like $200 for the vest plus the troller. The 38 watt vests are only so good, so if you want to get more heat, bump up to 70 watts from people like Warm-n-Safe.

You can also get your jacket sent in to have coils put in it if you want to get even more serious. Btw, on the battery thing, just make sure you have a good battery and also use a Battery Tender during the off-season to keep the battery fresh. I have drained my battery on my Busa, and on the old ZX-11D couple times. In both instances, I was bump starting the bike to get home.

The rule with heated gear is once you get it, you'll wonder why on earth you rode all those years without it.

 

[Yashimura]

We are so SPOILED in Southern California. I thought that was some exotic white grass covering those hills.

 

[JET-A]

Pashnit, PM sent

 

[Zoinks!]

I use Gerbing's heated gloves and jacket liner. In my oppinion it's the best stuff out there right now. Lifetime warrenty on the heating elements, plug-ins, and I think the stitching too. It's a little bit on the pricey side, but you're paying for extremely good quality.

 

[bigoltool]

1st thing I would recommend is to start with Grip heaters. You will use them almost year round and you can use them with any gloves you choose. I use the Dual star setup and have almost 4 years on mine without a problem. Secondly I use an old Eclipse Electric vest that I have had for over 15 years also without a problem! The vest is another one of those things you will find yourself using even in cool temps like a summer evening ride. The Electric gear has exploded over the last few years so there are a lot more options to choose from than I had when I got mine. I know that BMW and Aerostitch also sell some electric vests/liners that inflate with air as well as the electirc heating elements. The Air is a great insulator and it form fits the garment to your torso for perfect heat distribution.

 

[Micfitz]

I have the vest and should have gotten the jacket liner. Yep, costs extra but worth it. Didn't like the heated gloves due to the bulk of them than not being able to feel the road. Have heated chaps for the really cold days too. No problems with electric draw

I have widder before they where bought out, but firstgear is how I would go again.