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Thread: Heated Grips Installation

  1. #1
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Heated Grips Installation

    Item 1: I have Gerbing's jacket liner and gloves and have used them for several years now. In fact, about a year ago I had to get some work done on both the jacket and the gloves and ultimately they replaced them both for shipping costs only.

    The bad part though is down to the 10 degree mark (or so), my finger tips still get pretty cold. Numb as I reach the single digits.

    Item 2: Rita's not really a cold weather rider (at least not so far) but we're heading north tomorrow and expect it to be a tad chilly, especially since we're heading up into the Bighorn National Forest to visit The Medicine Wheel and then down by the Grand Tetons.

    Item 3: I was down at Performance Cycle in Denver to get a new front tire last Saturday and have both tires mounted (I'd pulled the rear one off before June's trip to make sure I had 100% rubber for the 10,000 mile ride).

    (Some bonehead turned on to Hampden from Santa Fe and changed his mind, made a u-turn on the ramp and went back up the wrong way on the ramp to get back on Santa Fe )

    Anyway, I picked up a pair of Symtec Motorcycle Hand Warmers at Performance Cycle.



    I spent a couple of hours yesterday and today getting them installed. At Rita's request, I cut one of her grips off so we headed up to the bike dealer and picked up some replacements. (When we got off the bike we were next to about three parking spaces of used bikes. Rita immediately hopped on the first 600 and was tippy toeing "can this bike be lowered?" Then she was on the 06 SV650, then over to the Katana 600 which looked quite long for her but was nice and low. She'll be on a new bike next summer ) Anyway, we got the red handgrip gel grips. Rita had wrapped some foam around her old grips to dampen some of the vibration. I also picked up a pair mainly for the gel grips part since I got mine off without a problem (they were about $10 per set).

    I positioned the sheets where I thought they would do the most good with the wire under the switches and the sheet edge towards the outside of the handlebar. I figure having about a half-inch or so of wire under the grip would somewhat prevent an early breakage.

    I used some epoxy per the instructions and glued the grips to the sheets (you'll have to cut them off next time for sure ). I also did the sheets and grips on my bike but left it sitting there while I worked on Rita's bike. I ran a power wire down to the battery and grounded them to the frame. I put the switch on Rita's dash and connected the wires.

    The instructions showed the blue wire as being the low heat and the white wire being the high heat but the instructions wanted the low wire plugged into the high position side of the switch and the high wire plugged into the lower position. I thought it was a typo and put high to high and low to low. Afterwards I realized the instructions were right and swapped the two wires on both bikes.

    Once hers was done, we powered up the grips and they gradually got warm. Flipping to high (after I put the wires back where they belonged) the grips heated up even more.

    Since the wind was blowing, I put her bike back together and closed down the garage.

    Sunday I finished up my bike, running a ground and power down to the BlueSea fuse box and making all the necessary connections to the switch now on my dash.

    I hopped on my bike, started her up and watched the voltage when I flipped on the grips. Not too bad. It dropped down about .3 at idle and reving it up brought the voltmeter up to over 14. I left it in low heat and headed up for a short ride around the neighborhood. It heated up pretty well. As I got a couple of miles away, I flipped it to high. Man that was pretty hot (I'm wearing my deerskin gloves). At the next corner I flipped it back to low and stopped to get gas. I rode it on low the rest of the way home and then had Rita pop out and check out the grips.

    I expect they'll be nice and toasty for Rita on tomorrows ride.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  2. #2

    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    How much did the heated grips cost? Also be sure to keep us updated on how long these last before they crap out, I've read/heard mixed reviews.

    Badhabit

    Current bikes: 2005 KTM 625 SMC, 1998 Honda Superhawk

    Past bikes: 2004 Yamaha R1, 2001 Buell M2 Cyclone,
    1999 Yamaha R6, 1996 Kawasaki EX500

  3. #3
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by Badhabit
    How much did the heated grips cost? Also be sure to keep us updated on how long these last before they crap out, I've read/heard mixed reviews.
    Yep, I'm going to keep track. I heard the same thing which was one reason I put the sheet so far to the edge of the handlebars. I'm hoping that the wires being farther under the grips might help them last longer.

    I paid about $43 per set at Performance Cycle. A few bucks higher than on line (I've seen around $30 with 5 S&H so it's only an extra 10 bucks) but we were short on time and weren't expecting the upcoming cold spell for our trip tomorrow.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  4. #4

    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Heated grips are great - only way to ride through the winter.
    Jeff in Littleton
    '02 Blackbird
    '98 Sports racer

  5. #5
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by tripledigits
    Heated grips are great - only way to ride through the winter.
    Normally I use my Gerbing's for the ride to work in the winter but on a few days when it's in the single digits, my fingertips get numb. I figure the combination of heated grips and the Gerbing's will keep my fingers lots warmer.

    On the trip last week the hi setting had me keeping my hands loose on the grips at times. I flipped it to the low setting and it was a tad on the cool side. But I was also using thinner gloves. I figure the hi setting will be just fine in combination with the Gerbing's.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Dysco's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by dm_gsxr
    Normally I use my Gerbing's for the ride to work in the winter but on a few days when it's in the single digits, my fingertips get numb. I figure the combination of heated grips and the Gerbing's will keep my fingers lots warmer.
    No dice. The grips don't do much to heat your fingertips- esp with bulky gloves, you may not notice the extra heat. Take some sno-seal and seal up the seams on the fingers of the gloves and it'll help but it won't be pretty. As far as I'm concerned, no glove will protect you from numbness below 10F after a certain distance.
    Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

  7. #7
    Senior Member dm_gsxr's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    I had to keep lifting my fingers from the grips they were getting so hot. Granted it wasn't at the 10 degree mark.

    I don't know if you have Gerbing's gloves, but they are wired on the tops of the hands and fingers and have padding there but the palm side is a bit thinner. I probably won't have an opportunity to try it this year unless I make an effort but I think it'd be warm enough for a commute vs a muli-day sub-zero ride

    If I get a chance, I'll update the thread with what I find.

    Carl

    Long Distance Gear Checklist 2002 Hayabusa - Now with 100,000+ miles!

  8. #8
    Senior Member Dysco's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by dm_gsxr
    I had to keep lifting my fingers from the grips they were getting so hot. Granted it wasn't at the 10 degree mark.

    I don't know if you have Gerbing's gloves, but they are wired on the tops of the hands and fingers and have padding there but the palm side is a bit thinner. I probably won't have an opportunity to try it this year unless I make an effort but I think it'd be warm enough for a commute vs a muli-day sub-zero ride

    If I get a chance, I'll update the thread with what I find.

    Carl
    To be truthful, I've never used electric clothing. A Gerbing jacket is in the works for when I can ride again and I set up a KLR for snow-riding. My theory is that my hands will stay warmer longer if my core stays warmer longer. My heated grips failed halfway through my second bike-only winter when my commute was 32 miles. That's when winter riding got old.

    Do keep us posted, it's hard to find reliable info on this stuff because most people can't pull it off.
    Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

  9. #9
    Say what again... Site Admin rforsythe's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by Dysco
    No dice. The grips don't do much to heat your fingertips- esp with bulky gloves, you may not notice the extra heat. Take some sno-seal and seal up the seams on the fingers of the gloves and it'll help but it won't be pretty. As far as I'm concerned, no glove will protect you from numbness below 10F after a certain distance.
    Actually I found the carbon fiber Devil exhaust I had on my superhawk to be tits for winter riding! The cans were the perfect temp to be hand warmers, just reach back and hold onto it for a sec (obviously easier with the left hand than the right)...
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  10. #10
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    I installed a set of knuckle guards from a Suzukin V-Strom (www.fjrtech.com/printarticle.cfm?item=30), they'll probably fit your bike also. They don't look very pretty, but work very well to keep cold air off your hands and you don't have to worry about your battery. I wear an electric vest and regular gloves for my daily commute 20 miles each way without discomfort. When I plan on riding across state lines I add electric gloves (Widder) and an Aerostich suit. I've thought about heated grips, but haven't felt the need for them yet and I regularly ride in freezing temperatures in the early mornings and at night.

  11. #11
    Senior Member JustSomeDude's Avatar
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    Re: Heated Grips Installation

    Gotta love the heated grips. I just put a set on my bike during my winter project session. Used this set from AeroStitch...

    http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/...t-p-16539.html

    I also replaced the grips with a set of Harris's. Didn't have to use any epoxy though - the contact lens solution trick worked perfectly. I also got a VERY detailed HOW-TO at the YZF600r forum for the heated element install. Some guy put together a custom wiring rig that incorporates a 40amp relay, and a tap into the rear taillight (which is always on when the bike is on). That way, the power to the grip elements shuts off when you turn the bike off. He wrote the whole thing up with pictures and details.

    It took a little extra time getting the wiring through the frame and to the back of the bike, but well worth it to have the security of knowing my battery will never die due to my clutziness of not turning the grips off!

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