Hi all, As much as I dont want to think about it the cold weather is slowly coming, at least for us who have a cold weather season tongue.gif I am thinking of getting a heated jacket or vest but dont have any idea where to start. What do you folks use for heated gear? What should I be looking for in heated gear? Is a jacket or vest better? I did a search and found a lot about heated grips but not gear so any advice is appreciated. Thanks all,
I really like the Gerbing liner. I had a vest for a while, but my arms seemed to get cold in the open wind (maybe a better wind proof jacket would prevent this?). The liner keeps them toasty and allows easy hook-up of gloves if you want them as well. The liners come in different sizes with different arm lengths, so you can get the exact fit you need as well. You aren't stuck with a certain arm length for a given size of liner, which is very nice.
I think they also sell a whole jacket that is heated. If you already have a decent jacket though, this is an expensive option. The heated liner I have can be used under any jacket I have or if I ever get an Aerostich, it can be used under that as well.
I also have a Gerbing jacket that I purchased last fall. It work very well and I am very satified with its quality and performance. If you get one make sure you also get the adjustable thermostat.
I have not riden in temps much below freezing, I think 26 was it for me, but the Gebring liner kept me very warm, almost too warm. I highly recomend the thermostat.
khep, Aug 30 2006, 07:34 AM Another satisfied Gerbing's jacket liner user.... with a slightly snug fit to get good heat transfer.
www.webbikeworld.com click on "Clothing" on the left side of the page. Scroll down to Heated clothing.
+1.gif On the Gerbing Jacket liner! Heated sleeves and collar are a big bonus in cold weather over a vest. fing02.gif You can buy heated clothing, but I'm happy with the jacket liner, heated socks(Gerbing) and heated grips. I ride year round and down into the 20's. blink.gif
Sorry for the confusion, but a heated liner was just what I was thinking. Gerbing's seems to be a hot company. I looked up the review that khep listed in webbikereview.com. How have you guys felt that Gerbing works with the VFR, I have a 6th gen. Is there enough alternator output to power the liner and the other lights etc on the bike? I the system easy to hook up? Do you guys go directly to the battery or do you pull off of an aux fuse pannel? Anyone else out there have suggestions for heated liner companies? Thanks again
+1.gif on the Gerbings jacket liner and thermostat. It's been great down to whatever temps make ice on the bike seat in the mornings. ohmy.gif
Derby Cycles has the Gerbings liner on closeout right now for $129. The sizes are limited, but it's worth looking at if you decide on Gerbings. Sorry I don't have the link - I'm at work and access is really limited here, andthe link's in my Yahoo mailbox.
I hooked mine directly to the battery, but I rarely run the thermostat on full power. Check your main fuse for heat damage when you hook up the Gerbings connector. If there are any signs that the main fuse holder and wiring have been overheated, take care of that before using the liner.
Croatsens, Aug 30 2006, 10:12 AM Sorry for the confusion, but a heated liner was just what I was thinking. Gerbing's seems to be a hot company. I looked up the review that khep listed in webbikereview.com. How have you guys felt that Gerbing works with the VFR, I have a 6th gen. Is there enough alternator output to power the liner and the other lights etc on the bike? I the system easy to hook up? Do you guys go directly to the battery or do you pull off of an aux fuse pannel? Anyone else out there have suggestions for heated liner companies? Thanks again
The Vtec has min. extra capacity watt wise IMO, but can manage. Just Don't run your High Beams at the same time you run all this other stuff, they alone burn 110 watts of leftover power. Gerbing Jacket Liner- 77 watts Gerbing Socks------- 22 watts Heated Grips ?? watts I think the Vtec has around 480 watts total and I'm told over half of that is used by the bikes systems leaving 200-250 watts left to run all your extra's. I'm directly to the battery for both Powerlet's and run the Grip heaters through a simple auto relay. I run Jacket liner, Socks, grips, radar and No high beams. It seems that if I also run high beams with these extra items that there's not enough juice to still charge the battery even running 60-80 mph. Hope that helps. One other thing on Gerbing, they have a Life time warrenty and will repair or replace a defective item. fing02.gif
I have the Gerbing's jacket liner too I would highly recommend it. Not only are the sleeves heated, it has a high heated collar as well to keep your neck nice and warm. (A big deal when the temp gets below freezing)
Fit is crucial as you need it snug for good heat transfer, but if you gain any weight it's going to feel like it's choking you.
I gained 10lbs basically through getting fat & lifting weight since I bought mine. It kind of detracts from riding in the cold cause my gear is fairly tight when I throw on all the clothes required to ride in the freezing cold.
Other important things:
- Jacket/pants/gloves, etc.. all need to seal up to prevent any air/wind from getting inside. Once it gets cold enough an air leak feels like your body has a radiator attached sucking the heat right out of you. I have trouble keeping air from getting in where my jacket/gloves meet for example.
- Get some heated grips, etc.. instead of gloves, etc.. save a lot of money and probably use less power.
- Make sure you have some good cordura/whatever pants with a thermal lining, as well as some warm boots. If it gets down below freezing I find my MC boots really aren't warm enough even with thick wool socks, you'd need to wear some insulated winter boots like Sorrel's (sp?) which are going to make it hard to shift.
Basically a few years ago I was psyched enough to go riding at any time. I've been out in 15 degree weather and I've never let my VFR sit for more then like 2 weeks during the winter. But it really is never going to be as fun as riding when the weather is nice. Your tires are going to be like erasers, very easy to slide, road conditions are bad, and even with all the gear you fatigue yourself much more quickly then summer riding.
So for me now the heated gear & grips are just there as emergency stuff for long rides or trips, if the weather drops down into the 40s to 50s and starts raining the heated gear comes in very very handy.
Laney, Aug 30 2006, 10:18 AM +1.gif on the Gerbings jacket liner and thermostat. It's been great down to whatever temps make ice on the bike seat in the mornings. ohmy.gif
Derby Cycles has the Gerbings liner on closeout right now for $129. The sizes are limited, but it's worth looking at if you decide on Gerbings.
That's an awesome deal, jump on this people. They retail for $199 and are hard to find on sale.!!! fing02.gif
Take a look at Warm & Safe heated gear. http://www.warmnsafe.com/ Last year I got a heated jacket liner with Heat-Troller, it is great stuff. They are the makers of the Heat-Troller that Gerbing used to sell before they had China reverse engineer a knock off. Check into the discounts they offer for club members or MSF graduates.
The jacket is 100W which is more than enough. With the Heat-Troller I keep it turned down most of the time. No electrical issues on my 6th gen. I hooked it directly to the battery and use the portable controller on two different bikes. The jacket should fit snug for heat transfer and it has elastic panels which helps fit. It packs up small. Get the jacket first and wait and see if you need the heated gloves. I have good Gortex gloves which are warm above 35 deg. If you do get the Gerbing jacket I would look into getting the better Heat-Troller from these guys.
Croatsens, Aug 30 2006, 11:12 AM Sorry for the confusion, but a heated liner was just what I was thinking. Gerbing's seems to be a hot company. I looked up the review that khep listed in webbikereview.com. How have you guys felt that Gerbing works with the VFR, I have a 6th gen. Is there enough alternator output to power the liner and the other lights etc on the bike? I the system easy to hook up? Do you guys go directly to the battery or do you pull off of an aux fuse pannel? Anyone else out there have suggestions for heated liner companies? Thanks again
I'm +1.gif on the Gerbing product. I've had the liner for 4+ years and it has been flawless. In particular, the heated arms and neck are useful beyond their cost when it is cold. Like others, I felt the cold first on my arms at the elbows, but on the top side. The Gerbing liner solved that.
The other thing that is hard to accept until you've tried it are the heated grips. I can ride fairly comfortably to about the freezing point with the heated grips alone. I suppose it is for the same reason that the liner works, the heat in your hands keeps the circulatory system open and blood pumping.
Croatsens, the importance of the variable controllers for the heated stuff is that a good controller (i.e. Heat-Troller) adjusts the power level WITHOUT bleeding the power through a resistor. Hence, the power used is proportional to the control setting. This helps conserve the bike's power (e.g. charge the battery). Of course, if you have a simple switch and cycle the heated stuff on and off as required it works almost as well.
Finally, Warm & Safe (Heat-Troller people) had a falling out with Gerbing and now sell their own version of liners. Widder was the first company that I came across with a heated underclothing line. There are many others out there in a variety of locales. (Google "heated clothing") And, when push comes to shove, you can always make your own heated clothing - it is simple, but time consuming. At least one person on the OntVFR list successfully wired both shirt and pants... smile.gif
End of thread · 14 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 24 Oct 2006