| Author | Message | ||
     North_of_55 |
Hello All, Just wondering if it is just me, just my bike, or a common issue... My hand grips get so hot on low that it is uncomfortable and I have to turn them off. In fact I hardly ever use them because they're so hot. I've never even tried the second setting! Is this normal? It's an '08 X. I've read several threads about VR's going bad and I'll admit I haven't checked my charging voltage yet. Maybe tonight. Thanks! | ||
| Bikelit |
Mine has 2 settings. Real hot, and way too hot. Commute when it's 30 degrees out and it's appreciated. | ||
| Someday |
Yup! Never use the "HI" setting and have to cycle the "LOW" setting off & on or it gets too hot. | ||
| Motorbike |
Same here on my 08 XT. Hot and Hotter Yet. I cycle them on and off as needed. | ||
| North_of_55 |
Well, that answers my question doesn't it!?! As long as it's not a sign of a problem I'll just keep cycling them like everyone else! Maybe I'll add a ballast resistor and see if I can make them a little more tolerable. Thanks! | ||
| Ratbuell |
I wouldn't mess with the circuit. If they're too hot (and again, in 20 degree weather they're just right), I'd just wrap them with tennis racquet grip tape as an insulator. | ||
| Motorbike |
Also depends on the type and thickness of riding gloves you are wearing. I think these grip heaters would be just fine in 30 degree temps with thick gloves, on low. | ||
| Tootal |
On my aftermarket grips on my Harley they use a resistor for the low setting. They have you glue it to the frame and it works well. I'm sure you could put one in to help out. On the Uly I put another aftermarket grip on from Oxford. They use a rheostat and it works well too. | ||
| Froggy |
Reepi has a variable setup that automatically adjusts based on ambient temperature. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
X2, cycle them on and off with normal gloves. When I switch to my Buell GoreTex Gauntlet Gloves in rain or fall, then the insulation of the glove compensates. Of course then I just cycle less frequently. What is funny is listening to the guys on the Yamaha forum bitch about their grip heaters on their sleds being too cold. Then you look at these jokers wearing their mechanics gloves in the middle of winter too. It's all about the gear. We are lucky to have the heaters as to allow us to wear lighter gloves longer on our bikes. I hate wearing the bulky ones on the bike. It's no issue on the sled. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I've never been tempted to use them on high. Low has blistered my hands in below freezing weather before. I recently wrapped the grips with batting grip tape though.. anxious to see how that effects the heated grips this winter. | ||
| Ourdee |
High works well below 17 degrees. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
you know my 2006 Ulysses gives off heat out the right side by the exhaust when I ride it, but it sure does feel good on cold evenings here in Northern Illinois! | ||
| Crusty |
Who, in the Northern hemisphere, uses heated grips in August? Why? The grips on my XT could even have been hotter,IMO when the temps fell below freezing. When I took my New Years Day ride in 2009, and it was 8°F, I could barely tell that they were working at all, and they were on high the whole time. | ||
| Hooper |
I WISH I had a reason to use my heated grips this summer! | ||
| Reepicheep |
You wouldn't believe how hard it ends up being running heated grips at a reasonable constant temperature on the motorcycle. I finally got it worked out, but doing so requires measuring ambient conditions, and using the information to re-solve three different calculus problems. And you have to do it about 4 times a second. It was a really fun problem. | ||
| 1313 |
Who, in the Northern hemisphere, uses heated grips in August? Why? I did last week on the way into work one morning. Why? Because it was rather cool (low's 70's - well, that's cool for me now that I'm acclimated to Eastern NC heat and humidity), I was wearing my mesh jacket, and because I have them. If you have something and don't use it, what's the point of having it? 1313 | ||
| Froggy |
I use mine year round. They are great in the rain, chilly nights, and in the rain on chilly nights. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Again, having dug way too deeply into this whole topic, you'd be amazed at how warm it can be and have them still be useful (provided you can control them). Also, on the "high" setting... starting them on high will bring them up to temperature faster, but it is very hard to keep them from overshooting. The latency in the whole system is insanely high and incredibly variable. | ||
| Motorfish |
Is wrong to share a link from another forum? I apologize if so, but take a look at this: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=697113 I bought a controller on flea-bay for about $5, and I have a set of Polly heaters all waiting to be installed. Waiting, waiting, waiting, married w/ kids, so things like this get put off, and I ride w/ the little time I have. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"Who, in the Northern hemisphere, uses heated grips in August? Why?" Riding the north shore of Lake Superior, in the rain, with that blustery wind whipping off the lake was why I used and was thrilled to have mine. My son was riding pillion at the time and was complaining that he would have liked heated grips for the passenger grab handles. Anything I can do to improve my comfort level and my passengers is a good move in my book. It's the difference between "mom, my hands are cold, why didn't we just take the truck?" and "wow, what an awesome view/ride/road." Like others here have mentioned, cycling between low and high settings and varying your gloves can make a huge difference. | ||
| North_of_55 |
My hands are "damaged"... they often go completely numb after a short time on the bike. When it's cool (it's around 8c in the morning here now) out and/or raining it seems to happen faster... on my strom I learned that the grips on low helped. When I get to work two fingers on my left hand are usually white and numb. Gotta love bolting with a jackleg & stoper! | ||
| Crusty |
I used to be a pretty fair hand with an 83, but I never was really happy using a stoper. I had a piece of rock chase down the steel, and it broke my pinky before I could move my hand out of the way, once. Another time, a large piece of rock broke off by where I was drilling, and landed on the staging I was working on. It broke the planks, but fortunately I saw it coming and was prepared and I didn't get hurt. After Drilling for almost 20 years underground, I get a kick when people complain about how much their bike vibrates. Now I understand why you'd want the heaters on. | ||
| Ourdee |
Mine don't vibrate. Used to run a 59 digger. | ||
| Biffdotorg |
"Who, in the Northern hemisphere, uses heated grips in August? Why?" Riding the north shore of Lake Superior, in the rain, with that blustery wind whipping off the lake was why I used and was thrilled to have mine. My son was riding pillion at the time and was complaining that he would have liked heated grips for the passenger grab handles. Anything I can do to improve my comfort level and my passengers is a good move in my book. It's the difference between "mom, my hands are cold, why didn't we just take the truck?" and "wow, what an awesome view/ride/road." "Like others here have mentioned, cycling between low and high settings and varying your gloves can make a huge difference." X3 We live in Minnesota. It's that time of year that we don't go out in the boat because it is just getting too cool. It wasn't bad this morning, but I do believe we dropped below 50 last night. We are forecasted for overnights in the 30's. That will make for cool rides to work. If you had asked me if I would pay extra for heated grips when I bought my XT, I would have saved the cash. Now that it came standard, I love the convenience. Even if I only use them a half dozen times each season. | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Ditto on the MN thing! Last week my Reepi heaters kicked on in the morning. At first I was a bit annoyed but quickly appreciated it. I have the Poly Heaters and the superb Reepicheap controller. Like Belinda said, heated grips are "DA Bomb" when its cold an raining. When I left here for the S2 gathering in Arkansas, I rode the the thunder storms from hell on the way to IAMikes place. I was REALLY glad I had them... Brad | ||
| Rfp52 |
To the original post....Heated grips get very warm because it is assumed you would use them wearing heavy gloves. Now, Firstgear, Tourmaster, and others make gloves for heated grips. Heavy insulation on the backside but goatskin and thin insulation on the bottom. | ||
| North_of_55 |
This is my third bike with heated grips... I'm not sure that any of them got as hot (on high) as the Uly grips are on low. Now worries. I just cycle them on/off. I was just a little concerned that it was a sign of excessively high voltage... Which could have been a factor in my other problems. | ||
| Ratbuell |
http://www.americansportbike.com/shoponline/ccp0-p rodshow/16076.html Keep an eye on your voltage at all times. Easy install, worth its weight in gold. |
