Hot hands: heated grips or gloves?

Homeslice · 02-20-2010, 10:48 AM

Personally I think electric gloves would be stupid. They wouldn't have enough "feel" as regular race gloves, and they'd have a wire hooked up to them. Nobody I know uses them. Heated grips are enough. The back of your hands don't get all that cold, that part of the glove always has more protection anyway.

nhgunnut · 02-20-2010, 11:52 AM

I have heated grips on 3 of my bikes. As noted even with insulated gloves at 30 or below the backs of your hands get cold. The upside particularly here in New England where we have WIDE temp swings through the course of the day is that the heated grips are always on the bike. Nothing extra to carry or plug in. So if I ride starts in the morning before sunrise you can wear a light pair of gloves and a low setting you are good later in the day you shut the grips off and no extra baggage. If a trips stretches into the evening and it gets cool or cold again turn them on and it is great.
I would recommend the Oxford product. Their base package has 5 settings for heat. I installed those on the B King. I have Hot Grips ($69) on the Busa they have a Hi Lo and off. That translates to not quite enough or Damn that is hot. So when I ride that bike I wind up switching back and forth not really a problem and for another $39 they will sell you a variable controller. Vs The Oxford Grip Package (not the wrap) which was $70 for the package.
Again for me because I am a bit lazy and don't want to carry a bunch of extra gear the heated grips are the right choice.
I am also considering for the B King http://cozywinters.com/shop/heated-motorcycle-seat.html
Say what you want the heated seat makes all the difference on the Goldwing

Amber Lamps · 02-20-2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeslice

Personally I think electric gloves would be stupid. They wouldn't have enough "feel" as regular race gloves, and they'd have a wire hooked up to them. Nobody I know uses them. Heated grips are enough. The back of your hands don't get all that cold, that part of the glove always has more protection anyway.

Yea that's why I always used silk liners and they are get super small when it warms up during the day... To be honest, I LOVE to ride but as I've gotten older, I've decided that there is such a thing as "quality" of ride and I'm not feeling it when I have to be terrified of every shimmer on the road and I'm bundled up, barely able to move freely... Of course, that's just me but I can always ride another day if it's below about 50 degrees...

Trip · 02-20-2010, 10:52 PM

new first gear thermaflex gloves are good to about 45

heated grips with above gloves are good to about 35-40

moose racing paw gauntlets with above are good well below 25, I haven't taken the bike out below that because my other gear gets a lot colder first

nhgunnut · 02-21-2010, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trip

new first gear thermaflex gloves are good to about 45

heated grips with above gloves are good to about 35-40

moose racing paw gauntlets with above are good well below 25, I haven't taken the bike out below that because my other gear gets a lot colder first

Yes anything thing that Keeps the wind off the back of your hands is going to greatly improve the performance of gloves or heated grips. For Suzuki riders you can adapt the Hand protectors from a V Strom pretty easily to any of their sport bikes. I am sure that Dirt Riders my have some other suggestions,

CrazyKell · 02-22-2010, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Yea that's why I always used silk liners and they are get super small when it warms up during the day... To be honest, I LOVE to ride but as I've gotten older, I've decided that there is such a thing as "quality" of ride and I'm not feeling it when I have to be terrified of every shimmer on the road and I'm bundled up, barely able to move freely... Of course, that's just me but I can always ride another day if it's below about 50 degrees...

You and me both! I don't need some stupid "I rode in "winter" award" like a lot of people seem to need.

I don't enjoy anything about a ride where I spend more of my mental energy focused on staying warm than on enjoying the ride.

CasterTroy · 02-22-2010, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

I don't enjoy anything about a ride where I spend more of my mental energy focused on staying warm than on enjoying the ride.

Hence why I (personally) HAVE heated gear. WITH it...there is no fatigue associated with shivering, or mental drain. The RIGHT heated gear can be as comforting as an electric blanket. As a matter of fact, the days I commute on the bike in the cold weather, I arrive at the office a great deal warmer than the days I take the cage. And I typically STAY warmer thruout the day, where I'm normally a little chilly in the office.

CrazyKell · 02-22-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CasterTroy

Hence why I (personally) HAVE heated gear. WITH it...there is no fatigue associated with shivering, or mental drain. The RIGHT heated gear can be as comforting as an electric blanket. As a matter of fact, the days I commute on the bike in the cold weather, I arrive at the office a great deal warmer than the days I take the cage. And I typically STAY warmer thruout the day, where I'm normally a little chilly in the office.

Meh. I don't live in a locale that offers year round ride (despite what others might say). It's a fact of my life that I have to put the bike away in the fall and get it out in spring.

CasterTroy · 02-22-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

Meh. I don't live in a locale that offers year round ride (despite what others might say). It's a fact of my life that I have to put the bike away in the fall and get it out in spring.

True.....and that would drive me NUTS. use too...(before Al Gore sent us into a polar nuclear winter) we would get the occational 70 degree day in Jan/feb and it'd be on like donkey king, so the bikes are always ready...but this year it's been 50's that bring all the bikes out

MILK · 02-22-2010, 12:44 PM

Before I had heated grips I didn't like to ride below 40. After the heated grips I can comfortably ride down to 30, with my winter gloves on of course.

Another thing I LOVED about heated grips is that getting caught in the rain isn't so miserable. Even in the summer, I don't have rain resistant gloves so even temps in the 60's with rain they really made a difference.

02-20-2010, 11:52 AM	#2
nhgunnut gun totin redneck Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South West New Hampshire Moto: turbo busa 999 Duc Goldwing & Victory Posts: 1,130	I have heated grips on 3 of my bikes. As noted even with insulated gloves at 30 or below the backs of your hands get cold. The upside particularly here in New England where we have WIDE temp swings through the course of the day is that the heated grips are always on the bike. Nothing extra to carry or plug in. So if I ride starts in the morning before sunrise you can wear a light pair of gloves and a low setting you are good later in the day you shut the grips off and no extra baggage. If a trips stretches into the evening and it gets cool or cold again turn them on and it is great. I would recommend the Oxford product. Their base package has 5 settings for heat. I installed those on the B King. I have Hot Grips ($69) on the Busa they have a Hi Lo and off. That translates to not quite enough or Damn that is hot. So when I ride that bike I wind up switching back and forth not really a problem and for another $39 they will sell you a variable controller. Vs The Oxford Grip Package (not the wrap) which was $70 for the package. Again for me because I am a bit lazy and don't want to carry a bunch of extra gear the heated grips are the right choice. I am also considering for the B King http://cozywinters.com/shop/heated-motorcycle-seat.html Say what you want the heated seat makes all the difference on the Goldwing __________________ Evolution requires a body count, Count or be Counted! Last edited by nhgunnut; 02-20-2010 at 12:00 PM..

02-20-2010, 10:48 AM	#1
Homeslice Elitist Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Moto: Gix 750 Posts: 11,351	Personally I think electric gloves would be stupid. They wouldn't have enough "feel" as regular race gloves, and they'd have a wire hooked up to them. Nobody I know uses them. Heated grips are enough. The back of your hands don't get all that cold, that part of the glove always has more protection anyway.

02-22-2010, 12:44 PM	#10
MILK The cows want you dead. Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,087	Before I had heated grips I didn't like to ride below 40. After the heated grips I can comfortably ride down to 30, with my winter gloves on of course. Another thing I LOVED about heated grips is that getting caught in the rain isn't so miserable. Even in the summer, I don't have rain resistant gloves so even temps in the 60's with rain they really made a difference.