Are the hot grips hot enough ?

stratus17 · Post by **stratus17** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 3:49 pm

Hello all,

I believe my hot grips are not hot enough. Last week I wanted to ride around the lake of Neuchatel. Temperature was about 0Ã‚Â°C. After 100km I had to stop because my hands were so cold that it hurts. I had the hot grips switch on the "high" position and I was wearing my winter gloves. What are your experiences ?

Post by **Boxer** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 4:19 pm

Mine are the same way. They have never been warm enough and seem to cut off prematurely. I didn't realize it was an issue until I rode our recently acquired F650GS with heated grips and the grips are much hotter than my RR grips ever were.

I just read about some heated gloves that are made for hunters that cost only $69 and operate on a battery pack which lasts for 20 hours at 85'F. The problem is they only come in camo design. To get black ones you have to order on the phone and tell them you want the special from the magazine. If you're interested, I'll search out that article.

Post by **Biff's R** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 4:42 pm

The addition of the GS handguards helps. Then I borrowed RBrider's Olympia 6000 Winter gloves things have been even better(thin on the palm, and thick on the knuckles. $20 at http://www.ironpony.com

Airman · Post by **Airman** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:57 pm

I've never felt like the grip heat was all that effective. I bought the Gerbings heated gloves and now enjoy toasty hands even down into the 20's (F)

Post by **Brooksie** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:36 pm

I have GS hand guards installed on mine and find I am turning the grips down to the first position after riding a few miles. Plenty of heat.
I seem to remember the heated grips being useless when I didn't have the hand guards on and the temp was cold

Post by **johnnyjs1** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:25 pm

My grips almost get too hot!!!

Post by **jfslater98** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:48 pm

johnnyjs1 wrote:My grips almost get too hot!!!

+1 there. My hands will start sweating sometimes on the high setting. Did the Rocks get all the hot grips during their build run?

MrEddy · Post by **MrEddy** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:52 pm

Tried the high setting once and pretty much never again. Lower setting is more than hot enough for me. Then again, we don't get those sort of temps much here I suppose.

Post by **johnnyjs1** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:24 am

Makes you wonder if they did something different with the Rockster grips??? 5 minutes on high, and I gotta turn em off, or set em back to the low setting

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:14 am

i find my grips are fine - but then i face a Australian Winter not a Euro or US winter/autumn

stratus17 · Post by **stratus17** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:12 am

Thank you all for your replies.

I will install the GS handguards and if it is not effective enough, I will try the heated gloves.

allanj255 · Post by **allanj255** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:33 am

On my RR I find setting 1 too cold and setting 2 too hot so cycle between the 2 settings as my hands heat up and cool down

ROBOX · Post by **ROBOX** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:33 am

I have been iut riding this weekend and no probs with heated grips on high or low. Very comfy.

Beemer1150 · Post by **Beemer1150** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:39 am

The better insulated your winter gloves are the cooler the grips feel!

Back in the UK and commuting every day regardless of weather in my heavy-duty winter gloves I didn't feel the grips were hot enough. Here in France riding when I want to (even though it's February) in mid-season gloves they are so hot I have to turn them off...

Horses for courses?

Lion_Lady · Post by **Lion_Lady** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:23 pm

It also probably depends on how sensitive YOUR hands are to cold. I ride a Rockster.

This past year, I've gotten frost-nip damage to my hands (I stock a grocery store's freezer section), so I feel the cold more accutely and more quickly than most folks.

The GS handguards help keep the wind from stealing so much warmth, but electric gloves are daBOMB!!

P

Post by **duke** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 4:46 pm

set on 2 - palms baking, fingers freezing ...

mind you - better than without!!!

sometimes when I stop at traffic lights I put my palms on the cylinders ... not for long or else the gloves will get damaged

but that is not useful if you ride outside town ... and 95% of my riding is all in town ... as is 100% of my commuting

Post by **OU812** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:01 pm

BMW has what is referred to as heated grips. The real HOT GRIPS are from snowmobiles and are available to motorcycles as well.
http://www.hotgrips.com/products_motorcycle_grips.php
They get HOT!

dragonmojo · Post by **dragonmojo** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:36 pm

I have been a fan of heated gloves for many, many years. Used Widder's, and now Gerbings... and they're both great. Most recently is my '04 Rockster that came w/heated grips. I concur with those that the high setting gets VERY HOT. I put GS handguards on, since I felt that the knuckles out in the open do not get the full benefit from the grips (heating palms only).

For those times I do not feel like plugging in my heated gloves, the grips come in very handy. These instances are usually city riding, or short trips, or where the weather is relatively mild but a bit of extra heat for my hands would be nice.

Maybe the RR got short-shrift compared to the Rockster sibling.