Heated Clothing Ques..

Joined
Dec 26, 2004
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Nj,USA
The temps are starting to cool down so I figured its getting time to plan for the winter. I've riden my St in temps down to 30 without heated clothing.. Doable but boy, all the layers.. This year I want to try some electrical heating..(other than the grips). Whats the word on heated vests and jackets.. Is a vest enough.. Ive noticed my arms get cold without all the layers. Any product recommendations? Webbikeworld seems to really like the tourmaster brand. Any info would be appreciated...Dan
 
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Gerbings or Warm-N-Safe both seem to get high marks.

I had a vest years ago and still had to layer up to keep the arms warm.

Much happier now with a jacket.
 

SteveST1300

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I use Gerbings, I have the jacket pants socks and gloves. I ride all winter as long as there is no ice! If I had to leave one piece of heated gear out it would be the pants.
 

ThreeWheels

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I've used layering to be able to ride down to 35. I'm just about to get a heated vest I bought used from this forum. I figure with the heated vest I should be able to ride with the polar bears this year.
I'm glad I had the foresight to do the 40 amp upgrade.
 
Joined
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Baltimore, MD
I'm using Warn n Safe jacket liners and love them. I keep them in my topbox all year and when I run into a cool ride in hot weather or mountain passes all I need to do is slip it on under a windbreaking jacket and heat heat heat. I wouldn't ride without them now. The jackets provide warmth for your arms without worry or added layers and restrictive movement. I'd say go for it... Warmnsafe or Gerbings are the way to go in my opinion. I also use warmnsafe heated gloves.

Todd
Baltimore, MD
 
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buy the gerbing jacket liner and the controller from heat troller. If you have one bike just get the permanent mount and call it a day. I have been using electrics since the 1980s and have always been amazed on what a hard sell they are to people. "i don't get cold/ have this great jacket etc etc" when they finally get a liner they always wow i should have done this ten years ago. If you turn the heat on in your car of course you should turn the heat on with your bike. I use a hippo hand type thing in the winter with my heated grips im good. < i can't run the grips high even with unlined grips as its to warm> so i know nothing about the gloves. The vests are a hell of a lot better then nothing but no nearly as good as the jacket liner.
 

dduelin

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
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Layering works but the beauty of electric liners and gloves is that you are toasty without all the bulk of multiple layers and heavy gloves. It is also great for those days where you are riding in cool weather but riding up and down elevation changes as in the mountains. It might be cold at 5000 feet and simply cool at 1500 feet. Commuters can dial it up for morning cold and off for afternoon temps on the ride home.

Of course you had better have a reliable electrical system and reliable heated gear if you leave the layers at home. The ST's is great in this regard even for two up.

I like my Gerbing jacket, G3 gloves, and dual controller.
 

st11ray

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I've been looking into heated gear as well. I believe that I will go with Tourmaster because they come with a temperature controller standard. Right now, I'm leaning towards a full jacket liner and gloves.
 
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Heated gear works for me. Less hassel than packing and donning a bunch of layers. IMOP go with a jacket not a vest and one with a heated collar and heated gloves with their own controll circuit. I find that I run the gloves full on and the jacket at c. 60% to balance the heat. I have heated grips to put on this year as the gloves alone just don't cut it for me. I have powerlet stuff which I *think is rebranded Warm-N-Safe. LINK
 
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Using a Gerbing jacket liner under an Olympia AST. Best money I have spent. Can ride down to 20 degrees easily. I also would invest in the gloves. Buy the dual controller for the extra bucks.
 
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One day last year, I suited up in my Gerbing's from toes to fingers under my Crahart Arctic coveralls and Olympia AST and rode from Cincinnati to Canton OH in -5 degree temps. The only thing that got cold was my nose and cheeks. They didn't get frost bite, but they were chilly. I didn't think the Wing was going to start when I first started to crank it outside my motel room, it was that cold. That Wing had heated grips and seat also. I could not have done that ride without heated gear.
 

DAS

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LOL seems the common age for riders looking into electric gear is about 50. I used to be ok in cool or cold weather but now I get the shivers quickly and it achyness gets downright painful. Now I use a homemade electric jacket but may scrounge for funds to get a warm n safe or gerbings to get additional durability. Symtech grip heaters are great too.
 
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Cool. That makes me a few years wiser than my age LOL. It's nice to scrape the frost of the seat, crank the heat and be warm for the commute in and turn it off as the sun comes up. I think you are probably safer if you aren't a shivering popsicle with a death grip on the bars. :)
 

Blue STreak

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+1 on Warm'n'safe. The elastic side panels keep it tighter to your body than the Gerbing, which makes the heat transfer much more efficient.
 

dduelin

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+1 on Warm'n'safe. The elastic side panels keep it tighter to your body than the Gerbing, which makes the heat transfer much more efficient.
That's a good point about proper fit. I bought my Gerbing stuff at Bike Week where I was fitted by Dan the original Shango Rider. I would not have bought a jacket as snug fitting as he put me in but electric stuff works better when fits very snugly. Something to think about if you have to buy mail order or online. Your usual size may be too big for best efficiency.
 
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+1 for me too on the Gerbings liner and gloves. Road my cruiser all winter. Lowest was -4 for a 40 min. ride on the I-81 @ 70 mph. You do the math on the wind chill factor. Toes were frozen but everything else ok.
 
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I have wamr-n-safe and I love it. I have the lower amp version and it's enough. I find that even with a heated garment you need to make sure the outer shell of whatever you are wearing is windproof. Otherwise the cool breeze mixes with the heat and you may get chills.
 
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