Honda Factory Heated Grips

Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
19
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
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2010 ST1300
Does anyone know why Honda discontinued offering heated grips for the ST1300? Does anyone have experience with the factory heated grips?
 
Joined
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New Jersey
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st1300 '04
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7163
The popular guess is failure rate driven.
A popular and WAY cheaper alternative is the dual star or symtec foil elements and often under BMW ribbed grips.
 

JQL

Growing old disgracefully :)
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Feb 19, 2012
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207
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Essonne, France
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NT700VA
I have had these TechoGlobe grips for about 5 years and I can seriously recommend them. I've very rarely had to have the temperature set to more than 3 on the coldest of winter rides (I ride virtually every day).

They also have a system to switch off if the current draw is too much (the lights on the controller flash when this happens). I saw this once when I had them on 5, to warm them up quickly, and was waiting at the lights.

These ones and these ones on Amazon look to be similar.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
471
Location
CT USA
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07 ST1300
I would really like to know WHAT breaks on the OEM heaters as mine don't work on my "new" 07 ST. The lights on the control work fine. Any idea?
And would it be possible, if the actual grips are OK to use them with a different controller I wonder?
AND what to do with that big hole the OEM controller leaves if I install a different set up.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
989
Location
Newport News, VA
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2006 ST1300A
I would really like to know WHAT breaks on the OEM heaters ...
I can't speak for others, but my OEM grips stopped operating when the single wire routed between the two grips got repeatedly pinched and broke. I was able to locate my problem using the wiring diagram, a meter, and checked continuity. Another time, the lights on the controller would flash on settings 3 and 4. Searching threads here revealed that I needed to clean the wiring connectors and add some dielectric grease ... worked great.
 
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I would really like to know WHAT breaks on the OEM heaters as mine don't work on my "new" 07 ST. The lights on the control work fine. Any idea?
And would it be possible, if the actual grips are OK to use them with a different controller I wonder?
AND what to do with that big hole the OEM controller leaves if I install a different set up.
Could be the controller died. Do you get any voltage out of it? Set it on high and measure the output side.
Could be the wires or the grip heater elements. They are wired in series do you get resistance across the element leads or are they open.

Most aftermarket elements are wired in parallel. If the controller is good you can parallel foil elements to the controller.
I'd disconnect them to measure resistance. If the controller is bad you can wire the honda grips in series to a different controller.

iirc the flashing honda controller indicates low voltage and the heater cuts out. Either a dirty connection or too much load on the battery at idle with other loads drawing down voltage.

Check this diagram.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
989
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Newport News, VA
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2006 ST1300A
Either a dirty connection or too much load on the battery at idle with other loads drawing down voltage.
The OEM Honda controller is designed to turn off the grips entirely at idle in order to reduce the current draw. When my controller lights blinked at the #3 and 4 settings, it was at higher RPMs. I can't remember if all the lights go out at idle (warmed up idle ... not the "fast idle") or if they just blink.
st1300r- I could not open your link.
 
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It opened for me in Edge and Firefox. It's a google docs file.

Here's a pdf2jpg conversion.
Heated_Grips_Circuit_Schematic-1.jpg
 
OP
OP
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
19
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Bike
2010 ST1300
I've had Oxfords on my ST for about 3 years. They work very well. My only complaint is the controller. It's impossible to see the indicator lights in the daylight and the buttons are near impossible with gloves on. I was thinking the OEM grips would look cleaner (wires to the grips) and the controller would be easier to use when riding.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
471
Location
CT USA
Bike
07 ST1300
Could be the controller died. Do you get any voltage out of it? Set it on high and measure the output side.
Could be the wires or the grip heater elements. They are wired in series do you get resistance across the element leads or are they open.

Most aftermarket elements are wired in parallel. If the controller is good you can parallel foil elements to the controller.
I'd disconnect them to measure resistance. If the controller is bad you can wire the honda grips in series to a different controller.

iirc the flashing honda controller indicates low voltage and the heater cuts out. Either a dirty connection or too much load on the battery at idle with other loads drawing down voltage.

Check this diagram.
Well the only thing I have been able to check is continuity on the heater elements. And yes they have continuity, so the internal wires are not broken. The rest is a total mess with slimy black tape and unreachable wires. I havent been able to see it all and ID whats what yet without pulling off plastic. Thanks for the schematic!
 
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John you should be able to probe the output for voltage, the controller wouldn't know the meter was there.
It is a good idea for a few reasons to disconnect the grips when testing them for resistance. The controller would see that.
 

T_C

Joined
Mar 8, 2012
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4,341
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St. Louis, MO
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2005 St1300
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8568
There must be some very sensitive electronics in that controller if Honda expect the battery from the multimeter to blow the components when testing resistance.
Ever measure the voltage your multimeter puts out in resistance and continuity testing?
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
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535
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Norfolk, VA
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2019 Goldwing Tour
I wonder at what point in my life I suddenly started turning into my father.
I have this thought in the back of my mind when I look around the garage for something I know I have but can't find... way to much "stuff" that hasn't been touched in years but "could be used for something". Luckily, I'm much better at getting rid of something than my wife... She is getting better at it too.
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
471
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CT USA
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07 ST1300
I have this thought in the back of my mind when I look around the garage for something I know I have but can't find... way to much "stuff" that hasn't been touched in years but "could be used for something". Luckily, I'm much better at getting rid of something than my wife... She is getting better at it too.
Worse then that is knowing you HAD what you need but lost EVERYTHING in a divorce! Having beats not having all day long.
That said I no longer keep crap I don't need. I regret it sometimes.
 

T_C

Joined
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4,341
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St. Louis, MO
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2005 St1300
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8568
No, but i have wondered. I would need 2 working multimeters for that, and I have only ever had the one that works, and the broken one which i keep 'because it might come in handy for something'.

I wonder at what point in my life I suddenly started turning into my father.
Yeah.. me too. That is why I have 3 multi-meters on the bench (but two are buried under piles), 2 different amp meters (analog and digital) and half a dozen of the Harbor-Freight freebie cheapies floating around.

I did finally take the battery out of the freebie that died and threw it into the electronics recycle bin. Something my father never does. ;)
 

ST Gui

240Robert
Site Supporter
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Messages
9,263
Location
SF-Oakland CA
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ST1300, 2010
If the grips are connected to power they might "see" some multimeters as a short across components killing them. The exact reasoning behind the Honda warning would be interesting to know. Like handling RAM I've never used a grounding strap and have sometimes handled modules by the sides instead of edges and I've never killed one yet. Yet.

My Fluke uses a 9V battery. I don't think it generates more than that but I don't have a multimeter to check my multimeter. I miss my Simpson 260 and the days when we said VOM or VTVM instead of multimeter.
 
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