Gerbing Disapointment

[hojo in sc]

Yes, I would check the output of the controller with a digital volt meter. Now it's my turn to say how I feel (pun intended) the heat;

I have the Gerbing Jacket, gloves, and socks. I have worn them under the Darien jacket WITHOUT the liner and it SUCKS the heat out. I now wear the Olympia jacket with liner and notice a HUGE difference! I wear almost nothing under the Gerbing jacket, nothing under my Gerbing gloves (duh) and a very thin sock under the Gerbing socks, and I'm here to tell you that it gets HOT, and yes, I do ride in some cold days down here in SC. It was 27 this morning when I went to work, two weeks ago it was 23 when I went riding all day.

I have the dual controller, and when I'm alone, I connect my socks by themselves (only on the coldest of days, and longest of rides, do I wear the heated socks), as my feet can get too toasty with them on with the jacket (good boots).

 

[ocho nueve]

In 30 degree temps, I too only wear a thin long sleeve cotton shirt under my Gerbings jacket liner, with my Joe Rocket jacket over the top, sans the liner. All the heat I could ever need.

 

[lenparkin]

I wear the full gerbings with dual control. One for the gloves and one for the socks, jacket and pants. Everything right next to me. Next layer is Under Armor. Top layer is a 2 piece Roadcrafter zipped together. In 36 degree sunny weather the thermostates are on about one third. I plug the controllers direct to the gerbings battery harness. If you're plugged in to a power outlet wired with 18 ga. wire it wouldn't be good. Also sounds like too much insulation under the gerbings. Voltage runs about 13.6 volts @ 3,000 rpm.

 

[RCS]

TourMaster Deluxe Boot Rain Covers - I wear these over my boots when temps dip below 32 degrees. They shield my boots from the bone chilling wind at highway speeds, are cheap, and work great in the rain too. You can pick them up at Motocycle Superstore.

I've ridden a few hundred miles in one day in temps down to 26 degrees F and learned that if I keep my feet, hands, and neck protected and warm, the rest is downhill - I wear a motoport Air Kevlar outfit with all the liners, Gerbing gloves and jacket liner and socks.

 

[Old Glory]

Lots of great hints. I probably did wear too much underneath; took the Gerbing warning about not wearing their gear next to the skin too seriously. The jacket lining worked find, on a separate dual control outlet. I suspect the other outlet is not working. I brought the bike to the shop yesterday to have routine maintenance done. When I get it back I'll put a 'scope on the outlets, which put out pulse width modulated waveforms, and check the readings.

Thanks again. Looks like this winter will give me plenty of cool temps to check out the gear.

John-

 

[josephthreedogs]

Check your fuse, I have blown a few with Gerbing. Up graded to a 20 amp from the factory 15 amp no more problems.

 

[Old Glory]

After a couple weeks off, I got a chance to ride today under similar temperatures as previously - 37 F. What's the problem ? It seems just putting a pair of jeans between the heated liners and the Darien pants made a big difference. I also traded the full length merino wool underwear used previously for lightweight Polar Skins. Still need to do some adjustment. With underwear, Polar Skins, heated liner, jeans, Darien pants - can almost bend at the waist. It's even worse for the top since I used the heavy duty Dairen jacket liner under the jacket. Next ride the jeans and Darien liner will be replaced with the marino wool shirt and pants, a lot less bulkier.

John-

 

[motomac]

I recently did my cross country in very low temps(0 and below) and had no problems with my Gerbing's and Wamr-n-safe combo. I had WNS gloves and pants liners and G jacket and sox. Never did I turn the dual controller more than half way on either the pants or jacket. I was comfortable yesterday in 18 degrees with all Gerbing's and at one point had to turn the jacket down. I had the pant liners over my Levi's and the jacket over a long sleeve T. I wear a set of Carhart Arctic bibs over the bottom and an Olympia AST with liner over the top.

 

[STPaulK]

John - At extremely cold temps, it's better to layer up with thin layers than bulking with a few thick layers. As it gets well below 32, I wear a cross country ski lycra, then long underwear, then a nylon jogging suit, then the insulation for the Cordura pants. I don't have a heated bottom but it's not needed with the layering. With thinner layers, I am able to bend my joints easily.

 

[olegeezer]

I am not a Gerbing fan, no mo. I took off for Alaska last year and somewhere about Montana the inner sleeves of my heated vest disintegrated and I could see the wiring inside. So far from home and still needing the heat, I bought duck tape and patched the inside of my vest. When I finally got home from Alaska I took the vest back to see if Gerbing would repair or replace and they said "NO" because I put the duct tape in it. I have the Gerbing heated gloves and they are a total pain to use. This stuff was not cheap either. Gerbing will not be my next supplier of heated gear. I do think that "silver" lining inside my e-vest is cute though and the tape probably adds a little insulation...........

 

[Old Glory]

I'm definitely going to try some of these suggestions, especially thinner layering. I "may" also need to have an, err, adjustment made to the waist of my Aerostitch jacket. "Unfortunately" this weekend will be a little warm for heated gear

John-