Hoppo Hands for Cold Weather Riding

[Stylo Steve]

I'm going to take a trip to Goddard, Kansas next month weather permitting. Has anyone used Hippo Hands Handle Bar Mittens or any off brands? If so how well do they work. Recomendations welcome.

 

[W0QNX]

If you can get them the Hippo hands work great. But I did also have a 3/16" aluminum hand shaped bar spanned from tip to tip that held the mitt out from the levers. They work good enough that I only used regular leather gloves in the mitts.

I used to live near Wichita, good luck on the weather next month in that area. Here is a pic of the added bar. I just zip tie at the middles and electric tape at the ends.

 

[Smudgemo]

I have a set on my GS and can't say enough about them. I can't recall the exact temps, but I want to say they were good to mid-40s and rain with just heated grips and a decent pair of warm riding gloves. My riding buddy went the heated gloves route, but I didn't want another thing to fail or need charging.

I have found that it's easy to just leave the muffs in place for much of my touring because of the large temperature swings in the mountains. Easy enough to pull the HH if we're somewhere hot and I want the extra airflow.

If you're unsure whether to spend the cash, you can make your own. My HH order wasn't going to show up in time for a short tour last February, so I threw together a pair of muffs with mylar bubblewrap, zip ties and Gorilla tape. Sort of hillbilly, but a lot better than cold wet hands and it made me confident the cost would be worth buying the real thing.

 

[Al st1100]

Maybe some studded snow tires as well. Weather forecasts and reality are two different things.

 

[Stylo Steve]

I have a set on my GS and can't say enough about them. I can't recall the exact temps, but I want to say they were good to mid-40s and rain with just heated grips and a decent pair of warm riding gloves. My riding buddy went the heated gloves route, but I didn't want another thing to fail or need charging.

I have found that it's easy to just leave the muffs in place for much of my touring because of the large temperature swings in the mountains. Easy enough to pull the HH if we're somewhere hot and I want the extra airflow.

If you're unsure whether to spend the cash, you can make your own. My HH order wasn't going to show up in time for a short tour last February, so I threw together a pair of muffs with mylar bubblewrap, zip ties and Gorilla tape. Sort of hillbilly, but a lot better than cold wet hands and it made me confident the cost would be worth buying the real thing.

Thank you for the information Sir. I'll order a set before the end of the day.

 

[Stylo Steve]

Maybe some studded snow tires as well. Weather forecasts and reality are two different things.

Very True. LOL and thanks!

 

[Smudgemo]

Thank you for the information Sir. I'll order a set before the end of the day.

I think I got the middle version. I considered the enclosed model, but I doubt you'd need that for any weather you'd actually ride in unless it's a snowmobile. And it's easier (I'd guess) to get your hands in/our and to work controls when you can mostly see them.

 

[the Ferret]

Although not always the Hippo Brand I have used muffs in the winter on all my bike going back to 1981 and the original Hippo Hands,

with Oxford heated grips set on 50% I can wear thin deerskin gloves (or no gloves but the grips would be too hot to hold on to.) down to below zero F

I'm currently running Kemimoto Muffs on my NC750 with Oxford heated grips.

 

[Valker]

I bought my first pair of "Vetter" Hippo Hands in 1974.

 

[rjs987]

I tried the Hippo Hands that were available for new back in 2007 but they were garbage compared to the version that had been out for years before that. Now they're back to being a really good handlebar muff again.

I currently use Kemimoto muffs same as the Ferret. I wear my TM Mid-Tex gloves in them without the heated grips turned on down to possibly just below freezing. Then I turn on the grip heat on low and my hands are warm in the muffs down to between 5F-10F. I turn the grip heat up to medium for temps down below zeroF. Unless the temps are lower than -5F my hands start to get a bit too warm at that point.

 

[RichKat]

I got some $25 Amazon ones, and love them. Rode other morning at 36° F and hands were fine

 

[Daboo]

I looked at Hippo Hands back in 2007??? Pricey. I found some made for Ducks Unlimited and for a snowmobile. Worked great. $25.

The key is stopping any air from coming inside. I taped the front openings to the handlebars with black duct tape. Without that, they did no good. The cold air came in so quick it was like they weren't there.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Just take care that nothing else finds them to be a warm/cuddly place to sleep.

 

[Donk]

I started using handlebar muffs last year and it's a night and day difference. The 2 different pair I bought would not fit over my hand guards so I took them to a local shop and had a seam replaced with Velcro. Problem solved.

 

[dlim]

The best are made by a company called Watershed. They are 100% waterproof and windproof. BUT, they are pricey. But they are THE BEST.

 

[Mykllee]

But they are THE BEST.

My word!! At $400 they better be! My curiosity got the better of me.......apparently they are marketed towards police departments, "officer designed and approved". I imagine the Dept. wouldn't care about the cost, but that's a hard no in my book.

 

[Stylo Steve]

The best are made by a company called Watershed. They are 100% waterproof and windproof. BUT, they are pricey. But they are THE BEST.

I just checked those out and Whew! a but on the high end of the spectrum $$$. I bet they are bad to the bone though.

 

[dlim]

I have a pair and my hands stay warm and dry with a non-insulated summer glove. However yes, they are very expensive and I did not have to pay for mine.

 

[Willsmotorcycle]

A week or two ago I went out with starting temps around 30F. Had medium weight gloves and heated grips, not uncomfortable. Yesterday started the same, I could not get my hands warm, put liners in on first gas stop, no love. I have the Oxford bar muffs, pretty sure they are going on the next cold day out. In the past they have been great, I missed them yesterday.

 

[dlim]

I ride all year round in the PNW. My threshold is any temps below 35 or so, or if theres snow or ice on the roadways. Last year I experimented with a waterproof insulated rubber glove I got at a commercial fishing shop. They're used by commercial fisherman in the winter. Totally waterproof and windproof. My hands stayed dry, but still got cold.

I got some Watershed hippohands from some co-workers of mine and I tried them this winter. My hands stay dry and warm. No wind or water hits the hands. This is the best solution for cold weather riding. Even if you don't get Watershed hippohands, something with a similar design would be better than waterproof gloves and heaters. I'll never go without hippohand style covers for my hands. You could get a set of covers that are much cheaper, and use a DWR repellant like nikwax or grangers. This is the best to keep your hands warm. It was 33 degrees this morning and I rode in to work since the roads were dry around my house. 30 miles each way to work and my hands were warm.