converting battery heated gloves?

juddspaintballs

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the idea of heated grips still confuzzles me. it's 10 degrees today (i drove the cage because making it sit so long kept it from starting for a while the other day), would heated grips keep my fingers toasty? my finger tips keep getting cold. would heated grips actually keep my finger tips warm? gloves seem like a better and more reliable solution, however they are not cheap and without a heated jacket liner, they seem like a nightmare to plug in each time i mount. would heated grips actually work? (I'm thinking the dual stars with a heat troller)

yes, I am a cheap feller. let me know if I can do this cheaply :D

so the idea struck me that there are battery heated gloves out on the market. most of them use a single D cell battery. I realize they are not the hottest things on the market, but they do provide some heat. my cheap mind wondered if I could remove the D cell battery (which only produces 1.5 volts), modify a power reducer found in so many car chargers, and wire the battery heated gloves to my bike's battery. I think it's possible and I think it's not that expensive to actually do, but is it worth it even? even if I stepped the voltage up to 2-3v would they actually be that warm?


anyways, what I'm looking for here is someone to convince me that heated grips would keep my fingers warm in a pair of lightly lined leather gloves. the project of battery powered heated gloves modified for the bike sounds neat and i wouldn't mind doing it but heated grips would be nicer if they'll keep me warm at 10 degrees.

thanks for reading!
 

Mark

Gotta make tracks
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Do your fingers wrap around your grips? I have BMW grips and they do and when they are in contact with the grip there is heat being transferred.

Can't say what would happen if you hooked battery operated gloves to a 12v system; but, I suspect the wires are *just* a bit thinner and might just pop... when you test I suggest being ready to put out a glove sized fire...:rolleyes:
Oh... I think a youtube video might win you some awards too... :D

Good luck!
Mark
 

Raven

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America's Funniest Videos!

Win $10,000 and you can then afford to buy real heated gear.
:D
 
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Jed,

Will heated grips keep you warm on a 10* day, NO!

Will Dual Star heated grips with their supplied Hi-Lo-Off switch and Cabela's ATV mittens keep you warm on a 10* day, YES. They are working for me for the 4th winter. Imagine, no wind on hands with the grips providing heat, I use Lo, and wear light gloves. Sweet.

Jim
 

Raven

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Sorry, us Arizonans should be kinder to you folks in the great white north but the image of burning gloves was too much to resist.....

+1 on the ATV mittens. Anything that keeps the wind off is a big help for keeping warm but that doesn't really answer your question. I agree with Mark that you're looking at a big volt jump. It seems like a fun little project but it probably won't end up saving you any money in the long run.
 
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Blue STreak

Bob Meyer
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Interested in some real hippo hands? I've got a pair that I haven't used in years. In very good shape, except for one small rip in the vinyl.

My current solution? Heated grips AND heated gloves. The grips keep my palms and inside of the fingers nice and warm, the gloves the outside of my hands and fingers. Mmm, warm!
 
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juddspaintballs

juddspaintballs

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willing to make a deal on those hippos? i'm down in fairfax 2x a week already (process of getting hired on their fire dept)
 

JZH

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I've got OEM headed grips, but I think heated gloves are a better solution in some circumstances.

My hands do NOT wrap around the grips when I'm riding in town--they are nearly always covering the levers--unfortunately, my commute is all in town!

I use heated grips when it's not too cold--they are still the simplest solution when I'm not wearing my Gerbing jacket liner.

Ciao,
 
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If you are going to experiment with over voltage on the elcheapo gloves I would try it off the bike where you can yank it off in a hurry.

I use the mc specific gloves which are leather (thinner and good abrasion resistance) and have some built in knuckle protection. The only thing I don't like about them is the liner tends to pull out when taking them off and is a RPITA to get em resituated.
 
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