My bike doesn't have heated grips. I want to buy some and put em on. Is this difficult to do ?? and maybe some recommendations on types to buy would be helpful. Never installed them before and this bike doesn't have them.
heated grips ??
- Thread starter carpetdude5
- Start date
Heat Demon membrane heaters. Have them on the ST and the KLR. Never needed to have them on the high setting. The ones on my ST are 15 years old and going strong. About $50.
OP
OP
thank you.. I'll look em up. Also are they easy to install
okckeith
Site Supporter
I bought my Oxford heated grips from Revzilla for $89.00. They have a good video on them. Very east to install. I have them on my ST. They work better than the OEM ones on my BMW and my Triumph.
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
Symtex (also known as Heat Demons) on all three ST1100s and soon to be on the fourth one.
Simple install -
Remove bar weights.
Remove grips (pointed air hose nozzle makes this easy).
Stick on the heated grips (there is a left one and right one).
Make sure you have enough wire slack on the throttle size for twisting the throttle.
Spray some cheap hair spray (like Aqua Net) over the heaters and slide the grips back on.
Install bar weights.
Figure out where to put the switch.
Run a fused hot wire and a ground to the switch and from the switch to the grips.
Go Ride!
Simple install -
Remove bar weights.
Remove grips (pointed air hose nozzle makes this easy).
Stick on the heated grips (there is a left one and right one).
Make sure you have enough wire slack on the throttle size for twisting the throttle.
Spray some cheap hair spray (like Aqua Net) over the heaters and slide the grips back on.
Install bar weights.
Figure out where to put the switch.
Run a fused hot wire and a ground to the switch and from the switch to the grips.
Go Ride!
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
I have been shopping for the Symtek Heat Demons and in the newest version of the kit available the heated membrane is no longer self-adhesive. The kit now comes with two pieces of heat shrink that I presume is intended to be heat shrinked over the membrane to hold it in place. Has me wondering about whether they will stay put on the bars?
I remember seeing a post about using heat shrink tubing between the heating grid and the left bar to keep the bar from being a heat-sink and absorbing heat from the grid. Maybe you're expected to supply your own cement.
Shrink tubing over the grids doesn't seem like it's enough to hold them in place when sliding the grips on. Help from an air compressor might be needed. The right grid might stay in place since the throttle tube rotates but I could see the left grip rotating without something else (grip cement?) holding it in place.
Shrink tubing over the grids doesn't seem like it's enough to hold them in place when sliding the grips on. Help from an air compressor might be needed. The right grid might stay in place since the throttle tube rotates but I could see the left grip rotating without something else (grip cement?) holding it in place.
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Symtec Heat Demon Heated Grips - RevZilla
The Symtec Heat Demon Heated Grips are a great, must have accessory. 2-stage heated grips that keep you comfortable and warm and riding with these rea…
www.revzilla.com
No props to Revzilla just a handy link to the Symtec grip heaters I install on every road bike I bring into the stable.
“Easy to install” is subjective of course but I think most of us are capable of installing these.
+1 .. Oxfords are great and you don't have to tap into switched power as they will turn off automatically when they don't sense vibs from the engine..
OXFORD
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
Agreed that this is a simple install. I just question if they now expect the consumer to supply their own adhesive to adhere the heating elements to the bars or the intention is to use the heat shrink to hold them on.
From what I have been seeing the kit that you linked to is the old kit that has now been superseded by a new kit. The heating elements in the new kit no longer are self-adhesive and there are two pieces of heat shrink included now. With the old kit the heating elements were stuck to the bars via their own self-adhesive. The one heat shrink was intended to be applied to the clutch side if the bar was aluminum.
The heating elements are no longer self-adhesive and I saw pictures on a few websites showing the heat shrink applied over the heating elements, not under, on both the clutch and throttle sides but that doesn't really mean much as they were only advertising pictures- not install pictures. Without the heating element being glued on to the bar it doesn't seem like it would be a secure attachment. I think that I would glue them on. Unfortunately none of the sites where I saw these had the installation instructions available, which is to bad as I am curious to see what they say
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Andrew,
I received this reply from Tom at Symtec concerning whether or not the elements are no longer backed with self adhesive and require heat shrink over the heat elements.
“Hello David,
Our heaters still have an adhesive backing. Some kits do come with heat shrink, but that would be used directly on the handlebars and the heater would be applied over the heat shrink.
Thank you,
Tom Donnillon
Symtec
124 Osborne Road NE, Minneapolis, MN 55432”
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
Thank you for doing that Dave. I am glad to hear that as it didn't make sense to me.
There must a mistake in a listing somewhere. When I was looking around comparing prices on the Symtec P/N 210019RR I came across a listing on either Amazon or Ebay that said that this kit has been discontinued and has been replaced with P/N 176543. When I searched for this part number the listings sometimes referenced the supplier P/N as 210019RR and sometimes as 176543. However, the listings I looked at all stated;
Mounting type: Push on no adhesive
See this link for an example- HEAT DEMON Warmer Handle and Switch Kit 176543
So either this is Symtec listing error because everywhere that I saw this P/N 176543 listed they had exactly the same text as though it was a copy and paste. Or it has nothing to do with Symtec and this is a Kimpex listing error and this P/N is actually a Kimpex P/N. Maybe the places where I saw this P/N are all procuring these from Kimpex and therefore have the same error copy and pasted from them.
Whatever I end up ordering I hope that they have adhesive.
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
Just got in a new set - adhesive with the heat shrink for the clutch side. Haven't installed them yet but we will see if there are any issues. The new set has identical heaters for both sides - obviously cheaper and easier (from a manufacturer's POV) to make one type of heater than two like they used to do.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
Phil- out of curiosity what Symtec P/N did you receive?
I tried heated grips back in 06 when I got my first St and I'm not a big fan. Here is what I realized, if is was cold enough to need additional heat to my hands and that would be less then 45 degrees or so ? I had a really hard time finding gloves that had a thin palm to allow heat transfer plus a thick insulating upper part of the glove to resist the cold outside. This means, I might have a warm or even hot palm but the tops of my fingers and hands got really cold and stiff. If I wore gloves that had a thick outer layer, then the palms were also insulated from the heated grips and I couldn't feel the controls or grips. I think on this new ST I'm going to invest in heated gloves instead for this Winters riding here in NC. Some of you folks might like the heated grips,,they just didn't work out for me..
The Cheese
Get a set of Oxfords. Easy install. More adjustable than most element only kits.
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I have been using the Heat Demon/Symtecs on numerous motorcycle back to my new 2003 ST1300A......they work good and I have had only one switch failure in that time. I am currently running them on my Super Tenere and Versys-X 300. They work good with only two heat levels.
That said, I installed a Bikemaster set with the LCD readout on my KTM 690 Enduro R.....they have 5 levels of heat + a digital voltage gauge, are easy to mount, and I like them even better than the Heat Demon. The only advantage the Heat Demons grip liners have is the ability to chose your own grips.....the Bikemasters are hard rubber that I am OK with as I always wear riding gloves. They are easier to install compared to Symtecs.
That said, I installed a Bikemaster set with the LCD readout on my KTM 690 Enduro R.....they have 5 levels of heat + a digital voltage gauge, are easy to mount, and I like them even better than the Heat Demon. The only advantage the Heat Demons grip liners have is the ability to chose your own grips.....the Bikemasters are hard rubber that I am OK with as I always wear riding gloves. They are easier to install compared to Symtecs.
Amazon.com: BikeMaster Heated Grips with LCD Switch (7/8"): Automotive
Buy BikeMaster Heated Grips with LCD Switch (7/8"): Grips - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
Andrew Shadow
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This is the main reason that I am looking at the Heat Demons- so I can put more comfortable BMW grips on. I find all of the aftermarket heated grips are rock hard and I see no reason why they need to be. I had a set of Hot Grips on a previous ST1100. They worked really well and got really hot really fast. The problem was they were rock hard to the point my hands hurt after long hours whereas they never did with the Honda OEM grips. I do wear gloves all the time. Why can't they make them with more comfortable grips?
Have you tried Grip Puppies?