Heated grips to what temp?

[terham]

My question is at what temperatures are heated grips effective, or rather, at what temp are they ineffective?

I will soon be the new owner of an R1100S that has heated grips and an auxillary outlet, so this winter I'm going the electric clothing route. I'm tired of being cold in the winter. I generally ride on weekends if the temp is in the mid/upper 30s, which we get quite a few of in the winter around here. My hands getting cold limit me to short rides while my torso stays fairly comfortable. After doing extensive research, i.e. reading the electric clothing thread in this forum while drinking beer, I've decided to get a heated jacket and gloves. This time of year Santa Claus would prefer I not get both so she has something to give me, so when I pick up the bike, I'm going to get either the gloves or the jacket. If heated grips work OK into the 30s (my hands will be somewhat out in the windstream and FWIW, I wear RevIt Celcius winter gloves), I'll get the jacket and let Santa get me the gloves; if they don't work with temps in the 30s, I'll get the gloves and have Santa get me the jacket.

[sheridesabeemer]

I find that with heated grips, good winter gloves, semi-protected hands, I'm fine in the 40's, ok for an hour around freezing. Any more time at low temps or anything lower than freezing and my hands just ache. I've not gone with the 'lectric gloves because I seldom do more than a short scoot for ice cream or cocoa when it's below freezing.

Extended time, 4-6 hours in the 40's and the tips of my fingers will be uncomfortably cold. One finger always gets pushed off the grips and left in the air due to the thick gloves. I'll use cruise control and put my hand under my thigh ('lectric pants and seat) to warm it up.

[BLUWING]

At 60 mph or greater my experience is that wind chill gets the top of your hand and thumbs at about 30 degrees with regular leather gloves even though your palms will be fine.
Thicker gloves insulate the top of your hand ...but also cut the heat from the grip. If your serious about winter riding, the only thing that works even at 10 degrees or less is the Hippo Hands http://www.hippohands.com/ because it blocks the wind chill factor and traps the grip heat.
There is a company that makes thin palmed gloves with insulated tops for the grips but I haven't tried them. Somebody else might recall their name.
Bluwing

[screamineagle]

I have an RT which I have been riding year around. I haven't found the need for electric gloves although my fingers get cold from the tips to the second knuckle, not bad enough to need E-gloves. I have an electric vest but I layer my clothes and the vest seems to be warm enough without plugging it in. My advice would be to go with the jacket first. You may find that the gloves are not needed and save that money for fuel.

[terham]

If your serious about winter riding, the only thing that works even at 10 degrees or less is the Hippo Hands http://www.hippohands.com/ because it blocks the wind chill factor and traps the grip heat.

I completely agree. My first motorcycle was my year round transportation and I bought Hippo Hands the first winter ('78) and they worked great. I wore summer riding gloves year round. My /5 had a fairing which helped. I foolishly got rid of the Hippo Hands years ago because I didn't do as much winter riding. I bought another set of Hippo Hands off of ebay last winter but in the interim I had removed the fairing and changed from the US high bars to Euro bars and the Hippo Hands didn't fit or work at all. Boy, was I disappointed. I've never found anything better than Hippo Hands.

[mika]

The heated grips work great for heating palms. The problem at lower temps is not the palm but the back of the hand, as pointed out by others. I would find myself with burning palms and frozen back of my hands after a 12 mile commute. On the Roadster the solution was to add hand guards from the GS. This has made the hands comfortable in big quotes for daily commutes down to about 0 F.

[Ab544927]

I have the GS with handguards and the Touratech spoilers. The heated grips do keep the palms warm, and the inside of fingers that are firmly attached to the grip...lol. The finger tips and top of hands do not really get warm even with good winter gloves with silk liners. Neoprene liners (diver gloves) are the best I have found to insulate below warm gloves.

I firmly believe that heated gloves are the only real way to go to ensure fully warm hands for a ride more than about 20F. Everything else seems to be a compromise in my honest opinion. Those hippo hands are the ultimate but would you want those on your bike? I am concerned about being able to get my hands out quickly...obviously I have never tried them.

[GFOUNTAIN]

My hands stayed reasonably comfortable riding my RT last winter in the Denver area after I bought BMW's Winter gloves. It takes heat longer to get through the insulated palms but the heated grips definitely do the job. I always turn the grips on high then turn them down after they are good and warm. After a few hours ride in 16 degree weather one day I decided to get a Gerbing liner for this winter. I have had one occasion to use it so far and I was impressed by how fast it heated up and how well the thermostat regulated the temperature.

[aaaaaa]

I wear a full liner including socks and can ride all day with the mercury below 30. (on my oilhead RT, not my airhead) The heated jacket liner and gloves are wonderful from the high 30's on up.You actually are warm with a minimum of bulk. I usually wear the liner most of the year. It's very nice even on a 60 degree morning. As an added benefit, the warmth will creep into joints and sooth pain.
robert

[TIGINBNA]

I use the Gerbings heated golves, they are a bit thick but not clumsily so for me. I also use the jacket liner. I find that with these, a long sleeved T-shirt underneath and a good, thin lined wind breaker (REI) i can go into the teens VERY comfortably.

My $.02

Tig

[flymymbz]

.....snip....... I bought another set of Hippo Hands off of ebay last winter but in the interim I had removed the fairing and changed from the US high bars to Euro bars and the Hippo Hands didn't fit or work at all. Boy, was I disappointed. I've never found anything better than Hippo Hands.

GIVI sells covers that look like the Hippo Hands. I use mine on my commute bike (Honda Rebel). One of the last times I rode into work it was 14F out. I was wearing my mid weight gloves and my hands stayed warm. I think they're made of cordura, or something like that. Lined with genuine imitation sheep skin and they have reflective piping on the outboard side, along with a reflective GIVI logo. They make two versions, one for fitting over your mirrors and another if your mirrors are integrated into a fairing.