Anyone around here tried the Aerostich stuff? Thinking of updating my Gen I Warm-N-Safe with a Stich heated jacket. Pricey bastard it is.
https://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-kanetsu-airvantage-electric-liner.html
I stopped into Aerostich in Duluth and purchased a Aerostich Kanetsu Windstopper jacket on a cold ride home from CFR last June. It is a very nice jacket and looks good as an outer layer when you remove your riding jacket. Because it looks and serves like an insulated outer jacket, it is slightly bulkier than other electric jackets i have seen. It appears to be very well made and the wiring appears to be very robust and sturdy. At first I thought I would be disappointed since the jacket only comes with a simple lighted on / off switch and not a rheostat. After using it several times I have found that it puts out very gentle heat and so far I have found I am happy with either having it on or off. The Airvantage is supposed to be warmer pressing the heating elements closer to your skin and removing chance of drafts.
Would I buy the Kanetsu again? I think so. Although it is a little bulkier, I anticipate some of the bulkiness to go away as it breaks in and I appreciate how good the jacket looks as an outer garment when I get off the bike. One major draw back is if you aren't wearing the Kanetsu it is going to take a fair amount of room from your luggage.
Aerostitch's take on their switch taken from their web site;
"Simplifying Comfort (...a Better Power-cord)
We have been making this pretty neat coil cord power control for twenty years. I remember designing it to be an illuminated hi-low inline switch of such small dimension that it would not be a 'lump' in the middle of a compact coily power cord. We went round-and-round trying to find a switch which would allow a better functioning and packaging design. Something tactually, visually, and ergonomically lighter and cleaner.
And there still isn't anything as good in terms of simplicity and overall handy-ness. I wanted this cord switch to be so easy to use one could forgo a thermostat. They always seemed useless over-complexity...even the newer nice digital ones everyone uses now (just yesterday all were stupid power-hungry inefficient resistance rheostats). I'd used one several times but wanted something thoughtlessly simple, super-compact and field-reparable if ever needed. (This last consideration turned out irrelevant.)
It's just too easy to be riding along and without looking down move my left hand downward from the grip momentarily to find the cord lying across my left thigh and then by touch alone (finger or thumb) push or release the illuminated in-out button…then move my hand back to the left grip.
It's only one second, done without thinking, and there's no fumbling around. I can feel at a touch if the button is in high or low position to maintain temperature at a nice level all day long, with neither thought or effort. Just click-on and click-off as needed for comfort, and if there's ever question about power status a quick glance down shows the red pilot light glowing on or off through the button's cap. Even in daylight.
So today if I were for some reason forced to use some non-Aerostich electric garment, I'd still want this simple, intuitive and reliable coil cord and switch."
- Mr. Subjective 12-13
). I can only connect it when sat on the bike, I've deliberately kept the lead length relatively short, this reduces any flapping that might induce disconnection.
