Heated riding gear

[New Boots]

I ride to work most mornings on my new FJR. It's about 1.5 hour commute. I am thinking of buying a heated riding suit for this winter. Does anybody have one that they suggest.

 

[Ignacio]

Doh! We forgot to work on an FAQ for this from last year all. It must be getting cold somewhere that this perennial question comes up.

I would suggest starting here and using the search with terms like +heated +clothing or alternate terms like gear, Widder, Warm-n-safe, Gerbing

I'm partial to the Widders and they're very efficient when using those precious FJR watts. Warm-n-safe has been a popular item in this last season and championed by a few folks on the board as the spiffy, new, cool way to go.

I have a Size 50 Widder Lectric II Vest I'm planning on selling for $95 OBO including shipping. Been used maybe three times....as my gut needs a slightly bigger one. Personally, I'm sticking with Widder.

 

[mdisher]

I'm partial to the Gerbings, though in all honesty I've never had the Widder.

I like the Gerbings liner because:

a: It works damn well as a liner by itself even w/o the heat.

b: It has sleeves, and they too are heated.

c: the heated collar is wonderful too.

d: I know you can snap on arm chaps to others but I didn't want extra pieces and things to worry about losing, or more connections to go bad. But then I can't take the sleves off. But if I'm cold I don't think I'll want to take them off. That was my logic.

They sell pants, gloves and sox if you need them.

I have heated gloves and they work for me, but some find them big and bulky, which they are. They claim they are waterproof, I think not.

I didn't need the pants on the 11, legs were well covered, and don't think I will on the 06 with the side thingy's out, but if I do, they'll plug right in.

That's my $.02, YMMV

 

[skyway]

I'm partial to the Gerbings, though in all honesty I've never had the Widder.
I like the Gerbings liner because:

a: It works damn well as a liner by itself even w/o the heat.

b: It has sleeves, and they too are heated.

c: the heated collar is wonderful too.

d: I know you can snap on arm chaps to others but I didn't want extra pieces and things to worry about losing, or more connections to go bad. But then I can't take the sleves off. But if I'm cold I don't think I'll want to take them off. That was my logic.

+1

 

[TheAxeman]

If you are thinking Gerbings, spring for the permanently mounted control for adjusting the heat. I went with the portable controller and really don't like it just hanging there. All Gerbings has to do is put a velcroed pocket on the inside of the jacket to hold the thing and it would make it much handier. I plug into a rear mounted switched Powerlet on the back of the bike. I also have an Aerostich heated jacket with just an on off switch on it which works out pretty good. Unlike Iggy, I have LOST weight and will probably end up selling the Aerostich at some point because it is to large for me now. When ordering any of the heated clothing (especially Gerbings), make sure you measure yourself well because they want the clothing to fit snug so even a small mismeasurement will mean having to return the item (don't ask me how I know).

 

[PTP]

I'm partial to the Gerbings, though in all honesty I've never had the Widder.
I like the Gerbings liner because:

a: It works damn well as a liner by itself even w/o the heat.

b: It has sleeves, and they too are heated.

c: the heated collar is wonderful too.

d: I know you can snap on arm chaps to others but I didn't want extra pieces and things to worry about losing, or more connections to go bad. But then I can't take the sleves off. But if I'm cold I don't think I'll want to take them off. That was my logic.

They sell pants, gloves and sox if you need them.

I have heated gloves and they work for me, but some find them big and bulky, which they are. They claim they are waterproof, I think not.

I didn't need the pants on the 11, legs were well covered, and don't think I will on the 06 with the side thingy's out, but if I do, they'll plug right in.

That's my $.02, YMMV

+1

I have the whole kit...jacket, pants, socks, and gloves. I do find that my Gerbing leather gloves are 100% waterproof and not the slightest bit bulky. No issues typing on a Garmin 2730 with the gloves on. The kicker there is I've never seen another pair of Gerbing gloves like mine...I have no idea why they're different than all the others I've seen.

PTP

 

[Penforhire]

+1 Gerbings liner & latest gel gloves (thinner). The portable controller hangs perfectly on my Motoport jacket's adjusting strap. I'm only thinking of having the liner re-wired to power the gloves with a dual-controller. With a single controller, by the time I feel cozy in the gloves I'm cooking in the liner!

 

[PTP]

+1 Gerbings liner & latest gel gloves (thinner). The portable controller hangs perfectly on my Motoport jacket's adjusting strap. I'm only thinking of having the liner re-wired to power the gloves with a dual-controller. With a single controller, by the time I feel cozy in the gloves I'm cooking in the liner!

Do the wires from the portable unit ever bother you? I have yet to install a heat troller on the FJR, but have considered the dual portable instead of a dual permanent as I had on my last bike. I replaced a tired Cycloak jacket with the Motoport Kevlar II about a month ago and the idea of the portable unit crossed my mind after realizing how the MP jacket is laid out.

PTP

 

[camera56]

+1 on Gerbings. I have socks, pants, jacket, gloves (traditional kind), and controller clipped to jacket.

 

[Bagger]

I started with Widder gloves on a HD bagger a decade ago. Tho't I'd died and gone to heaven with the ability to ride in the cold.

Well, one day .... I decided to buy thewholeshebang of Gerbing's stuff. The jacket liner, pants, leather gloves and socks. They work pretty well. I love 'em. Ride down into the 'teens' with comfort.

I think I posted about running all this gear on the FJR last Summer. Some folks said that the FJR would not provide enough power for this. True...??

I run ALL of this and more on my GL1800 WING, but it's like a CITY for power.

BAGGER

 

[Bounce]

+1 on the Widder. I started with Gerbing and my Gold Wing's alternator couldn't support it and extra lights. Went to a Widder and loved it (arm chaps stay on and it slips on like a jacket). After the Gerbing hung in a closet unused for a few years, I sold it.

The FJR's alternator has less reserve output than the Wing's did. (Yes I had the electronic control for both.)

 

[Claymore]

+1 on the Widder. I started with Gerbing and my Gold Wing's alternator couldn't support it and extra lights. Went to a Widder and loved it (arm chaps stay on and it slips on like a jacket). After the Gerbing hung in a closet unused for a few years, I sold it.
The FJR's alternator has less reserve output than the Wing's did. (Yes I had the electronic control for both.)

+2 on the Widder and arm chaps. I went with the extended wiring kit and slung it over the left side, then stuck a small bit of Industrial Velcro on the Electronic Controller and the tank - keeps it all tidy and available...I also stuck a piece of Velco on the left tupperware to hold the connector when not in use.

Love the heated collar....!!!! :lol:

 

[James Burleigh]

then stuck a small bit of Industrial Velcro on the Electronic Controller and the tank - keeps it all tidy and available...I also stuck a piece of Velco on the left tupperware to hold the connector when not in use.Love the heated collar....!!!! :lol:

What a great idea about the velcro to keep it tidy (what's "industrial" velcro? And what's the left Tupperware? Is there a right one too?).

Now, out here in California, our idea of cold is, well, not that cold. But I do commute in the Bay Area year round. I keep a thermometer velcroed to my dashboard, and the coldest I've ridden in going to work in the morning is just about freezing (32 degrees), which I know from the perspective of anyone in Minnesotta (how in the HELL do you spell that?) makes us, you know, *******.

But still, freezing IS freezing, and often would I have to pull over to warm my hands by my Sportster engine. (That was then, now I ride an FJR, or I wouldn't be here, would I? So get off my case.)

Then I got the Widder vest, and THEN I got the heated gloves. When I ride in to work in the morning in the crisp, cold air and the bright morning light, and I know it's freezing out there but I am having the best part of my day because I get to ride my motorcycle and I am toasty warm, man o man, it's at times like that that I grin under my helmet and exclaim out loud to all the cagers "I LOVE my Widder vest and gloves!"

I, uh, guess that just about says it for me then.

JB

 

[Randy]

jacket liner, pants, gloves here. might get the socks this year, finally, but, after 4+ years, haven't NEEDED them yet (have ridden in single digits). I have the portable single controller and it does just fine.

With the gloves, I initially thought something was wrong with them as my hands didn't feel real warm inside of them like the rest of me feels with the other stuff. It bothered me at first, but, now I'm ok with it. While my hands don't feel warm, there have been many instances where my hands are sweating when I take the gloves off. Not sure I would want them any warmer. Not sure if they still do this, but, at one point, if you sent your gloves to them, Gerbing's would double up the heating elements in the gloves at no charge upon request.

 

[James Burleigh]

jacket liner, pants, gloves here. might get the socks this year, finally, but, after 4+ years, haven't NEEDED them yet (have ridden in single digits). I have the portable single controller and it does just fine.With the gloves, I initially thought something was wrong with them as my hands didn't feel real warm inside of them like the rest of me feels with the other stuff.

Widder makes it very clear, it's not about your hands feeling warm, it's about them not feeling cold. They set the heat to keep the cold off. You don't want your hands to sweat in side the gloves. So what you need to ask yourself is not, Are my hands warm? But are my hands cold? The answer with the gloves is always No.

 

[zzkenoman]

Does anyone use heated clothing for both driver and passenger at the same time? since Gerbing has many choices, can one get by with using 2 heated vests riding 2-up?

 

[Randy]

I haven't, but, you can.

Just need to be aware of the farkles you have and how much available juice you have left over.

 

[mdisher]

Does anyone use heated clothing for both driver and passenger at the same time? since Gerbing has many choices, can one get by with using 2 heated vests riding 2-up?

I know people complain about the FJR's weak stator, and being short on power. Apparently this has been addressed with the 06's.

I don't see why you couldn't run two Gerbings Jackets/Glove combos. I'm 90% sure my former bike had even weaker power output. As long as I wore over pants I never felt the need for heated pants.

I also _rarely_ had the thing cranked up 100%. But I also didn't have a set of power hungry PIAA Deer Hunters either so that factors into it.

You can calculate your energy usage and know what you can/can't use. Just list your farkles out and add it up.

 

[Penforhire]

PTP, the portable controller wires don't bother me at all. I'm plugged into the rear Jastec dual-socket just below my hip. Clipping the controller on my jacket makes the two lengths of wire behave just right (with the output to my liner running under the bottom of my 3/4 length Motoport jacket).

I might be less sensitive than some people since I'm usually wired up to an AutoCom too, a regular robo-rider.