Heated Vests - which one?
 

I'm off to Alaska within the next 2 weeks.

I want to buy a heated vest, but don't know which one to buy. I'm looking at Widder, Gerbings, and http://www.exo2.co.uk/exo2motorcycle.html which looks interesting, not actually having any wires.

Anyone able to recommend one? The Evo2 seems particularly interesting, but I guess there must be some drawbacks, otherwise they'd have cleaned up!

Also, not sure how beneficial the sleeves and collar options are, or if a waistcoat creates enough heat at your "core" to keep the rest of you warm?

Try http://www.heat4jackets.com/ for the budget option!

Hi Ian,

I can recommend Widder's stuff. Mine's now over ten years old yet still works perfectly.

Could I suggest that you select one without a collar, as you'll never get the top button on your bike jacket fastened if it has one!

Regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman

My wife and I both had vests for years and they were OK, not great.
We bought the Gerbing heated jacket liners and they are so much better than the vests.
They are a thin material and do not add the bulk under you jacket as much as a vest does. They are much easier to pack when not in use.
The best is that the sleeves are heated. That makes a big difference.
When your arms are cold your hands will be cold.
We both have the Gerbings jacket liners with the collar and we both like a warm neck.

I've had my Gerbing jacket for nearly ten years. I realize you lot in the UK have been a bit slow on the uptake on heated gear. When I was in Oxford in
2001 I let my buddy try the Gerbing. He was astounded on his 20 mile commute to work. He ordered one immediatley.

Widder is a cruel joke by comparison and so are most of the Euro units who
are new to the heated clothing game. Go with Gerbing. Get the thin jacket
liner. As stated above, heated sleeves are the Dogs Bollocks.

You can ride in below freezing temps in relative comfort.

Also see a new US company called Warm & Safe. Very nice jacket that
I'm testing at the moment for the magazine.

BTW mate, you are WAY too late for Alaska. You'll not get far, trust me.
Talk to any locals. August 15th is the absolute cut off. You may see some of the Southern bits and Canada but further north, Alaska will be weathered in.

Cheers,

Patrick:scooter:

Heated vest
 

I have been using widder heated gear since 1980. Works great and draws very little current (really look at current draw and bike output). I have run sidecars in temps that were below freezing with all the snow and ice etc. My latest in the year trip to alaska was in the first two weeks of sept. On that trip I rode up from wash. state and back in two weeks, the gravel started 100 miles out of dawson creek. In 2004 I left montana in june with my widder electrics on because of the rain and cold and ended up in inuvik NWT in 85 degree weather. By all means have some kind of electric gear. It makes the trip much more enjoyable and can keep the hypothermia and resulting stupid moves from causing trouble.

Another vote for Gerbing ; good quality, the optional "heat troller" thermostat works well for warmth regulation.

I wouldn't underestimate the benefit of keeping your neck, and therefore all the blood that flows through it warm !

By far the best motorcycling accessory I've ever bought (and I've bought a few ... ).

Phil

:thumbup1:
The heated collar on the Gerbing is the BEST!:clap:
Makes quite a difference in overall core temp. During crevass
rescue training we were told you lose most of your heat through
your head and neck. If you can keep these two areas warm you
can reduce dramatically the chances of going into Hypothermia.

And as stated above, the heated sleeves really helps to keep your hands
from numbing up, thus making control of the motorcycle better and safer.

Mike Coan at Warm&Safe makes the original Heat Troller. Gerbing cheated this
guy and stole the name and out sourced the copied design to China. Many
have failed due to an unresolved fault. See Warm & Safe to obtain the
upgraded Heat Troller and even get a credit for your old one.


Patrick

FWIW

If you go the "Warm and Safe" route you can get a great deal - we are an affiliate and get a cut too. Mike makes quality stuff, and really tries to do the job RIGHT.

Just go to http://www.heat-troller.com/horizonsunlimited.php for a 20% discount!

And yes, heated sleeves and neck make a big difference. Susan has that on hers, and loves it. Just the body part makes a huge, not-to-be-underestimated difference. Until you've ridden with a heated vest you can't comprehend the difference - highly recommended. We carry ours 99% of the time! (Mine is 24 years old and the wires still work fine, though the actual vest has long ago gone, worn completely out. We sewed the wires into a nice down vest - heaven. :)

Thanks Grant, but based on the advice above I've already ordered the whole kit in Gerbing's, as I need to get sorted out this week. Sorry to miss out on a sponsor.

Maybe a bit OTT when most people settle for the jacket liner only, but I usually get coldest in my feet, legs, and hands. It should all be with me tomorrow. I can't wait for some cold weather! I'm sure I'll find plenty in Alaska....

Good luck in AK Ian.
For cold hands heated grips are a must. They will work with any
bike. Go to Dualstar.com and order the heated grips they offer. Takes
about 1/2 hour to install. They are about $30 and work great,
I have them on my bike.

Also, remember to use a thin silk glover liner under your winter glove.

For cold feet, first off, keep your boots dry. Use over booties for long term
wet exposure. I have Gor-Tex Oxtar Explorer boots. I use thin silk socks with
winter socks over. I've tried electric socks, no good ones found yet.

Gerbing also make electric pants.

Good luck, have a safe ride!

Patrick

mollydog,

I reckon I'll be as warm as is possible! I've already got factory-fitted heated grips on my GS, and regards Gerbing's I've ordered the whole lot - Jacket liner, Trouser liner, gloves, and socks, for a 10% discount from UK importer. I did offer them the chance to sponsor me but unfortunately they weren't the least interested!

Seems a little extravegent, but if ever a trip warrants it, it must be this one. I do have over-gloves and over-boots which should keep my extremities dry for longer. Not sure why I haven't taken the easy option and just started further south. Just the more I look into it, the more appealing AK and the Cassiar etc. become. The remote/extreme parts of my trips are always the highlights.

Ian,

you'll find even a thin balaclava helps as well, and they take up very little room when you're not using 'em. They're also very efficient when worn in a sleeping bag,

Phil

Although i haven´t tried the Widder, i feel i don´t need to after using a gerbings...well worth the money! It also works well as a jacket for around the town and has convenient pockets inside and out. The plug'ins for the sleeves stash away into their own little hiding spot when not in use.

Thats right! I'd forgotten about my Windstoper Balaclava that I bought at
the BMF show in the UK. Fantastic for riding or camping. A real life saver
IMO. I used it in the Sierra last year in 27f weather. Tucks into your jacket at the front to block wind blast off your neck. :thumbup1:

Patrick
:scooter:

Make Your Own
 

Also for those with a bit of time on their hands:thumbup1:

Heat4Jackets.com - Heated Jacket Kits for Motorbikes

I made my own (not one of the above kits) and it makes a big difference, mine pulls about 65w:mchappy:

Trophymick

Hey SwampFox,
I think I know your Dad from the Yahoo Vstrom list. Didn't he used to ride a BMW, now has a DL? There was a guy there that worked the Oil Rigs and used to post from out in the Gulf. I think he mentioned his son too? (You?) Maybe the same family? Sorry if I've got this wrong.

If so, I really like your Dad. He is a Hell of a machinist if I recall.

Welcome to HU! :thumbup1:

Patrick

Yeah - thats my Dad
 

LOL, yeah, thats my Dad, yeah he was probably referencing me, lol. although I have a little brother and a twin. My twin doesn't ride and my little brother is dangerous with less than a year of riding.

He's not a machinist, but is pretty d@mn close. My dad's little brother is a however a machinist. So my Dad will often times just get his lil'bro to make what he has trouble with.

Thanks for the welcome :biggrin3:

Is there a WarmNsafe reseller in the UK?

I started this thread when I was off to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska 12 months ago, when everyone told me it was too late (1st half of September). As Mollydog and Bill recommended, I went for the Gerbings, and could not recommend it highly enough - 1st class, although I have had a controller fail. Jacket does nicely if you need a lightweight showerproof coat of an evening as well.

I would get the gloves as well if riding a lot or very cold, but don't bother with trousers and socks!

Warm & safe in UK , I do not know if they have distributors in the UK. I got my liner & heat troller from Warm and Safe Heated Gear EU - Eluppvärmda kläder och temperaturregulatorer in Sweden. Stefan is a good guy to deal with, if you are getting a heated liner get the troller also otherwise you will fry.

Ride Safe & Enjoy.

Hi Ian, glad to hear you made it! Good job mate! Have you posted a ride report anywhere?

Regards the failed controller....read back in this thread to what Grant and I
both said about Gerbing's controller. It's copy of Mike Coan's design...the
Warm&Safe guy. I would get Mike's heattroller. Bulletproof.

The only problem I found in a year of testing the Warm & Safe was that the
thing draws too much juice. Like around 95 watts compared to the 70 watts
on the Gerbing. For those of us on Japanese dual sports with very low output
alternators this is a bit of a problem. Even on my Vstrom, I had to be a bit careful at night. I have a headlight switch on my DR650, which helps.

A year ago (or more) Mike promised a NEW VERSION that jacket that
would only draw 65 watts....with the same heat output...which is very close
to the Gerbing if not equal at this point.

The Quality of the W&S garment is BETTER than the Gerbing, IMO, fits more snugly (very important) and is sewn better. But only time will tell really on this last part.

Bottom line: They are BOTH great. But buy the W & S and support the HU site!!

The Gerbing controller will continually fail. Get the W & S. (I had TWO failed
Gerbing controllers) Mike's Heat Troller should be good for a long time. Not sure of the warranty but IIRC, its better than Gerbing.

Cheers,

Patrick



:mchappy:

Went for the WarmNSafe Jacket liner - totally fantastic, really pleased with it

I have just came across this thread and have always been thinking about heat equipment but never got round to having a really big look into. At the moment i am riding a Honda Deauville which is great for winter riding as it has a massive fairing and heated grips. I could be changing my bike soon to a Yamaha XT660R which compaired to the deauville is a naked (even with the high screen). As i use my bike for everything and have a new daily commute of about 40miles mostly through town traffic at peak times it takes around an hour even on the bike, the though on sitting on the bike when its freezing cold and possibly raining turns me.

Any way story over i am looking for a heated jacket that has arms and a neck warmer but i dont want to have all this wires to the bike game. I would prefer some sort of battery that can be recharged and is on the jacket all the time but still being small enough not to be to much of a probelm. At the moment having read through some posts i am lost with all this electric stuff. The other big problem is i would like it to be below £100 all in as i have just started uni and money is quiet tight at the moment especially as i could be getting the Yamaha soon.

Any info very much welcome. Cheers. Dan

Dan,
Please go back and read my posts on page one on this thread. Also read Grant's post (Grant owns HU) about Warm & Safe.

Carrying a battery is a joke. This will never work, can't work. "All these wires
to the bike" ??? Are you kidding? Dan....its ONE WIRE. ONE. 1. #1.
That's it.

There really are only TWO choices...Gerbing and Warm & Safe. I would support
HU and buy the Warm & Safe. Buy it through this site!!
Try to get the new one that draws less current than the original model. On a 660 you will need every watt available. Install headlight switch for daylight riding while running heated grips and elec. jacket.

American riders have been riding with heated clothing for 30 years. First Eclipse, then Widder, then Gerbing and now Warm & Safe.

Patrick:scooter:

Just a few thoughts
 

Alternatively (or as well as the heated jacket) keep the Deauville as a "winter hack"; apart from the advantages you have already mentioned, it has the shaft drive that will save you a lot of bother over the winter and it will run for ever.

You will know - you own it now - that it is not a very fashionable bike, so why not keep it, if it does what you need in commuting terms at least.

Apart, from that, get yourself a kidney belt with a built in insulation layer; that is where the cold gets in first - I think it is something to do with how the wind vortexes off a riders body.

+ consider hand-warmer type of kit; the sort of thing that is put into a microwave or oven, gets warmed up and then releases the heat slowly back to you. A couple of these inside your existing jacket would keep you warm for an hour or more while commuting, and no power is taken from the bike.

None of this costs more than a few pennies compared with changing the bike etc etc.

Just a couple of cents of thoughts after reading what you are thinking of doing!!

This has probably been mentioned before, make your own:thumbup1: I did, and it has been perfect, cost me about £30, but I have enough materials (wire,connectors) to make about three, so heated jackets forever :rofl:.
Search the net (Google) there are a few plans on how to do it, or alternatively, go here Heat4Jackets.com - Heated Jacket Kits for Motorbikes .
My jacket takes about 65/70 watts, but I have a on/off switch fitted to the DIN socket on the bike (this 12v socket is good for lots of uses, phone/camera charging etc) I just switch off when it gets too warm. A good source for 12v plugs is 12-Volt Plugs, Sockets and Connectors


Trophymick

First of all thanks for some of the quick replies. Now to address some of the posts.

Mollydog
i did reread through all your posts it just that i cant find any prices on either of the websites i tried or the prices i did find where all above my £100 limits and i really dont want to go over that. Also the battery reason is i found a few websites a while ago selling bodywarmers that had lithum battery powered heat pads and they said on one charge they will last up to 3 hours. I have had cables connect to an intercom system i have had before and i find it annoying as such as i always try to get off the bike with out disconnecting or wreck the connects by either getting them wet, damaging them by crushing them or other means.

walkabout
I would love to keep the Deauville as a winter bike but i cant afford to and also my brother might be getting it as his bike. I can understand where you are coming from with the heaty jobs that go into the mircowave, might have to try this but would probably most of the time forget to put them in or just leave them in the microwave.

trophymick
i like the idea/sound of this but what type of jacket do you use? I was looking for a light weight type jacket i could throw on over the top of a tshirt of something the same. Or do you sew in the special wires into your thermal of your jacket. I wouldnt be the most electricly minded but i would take a bash at it. The only other problem i would have it the drawing of 65-75watts of power. For a single cylinder 660 engine this is gonna be alot + the bike will probably already have heated grips aswell.

For a home made version could someone sort of give me a general list of things i would need to make it. I think i could probably live with just a vest type jacket but would like something with a small collar and possibly arms.

After using an old (20 years?) BMW vest and a more recent Aerostich vest, I got a Warm&Safe jacket liner and am very happy and wondering why I waited so long. Great product and well worth whatever you pay for it.

choices
 

Gerbings - excellent :thumbup1: but draw power. Good too for walkabouts
....but do you really leave your favourite bike jacket in your tent/hostals:confused1:

Rukka Air-Vantage Goretex jacket - can't really get much better IMHO
- no power draw at all! you blow air into the jacket through a tube- air-cells insulate you.:thumbup1:

Hey Bert,
This guy is as poor as a Church Mouse. He's whinging about paying 100ukp
for a elec. jacket!! How's he gonna come up with 350 ukp for a Rukka??:eek3:

BTW, Rukka's are very well made, lots of good features but the jackets are just a bit stiff IMO and very cold weather oriented. A friend wore his BRAND New $650 Rukka on a desert ride. He hit the ground...jacket destroyed by gravel and he still hurt his elbow. My opinion? Over priced, over rated...not good in any temps over 70f. Too thick, too heavy, poor venting. Great in Norway? or Finland?, where it used to be made. (or still is?)

BTW, you mentioned Gerbing draws power......brilliant!:rofl: Yes they do!....as do all electric jackets. But at 70 watts this won't burden most bikes. Even my DR650 which only puts out 200 watts total, can handle it. If I want to run both my Gerbing and heated grips I have to turn off my headlight (I installed a switch).

If you run both jacket and grips with headlight on you find the jacket and grips don't get that hot but they DO work (and help). In five hours you'll have a dead batt.

With headlight off (daytime) it runs both jacket and grips at nearly full temps....but you MUST use the Heat Troller for the jacket which is a Reostat which continually cycles the current on/off. This is more effecient and does not draw down the Batt or strain the charging system nearly as much, yet keeps the jacket very warm, good down to below freezing. (this according to designer Mike Coan) Email him and ask him for more details about his products.

One of the main advantages of the electric jacket is Lack Of Bulk. You no longer need multiple layers. If I'm going out in Zero C conditions this is what I wear up top.

Very Thin, synthetic ($Capoline$) long sleeve thermal top
Gerbing jacket (always best close to you...slightly snug fit)
Synthetic high quality dirt bike jersey or thin Merino wool sweater
(Yes! worn over the elec. jacket!!)
Riding jacket (my liner is OUT...never use it) vents closed.

That's it!

If it gets colder I can add a layer but at this point its normally hands and feet that suffer. Synthetic or Silk Glove liners help. In rain, rubber utility glove over your riding gloves really work. Nylon waterproof booties help with cold feet. keep feet dry on long rides! Thin sock then thick sock, Gore-Tex boots. (My hands and feet still hurt in cold due to multilple frost bite in earlier life)

ymmv, IMHO, yada yada yada

Patrick:mchappy:

Maxwell
If you are not wanting to spend a lot on heated gear do what Mick and myself have done and make one yourself.Mine is made from an old sleeveless bodywarmer.O.K. the heat can only be controlled by turning it on or off or by altering the amount of clothing under/over it but it works.You could always try this for a while and then buy a 'proper' heated vest/jacket if it suits you.

Right i will have to research into this a bit more but i will try and make myself a heated jacket with some sort of collar and possibly some sleeves. I will have to look into what i will need apart from a jacket for the heaters to be attached to.

I have looked at the heat4jackets.com website i like the sound of the kit, basically buy the kit, get a jacket and some time on your hands and its done. Any on used this website and are the products good?

Also i have just bought the yamaha XT660R from my local dealers, which i am sure will be colder to ride than my deauville over winter but s**t happens its still a great bike. Anyway as i have just started uni and have a course that you have to go to and do work after i dont really have masses of time on my hands so a post when i have finished my jacket could take a while.

Technically, that is not a rheostat. A rheostat is a variable resistor that converts the unused power to heat. Sorry, I'm just picking nits...

I'm sure you're right....Mike Coan used the reostat example saying it was "kind of like a reostat"...something about it cycling on and off constantly which somehow required less amps and still managed to heat the jacket up? I'm not really a electronics guy....even though being a sound tech I should be. :blushing:

Patrick

Alternatively
 

You might like to have a full touring fairing. I had an Avonaire tourer on all my old Brit bikes. First a 200cc tiger cub :) ( for two years) then a Triumph T100 500cc twin for five years, lastly into civillian life with a 1970 Triumph 650cc Trophy. At that time I was in the forces and used to go home at weekends when posted in teh uK. I was never late back to base, and never had a breakdown. The thing with a fairing is it stops teh wind chill factor altogether. Plus you get a little heat from the motor swirling about in teh relatively still air. You also do not get any wind buffeting which can be tiring as speeds increase.

This is one reason I now have a BMW R80RT. If you could see the number of dead insects splattered all over it you would not ask why. Even here in France when in the summer temps have gone to about 50C ( in the shade) a bit more on the roads.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the thought!!

Hi Grant, is this discount still available? Unfortunately the link is broken.

Garry from Oz.