Actually 2 controllers have failed for me.

Fitted Oxford heated grips to my Vstom in Australia before shipping to UK for UK to Aus trip. Didn't get to try them out in Aus before shipping. The controller failed after about 1 month travelling and using them in UK (read mostly cold & raining - surprised?). I contacted Oxford products when close to Oxford (even more surprising), explained situation and they said come to warehouse and they would swap for new one - for free (most suprising of all).

I was happy... that is until I went to use them a few months later in east Turkey (almost unused since installed on bike), and guess what, controller had failed again.

It is the on/off part that is the problem, the rheostat seems OK, but unless you can turn it on, its no use.

Not surprised to hear they have changed the controller, as I have been telling people not to buy them, maybe now have to just caution people about old model controller.

I still have heated grips that don't heat, not mush use for them here in Queensland anyway. But I would like to try the low/high switch thing before they hit the bin - good idea, thanks Mollydog and others.

Now anyone got any more info about what kind of low/high switch for a non-technician type like me.....

Skillo

It's this rotary knob failure problem that put me off fitting the things at all - they were well known to pack up when getting wet and I never bothered to look around for alternative manufacturers.
So, it was using the BMW F650GS with factory provided hot grips (at £200 extra of course, sir) and seeing the publicity for the new Oxford switch that has come to the market this year that made me look at it all anew.

This new switch is completely sealed and the press buttons on the top surface are "indentations" in the plastic surface - so, it looks waterproof, time will tell, but I have not heard of the same failure rate that occured with the rotary version.

Skillo,
I suggest you contact Oxford for another switch - tell them that you want the new model!!


A comment on fuses: yes, they fail, that is what they are designed to do - there are complicated things going on inside those things, most of which I don't profess to understand.
I have just repaired my old TV with a bit of DIY - it was the fuse on the PCB (Warning: dont' muck about with these things unless you have some idea about the safety issues of capacitors and cathode ray tubes!!). Why should a fuse fail in there, tucked away from vibration etc etc? - who knows!

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Dave

Just to confirm... My Oxfords have the new style switch which has just done 17903km in 34 days of riding with no problems, just the connector and fuse problems mentioned earlier. I'm really surprised that it stood up to the vibration so well, I don't think they are really designed for offroad work but seemed to cop it ok, no doubt it will eventually stop working though... then I'll fit the on/off switch as mentioned earlier!

Just ordered some symtec pad things (go under the grip) they work out about the same price as oxford ones and will be a PITA to fit but I dont want to use oxfords very hard looking grip - I will use either a rubber enduro or maybe foam grip though of course the foam insulates so i'm not sure how well that would work.

I will probably get some bar muffs as well i've got 2400 miles through europe to do on motorway in Dec! (in 4 days hopefully)

Bar Muffs are a great Idea!!

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

I've seen a lot of this information regarding handlebar insulation on various forums, and would like to offer my take.

It's just not needed.

Personally, I've had 4 sets of Symtecs on different bikes, and currently fitted to two of my own bikes. Between my mate and myself, I guess we've fitted over a dozen or so sets to various mates bikes. Of 20 odd off roaders out in the Peak District yesterday I think about half were running Symtecs with the other half wishing they were by 3 o'clock

The Symtecs run a hotter heating element on the clutch side to compensate for the heat loss into the bar, which is why they are marked for clutch and throttle sides. I have never insulated a throttle tube, and know of no-one that has, or has had one melt, even after continuous all day running.

I insulated the clutch side on the first set I fitted, but haven't bothered since. The difference is only really noticeable in the first 5 minutes of start up from cold, when the right side does warm slightly quicker, the rest of the day you don't notice.

I believe all the insulation talk on various forums stemmed from fitting of the Enduro Engineering grip kits, which are similar, but run the same rated elements both sides, and regulate the hi - lo settings through a resisted switch. This arrangement will always result in the right side running hotter than the left, hence the need for insulation on the clutchs ide.

With the different rated elements for left and right, the Symtecs just don't need it, and thinking logically, if a heater element can melt a nylon throttle tube, then one wrap of electrical tape isn't really going to prevent much.

Also, it's OK to use grip glue right

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!

For the problem outlined in Bold above..... Here's how you get round it.

Mark the bar where the grip finishes......Using contact adhesive, smear a very thin layer on the bar and before it dries wrap a piece of very thin Laminate Floor underlay Foam* around the bar and then remove it.

(* This is very thin and white, like the 'foam' bags you get wrapped round a VCR or stereo when you buy it, or indeed you can use this material too, it is just as good, I have used both)

when the glue has dried to a 'very tacky' stage, about 10 minutes, wrap the foam back on. if it overlaps, use a razor blade or scalpel to trim it so it just meets.

This now INSULATES the left hand side of the Handlebars so the 'Heatsink' effect is slowed down by about 75 percent.

Obviously I have no way of actually measuring this percentage except tp tell you that after I did this the grips were HOT in 5 mins as opposed to WARM after 10 mins.. and stayed hotter too.


Martyn

Thanks Martin biker, great advice. Will try this mod in a few weeks

Early days because this switch came along only this year; if it is an electronic circuit, say on a PCB, then it should/may turn out to be very reliable Lets hope so.

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Dave

'...if you're handy...install a simple two way, hi-low switch. A reostat is just not needed for heated grips. The Low-High is more than enough IMO. Simple and cheap to repair too!'

Ah, oh...I see the problem. Yeah, not so handy. There is a reason why I have enlisted a qualified and certified engineer to come with me on my travels! I've pretended he is my best mate for a reason- I couldn't fix a length of string.

I will have him follow out your directions and see if he can resurrect the beast!

Or I may just get some of the new ones with that better switch arrangement.

Birdy Logic - If you can buy a new one, don't bother fixing it!

I'm shit.

Happy Riding.

i'm gonna put some oxfords on my new (to me) '09 wee-strom abs for my someday RTW trip. i also want to add some of those muff deals but ive heard they wont fit over larger sized hand guards. is that true? why don't they make a large size?

I made my own handlbarmuffs back in around 1990 since there were none on the market (besides some "push-bike" sizes).

Muffs without heat is great, at summertime in rain and on chilly nights... at winter one dearly needs heated muffs.

This is my present idea of material to make new muffs of:
Elvärmesits 12 V - Biltema
45W - way too low however. One needs at least 80W (for each handle)... but 45W is far more than no heating at all. Can your alternator handle 160-200W extra load?

Hot air is an option.

Oil-hose in a loop is an option.

I prefer electric heating (so far).

Oilheater:
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/messages/5/103.html?torsdagden18november19992306

Alternator:
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/bilgen.html

http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/mont_bilgen.html

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Drive Safely,
Albert

They do .
Hippo Hands will fit on a VStrom .

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

will hippohands fit on a wee with barkbuster handguards?