Topic: Electric gloves

[eigenvector]

I'm going to pick up some electrics tomorrow.  My commute in this morning - and the commute back in the afternoon, showed me that heavy winter gloves just won't cut it.

I originally bought a pair of Venture+ battery powered gloves a while back - maybe 10 years ago and my impression of them was that they sucked.  Sure they kept my hands warm, until it rained and the battery shorted, or I was a bit rough putting them on and the internal wiring broke.  I soured on electric gloves.

I'm willing to give them another try - but I was looking for Gerbing.  Talking to the local shop - apparently Gerbing was recently bought and now they're kind of a pain in the butt to deal with.  So the brand the shop deals in - Venture Heat. 

The first thing that crossed my mind was  - "great, I can spend 100 bucks on another pair of crappy electric gloves that will short out the first time it rains"

Do you guys think I'm being too harsh - like maybe they've improved over the years and the tech has advanced enough to make them reliable?

[jgger]

Just a thought, so don't hate on me. How about for the winter a set of those brush guards like they have on some dirt bikes? They would be like little windshields for your hands, then when it warms up just take them off. Might be cheaper than the gloves and won't short out.

[BomberMann650]

I'll admit, I kinda like heat demon grips too.

[Lostboy Steve]

I'll admit, I kinda like heat demon grips too.

I have junky eBay special grip heaters that I roll up and run internally on my wr. They work really well and there's no wires to break.


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[eigenvector]

I don't hate you - but brush guard don't do squat in sub-freezing weather.

I have very good "winter" riding gloves and they work well when it dips below 40, but once it gets below 20 - not even heated grips work.

I've never used handlebar muffs - so I haven't eliminated that as an option, I've just never used them before.

[jgger]

Like I said, it was just a thought. Ya gotta cut me a little slack on the whole freezing thing..........here in So Cal anything below about 55* is considered "freezing".

At 20* I can't imagine riding more than a couple of hundred yards, let alone commute to work.  You sir are a dedicated rider, my hat is off to you.

Best of luck to you on your hunt for warmer hands!

[RAFster122s]

A good set of large hand guards will lower or eliminate the amount of air being pulled across your hands/gloves and one method of cooling or heat dissipation is when air is passed over a hot or cold surface.  So,.I don't  agree with your opinion and we will have to agree to disagree.

[RAFster122s]

Some of the CX/GL forum members ride in freezing and sub freezing conditions and some use the Hippo Hands that cover the bike controls which takes getting used to.  They insulate and prevent wind causing evaporative cooling.  Other use Gerbing heated gloves that are quite expensive.  The lowest priced ones work OK but are no where as effective as the more expensive versions with better heat control as well as element coverage. Heated grips in addition to the gloves will often extend the temp range they can ride in.  The larger hand guards that are not perforated are useful as well.  Snowmobile gloves are sometimes a better glove to lokk at if you can have the dexterity needed for the controls.  The snowmobile gloves often do not have individual fingers.

David

[eigenvector]

Like I said, it was just a thought. Ya gotta cut me a little slack on the whole freezing thing..........here in So Cal anything below about 55* is considered "freezing".

At 20* I can't imagine riding more than a couple of hundred yards, let alone commute to work.  You sir are a dedicated rider, my hat is off to you.

Best of luck to you on your hunt for warmer hands!

No hard feelings.

There are very few riders who commute in the colder areas in winter - usually because the roads are unpredictable.  Doesn't matter how warm I am if the road is covered with black ice or freezing fog.  At 5 in the morning that's usually the case - especially this year.
This quest for better winter gloves has been a lifelong goal, so this question is nothing new.

I'll see what they have at the shop, make sure I look out for the higher end electrics.  If not, then I'll pass and look for the handlebar muffs.

[bill440cars]

   In my way of thinking, it takes a "Special Sort" to keep riding, when the temps drop for Winter and "Conditions Change as they do" And that is great, to be able to get all the enjoyment of riding, that is absolutely possible. BUT, I personally, am just not quite that way. I would have been more apt to, back in my younger days, but, as I got older, I lost some of that. An, to be quite honest, I don't think I was ever quite that bold. But, my Hat goes off to those of you who do get "Out There", in all kinds of weather.    O, I hope you find what you need, to keep those hands & fingers warm enough. 

[hondalav]

Over the years I found all kinds of protective clothing and gear to keep me somewhat warm when riding in winter, but all gloves without heating element got cold around the finger tips. I looked around and all the gloves with a heating element are bulky and wired to an external battery or hookup to 12V. Through a coincidence I stumbled across Alpenheat AG2 gloves. Each glove has a rechargable battery, the size of 6 AAA's in the cuff of the glove and 3 heat settings per glove. The gloves are sold as ski gloves, but work fine on the bike. A bit pricey though.

Gerald

[eigenvector]

I rode down to the shop (well up, since they're north of me) and dropped a few dimes on a Venture+ set.

Yup, bulky as all get out, they plug into the battery, but if they keep my thumbs from falling off after the 26F rides like today - I'll be satisfied.

I'll toss a bone to you RAF, the stock hand guards on the 1200 GS that I own are crap.  I doubt they'd even protect my hands from brush, which is why they're there to begin with.  A better set of brush guards/hand guards would at least deflect the wind off my hands. 

[Terry in Australia]

When I was riding my magnificent R1100GS to work in -5 Deg C weather this winter just gone (and Good Riddance, I say!) I didn't need heated gloves, the PO skillfully added more material to the OEM BMW brush guards making them into little "Hand Fairings", and with the standard BMW heated grips (you must have them on your bike too mate, yeah?) my mitts were toasty warm.

I ditched my unlined waterproof pants for some ski pants I bought on ebay from the US, which would likely be useless in a slide down the road, but they were superb in freezing weather, both toasty warm and totally waterproof, even when I forgot to remove the sheepskin seat cover on my Yamaha FJR1300 and the seat got soaked when I was in the pub, I put the ski pants on, and expected the wet seat cover to soak into the crotch of the ski pants, but no, they stayed dry and warm.

Maybe you should just buy an R1100GS for winter?

[eigenvector]

Man are you kidding?  I don't know what it is with BMW's but previous owners seem to think their bikes are made out of gold or something.  They always command huge prices on craigslist.

There are certain bikes that never seem to depreciate in price - but I can always score some handguards off one though (or just cut a jug of bleach in half and pop-rivet the halves on).

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah, I was lucky mate, the PO had a trailer for sale on Gumtree (our version of CL) and when I went to pick it he told me he was also thinking of selling the BM, so I lowballed him, and ended up towing the BM on the new trailer for less than he wanted for the bike on it's own. I ended up paying $3750 (AUD, or $2742 USD) for the bike and (as new) folding trailer. Bargain! 

He'd really spent some money on it, the Staintune exhaust, electronic jet module and dyno tune to remove a couple of flat spots common on R1100's, a really cool rotary steering damper, the Michelin Anakee tyres etc, the only think I did was remove a huge rack he'd fabbed up on the back, installed new Ikon gas shocks front and rear and the Hepco and Becker top box, which is really handy for shopping expeditions. I have to say, of all my bikes, I think the big black BM is my favourite! Cheers, Terry.

[BomberMann650]

The beemer freaks I ride with have invested tens of thousands of dollars into their old R65s and R69s bikes.  Most of that went towards original EU parts or high quality repops.  Often makes me glad I rescued a CB instead of an Airhead from that barn.

[eigenvector]

It is a nice looking bike.

I have no problems with my 2015, a bit too many electronics for my taste but it is nice having electronic cruise control.  The rest I could do without.

[Lostboy Steve]

Bill is right, it takes a special sort. Usually the guy on an "adventure" bike. That being said, my buell cityx had hand guards that did quite a bit of good. I had brush guards on the wr but after installing the grip heaters they were no longer necessary and often got it the way of brush more than guarded your hands. I used to ride when it was cold... now I don't. Mid winter I usually work up some nerve and have cabin fever enough to go for a short ride. Maybe it's time to make my own heated clothing with some of those heat grids that they sell for automotive seats. The pre wired cloths and other outerwear is just way out of my budget.


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[Terry in Australia]

It is a nice looking bike.

I have no problems with my 2015, a bit too many electronics for my taste but it is nice having electronic cruise control.  The rest I could do without.

Thanks mate, a friend of mine has a 1200 GSR with all the fruit, but like you say, too much gadgetry for me, and it's only one of my 14 bikes, so it's not ever gonna get worn out on my watch.

My biggest problem as I type this is my lack of storage space, so tomorrow I'm gonna investigate a storage facility where I can park most of my bikes under cover and keep them secure, and free up some space in my garage so I can actually have somewhere to work, instead of out in my driveway. Cheers, Terry.

[ofreen]

Hippo Hands or something like them work very well.  I never had the actual Hippo Hands because similar products are available for snow machines that cost a lot less.  I bought a set 30 years ago when I lived in Alaska and still have them around here somewhere.  I used them when it got really cold or if I was going to be riding for hours in below freezing temps.  A memorable ride one day to Chickaloon always comes to mind.  I left the house in the mid-20's but when I got to Chickaloon, a thermometer had the temperature at -5F.  My hands did OK under the handlebar muffs. 

Another thing I bought when I was in AK was an electric vest.  It is surprising how warm your hands stay if your core is warm.  Your body doesn't think it is freezing to death, so doesn't helpfully shut down the circulation to your extremities.  Helps with the feet for the same reason.  However, I've never used it on the 750 because of the power consumption and the old bikes don't have a lot of excess generating capacity.  Heated grips like the ones on my GS help but I've found they aren't a total solution for long rides for temps in the teens and below.  The cold seeps in, and while the palms of your hands stay warm, the rest not so much.  Keeping the wind off your hands is the best strategy I've found.  It is one of the reasons I think the Windjammer SS on my 750F is a thing of beauty.