Thunder
Registered user
Been looking at options for heated grips for a while now, always used Oxford's heated grips up to now but the cables fouled with the fairing close to hard lock which was not something I found enjoyable. 
Just when it got to the point when I thought I'd just have to stick with winter gloves and muffs I found some info on a solution made by Kimpex a Canadian company who originally marketed them for snow mobiles before deciding bikes could use them as well.
Ordered a kit from a supplier on Flea Bay for just under £34 delivered (which it duly was on Tuesday).
Nothing fancy, pair of heating elements, 2 way switch and a wiring loom, not even instructions but thanks to the wonders of google I found them here.
Heating elements are pretty robust, flexible, thin and bonded to a self adhesive backing. The actual fitting is pretty simple, remove the rubber grips, clean and degrease the bar ends, peel off the backing on the elemtns and rub them down. I left them to bond for a couple of hours and then refitted the grips. Job done, well apart from the wiring.
The wires from the elemnts are relatively thin and easy to tuck out of the way, in fact you cannot see them and they don't effect the throttle action at all.
Switch was easily mounted on the all new dash, plenty of space thanks to the Acewell instruments. Wiring was simply taken from a switched live via an inline fuse (3 amp) and the joints were all soldered and heat shrunk.
Finally got round to fitting the Acerbis hand guards and headed out for yet another 200 miles this morning to try them out.
Quick to heat up and very comfortable on the low setting, high was not needed today despite the cold, after 5 minutes I found the plams of my hands starting to feel uncomfortable but this was with medium weight gloves rather than my winter ones.
Well pleased with them, let me keep my favouite grips and you can't feel any difference apart from warm hands of course.
Not much left to do now, to be honest the bikes pretty much ready to go although I'll be starting a complete check of all the bolts and bits in a few weeks ready for the off.
Just when it got to the point when I thought I'd just have to stick with winter gloves and muffs I found some info on a solution made by Kimpex a Canadian company who originally marketed them for snow mobiles before deciding bikes could use them as well.
Ordered a kit from a supplier on Flea Bay for just under £34 delivered (which it duly was on Tuesday).
Nothing fancy, pair of heating elements, 2 way switch and a wiring loom, not even instructions but thanks to the wonders of google I found them here.
Heating elements are pretty robust, flexible, thin and bonded to a self adhesive backing. The actual fitting is pretty simple, remove the rubber grips, clean and degrease the bar ends, peel off the backing on the elemtns and rub them down. I left them to bond for a couple of hours and then refitted the grips. Job done, well apart from the wiring.
The wires from the elemnts are relatively thin and easy to tuck out of the way, in fact you cannot see them and they don't effect the throttle action at all.
Switch was easily mounted on the all new dash, plenty of space thanks to the Acewell instruments. Wiring was simply taken from a switched live via an inline fuse (3 amp) and the joints were all soldered and heat shrunk.
Finally got round to fitting the Acerbis hand guards and headed out for yet another 200 miles this morning to try them out.
Quick to heat up and very comfortable on the low setting, high was not needed today despite the cold, after 5 minutes I found the plams of my hands starting to feel uncomfortable but this was with medium weight gloves rather than my winter ones.
Well pleased with them, let me keep my favouite grips and you can't feel any difference apart from warm hands of course.
Not much left to do now, to be honest the bikes pretty much ready to go although I'll be starting a complete check of all the bolts and bits in a few weeks ready for the off.
