Heated clothing question

[RedRick Esq.]

Now I swore many years ago that i would not have heated clothing but .......

I am now starting to get tempted and my question or questions is/are what is the best and importantly how is it powered ? Is it from the battery or can it be rigged to the Aux socket ?

 

[KMD]

I haven't used it myself yet, but like you I'm becoming tempted. My Brother used to do a daily commute from Hampshire into London on his bike all year round, and he used Keis heated kit which was connected direct to the socket. He swore by it.

 

[daesimps]

It depends on the gear. A single item like a pair of gloves could run off the socket. Anything more would trip the circuit so has to be powered from the bike battery.

I run a lead from the battery and have it poking out between the seat and tank. I have a warm n safe remote controller Velcro'd on the dash to adjust heat settings.

I've tried various makes and found Gerbing the best. They also have a lifetime warranty on the heating wires which I've claimed on once. Very helpful and quick turn around.

You can get gloves that have batteries in them but mates have always suffered with batteries running out half way through a ride.

Get the gear. Once you have you'll not look back and it opens up a whole new riding window.

I originally had only gloves but you end up with an idiot mitten style cable down your arms. I quickly added a heated jacket liner which has the wiring internally and then just a short connector from the cuffs to the gloves. It's good enough to replace the jacket winter liner even if you don't switch on the heating. The heated collar is lush and means I no longer wear a buff.

 

[Wapping]

It is one of the bst single motorbike related purchases I have eveer made.

What is good? Depends on your budget.

I cannot fault RapidFire / Warm'n'Safe.... Both American but available in the UK from: http://www.adventurebikewarehouse.com/Powerlet-RapidFIRe-Heated-Jacket-Package / http://www.riderz.co.uk/

I used mine with the remote troller. Got the glove inners, heated trouser lines and socks, too. All independtly controlled. Really very, very good.

Will all heated clothing work with a Canbus bike? Not if draws more than five amps.

 

[Fanum]

I've got Keis kit.......it works, but I hated the connecting wires from the vest that go down the arms to the gloves.

I ended up sewing the vest into a BMW phase change top and sewing the connecting wires on to the seams down the arms so they pop out at the right place to be connected to the gloves........not great, but it works.

I wouldn't buy Keis again TBH, but as Richard says, a fantastic addition to riding kit that you won't want to be without once you've had it.

By the way, before you lash out on heated kit, get and fit a Shytebag (gaucho) and muffs........loads of threads about them here and yes, they look crap, but you'll be so warm and protected under a shytebag that you really won't care how naff it might look......riding along under a shytebag with a heated vest on and heated gloves stuck into toasty muffs with the heated grips on, you can be comfortable ALL winter and in any sleet or rain or wind.....

 

[Kritou]

http://lockitt.com/clothing_heated_how.htm

Some good stuff here but from a USA perspective and maybe dated

 

[ymfb]

I have keis, I plug mine in and my wife (Pillion) has a battery. The battery lasts about 2 1/2 hours so we will be connecting hers to the aux socket next year. I have the vest, my wife has the jacket. I am very pleased with mine and she is with hers.

I tried heated goes but didn't get on well with them. Toucano muffs with summer gloves have done me proud for the last three winters.

 

[bisbee]

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/101493

 

[maz12]

I've tried Keis, Powerlet (made by warmnsafe) and warm safes own stuff,
I now solely use warmnsafe clothing with their dual controller, it's superb kit and excellent customer service (they even replaced a pair or Powerlet gloves that had failed foc)
I really feel the cold in my hands and feet but since using the warmnsafe gear I've never felt the cold, using the dual controlled I have my gloves separate from the jacket/pants/socks as I like my hands warmer.
It needs to be powered off the bike but their gear can work off battery power but at a reduced heat

 

[gerarddwatts]

My 2 penn'orth is have a jacket rather than a vest....upper arms are where a lot of heat is lost....I have a gerbing and it is great. The price for the Keiss one above is good though...

 

[diplomaticdanny]

I have Gerbing jacket & gloves, jacket warms to the cuffs and top of the collar, t shirt, heated jacket, Rukka jacket good down to about minus 5. Agree with Wapping, probably the single best bit of bike gear purchased. Quite often have to turn it down as it gets too hot.

No idea how it works with can bus or anything, Bahnstormers fitted it for me, I plug it in and switch it on.

 

[rossi]

I have a Keis waistcoat. I sealed the controller up with some tent seam sealer and have it velcroed to the bars which allows me to adjust the setting on the go. I used it like this on my X-Challenge and now have the same on my XR.
Their new controllers are waterproof anyway, but I would definitely go with a controller mounted where you can reach it. Personally I think they are a fantastic bit of kit for cold weather and long journeys. I find that even with just the waistcoat, because my core is kept warm, my body keeps pumping blood to my extremities which prevents my hands and feet from seizing up.

 

[DC]

Was looking at the BMW heated gear yesterday in readiness for winter ! Pricey !!

Apart from the higher collar on the keis what's the difference between the x20 and x10 ?

 

[richardbd]

Keis now have a bluetooth controller that mounts on the bars...

 

[newboy]

It is one of the bst single motorbike related purchases I have eveer made.

What is good? Depends on your budget.

I cannot fault RapidFire / Warm'n'Safe.... Both American but available in the UK from: http://www.adventurebikewarehouse.com/Powerlet-RapidFIRe-Heated-Jacket-Package / http://www.riderz.co.uk/

I used mine with the remote troller. Got the glove inners, heated trouser lines and socks, too. All independtly controlled. Really very, very good.

Will all heated clothing work with a Canbus bike? Not if draws more than five amps.

Wapping - I have the same jacket/dual controller from Gary... obviously just the one controller for the jacket...

Do the gloves/pants liner/socks all work off the same "other" controller?

 

[Wapping]

If I understand you correctly, here goes:

I have a heated liner, heated gloves, heated trouser liners and heated socks.

The gloves are powered via the jacket and the socks via the trouser liners, but I can adjust the temperature of each of the four items independently of each other. For example: I can have the jacket on level 10, the gloves at 6, the trouser liners at 2 and the socks at zero or any permutation thereof.

To do this I have two of the bike powered twin remote 'Troller' controls:

http://www.warmnsafe.com/dual-remote-control-heat-troller/


I mount each (one on top of the other) with supergrip Velcro onto the bike's clutch reservoir, not forgetting to loop the safety lead into place, just in case they fly off whilst I hoon my awesome steed through the twisties.

I have used all four together several times, including three days in the Ardennes in March when the mercury hovered between -4 and zero all the time. Unbelievably comfortable, way better than any alternatives I have ever tried. Buy and use with absolute confidence.


Yup, if you want to control two items (or more) you'll need the twin controller and the twin receiver, as shown in the link. They will control assorted makes of electrical clothing, so they do not need to be all of the same brand. You may though need to convert the electrical connectors between the receiver and the garment. This is easy enough and you can often buy suitable converters.

PS The twin 'Troller' shown in the link is the version where the 'Troller' itself is powered by its own internal battery. These are fine and make it easy to swap from bike to bike. I used one for several years without a problem of the AA batteries going flat. I switched to the bike powered version, just because I could.

The system is quite clever in that, should the remote 'Troller' ever fail, the clothing will still be heated, you'll just not be able to adjust the temperature. So no worries should the AA's expire. Mine never did; just be sure to turn it off!

PPS As I don't fear that everyone will steal everything everyday. I left the 'Troller' on my bike at lunch stops etc. You might chose to do differently

 

[newboy]

All make sense sir, thank you - I have a single (dual) controller now - I suspect I will order another...plus some more heated gear

I plan to ride this winter again and while the heated jacket is superb and made last winter more than bearable, I think I need a little more under my Badlands Pro kit, as it's a mite cool even if superbly dry

 

[Wapping]

Great stuff.

It's expensive as an initial outlay but worth it.

When you consider that good quality Merrino wool garments (about the best base layer you can get) is far from cheap, it's not really so bad. Having the ability to control the heat, which is really the same as adding and taking off layers but without the inconvenience, is a great luxury. I don't think you'll regret it. Anyway, if you find it doesn't suit you, you'll sell it on pretty quickly, for sure.

Richard

 

[Wapping]

Decent review of the Powerlet jacket and its remote controller here:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MKeL87iUZdA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And of the remote 'Troller' controller, including a reference lower down to a bod using the controller on other manufacturers' clothing:

http://reviews.revzilla.com/8506-en...ntroller-reviews/reviews.htm?sort=helpfulness

 

[Tinytim]

Gerbin long sleeve liner/jacket and gloves for me and I wish this stuff had been about 30 years or so ago. Feel such a smug clever bastid when toasty and warm in absolutely fekkin freezing weather. Just cant beat it.