Heated Grips - Bar Types

[Seamaster]

I have 850 GS which I wanted to fit heated grips to.
I checked that the bars were suitable to fit grips to by removing the right hand bar weight and finding a slot for the heated grip wire to run into. I pushed a spare piece of wire through the slot to ensure the bars were hollow and the wire came out of the base of the bar just before the head stock. There was a hole on the other side at the base of the head stock so I considered all was well and did not bother removing the bar weight.
This was not the case the left hand side of the bar did not have the correct channel to accept the heated grip.
So, it looks like I have to buy a new set of handle bars, and while Motorworks are shut for Christmas I thought I might ask other GS riders what my options are,
i.e.: what is the difference between 850/1100 bars and 1150 bars, are they interchangeable, are there any after market bars that would be worth considering.
Thanks, in anticipation

 

[Bullefnatt]

I do not know too much about BMW bars if they are interchangeable between the 850/1100/1150.
I do however own an 1100 with stock heated bars and I am planning on changing these for Maguras which are tapered bars.
Touratech do a set that are prepared to take the OEM BMW heated grips, or alternatively plain ones.
These bars look similar to the ones fitted to the new 1200-series GS
I used to run these exact bars on my previous bike, Triumph Speed Triple and enjoyed them greatly as they are slightly wider and straighter
The minus though, is that they presumably conduct heat less than the stock bars.

Another alternative would be to fit "external" heaters, I do belive that most UK bike shops would carry these, Hein Gericke, Oxford, etc, do a search on the forum or check out adventure riders forum.

Hope this will help you out, atleast It is a reply