Heated Grips on an Adventurer - advice please

[AdventureCleverly]

To get hold of an Adventure this century I took one without heated grips (school boy error). As a factory fit they are @166. To retrofit them the cost soars somewhat.

Any helpful hints other than 'get them fitted at the factory'?

 

[ajd]

I have just installed the retr-fitted heated grips to my 1100GS with only minimal stress, but I suppose you are going to tell me that the Adventure is nothing like a 1996 1100GS in the handlebar department...

 

[AdventureCleverly]

if only I knew, apparently according to SPC I may need a bigger alternator and having ABS also makes a difference, all in all it adds up to @340 notes which seems a bit steep.

Did you buy the parts from BMW or is it an aftermarket item?

 

[Bødkerman]

Heated Grips

If you do find that a new alternator etc is required you could consider heated gloves....much warmer option or the wrap around heated over grips ( not sure how good these are).

Both are available from Giali as well as others.

Cooperman

 

[Smartbazza]

ajd

Andrew,
I`m considering fitting these to my1100. Where did u get them, how much and were they easy to fit.

Cheers

 

[THE PICT]

I thought if you got heated grips or abs your machine came automatically with the larger altenator.Mines did.

 

[AdventureCleverly]

apparently the larger alternator was a red herring

still costs 340 for the switchgear, grips and fitting. Oh well. maybe the Remus pipe has to wait for a while

Thanks for thoughts

 

[THE PICT]

Why not try some after market gpips like oxford or something. around£45 I think. Mabye some of the others can tell you if they fit ok on a GS

 

[Simon Eassom]

I've used Oxford Hothands in the past. They wrap round the grip and are fixed with velcro. Plug them into your accessory socket. I was very skeptical until I tried them, but they're excellent and they stay in place much more securely than you'd imagine. Unfortunately they make the grips much fatter, so they don't suit people with small hands.

 

[MikeO]

I've used Oxford Hothands in the past. They wrap round the grip and are fixed with velcro. Plug them into your accessory socket. I was very skeptical until I tried them, but they're excellent and they stay in place much more securely than you'd imagine. Unfortunately they make the grips much fatter, so they don't suit people with small hands.

A mate of mine uses these on the rear grabrail of his bike so that his pillion also keeps warm.

What a nice chap.

MikeO

 

[Zwerver]

Fitting heated grips

Some years ago I fitted the grips on a 1100gs;
I bought two (original BMW) grips + switch at de Hobbyist for some 100 Euro.
The only problem was that the handlebar on my gs was not prepared to fit the grips; I had do drill some holes for the cables...
As far as I know all newer models have these holes in the handlebars. If so, fitting the grips is no problem!

I don't know if the Hobbyist still sells these grips, but I think it's worth sending them an e-mail

 

[shready]

Heated Grips

The BMW heated grips on my R1100GS work fine, especially with hand guards to stop the windchill. I think the excesive cost is due to the bars having to be replaced, as the power to the grips runs inside the bar tubing. This is the case on mine anyway but I'm unsure about the R1150GS.

I had a broken element in one of my grips and it cost £80 to get it replaced so they are quite dear. The garage said that the left hand grip often fails because when you put your bike on the centre stand you tend to twist the left grip and weaken the wiring inside the rubber.

I hate cold hands as it affects concentration so it is well worth getting something. A friend of mine used to have electric inner gloves but found that these left your figer tips cold. Oxford heated grips are good too I hear, but I dont think that these will fit the R11nnGS.

When I was at the NEC bike show last year I saw some grips that simply velcro around your existing grips, they were pretty good from what I remember, especially for occasional use. I'm going up there again next Friday so I will have a look for you if you want.

Cheers.

Jon.