Heated Grips or Heated Gloves??

[roykeane123]

Hello one and all!!

So I recently got my first bike - a 2008 F800gs. It's a cracker. One of the best things I think I'll ever do. However, it has no extras at all (no ABS, no computer, no heated grips). I don't care about the brakes and the computer much but this winter things have been cold (I live in Ireland) and I think the grips would be nice.

I checked out the local BMW guys and they bought say it's going to be around €650 / 700 (retro kit €400; installation and CAD updating €150 - €200, and some tax). I may sound like a total scrooge or newbie here but that seems ridiculous?!

I could go after market products (Oxford springs to mind) What are people's thoughts on those? Are they a good product? Or rather, are the BMW ones €450 / €500 better??

And what about heated gloves? Seems like a bit of a pain in the @ss plugging everything in and wiring through the jacket, no?

Any thoughts (or trivial comments / jokes / slags) welcome!!

 

[Fanum]

For 60 quid you can get a decent pair of heated gloves.

If you like them, you've saved a year's insurance, a full set of luggage or a night out on the beers with hoors, a kebab and will STILL have change to get home.


If you don't like them, you can sell them here for 45 quid then get the heated grips

 

[Fordy]

Yes, heated gloves are a PITA with the wires.

I've got OEM heated grips on my F8 and Oxford grips on my sports bike. The switch on the F8 is easier to use, the Oxfords offer more heat levels. They both heat your hands

I'd buy the Oxfords.

 

[NS3230]

Evening, Recently fitted handlebar muffs to my GS1150 and find them more effective than the heated grips, with latter now only used for few minutes at a time even when its about 1 or 2'.
Also rather effective when it is raining!
Yes, I agree they do look ridiculous and No, I dont know whether they are available for the F800, but they are well worth looking into, whilst being much more reasonably priced than your other suggestions.
ps. Best of luck with whichever option you choose and Ride Safe.
Neal.

 

[ferrol]

Heated grips seem to just heat my palms with my finger tips and thumb still getting cold. Fitted a muff so OK now though. mmmm .... muff...

Not used heated gloves but I'd guess they may heat the finger tips better than grips.

Anyone care to comment?

BTW F650GS Twin, so Muffs should fit. Got mine from here.

 

[ianboydsnr]

These look ok, not sure how they work though!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230916821416?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[ymfb]

Personal choice, heated grips and muffs with summer gloves

 

[JayC]

Heated grips seem to just heat my palms with my finger tips and thumb still getting cold. Fitted a muff so OK now though. mmmm .... muff...

Not used heated gloves but I'd guess they may heat the finger tips better than grips.

Anyone care to comment?

BTW F650GS Twin, so Muffs should fit. Got mine from here.

Yes - in my experiences they don't. The best solution for me has been a combination of heated grips and muffs. The muffs are the main difference as without them your finger tips are still exposed to the wind chill, heated gloves or otherwise.

 

[Timebomb]

After 30 years of riding, I picked up my first BMW 2 years ago (1150GS) which had my first heated grips. What an amazing treat!

I installed some Tucano bar muffs and they were fantastic in the cold and rain. Also, was nice to wear summer weight gloves in winter.

A year later, I had a 1200GSA with heated grips. I installed the Tucanos, but started to like them less. They were a bit tighter for on these handguards and messed with my throttle lock a bit. Also, the muffs were sometimes cumbersome in some situations, like pushing the bike around.

I went with a set of heated gloves and jacket by warm and safe. What a treat! Could not believe I waited 30 years for this! Took off the bar muffs.

Yes, hooking up the wires is a minor hassle, but so worth the extra comfort...and your winters are much colder than ours.

Heated gloves and heated grips are a nice complement to each other in the really cold weather. I you are like me, you'll also find yourself using the heated grips even in the summer on cool evenings.

 

[Fanum]

Yes - in my experiences they don't. The best solution for me has been a combination of heated grips and muffs. The muffs are the main difference as without them your finger tips are still exposed to the wind chill, heated gloves or otherwise.

Depends on the gloves.
I have heated grips on my GSA with muffs and I get frozen finger tips on long journeys.
I have muffs and heated gloves on the brick and the finger tips are warm,even though the grips died many years ago.


My gloves are keis and the panels extend all the way to the end of the fingers.

 

[Rederic]

I have the bmw heated grip's on my 800gs with the high bmw hand guard's,
there ok but that's all after market one's are better
I recently had a 350 mile ride to glen coe coming up and not being happy with the heated grip's,I also have heated glove's but I get bored plugging them in
So I fitted some tucano muff's took about 15 minute's to fit, ok you might think you look a pratt but they work I got all the way to glen coe from west Lanc's
In temp's down to minus 5 C in my summer glove's, with out putting the heated grips on

 

[richardbd]

I'm in the heated grips camp. I replaced the OEM ones on my old Stelvio with Oxfords and they worked brilliantly.

Heated gloves are too much of a pain for me with all the wires - tried them; sold them. I'm too vain to use muffs but would always fit handguards to go with the heated grips.

Job done!

 

[tosh23]

Now I know that all the answers you have read are mostly leading to "muffs", and you are thinking " im not using them they look shit no matter what the temp...
I can tell you now the bmw hand grip heaters are crap compared to oxford hot hands..
Nothing and I mean nothing will keep your hands warmer than muffs...

Lets set a situation...your house to a coffee shop (one way)
(10 degrees c) 20 mile ride with mates around 80 mph, winter gloves will do...
( 10 degrees c )50 miles ride with mates around 80 mph, winter gloves and oxford hot hands will do
( 10 degrees c) 150 mile ride with mates around 80 mph, SUMMER gloves and muffs...

So my advice to you is
1... don't get the bmw heated system ...its shit
2...do get the oxford hot hands ( late summer nights get bloody cold)
3...If you plan to ride in winter get muffs...Tosh

 

[Buz]

I have OEM heated grips on the 12GS, fingers get cold as well as the thumb. Thats with middle of the range gloves, not summer but not what i class as winter.
I'm going to look at the Keis heated gloves ready for next winter, IMO not worth getting them yet unless they are on offer, weather warming up and heated grips should suffice.

I cant get on with muffs but can see they would be ideal

I commute once a week, 40 mile round trip and worst this winter was about -5c and 2/3rds of the way through the journey fingers were cold, with heated grips on full

 

[boxer]

For easy gloves - install two sockets, one for each glove in the area of the clocks. Curly wire to connect.

 

[JKW]

On my 1200RT - which has much more effective heated grips than my F800GS had btw - if the temp is below 10 deg C, I use a pair of Spada Claw winter gloves which have that 'Mr Spock' arrangement of your fingers held together in pairs. Inside the glove each finger is in their own 'sleeve' but because they are next to each other (and the gloves are v. well insulated) they actually warm each other up. There is less 'thumb chill' on the RT than the F8GS coz of all that plastic but these gloves are quite effective at reducing it anyway. A good halfway house if you go for heated grips and, like me, you just can't get on with muffs.

If you want to try them out give my mate Nick Noble a call (www.nicholasnoble.co.uk) - he only puts the higher price gloves on his website so you won't find them on there but he'll know which ones you want if you tell him John Wilson sent you. He actually moves quite a few of these as they are the preferred winter option for one particular riding instructor locally - much warmer than traditional gloves but you can still see the controls.

 

[JayC]

Depends on the gloves.
I have heated grips on my GSA with muffs and I get frozen finger tips on long journeys.
I have muffs and heated gloves on the brick and the finger tips are warm,even though the grips died many years ago.


My gloves are keis and the panels extend all the way to the end of the fingers.

Not according to my body it doesn't.

I bought the latest Gerbing heated gloves the year before last and they too claimed heated elements right down and around the finger tips as well as a heat range (can't remember the temp) that met the highest allowed figure for UK standards but I took them back as they did nothing for me.
My finger tips go white when the temp drops, it doesn't have to be freezing, 8 degrees will do the job and so my digits can be white before I even leave the house. The only answer I have found is to keep the wind chill off (muffs are the barrier) with heated grips on.

 

[polecat]

Have recently purchased a pair of Keis inner gloves and used them for the first time last weekend on a trip to Holland. It was one of the coldest weekends I have ridden in for a long time. Although I can't say that my hands were toasty warm they did take the edge off the freezing cold.

A combination of a Keis heated vest, the inner gloves and heated grips made it bearable

 

[Dean]

Hello one and all!!

So I recently got my first bike - a 2008 F800gs. It's a cracker.

Any thoughts (or trivial comments / jokes / slags) welcome!!

First of all, Hello and welcome

What a great choice of bike, enjoy (I know you will) and a good first post


I have not tried any heated clothing so can not comment on that
I have tried frozen numb fingers and lumpy gloves before and , it's not for me

My personal set up and choice for now is heated grips BMW, TT Hand protectors, over this I have the superior Muffs, fur lined, bone dry cushdy mondo (Amazeballs) from no less ValH of this parish . the best bit is I wear summer gloves. (the feel,warmth factor has to be experienced to be believed)

Most of the time the heated grips are off or on low I almost cant wait to get the muffs on in the onslaught of winter.

Unfortunately trivial comments / jokes / slags I cant help with any of these as I'm from Essex and we are above that

If you do not know yet It's handy to know most F 650-7-8 add on bits fit each model, a good place to spend a little and get a fantastic deal - saving sooner or later is, scroogeville.

Woteva you choose enjoy

 

[ianboydsnr]

I already have a set of heated gloves, I find that unless I am going some distance like a tank full of fuel distance, then you will get pissed off with plugging them in and out,

muffs and heated grips will be used for every mile

coupled to a heated inner jacket!