Heated Grips

[pkd]

I have a 2010 GSA and wondered how warm the heated grips should get on 'full', I know it has been very cold the last few days 0.. where I am but they just dont feel that warm at all and my fingers are about to fall off after 10 minutes...

 

[darkhorse]

If you are riding around town you are on the brake and clutch that often your fingers will hardly come in contact with the heat

 

[Doofus]

Mine (2005 1200) are hot - possibly too hot on high setting. I only wear thin gloves (if any) as I have muffs. Drove 250 miles on Saturday, got home with freezing feet and heat blisters (literally) on my hands. Certainly no doubt whatsoever when they are on - takes maybe 15 mins to warm to full heat (I assume because heat is lost to the bars until they are warmed).

Darren

 

[red1]

There is an issue with 2007/8 onwards heated grips, although it's not the fault of the grips.

2007/8 was when BMW changed the bars from steel to alloy and the alloy bars don't hold the heat as well as steel bars.

 

[Tuono1961]

My 08 grips get pretty hot. Not unbearable but a little uncomfortable. But as darkhorse says, as soon as you get in traffic and start working the leavers their not much good. They also cool very quickly if on the motorway you take off your hand to wipe your visor or something.

Muff's are the only real solution or heated gloves which are brilliant although expensive with a relatively short life.

I've had three pairs of heated gloves over the years all of which packed up with broken wires due to constant movement in the end. Finally succumbed to muffs this year and I'm glad I did.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

There is an issue with 2007/8 onwards heated grips, although it's not the fault of the grips.

2007/8 was when BMW changed the bars from steel to alloy and the alloy bars don't hold the heat as well as steel bars.

And the fix is to swap the later bars for the earlier type

I've always referred to position 2 my 06's heated grips as 'defrost' as they're too bloody hot to have on when riding

 

[Pukmeister]

Another recommend for handlebar muffs, courtesy of Val.H on this very site.

Once used, you'll see why they are so good, even though they look a bit naff.

 

[C-J]

My 05 GS... Heated grips were bloody brilliant..

My 06 K12S... Heated grips were bloody brilliant..

My 09 GS.... Heated grips wouldn't melt the frost off a knats todger... very very disappointing after having previous Beemers... Obviously it's better than nothing, however there is a definite loss in performance on the newer bikes..

 

[TeaPig]

Course it doesn't help if your gloves have thickly insulated palms as the heat won't get through, unless they get wet in which case they conduct very well.

I've taken to wearing Gortex skiing gloves over the last few years as they stay dry and also have thicker insulation on the fingers than most biking gloves, but not the palms. In addition the insulation doesn't get compacted so easily when you grip the bar. Yes, it's a risk if I fall off, but that's my choice.

Winglets seem to help too by defelecting the blast away from the handgaurds, even though it's hard to see how.

 

[Alphadog43]

My 08 grips get pretty hot. Not unbearable but a little uncomfortable. But as darkhorse says, as soon as you get in traffic and start working the leavers their not much good. They also cool very quickly if on the motorway you take off your hand to wipe your visor or something.

Muff's are the only real solution or heated gloves which are brilliant although expensive with a relatively short life.

I've had three pairs of heated gloves over the years all of which packed up with broken wires due to constant movement in the end. Finally succumbed to muffs this year and I'm glad I did.

What make of muffs do you use? I tried some Oxfords on my 56 GS but they did not fit very well.

 

[Dave h]

heated grips

Hi

Another vote for vals muffs,wear thin summer gloves with grips on first heat position,flipping hands are freezing without muffs


Dave

 

[Dave h]

heated grips

Hi

Forgot to mention mines 2010 GSA


Dave

 

[tunnie]

reving helps! I found just bumbling along at 50-60mph they are warm ish, but a few quick starts, short shift and blipping the throttle gets them hotter. Maybe its just because hands move more and they warm up?

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Everybody is different

It is difficult to generalize as cold does seem to affect people very differently. Obviously the ambient temperature and the length of the journey are the main factors; Everyone agrees that muffs are the only real answer if it is very cold for long journeys; But they are a bit of a pain otherwise.Muy grips warm up in a few seconds - if my tank bag accidentally switches them on as I turn in the garage, I can feel the heat in about 20 seconds. I have tried wearing silk inners - but it doesn't seem to make a great deal of difference; In my younger days, when all our kit was ex WD a good pair of ex RAF gauntlets cost 3/6 - about 18 pence -less than a gallon of petrol. If my hands became cold, at the traffic lights or when I stopped I would hold on to the twin exhaust pipes each side until the gloves started to steam and remove them as the steam turned to smoke; Just a few seconds were required.