Heated hand grips

[Fluffmeister]

Bars are the same part number regardless of MY

http://www.bmwestore.com/a/BMW_2015_RGS/__5828295/Motorcycle-handlebar/32_2106.html 2015

http://www.bmwestore.com/a/BMW_2014_RGS/__5828295/Motorcycle-handlebar/32_2106.html 2014


Same part number is for 2013 > 2015 K50 / K51 so the bit about the bars being a heat sink is bollocks, as we all know.

 

[Engineer]

So, "superior" German engineers designed heated grips that are useless and these are deemed to be normal.

How do they get away with it.

My 2013 LC grips are about the same as my 2010 twin cam, but not as hot as my 2005 1200GS as far as I can remember BUT they do work and are much, much better than not having heated grips, try switching them off when riding with summer gloves at 0C

I would have liked them to be a bit hotter but to say that they are not fit for purpose is not accurate - define 'fit for purpose' for heated grips - it's all very, very subjective.

 

[Dennis the Menace]

I've already had the corporate BS from Allan Jefferies, but I want them fixed ��

But how, heat a 25mm aluminium bar and 25mm steel bar up in a vice with a blow torch at the same time, then blow cold air on to them, the aluminium bar will be cold before the steel bar, its called thermal dynamics, BMW cant alter the laws of physics, this has been going on since the 1995 R1100RS ally bars and the 2008 GS1200 MU ally bars
Spoke to development guy at Garmisch in 2008 about the change from steel to ally bars and heated grips, he said some times BMW take one step forwards and two steps backwards

 

[Titto]

A 20 degree difference isn't subjective engineer!!!
You'll enjoy the added heat on your new beast though!!!

 

[DRAIN MAN]

They get away with it because they feed you so many different bullshit excuses and hope you will go away, we all need to stick together and try and deal with one person only at BMW. There is an obvious design fault with these grips as they do not heat up anywhere near as hot as pre 13 grips nor the 15 grips. I have asked BMW why this has happened but so far they have declined to give me a answer, I wonder why ??

 

[DRAIN MAN]

Hi Engineer, would you accept a kettle that only heated your water up to 60 degrees ??? the kettles works just like the grips do on the bike but not to an acceptable level I would class that as not fit for purpose.

 

[Engineer]

Hi Engineer, would you accept a kettle that only heated your water up to 60 degrees ??? the kettles works just like the grips do on the bike but not to an acceptable level I would class that as not fit for purpose.

A kettle has to reach 100C otherwise water will not boil, no subjectivity there, but how hot heated grips 'should' be to make them fit for purpose is subjective isn't it?

What should the surface temp of the grips be at say 0C ambient still air for them to be deemed fit for purpose? I don't know.

 

[iandavid]

My 2013 LC grips are about the same as my 2010 twin cam, but not as hot as my 2005 1200GS as far as I can remember BUT they do work and are much, much better than not having heated grips, try switching them off when riding with summer gloves at 0C

I would have liked them to be a bit hotter but to say that they are not fit for purpose is not accurate - define 'fit for purpose' for heated grips - it's all very, very subjective.

I'm the same as engineer. 2013LC grips as hot as my 2010TC. Don't know what all the fuss is about!!

 

[trebor]

This problem has been raised by many customers but the 2015 grips and software can not be fitted to the 2014 model as the bike will see an incorrect resistance so break the circuit causing the grips not to work

I would have thought a software change would rectify the resistance problem

Bob

 

[sven]

But how, heat a 25mm aluminium bar and 25mm steel bar up in a vice with a blow torch at the same time, then blow cold air on to them, the aluminium bar will be cold before the steel bar, its called thermal dynamics, BMW cant alter the laws of physics, this has been going on since the 1995 R1100RS ally bars and the 2008 GS1200 MU ally bars
Spoke to development guy at Garmisch in 2008 about the change from steel to ally bars and heated grips, he said some times BMW take one step forwards and two steps backwards

The grips on my 2009 GS MU were much hotter - like many folk, I'm comparing the new GS with the previous model (and my K1200S and R1200RT). Now as some find the grips as good as their previous bikes, this suggests either a quality issue with a batch of grips or differing software versions?

With my experience of Chinese quality control, I suspect the latter....

 

[mrtee43]

So, BMW say that the later grips will not fit/work on the earlier model of LC. What happens for example, in coming years if a heated grip fails and you trot along to the parts dept and ask to buy a replacement.

Will they have a stock of the "lesser heat" ones as well as the improved ones ?

What it needs is a well healed owner to buy some later grips just for the hell of it and see for ourselves if they fit/work. If they do work, then we could approach BMW.

In fact maybe someone could start a fund, for those that wanted to, to chip in a few quid each to do this. Anybody know how much they cost ?

 

[Dennis the Menace]

The grips on my 2009 GS MU were much hotter - like many folk, I'm comparing the new GS with the previous model (and my K1200S and R1200RT).

The K1200s and R1200RT have steel inserts set in the ally handle bar casting, I can only comment on the ally bars against steel bars I have used (and the ally bars are shit)

 

[GS_or_bust]

If the Ally bars are conducting the heat away from the grips then you could try lagging the bars between the grips and the bar clamps so they are not cooled by the flow of air over the bars. Has anyone felt the temperature of the bars as they emerge from the switchgear because if the bars are conducting the heat away then the bars would feel warm.

 

[Engineer]

I would have thought a software change would rectify the resistance problem

Bob

this would only work if the heated grips' temperature was controlled by PWM and that the PWM wasn't already at 100%. I Suspect that it isn't PWM - anyone actually know?

 

[kevmean]

But I thought somebody said earlier in this thread that even the left bar has a plastic sleeve on it hence the reason generic grips don't fit , if there is a plastic sleeve surely what the bars are made from has very little relevance. the throttle side is definitely insulated from the bars by the fact it is on a loose tube.

 

[Engineer]

But I thought somebody said earlier in this thread that even the left bar has a plastic sleeve on it hence the reason generic grips don't fit , if there is a plastic sleeve surely what the bars are made from has very little relevance. the throttle side is definitely insulated from the bars by the fact it is on a loose tube.

I don't know if it has a sleeve although it would make sense to try to restrict the heat loss to the bar on the LHS grip, but any insulation is having a limited effect because the LHS is cooler than the RHS.

 

[DING-DONG]

Yes it does have a plastic sleeve on the left, the sleeve is exactly the same thickness as the throttle tube sleeve for the right grip. It's why if you remove the bm grips and fit non oe heated you need 2 throttle side grips.

Reason I no, I removed my grips + switchgear in the past on the LC when I reverted back to non sat nav wheel.

 

[kevmean]

So there must be a problem then , both grips should be virtually the same temp if the only difference is how tight the sleeve is on the bars.

 

[Engineer]

So there must be a problem then , both grips should be virtually the same temp if the only difference is how tight the sleeve is on the bars.

Maybe, but doesn't the throttle tube provide an extra layer of air insulation on the RHS because it isn't a tight fit to the ally bars? Therefore extra insulation should be required on the LHS to balance the heat loss???

 

[sven]

The K1200s and R1200RT have steel inserts set in the ally handle bar casting, I can only comment on the ally bars against steel bars I have used (and the ally bars are shit)

True, but as you said, my 2009 GS MU had ali bars.

What's more interesting is that if the part numbers for the 2014 and 2015 models are identical, then they must be interchangeable and the issue must be quality related to a batch/supplier of grips on some 2013/2014 models or it's related to the grip control/power system changing between the models