Heated waistcoat help & advice please.

[Montrose Sun]

Hi folks,

I have absolutely ZERO electrical know-how so this is all new to me.

After 7 years of motorcycle training yesterday i decided that i need a heated waistcoast / jacket. Yesterday it was -4 when i left the house to do 30 miles to work, and then -2 all day (standing cbt-ing for 6 hours) and then -2 for the road sesh and again -4 for doing 30 miles back home. I cant remember being as cold as when i got home before in my life so despite my lack of electrical know-how, i need a waistcoast.

What i need is this -

Reliable + good warranty

Good heat range from VERY TOASTY to 'just feel it and no more'

I want it to plug directly into the accesory socket behind my left leg, so bmw sized

Need it to have some kind of transformer so that as soon as i come off the bike i can flick a switch for it to then run off a 'AA' or similar battery supply when im walking around - very important.

As discreet as possible (but perhaps this isnt that important if it can go really toasty as i can get rid of some lares)

Some help and advice would be much appreciated and also i like to guage from you just what kinda difference it made to your winter riding - i.e. has it totally transformed your enjoyment of it or was it a bit of a waste of money or somewhere in between?

And how much should i be spending?

Thanks, Dave

 

[Deleted Member I]

As you are Scottish, you probably want to buy Scottish ..

EXO (www.exo2.co.uk)

Ring the Scottish man and he can get the cable sorted so it fits the BMW plug. Non standard but he can do it for you for free or minimal charge.

They are £180.

 

[Montrose Sun]

As you are Scottish, you probably want to buy Scottish ..

EXO (www.exo.co.uk)

Ring the Scottish man and he can get the cable sorted so it fits the BMW plug. Non standard but he can do it for you for free or minimal charge.

They are £180.

Geeez that was quick! Id easily buy scottish but only if its any good. The website is down at the mo, do you have a number for him?

 

[Deleted Member I]

hmm .. .it might work now if you click my link again

BTW .. it's the STORMRIDER that I have.

Buy a tight fit. I bought I loose fit and realise

 

[Montrose Sun]

Still not working, i'll try again in the nest few days. Says 'new website coming soon'.

 

[Deleted Member I]

Still not working, i'll try again in the nest few days. Says 'new website coming soon'.

www.exo2.co.uk

 

[Steptoe]

I went the homemade route with heat 4U and it's ok but not perfect.

Best for off the shelf plug and go with a temp control is gerbing.

Well made will last you for years and you don't look a numpty just wearing the jacket by itself.

 

[Montrose Sun]

I went the homemade route with heat 4U and it's ok but not perfect.

Best for off the shelf plug and go with a temp control is gerbing.

Well made will last you for years and you don't look a numpty just wearing the jacket by itself.

Thanks, and does the gebring allow for a switch over of power to 'AA' or the like battery when walking around off the bike?

 

[Wizard]

Thanks, and does the gebring allow for a switch over of power to 'AA' or the like battery when walking around off the bike?

Never seen that particular feature on any of them (bit I personally haven't spent an awful lot of time looking). However, Maplin do a battery jacket that could easily have a lead stuck on to it for bike use.

 

[Deleted Member I]

The reason I went for the Exo because it is not a wire going round the jacket, but a special fabric that heats up with current going through it. This means the heat is more even.

Many people have the Gebring and swear by it.

 

[John Armstrong]

Had a look here: http://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/Keis.html

Does the battery option for when off the bike. Been a thread about them recently.

 

[Deleted Member I]

Had a look here: http://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/Keis.html

Does the battery option for when off the bike. Been a thread about them recently.

It's not Scottish though!

But it's half the price

 

[shugie]

My BMW heated jacket is rated, from memory, at about 35W, and keeps me nice and warm, although never seems to get too hot on even the high setting.

But running that on AA batteries would be something of a challenge. The best AA rechargeable battery I've found is 2.7AH, and to get 12V I would need eight of them. The jacket takes 3A, so one set of batteries on full heat would last less than an hour, assuming that it runs continuously.

You might be better off using a backpack with a bike battery in, although not one with liquid in it for obvious reasons, when you want to stand around for a while. An Odyssey would run my jacket for four hours and still have some charge left, it is best not to run batteries totally flat or their life is much reduced.

 

[Big Nick]

Had a look here: http://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/Keis.html

Does the battery option for when off the bike. Been a thread about them recently.

+1 for the Keis, does the job for half the price of the Exo

Buy a close fit to keep the heated parts against your body and wear a thinish long sleeve T shirt under as anything too thick will stop the heat getting through quickly to your body.

Its plenty hot enough on the mid-way setting when connected to bike power and the rechargable battery pack (sold separately) last around 2-3 hours on max power.

 

[vilguy]

+1 on the keis, i got mine last month and wondered why i didnt buy one of these things years ago! At £88 its a bargain.

 

[Montrose Sun]

That looks like just the job!! excellent! You say though to wear a thinish long sleeved t-shirt but i see its just a body warmer so do your arms still get quite chilly with your long sleeved T and then your jacket?

Also, there is no mention of whether it has a bmw sized plug to go straight into the accesory socket behind my left leg on my GS1200?

 

[John Armstrong]

Comes with a lead that can be attached to the battery. Easy enough to convert it to the BM type plug.

But I'd look to see if the battery option will work for you. A lot less faff getting on the bike, disconnecting the lead, so have to undo the jacket, turn the waiscoat on again do up the jacket etc etc.

 

[kevsky]

do exo also do heated gloves i cant seem to get the web site mate.

 

[STUBBS]

homemade route with a kit from ebay or gerbing

 

[Deleted Member I]

do exo also do heated gloves i cant seem to get the web site mate.

One of the link is wrong. The other 2 will work