I believe there's a socket under the tail. Vets appear to wear a rubber glove when using it, so that might be a sensible precaution.
Heated Vest or Heated Jacket?
- Thread starter RikPing
- Start date
Another one here with a Keis J501.
I had initially bought the vest, but once home tried it on, decided I looked like a tit, so took it back and got the jacket.
Loads of stretch panels on it, and as you are supposed to buy ‘snug’, it is not obtrusive at all. I have a laminate jacket, so no thermal layer, and I worked out that 13degrees outside temp is as low as I can bear without chittering, so it really has extended my riding season.
The only downside is the faffing about when getting back on the bike. the controller resets back to off once you unhook the connection, so it’s straddle bike with jacket unzipped and gloves off, connect, and power up, zip up jacket, put gloves on. All great until you forgot your glasses are still in the topbox ��
Cheers
Dave
I had initially bought the vest, but once home tried it on, decided I looked like a tit, so took it back and got the jacket.
Loads of stretch panels on it, and as you are supposed to buy ‘snug’, it is not obtrusive at all. I have a laminate jacket, so no thermal layer, and I worked out that 13degrees outside temp is as low as I can bear without chittering, so it really has extended my riding season.
The only downside is the faffing about when getting back on the bike. the controller resets back to off once you unhook the connection, so it’s straddle bike with jacket unzipped and gloves off, connect, and power up, zip up jacket, put gloves on. All great until you forgot your glasses are still in the topbox ��
Cheers
Dave
put an extension lead on the jacket so you do not need it open to hook up - you jest need a few cm sticking out from the bottom of the jacket
It’s switching on the controller, which is in its own pocket that is the difficult part. Can you get a ‘double plug’ extension for the controller?
No problem connecting the jacket itself to the bike.
Cheers
Dave
I have a Keis waistcoat. I don't put the controller in the pocket. I have it connected to the jacket fly lead and the bike fly lead the other end. It hooks over the handle on my tank bag so is accessible when riding. I have wrapped a bit of self amalgamating tape around the rubber grommet where the leads enter the controller as this is not waterproof. I can fit a Y piece to the controller output and power my heated insoles as well. Rarely have it off the lowest setting, only maybe for a few minutes on a really cold morning
To all of the people struggling with getting onto a bike, plugging in the power, adjusting the heat, getting off again, hooking up again, re-setting the heat and general faffing about....
1. Extend the flying lead between the bike’s battery / power outlet and the jacket / vest so that you’ll find it easy to plug in and out when sat on the bike
2. Get one of the remote (wireless) heat controllers
https://www.adventurebikewarehouse.com/Keis-Remote-HeatController
It’s the set up I use with my Powerlet RapidFire electric jacket liner, gloves, heated trouser liners and socks, all very easily - I can control the heat of each garment independently of each other, via the remote controller(s) - with no faffing. The Keis remote is all but the same, as is the offering from Gerbing.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k48rksqGFXw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Go forward to 1:24
Got an old Keis / Gerbing that is too bulky and / or cannot accept the remote heat controller and you are faffing or struggling? Easy. Sell it here on UKGSer and treat yourself to a new one.
1. Extend the flying lead between the bike’s battery / power outlet and the jacket / vest so that you’ll find it easy to plug in and out when sat on the bike
2. Get one of the remote (wireless) heat controllers
https://www.adventurebikewarehouse.com/Keis-Remote-HeatController
It’s the set up I use with my Powerlet RapidFire electric jacket liner, gloves, heated trouser liners and socks, all very easily - I can control the heat of each garment independently of each other, via the remote controller(s) - with no faffing. The Keis remote is all but the same, as is the offering from Gerbing.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k48rksqGFXw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Go forward to 1:24
Got an old Keis / Gerbing that is too bulky and / or cannot accept the remote heat controller and you are faffing or struggling? Easy. Sell it here on UKGSer and treat yourself to a new one.
That sounded like it was going to be the ideal solution for me. Unfortunately, it looks like Keis have discontinued them.
Cheers
Dave
OK, how about the Gerbing offerings?
https://gerbing.co.uk/gerbing-remote-for-portable-digital-temperature-controller.html
https://gerbing.co.uk/products.html
Or that from Wam’n’safe...
Mine, from Powerlet / RapidFire, is I think identical to the Warm’n’Safe offering, except my remote controllers (Dual remote control heattroller set, the little box with the two knobs) are powered by the bike, not by batteries. This was an option Powerlet did for a while. I don’t think it would matter too much, as the batteries in the remote controllers will last for months.
I guess you could just buy the dual (or single) control heater set and add it to just about any jacket / vest. If it works, great. If it doesn’t find out why or flog it on EBay. I have an American puffa type jacket, which has a heating element in the back. It is powered by one of those ‘charging brick’ things, as used for mobile phones, attached to a receiver. The heating control (the equivalent of the little box, with the two knobs) is done wirelessly through an app on my iPhone.
Great stuff, I'll have a look at those options. would certainly make just getting on and ride a lot easier!
Thanks
Dave
I've taken Wapping's advice above and have some Gerbing gloves and heated jacket for sale in classifieds if anyone's interested...
Some good posts/responses thank you. So as for the heated vest ..it appears I'll look like a tit and my arms will get cold. That leaves a more modern jacket which is made from thinner material or a heated base layer such as warm n safe. I've now tried on both the Gerbing Jacket and the latest Keis Jacket (but not in anger). For some reason I didn't like collar and sleeves area in the Gerbing, the Keis J501 was more comfortable around the shoulders, felt thinner and didn't notice the collar/sleeves as I did with the Gerbing. I like the idea of being able to wear the jacket as 'a jacket' when off the bike, so that trumps the base layer for me. So the Keis has it, the Keis has it ..unlock.
As a PS, to Wapping and yourself, I emailed Keis today and asked them if they have plans for a remote for the new jackets. They have one in development, which wasn’t ready for this year, but should be on the market next year. I got the impression they were having teething problems with it, but were working on a solution.
Cheers
Dave
Now, that’s funny!
Victor c
Registered user
Wife bought me a Keis V501 heated vest with temp controller for Christmas. After using it over the last couple of days, can’t see how I managed without it! Really impressed with the quality and function, and easily wired direct to bike battery.
the warm n safe jacket will default to half heat setting if the batteries in the remote are dead. I bought a warm n safe jacket and battery powered remote 2 years ago and highly recommend it. The remote takes 2 AA batteries and its a couple of minutes to open the remote and put in new batteries .
Deleted account 210901001
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Thanks for the advice.
Funnily enough I got a jacket yesterday so I think I will sell my waistcoat shortly despite only using it about 4 times.
Thanks again
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Funnily enough I got a jacket yesterday so I think I will sell my waistcoat shortly despite only using it about 4 times.
Thanks again
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
macmanx
Registered user
Looking at getting a Keis Vest, just wondering if it's worth purchasing the Cigarette Lighter / DIN Supply Lead or just wire it direct to the battery with the supplied cable? Also, as a rugby prop build, would anyone actually drop a size as recommended? I know they're meant to be worn 'snug', but I don't want to look like a badly stuffed sausage off the bike.
Victor c
Registered user
I have one and it is easy to direct wire to the battery. I think if you were to daisy chain other items to it, you may exceed the 5 amp output of the GS din socket.
I went one size down and it fits me nicely over a micro fleece top.
Try J and S. they were throwing in a free heat controller before Christmas.
I went one size down and it fits me nicely over a micro fleece top.
Try J and S. they were throwing in a free heat controller before Christmas.
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