Heated glove recommendations

[Ducatista]

I am thinking of buying some heated gloves and I'm lokoing at these.

http://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/product/exo2-stormshield-heated-gloves/551

Does anyone have any comments or recommendations?
I believe these will hook into my optimate cable (my battery in under the tank and takes a few hours to get to so that's important).

[Davey]

They were doing some in the honda shop so assume they were Rukka but they were highly rated - sorry I don't know costs etc

[Snowy]

I am thinking of buying some heated gloves and I'm lokoing at these.

http://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/product/exo2-stormshield-heated-gloves/551

Does anyone have any comments or recommendations?
I believe these will hook into my optimate cable (my battery in under the tank and takes a few hours to get to so that's important).

I don't know about those Lisa but they pull 1.2amps so as well as needing a correct cable connector for your lead they need an inline fuse of the correct rating. I use Powerlet heated gear which is very similar to Gerbing. Does your Duke have an accessory socket as thats another option for power?

[Ducatista]

No such luck.
The battery is difficult to get to, so the good dealers fit an optimate cable for you.

A couple of people on the monster owners forum use the stormshield gloves frm the optimate.

[Snowy]

If it was me I would take the hit, get to the battery and fit a fused accessory socket. Then you have loads of options. Then your beautiful Duke would need some panniers to carry around all the gear around with you that will never be needed. ;D :o

[bubblylittleme]

I've got Klan gloves. Had them 2 winters now and great
Also wear Klan heated waistcoat at same time.
Never had problem with both running straight from battery with individual fuses.

[hotdog]

Hi Lisa,

The optimate lead is simply a direct connection to the battery and depending on which lead they fitted may already be fused. Providing it's a genuine Optimate lead it will handle the 1.2 Amps without issue. You can plug directly into it, but as Graham said, better be safe than sorry and make sure either the Optimate lead already has an in line fuse or fit one in the lead to the gloves.

However... I personally think heated grips are a much better option. Then you have the flexibility to switch gloves should a pair get wet or something.

Regards,

[Mitch9128]

Heated gloves/heated grips, both treat the symptoms and not the cause. Get a heated vest and keep your core temp up, no need for gloves or grips, leaving you free to ride with non bulky gloves or grips.

[Ducatista]

I personally think heated grips are a much better option

I already have heated grips.
I love em, but they are not sufficient for me if it's 6 degrees and I did do some good rideouts last year in the cold.
I'm also hoping to become a tutor (no, not an observer) soon which means that rides are arranged in advanced and there's no wimping out if it's a bit on the chilly/damp side.


Then you have the flexibility to switch gloves should a pair get wet or something.

True. But with gloves you can also use them on another bike (and I get to ride another one very occassionally).


Get a heated vest and keep your core temp up, no need for gloves or grips

My core temp is fine.
I have heated grips, glove liners etc. but sometimes my hands are so cold that several of my fingers are completely white with a clear lack of blood flow.
One of the reasons that heated grips don't work so well with my fingertips are that my hands don't wrap right round the grips. My fingertips hang down so they are free to get to the levers.
So if I'm cold, I'm concentrating on getting my fingers lined up and wrapping them right round to get them warm, rather than concentrating on the road and my riding.

I also have some of those huge mit things. They are good for warmth, but they are very bulky and fill my mirrors and interfere with my observation. They also push back on the levers at higher speeds.

[StreetHippo]

I ride all year as the Strom is my car :o
I have heated grips and hand guards which work well, but I still get cold hands on really cold days. As has been mentioned you need to keep your core temp well up as this will allow warm blood to flow to your extremities, the other thing is investing in some really good waterproof/windproof gloves as removing windchill is important.
I looked at the Exo kit last year and was impressed (mainly with their vest).

Stu 8-)

[Mitch9128]

You're missing the point here, if your core temp was fine your extremeties i.e. fingers would be fine, a symptom of your core temp not being fine is cold fingers. Get a vest and forget about treating a symptom, but curing the cause of it.

[Ducatista]

Thanks for your advice, but I'm struggling to be convinced about that.

I have been cycling before in cold weather and you can still have problems with your extremities in near freezing temperatures when you are sweating and needing to remove clothing.

But it certainly something to think about, so I will give it some thought. Thanks.

[Mitch9128]

Consulting a basic human physiology textbook would show you how the body's temperature control systems work. The reason your fingers get cold is because the lack of efficiency of your body's insulation and the inability to maintain the core temperature by stoking up the metabolism means that the core temperature starts to drop. Then peripheral circulation is shut down to keep the important bits (like your brain!) working for as long as possible, and the warming blood that should be flowing out down your arms to your fingers is restricted. Ultimately of course, you get frost bite. Having hot grips CANNOT get the blood flowing if core temperature has dropped, the heat applied to your hands just makes the nerves feel nice and warm. You'll still chill from your hands and feet (so hot grips, muffs, rubber gloves, plastic milk containers all help), but if you can keep the core temp up, you WILL keep the blood flowing. So a heated vest treats the disease, the heated grips the symptom.

[Snowy]

Consulting a basic human physiology textbook would show you how the body's temperature control systems work. The reason your fingers get cold is because the lack of efficiency of your body's insulation and the inability to maintain the core temperature by stoking up the metabolism means that the core temperature starts to drop. Then peripheral circulation is shut down to keep the important bits (like your brain!) working for as long as possible, and the warming blood that should be flowing out down your arms to your fingers is restricted. Ultimately of course, you get frost bite. Having hot grips CANNOT get the blood flowing if core temperature has dropped, the heat applied to your hands just makes the nerves feel nice and warm. You'll still chill from your hands and feet (so hot grips, muffs, rubber gloves, plastic milk containers all help), but if you can keep the core temp up, you WILL keep the blood flowing. So a heated vest treats the disease, the heated grips the symptom.


Agreed to a point. There are other factors involved other than just core temperature such as the individual and their circulation, wind chill factors, duration of exposure etc. I have a full heated jacket liner which not only heats the body but also arms (to the wrist) and neck. I still get a cold nose, fingers and toes even if I'm overheating my core temperature. In my case this is not caused by a lack of core temperature, more a lack of circulation which conducts energy and therefore heat around the bodies extremeties. It can be a viscious circle as if the body feels cold extremes, it goes into a "shock" mode, starting with shivering (to generate energy) and will start to shut down circulation to concentrate on the the vital organs. Fingers and toes are not vital as far as your body is concerned.

Frostbite sufferers quite often have not experienced a drop in core temperature, but their internal heating circulation has been overcome due to extremes and duration of low temperatures at their extremeties.

[Morticia]

I, like Sue, have Klan. I don't know whether it was bad luck or the fact that i ride every day, but they didn't last long. Got a new pair from them free of charge though, as they were still under guarantee. So top marks for service! Not sure about quality though, will let you know at the end of this winter ;D

[bubblylittleme]

I have tried wearing just my waistcoat without the gloves and doesnt work for me. Need the gloves! Maybe its a woman thing lol
I also have heated grips which dont work for me as I also keep hand open for levers.

[Ducatista]

Thanks for the comments.
There is another option that I might try which is these handguards.

http://www.barkbusters.net/

Lurkalot has some knuckle guards on his fairing and he says they make a huge difference.

I appreciate what Mitch is saying about core temperature but there are definitely some localised problems that need adressing.

My bike is aircooled which means that my feet are sweaty and sometimes my left leg feels like I'm going to spontaneously combust.
So if you ever see me jump off my bike in traffic then now you know why.
If I roll around in the grass as well and there's smoke coming off, then that's a bad sign ;)

[CBRowner]

Aldi do heated gloves now and then which is where I bought mine from. They only set me back £39 and I think they're awsome.

I've also used a pair of issued close contact gloves inside a thicker pair of winter gloves and have found they do the same. If you let me know your glove size, I'll see if I can get a pair of close contact gloves from work or I may have a pair at home [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

But layering up may be a better, cheaper option than paying loads for winter attachments to your bike [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Mitch9128]

If it's motorway where you suffer then hand guards would definately help, as the wind chill would affect to some degree. Have you given these http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/6_144/products_id/3688 any thought, they keep 2 fingers together and this helps keep the fingers warm, they really do work.

[BB]

If it's motorway where you suffer then hand guards would definately help, as the wind chill would affect to some degree. Have you given these http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/6_144/products_id/3688 any thought, they keep 2 fingers together and this helps keep the fingers warm, they really do work.

Ghost has a pair of these and thinks they are magic. He commutes just under 70 miles each way all year round. :o

BB

[Morticia]

You're missing the point here, if your core temp was fine your extremeties i.e. fingers would be fine, a symptom of your core temp not being fine is cold fingers. Get a vest and forget about treating a symptom, but curing the cause of it.

I only use gloves, and they work for me. I will get a vest one of this winters, don't get me wrong, I can never be to hot, but the gloves sure do a very good job.

[ro]

This £23 DIY heated jacket kit (http://heat4jackets.com/) looks interesting. I reckon it could also be easily adapted to heat other item(s) of clothing.

[Mitch9128]

Similar to that, there is a DIY heated seat kit on Ebay, nothing beats roasted nuts at this time of year :o

[Ducatista]

Just thought I'd come back and update the thread.

I did get the handguards and they look really cool. I've had loads of comments on them.

http://www.barkbusters.net/products/82.html

I've also got some Keis heated gloves.
http://www.motorcycle-road-and-race.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=649&products_id=406532

These work really well as the heated material runs down each side of each finger and around the fingertip so I have found them much better for fingers than heated grips.
I have a battery which I put in my inside jacket pocket. I also have a cable to the optimate connection on the bike. I haven't used that yet and it obviously requires a cable to run from your jacket to the bike whereas my portable battery means I'm not actually attached to the bike.

As an aside, I am pretty sure I have this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud%27s_phenomenon
Less extreme than those photos in terms of the extent but exactly that problem.
I even get it when driving on a cold steering wheel.
The Keis gloves sort this problem as long as the battery doesn't run out.
I like the portable battery system as I can use it for cycling and even watching the rugby on a cold day.

I am going to get the waistcoat as I'm impressed with the gloves.

[StreetHippo]

I got myself the Keiss waistcoat for Christmas, it's lush!!!
Did look at the gloves, but with the waistcoat I've not felt the need.

Stu