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Mal103
21-11-13, 10:17 PM
Its that time of year where fingers are freezing, i've just bought some handlebar muffs and tried them today but have heard mixed reviews. I ended up taking the left one off as until i fit it properly it kept pushing my choke on. Will have to cut slots for mirrors and cables before they are a snug fit.
I find that my fingers numb more on the faster routes so thought that cutting the wind chill would help, i noticed that trial bikes have a kind of guard that fits in front of the lever, is there a wind deflecting version of these as not totally comfy with putting my hands into these muffs. Keep it clean... ;)

wheelers
21-11-13, 10:29 PM
you can get various height lever guards/brush guards. you probably want the higher mx type. they also come with slits in more for warmer conditions. not too expensive aftermarket ones to try or you can get the dearer specialist branded ones you can fit if you get on with them

shiftyblake
21-11-13, 10:48 PM
I used muffs once and burned a clutch out on a brand new Honda. I brought a pair of Bergin heated gloves imported from Canada. They are fantastic, used them for years now.

Birdylegs
21-11-13, 11:06 PM
I got wool gloves under my leather ones still chilly

andysmith91
22-11-13, 12:11 AM
Ever considered after market heated grips ? My pan has them fitted as standard equipment and they are superb. A friend at work has the aftermarket ones and says they are something he should have put on years ago. Tech-7 digital ones from M&P are under £40

Jon_W
22-11-13, 09:16 AM
Try pure silk gloves under your winter bike gloves.

Marmalade
22-11-13, 11:23 AM
If you buy tucano urbano muffs you don't have to cut anything and they cannot press on your levers.


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On the road to nowhere

Wes
22-11-13, 06:05 PM
Oxford heated grips are good, cant fit brushguards or muffs on the blade, theres no room.

Marmalade
22-11-13, 06:08 PM
Roxtor grips are under £30 and made by Oxford, just half the price.

Tucano muffs will go on a blade. I had some on all my bikes including a cbr and Gsxr.


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On the road to nowhere

8_ball
22-11-13, 09:23 PM
an old oil container cut out to fit both sides and cable ties around the bars, cheap as chips

Killer Rat
23-11-13, 08:13 PM
If you buy tucano urbano muffs you don't have to cut anything and they cannot press on your levers.


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On the road to nowhere


^This, i'm loving mine right now and suffer no whitefinger at 5am over 21 miles.

Ducatista
26-11-13, 05:13 PM
I didn't like the Oxford Muffs I bought. They were in my mirrors and obscuring my observation.
I got on better with heated gloves (I have Keiss inner gloves), oh and a waistcoat too.

Rabb
26-11-13, 05:22 PM
I didn't like the Oxford Muffs I bought. They were in my mirrors and obscuring my observation.
I got on better with heated gloves (I have Keiss inner gloves), oh and a waistcoat too.

I've got Keis outer gloves and a waistcoat too - I get too hot and have to turn them off!!
Definitely recommended.

Mal103
26-11-13, 08:51 PM
I have fitted the muffs - had to cut them about a bit but they now fit snug and don't get in the way. I even put small holes either side of the cuts and sewed button holes into them and threaded cable ties through to keep them in place.
Also got some new inner gloves that seem okay but hands still cold, come to realise that my "winter" gloves need replacing and if it's still too cold after that then heated grips/gloves are next.
If my commute was under 30 mins I would be fine but near 40 mins and things are getting numb!

Killer Rat
28-11-13, 10:56 AM
Word of warning guys, my mechanic (keith master-tec) recommends not to mess with honda electrics or any bike electrics for that matter with adding additional electrical load.

Recently forked out for new rectifier and magneto all becuase of some tiny 1.5w DRL's fitted under main headlight. Heated grips i find a big gimmick. If you are the type of biker that likes to rest his clutch hand by taking it off the grip, the heated grip then becomes useless in the cold wind and will take sometime to warm up again.

Just a few points to consider, like i say before my set-up of urbano fleece muffs and summer gloves does the job over my 21 mile trip to work at 5am and im perfectly able to roll a ciggie as soon as i dismount. Win.

Marmalade
28-11-13, 06:37 PM
60,000 miles on a pan European with heated grips, insoles and jacket plus sat nav and phone chargers and not a glimpse of trouble.
Nor on the others before it.

As for a gimmick, you want to try the odd 350 mile ride back from Paris during darkness in the middle of winter. Some people are just full of fairy stories.


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On the road to nowhere

andysmith91
29-11-13, 08:37 AM
Such an odd recommendation from a master mechanic ? My pan has loads of after market goodies fitted...no problems in over six years with any of it. Smaller machine may well have limited options ,but anyone with electrickery expience should be able to work out if any bike would struggle to run something, problems usually are the result of a bad installation . Today's alarm and immobiliser systems fitted to vehicles often prove to be more of a barrier to fitting extra stuff rather than the stuff it's self. Often easier to dissuade the idea than go down that long and lonely road ;-)

Killer Rat
29-11-13, 09:52 AM
When you put it like that Andy, i guess Keith was talking balls. Good mechanic, but the advice he gives is a bit harsh and likes bikes to stay as they are.

Ducatista
29-11-13, 10:31 AM
my mechanic (keith master-tec) recommends not to mess with honda electrics or any bike electrics for that matter with adding additional electrical load

Sounds a bit odd to me too.
I know plenty of riders who have heated waistcoats, gloves, insoles, seats, satnavs etc.

But I do operate my gloves from a battery. One of the reasons is to avoid loading the bike (or use the bike for something else like a waistcoat), another reason is that you aren't attached to the bike and the third reason is that you can then use the gloves fishing/cycling/walking/watching the rugby etc.

andysmith91
29-11-13, 11:11 PM
Slave power source is a good call :-) also leaves the loom intact if you want to swop anything over to a new ride ;-)