Start Thinking About Keeping Warm
- Thread starter bjryman
- Start date
Randall K. Wilson
Junior Member
Almost time again. Time to start thinking about keeping warm as the temperatures go down.
Last year I used Chaps and Leathers, then switched to "insulated overpants" and added chemical heaters to my gloves and boots. All with mixed success.
This year I'm thinking of going all the way with the HD electrically heated gloves, pants and vest. I have the gloves and added the harness to the battery. Manual says that if I use all three pieces I need to consitently run at 3,000 rpms or use the turn off switch I installed.
My question is....has anyone actually used the heated clothes, and if so, did they last? I intend to ride this year, again, to work every day that the temp is above 35 degrees and there is no snow on the ground. Here in Central Indiana that is about 75% of the time during winter.
What say yea guys and gals? and please don't call me a wimp, I just have sensitive skin:bigsmiley11:
BJ
Tidings. I live near you in Morristown IN. In the past I just used multi layers and Heavy Harley Leather gauntlet gloves with glove liners. OK until you get down below 35 degrees. Then my hands get cold (I'm on a Roadking, just a windshield).
Hence last year I elected to buy the H-D jacket Liner and Heated leather gloves. That way you daisy chain from the sleeves of the Jacket liner to the heated gloves...then plug the Jacket liner into the pig tail bolted directly to the battery under the seat. I used them some and really liked them.
I tried them out on the Hangover Rally January first. It was 19 degrees when I left home and 13 degrees when I got back home late that evening. Now my hands don't get hot by any means. But without these heated gear riding items, I would not have been able to make the ride with getting frost bitten fingers. And that is not a good thing when you are a musician and you have to play at Church on Sunday morning.
So my vote is I recommend the HD heated gloves and heated jacket liner. IF you buy these at South Side HD, make sure you get all of the cords. Sometimes they separate the cords from the merchandise when it is out on the shelf...to avoid theivery. So just make sure you get all the cord stuff.
Now for my lower extremities...When it is real cold I wear long johns, blue jeans, and then HD leather Jeans/pants over the blue jeans. (better than chaps...covers everything!) I took these leather jeans to Sunny Alterations on South Emerson near Thompson. She sewed some zippers (about 12 inches long) in the lower legs of my leather jeans. Hence I can take these leather jeans off and on without taking off my riding boots. The zippers I got a Lanwerlen Leather on S. Illinois and South St.
All of these items add up to a lot of money...:newsmile093::newsmile093:but hopefully I will get more riding in and Stay warm to boot....:small3d026:
Remember water freezes at 32 degrees...so beware of icy spots.:newsmile100:
Hope some of this helps.
BluntForce
New Member
Comfort starts with a good base layer. Cotton sucks! Merino wool is the way to go. I wear Helly Hansen Hurricane wind proof shirt and pants, and smart wool socks.
Lancer
Junior Member
Hey Top, your right about that! I did a little cold weather time. Don't miss it at all. Been snowed on in July (Alaska North Slope) Did a year in the Land of the Frozen Chosen. But after Trinidad for 3 years I don't believe I'll ever get the wife any further north than Orlando. :dknow
(Alaska North Slope) Did a year in the Land of the Frozen Chosen. But after Trinidad for 3 years I don't believe I'll ever get the wife any further north than Orlando. :dknowflh canuck
Active Member
Hahaha, yah know, on second thought skip my previous suggestion.
Grab your gear, fuel up the bike, point it south, and keep going until you reach Florida or Texas or Arizona or Southern California...
With all this talk about global warming, I was hoping the climate in Canada might warm up quite nicely but no luck so far. I think I might just hang onto that electric vest for a bit longer.....:CANADA
Brrrrr, time to go stoke the woodstove..
WHM1
Junior Member
Admire you guts to ride with shorts and flip-flops. I have been riding motorcycles since 1971 and now will never ride without at least a pair of jeans and always boots. Just this year (JUNE ) we rode from NC to the Florida Keys and back up around the gulf coast to Destin and back through Alabama and Georgia to NC.It does not get much hotter than that! I have enough scars and memory of muffler burns than I could not get on a bike with long pants. Seen to many people at Myrtle Beach slide across the pavement in shorts and flip-flops and scrape all the skin off their legs. Admittedly I will wear jeans and a t-shirt but that is about as much risk I will take. After all it is not my riding that scares me it the other idiots that talk on the cell phone and eat while driving that I am afraid off. All of my close call have been with vehicles and not other bikers!!
WHM1
Junior Member
I don't ride in shorts and flip flops. (IMO thats dumb) I ride in jeans, boots, and a T-shirt with a vest. I do however keep my shorts and flip flops in the tour pack.
That's COOL... we do the same. As soon as we reach our daily destination, a quick shower and on with the shorts and flip-flops. During our Key West trip, every afternoon we took an afternoon cool off in the pool with some cold drinks and talked about the day's ride and decided where to the next day.
Does anybody have any links to good gear for winter riding. The Harley gloves I bought don't really help even though Harley claims there good for winter riding. And not nearly as water resistent as they claim. Also I wear a full face Vegas Helmet (Altura) and the cold freezing air comes under the mask and waters my eye's. Any advise for that?
I have the Gerbing G3 heated gloves and they are awesome.
gerbings.com - Your Heated Jackets Gloves Accessories Source
gerbings.com - Your Heated Jackets Gloves Accessories Source