Heated clothing

[Andrew Falanga]

Hi,

 

I can't seem to find the post I made here, nearly back when I joined, about the cost of heated clothing. Maybe I didn't post here but a usenet newsgroup, I don't recall now.

 

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone here might have a good site, on-line, where one can buy heated clothing. Also, when I originally asked, someone posted back with a link to a place on a Honda Goldwing site, for purchasing the materials to make one's own heated vest/coat/whatever. Would someone here have that link, or one like it?

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Andy

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Hi Andy,

 

I don't remember your post, but I do know that my Gerbing's Jacket is almost the best bit of gear I've ever bought.

 

http://gerbing.com

 

 

 

[tomk99r11]

Motorcycle Closeouts has heated gear also. First Gear is now the main line they carry but they also had Gerbings.

[moshe_levy]

Hi Andrew-

 

I just finished testing 5 major brands of heated gear against each other for MCN (April issue, coming out within days). In my experience, I'd recommend you forgo buying online and buy from a local business. The reason is fitment - the brands all run wildly different from each other in their sizing - sometimes 2 sizes - though most offer good and accurate sizing charts online to help. In general, their online pricing to buy direct is identical to the pricing at the local dealer, so I'd go there, and actually try things on to check for proper fit before purchase.

 

-MKL

[ESokoloff]

http://www.warmnsafe.com/

 

A quick Google check for heated gear DIY returned these....

 

http://www.mototour.us/technical/electricclothes.htm

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-heated-clothing/

 

http://home.mebtel.net/~rbutterfield/Heat.html

 

[Bullett]

Andy, contact Jeff at Motorcycle R and R in Salt Lake. He is liquidating his inventory to close his doors. He carries Warm-n-Safe and had quite a few jackets yesterday afternoon at 30% off. Linky

[RedMac]

I actually have a Venture heated jacket liner. I picked it up at the Motorcycle show last year and was quite happy with it last season.

 

I *really* used it during the Harvest Rally in Brainerd in October. When the rally started it was raining and about 38 out. Jacket kept me toasty all day long.

 

http://www.ventureheat.com/12v-heated-gear/12v-heated-jacket-liner.html

 

I got a greal deal at the show (175 I think with the controller) and I see they are 199 now. No long term data on them yet but I figured I'd give it try given the price. Similar to the new Gerbing, you can't feel any wires inside.

 

I will say that Gerbing is probably the best out there. They certainly honor their warranty. Venture also has a lifetime warranty on the heating elements for their jackets, but no idea if they will push you on the warranty if say the connector is bad (Gerbing will replace it). I guess I figured I'd take a chance on saving $125 over the Gerbing.

 

If you get the wrong size with Gerbing you can send it back for the correct size and only pay shipping.

[JR356]

http://www.12voltclothing.com/

 

http://www.warmnsafe.com/

 

I'm a Warm n Safe fan.

 

 

JR356

[Andrew Falanga]

Thanks everyone. Especially for the links. I'm looking forward to not freezing this year. :-)

[tomk99r11]

FWIW, I like my Gerbings and Tourmaster liners. There are differences in controls which will be obvious if you check them out. I have Gerbing gloves which can be used with either liner. Did buy a dual controller for the gloves but so far the liner controller has worked at keeping glove temps confortable without the liner being too warm. Most people seem to swear by what they have so if you can you might ask a buddy to let you try their liner. Do check out the sizing recommendations though if you order something on-line. On-line vs local dealer is a choice we all make.

[JR356]

If you go with Warm n Safe,mention you are a BMWST member,should entitle you to a discount.

 

JR356

[ed may]

Ok, since we're on the subject, I just bought the tourmaster heated jacket liner and gloves. There is a warning stating you shouuld hook up the gear to the bike before even keying on to avoid voltage spikes that can ruin both clothing and bike electronics. It's a little confusing, do they mean hook up but don't turn on clothing, then start bike, then turn on clothing? Has anyone had a problem with this? Any comments?

[Hank in WV]

ed may, I've been using a Tourmaster jacket for two years now. I've never made any particular effort to hook-up and start in any particular order and have had no troubles to date.

[moshe_levy]

Ed-

 

I just tested Tourmaster gear for MCN - didn't notice that warning on anything. Can you report the exact wording of the warning so we can attempt to clarify?

 

-MKL

[tomk99r11]

I do what ever fits my start. Sometimes hook up and then start the bike, sometimes vice versa. No problem over the 3 yrs or so with the Synergy.

[BeemerLover]

Andy, I made my own heated jacket and, while it does work, the time I spent finding the right wire, calculating the proper resistance per foot for the length of wire I needed, figuring out the pattern to run the wire versus the length of wire needed, getting the wire in the garment, figuring out the connector to use and building a pwm was certainly not worth the effort.

 

Gael

[ESokoloff]

....building a pwm was certainly not worth the effort....

 

I wonder if this would be

[pokorskij]

Attached is the warning from a pair of Gerbing's T5 heated gloves.

 

"Always start your bike prior to plugging in your heated gear! Always unplug your heated gear prior to turning off your bike!

 

See attached file.

[tomk99r11]

Settles that question. Thanks, I will have to be more attentive. Hard to do though as old fartitis sets in.

[ed may]

I think i will just start the bike, then plug in and turn on the clothing. Does anyone know if the acc. port will handle the jacket and gloves together? They would draw 9 amps together on full. This is what it states. WARNING: Shut off the vehicle’s motor and remove the ignition key before

connecting Synergy™ garments to the Synergy™ power lead. Failure to do so

may create a power surge that could damage the vehicle’s circuitry and the

garment’s heating elements.

 

[Peter Parts]

snip

The reason is fitment - the brands all run wildly different from each other in their sizing - sometimes 2 sizes - though most offer good and accurate sizing charts online to help. In general, their online pricing to buy direct is identical to the pricing at the local dealer, so I'd go there, and actually try things on to check for proper fit before purchase.

 

-MKL

 

That goes double for gloves and esp. Gerbings has changed policy on fitting. That doesn't mean you can't communicate sizes, but you just can't rely on the standard size nomenclature.

 

I always plug in first and start bike next. The drain is pretty trivial even for cold batteries although if you have a switch, might as well keep it off until after bike is on unless really cold out.

 

Aside from general distastefullness of idling bike, if clothing and parts are unswitched, you do some harm to connectors through sparking or crude plugging movements.

 

About close-out clothing, you have connectors to think about and some brands and pieces are wired as 6v in series and others always 12v parallel.

[EffBee]

Attached is the warning from a pair of Gerbing's T5 heated gloves.

 

"Always start your bike prior to plugging in your heated gear! Always unplug your heated gear prior to turning off your bike!

 

See attached file.

This was included in Gerbing Heated Clothing based on some problems that arose with the BMW CANbus system when it was first introduced. Since there are many bikes still out there with that first generation CANbus software, the warning continues to be included with Gerbing's items.

 

This type of warning should probably be included with any brand of heated clothing, as the manufacturer doesn't matter. The current draw does. It should also be included with any accessory that draws close to the CANbus/ZFE limit of 5 amps, and is designed to be powered from the OEM accessory port.

[ed may]

HELP! Ok, so I was all ready to go this morning, bike running, and plugged jacket and glove combo into the acc. port with the tourmaster adapter. Lights lit up for a blink, and then nothing. I checked for voltage at the port on the bike and nothing. Guess i popped a fuse. The jacket and liner draw almost 10 amps on high, which is the setting it starts on. is that to much for that port? Also, first time using this stuff, the heat controller for the gloves is ommited when hooking them to the jacket right? I guess the jacket controller controlls both? That was the only way it would plug in. Anybody using this combo?

[T__]

Ed, if this is on your 06 1200RT there is no actual fuse.. That bike has an electronic control module that controls current on your accessory outlets (not CanBus related).. That module (called a ZFE module) has a built in circuit breaker that trips at either 5 amps or 10 amps (not sure on when/what built date the change from 5 to 10 amps took place).. If you simply shut the key off for a short time then re-start the engine the ZFE circuit breaker will automatically re-set..

 

If your heated gear draws 9 amps that would probably be at 12 or 14 volts.. Assuming the watts stays the same (why wouldn’t it) that would be 10.8 amps draw at 10 volts during engine cranking or other high current draw times with brakes on & engine idling..

 

Even if your bike has the later 10 amp outlets,, using heated gear that draws 9 amps (nominal) is too close to the circuit breaker limit to use successfully for all operational circumstances..

 

You should probably think about either direct wiring a higher amp capacity 15 amp fused outlet or just adding a direct 15 amp fused pig tail to your battery for heated gear usage..

 

Twisty

 

[ed may]

Thanks Twisty, I had a fealing you would respond with the perfect explanation, THANK YOU. I will wire directly to the batt.

[ed may]

Ok, but can anyone answer the question on the way the gloves hook up?

[BeemerLover]

Eric, that is the PWM I used! I have two of them, one for gloves, one for jacket. Note that they sell a box to put it in! Great product.

 

 

[pjw73nh]

While I highly respect Moshe and his knowledge, I did want to add one thing that may be of value when selecting heated clothing. As Moshe says, fitment is the critical issue. I went to my local BMW dealer and tried on a Gerbings jacket liner. There were two numbers listed on mine. I think chest and sleeve. In either case, the numbers were no where NEAR what my general clothing measurements were.

 

I was able to select a jacket that fit me pretty well. I later discovered that fitment of the jacket is EXTREMELY crucial in heat transfer. It has to fit close, but not be restrictive. Mine was not close enough. AND my size (width) fluctuates a bit seasonally.

 

At first I went to the fabric store and purchased a length of 6 inch wide elastic fabric like what might be on the top of a pair of U-Trou or a coat sleeve wrist. I sewed some "hook & loop" fastener on the ends and made (essentially) a wide elastic belt that I would put over the coat around my chest area to hold the jacket closer to me.

 

I finally got fed up with it and called Gerbings to ask what I could do about the sizing. They told me to send it in to them with a photo of myself that detailed my measurements. Neck, sleeve, chest, waist, shoulder etc. They also asked for I think it was $15 for Fedex shipping. I receved my jacket back in about 2-3 weeks. It was a PERFECT fit.

 

So I guess my point is that either way (online or in-store), you may end up with a size that isn't perfect, and may have to send it off anyway. That is IF you get a Gerbings. I have no experience with any other heated clothing manufacturer so it would be unfair of me to comment.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Paul.../NH

 

 

[ed may]

ok, a little FYI, I just spoke to tourmaster, the tourmaster gloves hook right to the sleeve connectors as i thought. You do ommit the glove heater in this hookup. The jacket controller controlls both this way. If you want seperate glove control, you would NOT connect the gloves to the jacket sleaves. You would plug gloves into glove controller and hook up to batt.+ This would give gloves and jacket seperate control.

[moshe_levy]

Ed-

 

Yes, you beat me to it, as I was just going to chime in on this. You're right in the hookup - This is how I tested Tourmaster for MCN. The integrated controllers are a nifty feature!

 

-MKL

[Swag]

How did the Tourmaster work out, I looked at the jacket today and really liked it.

[ed may]

very nice system. Jacket nicely made, nice fit with slight turtle neck. Gloves very nice, soft leather, not to bulky, long gauntlet, 2 velcro areas, one for wrist and 1 for gauntlet. They seem to be about the same temp when 1 controller is used. I could see the advantage of having seperate controllers at times, but too much wires and stuff. Only used combo once, but was warm on low, it was 38F out.

[Selden]

The latest MCN has a review of heated liners, vests, and gloves. I'm quite intrigued by the EXO2 Stormrider vest and controller.