Heated grips
 

Any recommendations for decent heated grips, preferably with variable temp control?

I experienced them for the first time on a chilly morning test ride last week.
Fantastic! I almost bought the bike for the grips alone!

So now I've got to have them. Any opinions on which are best?

BMW vs Oxford
 

Well, there are a load of threads at the bottom of this one when I opened it, and they are all discussing various aspects of heated grips.

My wifes' 650GS has the BMW version, which are not cheap (from memory, they were about £200 as an optional extra on the new bike) - I am appreciating them now that the weather is getting colder. :rolleyes2:

I have just ordered some Oxford grips for my bike - they are cheap enough that I don't really care how they compare with the Beemer version but they have a good reputation anyway with those I have talked with; especially this years version which has a new control switch which is much more weather resistant than the older version (according to the hearsay anyway).

Cheers Dave, (was that the fastest reply ever? I only went out to make a cuppa)!

I did a quick search of this forum but I didn't find anything brand-specific.

The Oxford grips look a good deal 'tho, maybe you could post a review when you get yours fitted?

Cheers again,

Angus.

I've got the Oxford grips. They are the best independents I have had (have had two other types-can't remember names). The Oxford temp control and on/off switch isn't the prettiest thing you'll ever fit on your bike, but it works. Note that the effectiveness is also linked to how well your fairing/handgaurds work. I had a pair on a Honda VFR 750 and they were good and hot - moved them over to a naked bike and they weren't so good. Obvious really, but something to consider. Make sure (you've probably thought of this anyway) that you take your power from a switched supply so you can't leave them on when you leave the bike. Best bike accessory you can buy.

Vince Strang M/C in Australia
 

Vince Strang in Australia - vsm@northnet.com.au has a great set of heated grips. Easy to install, reliable and good price, well under $100Aus. Has high and low seetings. Have a set on my DR. :cool4: all the best Brian B:thumbup1:

yep i have the oxford heated grips and so does me dad, very good, never drain the battery, give good heat, comfy. The bad thing i have about them are that they are not that long and have a large rib of rubber at the end of the grip. This means people with bigger hands (like me) find the end of your hand sits on this rib. Its not the end of the world but can be annoying sometimes.

Compaired to my old honda heated grips on a Deauville these are like cookers. They produce alot more heat and heat up quickier. Also the heat controller box can be changed indivdually so if any problems with it buy a new one, where as with my dads old honda ones the controller wents so all the grips and everything had to go. Unlucky.

For the price i would buy them again and fit them to any bike.

Oxford grips
 

The Oxford heated grips on my DR are the best things I've ever bought, ever. Never owned a bike with heated grips before (used to pick on people that had them...), but think these things definently helped me do more kilometers per day crossing Russia and Monglia than any other mod I can think of. I ended up riding Vladivostok to Tyumen via Mongolia in normal Smith motorcross gloves (not water or wind proof) as I lost my Dainese winter gloves in Japan! I managed to ride a few days in the rain and do a number of water crossings in Mongolia that without heated grips would have been hell. They really throw out some heat!
BUT, I think that a few modifications are needed. I had problems with the electrical connectors between the grips and the controller. They are bullet type connectors that seem to spred apart and loose contact with constant vibration, I had to squash the female side together a couple of times when one grip stopped working. Easy enough to do, but now that I know I would have changed the connectors or proberly got rid of the connector completely and hard wired them in. I also had a problem with the fuse/fuse holder. I think the vibration killed the fuse, but not having a spare with me I cut the holder out and joined the wires. I DO NOT recommend this though, ya might wake up one sunny Mongolian morning to a burnt out wreck that was your bike. I intend to change the fuse and holder to a normal blade fuse instead of the mini blade fuse they come with, in my experience these hold up to vibration a bit better and carry a spare! Also be careful of where you mount all the connectors and fuse holder, I was careful enough about this but it may have contributed to the probelms I had. On paved roads I don't think you would experience any of these problems.
Interested to know if other people have had these problems.....

fixed or velcro
 

On the subject of heated grips I like the look of the velcro on type. Are they any good ? My BMW has them built in but I want to be able to have something thats removable for summer use.:scooter:

Thought about them
 

The idea did not appeal to me, but I have never seen them fitted to any bike - they would be very bulky in use (and I like very good feel of the controls with thin palms to my gloves) and you still need a wiring loom to be fitted with a switch, so nothing saved there.

Thanks everybody for the input, looks like Oxford get the vote.

Good advice on wiring/fuses too, I'll keep that in mind.

Hot hands here I come!

Cheers all.

Take a look at these:

Buy Symtec Heated Grip Kit|Motorcycle Tank Bags, Luggage, Panniers, Tail Bags, Seat Bags, Enduro Bags, for Aprilia, Benelli, BMW, Buell, Cagiva, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Suzuki, Triumph, Yamaha, Off Road, Enduro motorcycles

Just binned my Oxfords after the controller died and fitted these by Symtec.
Cheaper than Oxfords, but a bit more hassle to fit. Very neat 2 position controller and seem to give off a similar amount of heat.
One advantage is you fit them under a normal grip - the Oxfords are quite thick and bulky.

If your BMW has heated grips do not take them off and put the velcro things over normal grips. I have a pair of the velcro rubbish kicking around my garage somewhere. They are the worst things I ever bought. They were bulky and lost ALL heat when you got up above 30mph. My Tiger has proper heated grips and I love them. They're the 2nd best biking thing after my Garmin.

Oxfords are fitted and working
 

Early days, but they are now fitted, by me, and working OK.
These have the new(ish), waterproof control unit which is quite a clever bit of electronics at the heart of the heating system.

Instructions: excellent overall with clear directions and they really are fool proof - they cannot be connected wrongly; I know because I tried to do this - all connections can only link together in one way.

The grips: seem well made (and made in China) - robust, solid rubber grips which are similar to the originals in diameter.

Connections: wired directly into the battery, as per the instructions. Therefore making the electrical connections could not be simpler. There is a wiring diagram, but it is not needed really.

Heat: 4 settings, from 30% upto 100%.

Control unit/switch: this is good! Clever bit is that it detects if the battery is "too low on power to run the grips" which means that if you accidentally leave them on when the bike is stopped then the sensor will switch them off anyway, before the battery is too low to start the engine.
In any case, it is quite hard to leave them switched on because there is a set of bright LEDs which tell you what is going on; one of 4 different colours for the 4 heat settings.
The next clever bit is that the button has to be pressed for about 2 secs to switch them on; the first line of defence against, say, kids switching them on while you are away from the bike. The second "line of defence" is that, ordinarily, they won't work anyway until the engine has been started and the battery is getting charged - I 've tried this and it works.

Problems: none really - getting the bar end weights off turned out to be a bitch, but after that, nothing.

heated jacket will save your SOUL! :Beach:

Also, not fashionable but very effective, Muffs (stop sniggering at the back).
No electrics to wire up and they keep your hands dry:thumbup1:


Trophymick

Re: Oxfords are fitted and working
 

Hi Dave,

cheers for the excellent description, I like the auto shut off feature, having once flattened the battery in my van, in a remote part of Scotland, by leaving an electric coolbox switched on overnight! Definitely going to invest in the Oxfords, just trying to source a set locally to avoid postage!

Patrick, I looked at the Symtecs, always up for a bargain:thumbup1:, but over here they go for the equivalent of $77.00 + post, not much less than the Oxfords.

Actually, this may go some way towards explaining our slow uptake of heated gear, a Gerbing jacket liner works out at nearly $300. Too rich for me.:(

Thanks again for all the info folks.

Ebay is always worth a go; if you are patient, you can get a bargain - I did.

I don't think it would be possible to ignore the LEDs when switching off the engine - I have the clever box of tricks switch just a few inches from the ignition key. A mounting bracket comes in the box.

As for the muffs; yep, I have been thinking about getting some - heated grips set at 100% inside them should be wonderful!

[QUOTE=Crusty;158269]Patrick, I looked at the Symtecs, always up for a bargain:thumbup1:, but over here they go for the equivalent of $77.00 + post, not much less than the Oxfords.

There's a trader on ebay who sells them for about £35.

Working fine
 

That's exactly what I expected to see in the instructions, but I got the exact opposite, quote "it is preferable to connect the circuit directly to the battery, so that the switch gets sufficient voltage from the charging system".
It goes on with some more blah blah, but the general idea is that the switch is not to be connected via a regulated circuit. In fact, the connecting wires are supplied with ring connectors for linking up with the battery.
As described before, the switch does the clever monitoring of the battery voltage - I guess it is a bit like the automatic battery monitoring/conditioners that trickle charge batteries as required and are left connected semi-permanently.

I forgot to mention before, there is an inline fuse in the live wire which is close to the connector for the battery terminal - this makes it easy to access.

Anyway, I have done a two hour ride with these today in the freezing wind of the UK and they are well up to the job - warmed them up on 100% setting and then turned the switch down to 70% which was fine (I couldn't feel much of the 30% setting though :rolleyes2:).
It's easy to use the switch on the move as well - I have already stopped waving to other riders - it is far too comfortable to lift your hand or fingers off that heat, and the nodding head is becoming the "wave of choice"!

Just me then?
 

Looks like I am the only person unhappy with the Oxfords.

I used them last winter on the DRZ, in actual fact they are still on the DRZ, only they are now just grips, not heated grips. They are also quite uncomfortable for a ham handed freak like myself, because of the aformentioned lip.

I could forgive them that, if only they had lasted more than two months of the Great British Winter.

Demons got into the control box and played with its' brains. I don't know much about technology, but I do know that it isn't meant to turn itself on and off randomly and flatten your battery at night. It's the work of the devil I tell you. Everytime I actually wanted them on, the other shy and bashful personality would rear its' head and refuse to turn itself on. It got to the point where I started thinking of staking the bike out and burning it to save its' eternal soul.

Happy Riding.

Rewound stators haven't been all that reliable.

Just to clarify, I guess these grips have the older model of control switch - the rotary knob, that has a reputation for getting water inside?

As Mollydog says, you could fit any form of simple switch that can handle the electric current, as a replacement. Or even find a waterproof rheostat to provide variable resistance and associated temperature control as well.

Yep, it's the same for Europe as well; I have spoken with individuals who insist to a dealer when they buy a new bike that an on-off switch is fitted for the headlight as part of the deal.
No switch = no purchase.

YEs we are on 2 BMWF650GS /Dakar. On the Dakar the fuse keep going and this may be related to the hundreds of miles of corrugated roads in south america and the fact it is difficult to find adequate fuses (we both have a 2004 models)
On my bike (standard GS) same problem since the bike was stolen in Brazil (it was found by the police 48h later!)
During the 18 months I had my bike before this trip, I never had any probs with the fuses, but I never went off-road!
So I suspect corrugation and vibration may sort of cause the prob.

Another Oxford grip controller failure
 

Actually 2 controllers have failed for me.

Fitted Oxford heated grips to my Vstom in Australia before shipping to UK for UK to Aus trip. Didn't get to try them out in Aus before shipping. The controller failed after about 1 month travelling and using them in UK (read mostly cold & raining - surprised?). I contacted Oxford products when close to Oxford (even more surprising), explained situation and they said come to warehouse and they would swap for new one - for free (most suprising of all).

I was happy... that is until I went to use them a few months later in east Turkey (almost unused since installed on bike), and guess what, controller had failed again.

It is the on/off part that is the problem, the rheostat seems OK, but unless you can turn it on, its no use.

Not surprised to hear they have changed the controller, as I have been telling people not to buy them, maybe now have to just caution people about old model controller.

I still have heated grips that don't heat, not mush use for them here in Queensland anyway. But I would like to try the low/high switch thing before they hit the bin - good idea, thanks Mollydog and others.

Now anyone got any more info about what kind of low/high switch for a non-technician type like me.....

Skillo

Rotary knob failure
 

It's this rotary knob failure problem that put me off fitting the things at all - they were well known to pack up when getting wet and I never bothered to look around for alternative manufacturers.
So, it was using the BMW F650GS with factory provided hot grips (at £200 extra of course, sir) and seeing the publicity for the new Oxford switch that has come to the market this year that made me look at it all anew.

This new switch is completely sealed and the press buttons on the top surface are "indentations" in the plastic surface - so, it looks waterproof, time will tell, but I have not heard of the same failure rate that occured with the rotary version.

Skillo,
I suggest you contact Oxford for another switch - tell them that you want the new model!!


A comment on fuses: yes, they fail, that is what they are designed to do - there are complicated things going on inside those things, most of which I don't profess to understand.
I have just repaired my old TV with a bit of DIY - it was the fuse on the PCB (Warning: dont' muck about with these things unless you have some idea about the safety issues of capacitors and cathode ray tubes!!). Why should a fuse fail in there, tucked away from vibration etc etc? - who knows!

New Oxford switch
 

Just to confirm... My Oxfords have the new style switch which has just done 17903km in 34 days of riding with no problems, just the connector and fuse problems mentioned earlier. I'm really surprised that it stood up to the vibration so well, I don't think they are really designed for offroad work but seemed to cop it ok, no doubt it will eventually stop working though... then I'll fit the on/off switch as mentioned earlier!

Just ordered some symtec pad things (go under the grip) they work out about the same price as oxford ones and will be a PITA to fit but I dont want to use oxfords very hard looking grip - I will use either a rubber enduro or maybe foam grip though of course the foam insulates so i'm not sure how well that would work.

I will probably get some bar muffs as well i've got 2400 miles through europe to do on motorway in Dec! (in 4 days hopefully)

Modern electronics
 

Early days because this switch came along only this year; if it is an electronic circuit, say on a PCB, then it should/may turn out to be very reliable :rolleyes2: Lets hope so.

'...if you're handy...install a simple two way, hi-low switch. A reostat is just not needed for heated grips. The Low-High is more than enough IMO. Simple and cheap to repair too!'

Ah, oh...I see the problem. Yeah, not so handy. There is a reason why I have enlisted a qualified and certified engineer to come with me on my travels! I've pretended he is my best mate for a reason- I couldn't fix a length of string.

I will have him follow out your directions and see if he can resurrect the beast!

Or I may just get some of the new ones with that better switch arrangement.

Birdy Logic - If you can buy a new one, don't bother fixing it! :oops2:

I'm shit.

Happy Riding.

Bar Muffs are a great Idea!! :thumbup1:

I've seen a lot of this information regarding handlebar insulation on various forums, and would like to offer my take.

It's just not needed.

Personally, I've had 4 sets of Symtecs on different bikes, and currently fitted to two of my own bikes. Between my mate and myself, I guess we've fitted over a dozen or so sets to various mates bikes. Of 20 odd off roaders out in the Peak District yesterday I think about half were running Symtecs with the other half wishing they were by 3 o'clock :thumbup1:

The Symtecs run a hotter heating element on the clutch side to compensate for the heat loss into the bar, which is why they are marked for clutch and throttle sides. I have never insulated a throttle tube, and know of no-one that has, or has had one melt, even after continuous all day running.

I insulated the clutch side on the first set I fitted, but haven't bothered since. The difference is only really noticeable in the first 5 minutes of start up from cold, when the right side does warm slightly quicker, the rest of the day you don't notice.

I believe all the insulation talk on various forums stemmed from fitting of the Enduro Engineering grip kits, which are similar, but run the same rated elements both sides, and regulate the hi - lo settings through a resisted switch. This arrangement will always result in the right side running hotter than the left, hence the need for insulation on the clutchs ide.

With the different rated elements for left and right, the Symtecs just don't need it, and thinking logically, if a heater element can melt a nylon throttle tube, then one wrap of electrical tape isn't really going to prevent much.

Also, it's OK to use grip glue right

Don't know if there are two Enduro Engineering's but the one's I've seen here in the UK are quite different to the Symtecs. A wider single heating element in both sides, with both sides rated the same as in the ATV / Snowmobile kits, and the hi / lo regulated by a resisted switch. Not like the Symtec kits at all, a few friends have had the switches fail in these.

Oxford it is...
 

Hi all,

my Oxford heated grips arrived today!

I got them off ebay for £40.00 inc postage so not too bad, can't wait to get them fitted and try them out.

Thanks for the assistance, I'll post a review when I've used them for a bit.

Cheers.

I've been using my Oxford grips for a while now and I can honestly say they are brilliant!

Fitting was a doddle. The kit includes a bracket with pre-drilled holes that match up to the clutch/brake lever mounting (they did on my TA anyway) meaning the control unit can be easily reached with a gloved thumb whilst riding. An adhesive pad is also included to stick the unit to your fairing if you prefer.

They heat up from cold in a few minutes & I can't tell any difference between sides. The max setting (of four) is HOT! I find them Warm on No3, adequate on No2 & just noticeable on No1. That was based on yesterdays admittedly short ride, but the temperature was around freezing, not including wind chill.

The actual grips are quite chunky and do have a pronouced ridge at the end but neither have caused me problems. Time will tell how durable & weatherproof they are but they look and feel like quality items, as does the control unit.

I did notice how cold the backs of my hands were in comparison and likewise the brake and clutch levers!

All in all I'm well pleased, it makes a big difference to be able to feel your fingers and it follows that your ability to control the bike has to be better, something that's nearly caught me out in the past.

I'd recommend them to everyone!

Cheers all.

Hi all, I used to do courier work and wouldn't be without my heated grips and have been using them for over 12years now. Used in conjunction with handlebar muffs is a superb way to survive the winter months in the UK, not your current USA weather!!!
I usually take the feed from the live side of my horn circuit with a piggyback blade connector, but check for suitable fuse and wire thickness first.
I'm currently running grips at 1 or 4 amps, plus twin horns on the same circuit and it is switched on/off with ignition.

Cheers, Richard.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.

That ties in with my experience of the Oxford grips Crusty.
As you mention, now that is sorted the backs of the hands become the next consideration - will we ever be satisfied??! :rolleyes2:


As wobbly says, I am thinking about getting some handle bar muffs: they are not pretty, but who cares, they are easily added and taken off again when the weather improves; heated grips running inside them should need only a minimal heat setting. Also, thin gloves can be used which I much prefer for feel of the controls.

I Have the latest oxford ones fitted, the control unit packed up on the first ride out with the grips stuck on full heat(not a good start).

I had to pull over on to the hard shoulder of the m6 and unplug them before my hands were fried.

At least they offer a no fuss 2year warranty with them now, so after the unit was replaced they have worked fine. I find the tips of my fingers still get cold but not enough to bother me.

I have only ever used them on the lowest setting and my hands are like toast. Overall, I cant belive that I did not get arround to fitting them sooner.


Roy

There's another vote for handlebar muffs in post no 11 here:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-winter-31739

Roy,
Such electronic things will probably fail very quickly or immediately, if they are to fail at all; once it is proven to work OK I reckon it should last for years - so, the 2 years warranty is reasonable IMO and a good deal compared with the earlier stuff based on rotary switches or similar.

Sounds right m8, must of just had a duff one.


Just to add, on cold days I use them Two finger mitts that look daft but are so much better at keeping your fingers warm.

They look akward, but they are very easy to live with.

Hi Roy "n" guys, I use the two fingered gloves from HG, excellent at keeping the cold out:thumbup1:, i don't find them awkward, couldn't get on with hbar muffs, potentionaly dangerous:( imo...
TDMalcolm

Any particular experience for this TDM?
I can see that it could be difficult to get your hands back on the bars if you take them out of the muffs for any reason while on the move.
I just don't take my hands off the bars now that they are heated!

I've installed Daytona heating grips on my V strom. Works great, only thing is that You must put some tape under the left grip,to isolate the grip from the handlebar. Other than that, it's working very nice. It has two step heating switch, START and ON so when the grips are heated You just switch to ON mode and ride on :clap:

I fitted the oxford hothands (the velcro wrapround ones) to my xt600 about 2 months ago.
There is only an on/off switch, and they get toasty warm.

Takes no time to get used to the 'chunkier' feel of the grips.

I've had various heated gloves/grips in my time, these appealed to me as they were the simplest of all the solutions.

Handlebar muffs have been known to operate the front brake lever when riding at high speed.

I have a simple fix for this Patrick......
 

For the problem outlined in Bold above..... Here's how you get round it.:thumbup1:

Mark the bar where the grip finishes......Using contact adhesive, smear a very thin layer on the bar and before it dries wrap a piece of very thin Laminate Floor underlay Foam* around the bar and then remove it.

(* This is very thin and white, like the 'foam' bags you get wrapped round a VCR or stereo when you buy it, or indeed you can use this material too, it is just as good, I have used both)

when the glue has dried to a 'very tacky' stage, about 10 minutes, wrap the foam back on. if it overlaps, use a razor blade or scalpel to trim it so it just meets.

This now INSULATES the left hand side of the Handlebars so the 'Heatsink' effect is slowed down by about 75 percent.

Obviously I have no way of actually measuring this percentage except tp tell you that after I did this the grips were HOT in 5 mins as opposed to WARM after 10 mins.. and stayed hotter too.


Martyn

Thanks Martin biker, great advice. Will try this mod in a few weeks :clap:

Hi Guys, I used them once a long way back, whilst riding and trying to keep me visor clear, fumbled trying to get me hand back in and promptly joined the hedge row:censored:, not very fast I'm glad to say:(, but there you go, as for the high/low settings for basic grips if you can switch the heater elements from parallel to series IE 6 volts across each heater (Low) or 12volts (High) you'll have approx 50% or 100% heating:thumbup1: ....comprend'e? better than a kick up the......:innocent:
TDMalcolm

Another possibility?
 

Notice the lack of whoops.

look at:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-gs-r100-37498

muffs are great! I used canvas to make my own; first option was cavas used for boat tops, then I got the lorry/trailer type. Lining - synthetic fleece. For winter, not chilly, cold, I use heat lining. Takes about 80-100W/per side for comfortable warmth. Connected as shown on pics in above link; series-parallel.
Neat thing about muffs is that the handlebar switches are kept "clean" and operational -;)

Just one question (well, 3 actually): Can you cut off the ends of heated grips (eg Oxford ones) to fit "wrap-around" handguards (eg. Acerbis), which have the end go into the handlebars? I guess perhaps the symtec ones might be the way to go in this case?

And on a further note... how wide are they (Oxford grips)? I have Xl/XXL-sized gloves, and from the comment from Birdy this could represent a problem... :confused1:

i have the symtec mylar film heaters and they are great.
i even managed to use the original grips over the top too!
2 tips;
1/dont wire them up as it says in the instructions, you could kill your battery by leaving the grips on connected straight to it. wire them up to the battery but through a switched live relay, like from the rear light or instrument feed or something.
2/kill two birds with one stone and wire in an accessory socket into the power line to the grips.

the only snag i found is that if you go for the panel mounted rocker switch instead of the bar mounted one, the cables from the grips are not long enough for a large adventure bike, but its simple enough to extend them.

cut mine.
 

i cut the ends off mine with no problems at all but keep as close to the end as possible.mind you the new oxford switch should switch off when you leave them on accidentally! mine did'nt!! flat battery! i'm gonna run them through a relay now so it dont happen again. my first time with heated grips after years of calling my mate all sorts of homosexual tendencies! great things and shame i did'nt have them before!

I'll kick in a vote for the Symtec heaters. They run about $35 here in the states and are available at this link in the UK:

Buy Symtec Heated Grip Kit|Motorcycle Tank Bags, Luggage, Panniers, Tail Bags, Seat Bags, Enduro Bags, for Aprilia, Benelli, BMW, Buell, Cagiva, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Suzuki, Triumph, Yamaha, Off Road, Enduro motorcycles

I have these on my V-Strom and they work terrific, but I rarely can use them on the "high" setting as they are too hot with the hand guards installed.

-Cabel

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-gs-r100-37498

Home Symtec-inc

Something like this is what I use:
Conrad
Artikelnummer: 189257 20W
Artikelnummer: 189230 15W
Artikelnummer: 701028 on-off-on (screw attachment - what I use)
Artikelnummer: 701024 on-off-on (flat press-on attachment)
Artikelnummer: 700440 sealing cap - however there are several different caps to choose from and which is which is something I have not figured out yet.

I install these film heaters inside the handlebar = no wires at the handlebars = less stuff to get entagled in = far longer service intervalls.
Takes a bit longer to get the handles warm - but they do get warm.

Seen a comment on plastic gas-twists. Yes. That is a problem. The rubber get lose...
This is supposed to be possible to fix using hair volume spray the the mrs's keeping... ask her before nicking the spray... they tend to have a temprament... I'll test it some day when the rubber slipping gets to me.

I use these films inside the mirrors, as knee-pad-heaters, etc where ever some heat is needed/required.
The kit prices are a bit high... look at Radio Shack, Conrad Electronic, and what ever electronic company you have close-by.

i'm gonna put some oxfords on my new (to me) '09 wee-strom abs for my someday RTW trip. i also want to add some of those muff deals but ive heard they wont fit over larger sized hand guards. is that true? why don't they make a large size?

I made my own handlbarmuffs back in around 1990 since there were none on the market (besides some "push-bike" sizes).

Muffs without heat is great, at summertime in rain and on chilly nights... at winter one dearly needs heated muffs.

This is my present idea of material to make new muffs of:
Elvärmesits 12 V - Biltema
45W - way too low however. One needs at least 80W (for each handle)... but 45W is far more than no heating at all. Can your alternator handle 160-200W extra load?

Hot air is an option.

Oil-hose in a loop is an option.

I prefer electric heating (so far).

Oilheater:
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/messages/5/103.html?torsdagden18november19992306

Alternator:
http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/bilgen.html

http://www.webstruktur.com/svea/board/artik/mont_bilgen.html

They do .
Hippo Hands will fit on a VStrom .:D

with barkbusters?
 

will hippohands fit on a wee with barkbuster handguards?

I expect so , they fit on my V which has Acerbis handguards.
Hippo Hands are huge .:mchappy: