MKL's '98 1200C
Gerbing's Heated Clothing Impressions
My Gerbing's Heated Gear
For those of you who don't have the luxury of a 365 day riding season, you have two choices: Park your bike for the winter and sulk, or soldier on through the cold. Unless it's really bad outside, I soldier on, and so I decided to try Gerbing's heated clothing to see what kind of a difference it makes in riding comfort.
The Gear- Gerbing's makes a whole host of heated clothing, and I chose to try out the gauntlet gloves (of course), the inner-liner jacket, and the socks. My upper-torso gear is as shown above. All gear came with the appropriate connectors, which plug right in to the same battery connector already in place on the bike for the requisite Battery Tender trickle charger (a must for winter storage). The nice thing about the jacket is, it's already prewired for the gloves and lower body gear, so by buying the jacket you avoid having the power wires running half-hazard all over your upper torso as you ride - you simply plug the gloves into the pre-existing leads in the sleeves of the jacket, and plug the lower body gear into the pre-existing lead near the bottom of the jacket. Very neat and simple. Overall quality is excellent, and comfort is excellent as well. The gloves are really first rate - the leather is soft, and the fit is extremely comfortable. One word of advice - the gloves run large and they stretch over time, so I wound up with a medium size, whereas I normally wear large or even extra large. Also, you want the inner-liner jacket to fit snugly (like an undershirt) to keep the warmth close to your body, so buy a smaller size than usual there too. Bottom line - try on before you buy, or at least talk to a factory rep on the phone to determine what size you need.
Heated Gloves: A Must-Have for Winter
The Test- I've been testing this set since the Fall of 2000, so I've had a chance to run in some VERY cold temperatures, including extended runs below freezing. Based on these experiences, I can wholeheartedly recommend the gear, as it provides the following primary benefits:
Proactive Warmth: Rather than feeling "not too cold" via layering clothing to deal with the extreme temperature, the Gerbing's gear provides a real feeling of warmth for as long as you care to ride - especially the gloves and the collar-area of the inner-liner jacket. My normal MO for sub-40 degree riding is to throw on some long-johns, a pair of jeans with my leather chaps, insulated workboots, a T-Shirt, my leather jacket, a scarf, and the Gerbings gear. I have gone for hours in sub-freezing temps with just this stuff on and felt fine.
Maneuverability: The real downside of layering is its dampening of the rider's senses. Anyone who has donned a heavy set of gauntlet gloves and reaches for the levers knows this feeling of clumsiness. The same holds true for multiple layers of clothing on your upper body - common moves like turning your head during a lane change or even adjusting your position while riding become cumbersome at best, and dangerous at worst. The Gerbing's gear is so thin, that you feel almost as "free" as you do during normal temperatures when you just have your standard leather jacket and gloves on. The heated gloves don't feel much different than a heavy leather set normally used in the fall, and the heated inner-liner jacket is thinner, lighter, and less constraining than the Thinsulate liner my leather jacket came with.
What about the electrical draw? The electrical system on late model Sportsters puts out a very marginal ~320 watts TOTAL PEAK (14.3-14.7VDC x 22A @ 3,600 rpm) to begin with, so you need to make sure you don't overload it. (Here is one case where H-D really needs to improve, as bikes such as BMWs put out 600+ watts!) As it is, my system is strained with high output lights at every terminal, so I am careful not to run the electric gear too much around town, where my rpms aren't up for extended periods of time. The heated gloves draw 22 watts, the inner-liner jacket draws 77 watts, and the socks draw 22 watts, and I never experienced any problems. Add up the draw of your accessories (if any) and see what you can and can't get away with - and if you have to nix an item for fear of overloading your electrical system, I would abandon the socks first. You can get away with some good wool socks and insulated boots in all but the most extreme conditions.
The Thermostat: The gear is available with a simple on/off switch, or a variety of thermostats. I originally ordered the standard "Regular Portable Heat-troller," which I attached with Velcro to the underside of the battery tray - a perfect fit. This is a very subjective issue, but I found that I needed full power all the time, so I returned the thermostat in favor of the on/off switch. I should say that I have a very high sensitivity to cold weather, and I am the only person I know who rides with the gear on full power. All other riders I have met who use electric gear use 1/2 to 3/4 power with the thermostat, so take my experience as the exception to the rule.
Final Thoughts: Although nothing beats the comfort and enjoyment of a spontaneous summer ride, those of us who just can't bear to see our steeds parked can venture out when Old Man Winter takes over by utilizing heated gear. The level and type of gear you choose should be based on your needs, budget, and electrical system's limits, but IMO the gloves and jacket liner are the crucial centerpieces. Finally, you need to remember that winter riding presents a whole new set of hazards for us motorcyclists, including sleet, ice, salt, and all the other usual suspects (especially cagers who aren't used to seeing bikes on the road in the winter) - so choose when and where to ride wisely, and warmly!
LAST UPDATED: 12-01
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