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Heated vest

3K views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  Mercenary 
#1 ·
I'm thinking about buying a heated vest and like the look of Gerbings new Battery operated soft shell vest. I like the idea of no cords and being able to use when out camping. Has anyone tried one of these vests yet?
 
#2 ·
I haven't tried one. 7 watts is not much heat output for a vest. By comparison, my synergy vest is 50 watts, but rarely run it on high. Gloves are in the 25-35 watt range.

I would think you'd need to run it at full output (7 watts) to feel any difference while riding. 2 hours is not alot or runtime. Around camp at a lower setting might be a better application for it.

just my $.02
 
#3 ·
I just bit the bullet a while back and got a Gerbings liner. I went for the full liner, I was concerned about my arms being warm. Yes, I need to plug it in, and no I can't wear it around the campsite. The plug in part isn't a huge deal for me, I'm used to plugging in my autocom too.

I wasn't sure about the whole heated vest thing, but last weekend too a ride that start out in the high 40s. It was great to get some heat without having to put on nine layers. As the day rolled on I ended up going in and out of fog, and doing some elevation with shade then full exposure in bring sun. Not a problem, get a little chill, turn the knob clockwise. Too warm, back it off. I'm really sorry I didn't do it early. Of course know I'm lusting after gloves, pants, and insoles.
 
#4 ·
picked up a heated vest for my ride to maine from toronto. And one night it roped to 8 degrees C and trust me it was very very nice to have. Its one for Gears a canadian companey who are known for bags for bikes. And trust me the coard is a non issue in the end, never bothered me at all.
 
#5 ·
I've got the Gerbing's Cascade gear. It's plug in, of course, but allows me to ride all year round. Good stuff. I think it's around 44 watts for the jacket. I wouldn't even consider battery powered gear. 7 watts is nothing if you're planning to ride in the winter. If you plan to only use it on cool summer mornings/evenings, though, it might be worth it.

You can run the cords up between the front of the seat and the gas tank and they're not in the way of anything. You can also use a power outlet drilled into the cowel somewhere. You just have to remember you're plugged in when you get off the bike. :rolleyes:
 
#6 ·
I have the Gerbing's battery heated vest. I haven't had to test it in real cold temps yet, but I have used it on a low setting the past few mornings on the commute to work and it does seem to take the edge off the wind chill on the commute. My commute is only 15 minutes so I expect it will be good for the colder mornings when I put it on the highest setting. For the price it is a very affordable alternative to the full 12v riding gear and it is a good looking vest just to amble about town in. If I had a longer commute on a freeway I might splurge for the 12v riding gear. But for my needs in the relatively temperate climate of the Puget Sound region, it is a good fit.
 
#8 ·
Battery gear is a NO wired in is best.
One important thing is the controller get a heat troller because it cycle the power on and of say 3 seconds on 5 seconds off or whatever you ajust it to .other systems generally use a reostate so the use the constant electricity . Look at any gear and you want it to heat the top area of your chest just below the throat . This is because when riding we breath in very cold air ,that top area of your chest needs heating as there is very little body fat to keep it warm. Both those vests are usless in that area .

I am looking at heated gear for next season downder , by the way 30 years ago I road at night in minus 8 celcius for hours there was no heated gear . I'm just getting smarter as I like riding at night in storms and rain good heated gear will help .

Tip: try some compression knee suports ( like wetsuit rubber ) and cut the back out of them so they are comfortable to wear when your knees are bent. They keeps the cold off your knees.
 
#9 ·
Normally we would think that a battery operated vest wouldn't suffice in Northern temps. I regularly ride with no heated vest (just heated gloves and socks) down to 0 degrees F (which is much different than 0 degrees C). I met someone last season in a battery powered vest, it wasn't too cold that day, probably 20 degrees F, he said it kept him warm enough. The added benefit was that he continued to have warmth when getting off the bike and walking around.

With that said, I am looking at a wired liner for this season, 0 degrees F with no electric liner is just plain crazy ;-)
 
#11 ·
You pretty much are gonna need a plug in style vest to generate enough heat to make a difference on a long, cold ride.

The plug is easy as hell to install (two wires) and if you use an SAE plug like the Aero vest BTD references above, you can use other accessories with it - Battery Tender, air compressor, etc.

Battery powered warm gear is for socks and the like, to be used while hiking - not on a motorcycle riding at 70 mph for 4 hours.
 
#12 ·
The plug is easy as hell to install (two wires) and if you use an SAE plug like the Aero vest BTD references above, you can use other accessories with it - Battery Tender, air compressor, etc.
I was looking at the 3 plug options on the Aerostitch site. From your comments, is it correct that "SAE" is what the Battery Tender uses?

Are there advantages over SAE to the other 2 systems they offer (BMW, QuiConnect 2)?
 
#16 ·
I run 2 pigtails, a coaxial for my Gerbings, and a SAE for my battery tender, when I have a passenger, I use an adaptor for the SAE pigtail for the passenger heat connection, or sometimes, I use a 12v cigar type outlet adaptor to the SAE pigtail to plug in my cell phone charger while riding



 
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