Solution for Cold Hands??

Best way to prevent cold hands?

  • Heated Grips

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • Hand Guards

    Votes: 3 20.0%

  • Other (e.g. heated gloves, describe...)

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • Total voters
    15
M

MHS

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I went on a 200 mile ride this weekend and my hands (specifically my fingers) were frozen within 30-45 minutes. I made it work this weekend, by wiggling my fingers or even holding onto the engine for a moment, but I need a better solution.

Should I get heated grips or hand guards?

I haven't done too much research on either one just yet - but after a little bit of brainstorming and looking, here's what I've come up with:

-heaters seem to be cheaper, but will alter my grips (feel of the control) and will involve wiring

-hand guards wouldn't need wiring, wouldn't change my controls, could be easily removed for warm riding when they're not needed, but are more expensive and might not prevent my hands from getting too cold.

Does anyone have either of these? Which product? Good/bad experience?
 
I have both hand guards and grip heaters on my KTM 990. They both work to some degree and the heated grips are really nice on a cold day, but they still do not warm the top of your hands or the tips of your thumbs. With a bit of un-natural hand positioning you can warm your thumbs. I think you should look at some heated gloves. They will accomplish what heated grips do not. Hand guards will help by blocking the wind and therefore some of the heat loss (not to be confused with "wind chill" which only applies to bare skin. Hand guards would increase the efficiency of electric gloves or heated grips. There are other cost effective means out there like bar muffs. They are a bit ungainly but apparently work and can be found cheap.

These ones are the expensive ones; http://www.hippohands.com/HHSmallNM.htm

Cheaper ones: http://www.gpbikes.com/eshopprod_cat_6768-66489-66557_product_1007434.GEARS_HANDLEBAR_MUFFS.htm

when it is really cold I use guantlet style gloves with seperate silk liners in combination with heated grips and the hand guards. If that isn't enough it is too cold to be riding anyway.
 
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Best solution is all of the above and more: grip heaters under your favorite grips, hand guards, and heated gloves. I went the el cheapo route and can not complain about anything. I got the cheap grip heaters from ebay that are about $7 delivered and work perfect with it's simple on off switch design. I made my heated glove liners for around $25 including trial and error. The controller for it is another story but the final solution ends up being around $12. Then raider hand guards that were under $30 delivered and look like powermadds.

So that's $67 for my warm hands solution! Went for a ride Saturday when temps never got above 65 and was comfortable all day. Plus I had wire left over to make more heated stuff. All that just to say I don't have any idea how the branded stuff works but I know the combo of all three is the solution.
 
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Thanks for the link on the hand guards, gonna get me some of those. I don't get cold really until the temps drop to 45 or so, but I invested in a really nice pair of winter gloves (long gauntlet) with silk liners, and I think the hand guards will probably be just what I need. :)


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I am still riding now with morning temp's in the -3 to 5 C range, could not do it without the heated grips.
I use heater in combination with my Klim snowmobile gloves all good.
In comparision to sleding were it is -25 hands are toasty.
Also on the poll everyone forgot about the best accessory heater called the engine, even if a bit cold after my highway ride in a couple of minutes of gloves on engine and all good.
 
A female friend of mine commented on how good her heated gloves were at the weekend.Ive had heated grips and altho they are ok theyre not brilliant.I sometimes use the engine to warm mine,easier witht he left hand than the right obviously.
 
Hit up gerbing's website or your local BMW dealer. I put close to 20k on my harley wideglide last year and rode in rain, sleet, and light snow.

I have there T5 heated gloves and heated jacket liner. They are good down to near freezing temps. My bike had drag bars which puts your hands out front without any wind deflection. If it gets below 10 degrees I would suggest adding hand guards.

The whole reason I bought the FZ1 was so winter riding might be easier with the fairing. I'm about to add hand guards and wire in my heated accessories.

On top of the liner I have a Icon Automag hero leather jacket and Icon Automag leather overpants. I love this setup and it works and looks great. With close to 35k miles in the last 1.5 years the leathers have performed awesome but a bit pricy.
 
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HDguy said:
Hit up gerbing's website or your local BMW dealer. I put close to 20k on my harley wideglide last year and rode in rain, sleet, and light snow.

I have there T5 heated gloves and heated jacket liner. They are good down to near freezing temps. My bike had drag bars which puts your hands out front without any wind deflection. If it gets below 10 degrees I would suggest adding hand guards.

The whole reason I bought the FZ1 was so winter riding might be easier with the fairing. I'm about to add hand guards and wire in my heated accessories.

On top of the liner I have a Icon Automag hero leather jacket and Icon Automag leather overpants. I love this setup and it works and looks great. With close to 35k miles in the last 1.5 years the leathers have performed awesome but a bit pricy.
Click to expand...

FZ1??? My friend in those temps you need a proper fairing like in an FJR. Brrrr!
 
Thanks for the suggestions / input!

I looked at gerbing's website earlier today - looks like awesome stuff, but looks pretty expensive too :(

I'm not trying to make me or my bike winter proof - if it gets too cold I just take the car.

I'll probably look more into heated grips (or over/under grip heaters), since those will provide some warmth anytime (such as early fall mornings when its a little cool in the morning but perfect in the afternoons), without disrupting anything else.
 
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I have Raynaud's Syndrome so I'm somewhat of an expert on keeping my hands warm. Because of my condition, even riding in 60 degree weather for long durations without my heated gloves ends up with numb, and white fingers because the blood stops flowing due to the blood vesels "cramping up". Too much coffee or smoking makes it much worse. I use Warm Gear heated gloves and have now for about seven years. I could not ride without them. I've tried heated grips, many, many types and layers of regular gloves and none even compare to a good set of heated gloves and a thermostat.
 
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