Advice Solicited: Heated Gear

[falconati]

Hi friends,

I'm looking to potentially get some heated gear.  I currently have nothing, so anything is an improvement  

I will be purchasing a jacket, pants, and gloves and want to make sure whatever I buy will all link together nicely.  I'm currently looking at the Tour Master Synergy 2.0 series  (on motorcyclegear.com) - is this a good bet?  Are there other brands that are better, or that I should consider?

All experience and advice would be helpful, this is simply an area where I'm not knowledgeable.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

[ST for me!]

Gerbings

[ConPilot1]

Gerbings dude.

Lifetime replacement warranty. Works awesome.

Will cook you on "high". About 1/2 power will be as warm as you'll need for 30° weather.

Best cash I've ever spent.  

[mugwump58]

Gerbings, yup. No hassle replacement if they fail. Only happened once about 5 years ago.

Don't get carried away with too much gear till you know what your bike will support. I can use my stuff on the 250 even, but only so much. Check before you get yourself stuck somewhere.

Take a peek at the "bib" offered by Aerostich. A low watt alternative that may work for you.

[atadaskew]

I had the Tourmaster Synergy gear.
3 sets of it.
Why 3 sets you ask? Because it literally failed w/in minutes of using it.
So it was sent back and replaced - no questions asked - twice by Tourmaster. So at least their customer service is A+. Shame the product is an F.

The last set I gave away for free, as I had completely lost confidence in the product. Spend the extra coin and get something that lasts.
I hear Gerbings is good, plus now there are some decent battery operated vests which is nice as no wiring to get caught up in, and you can wear them off the bike doing other stuff.

[Max Wedge]

I started with the Tourmaster stuff because of the low current drain and cost (first generation) and it all still works, even the original controller. I moved into Warm and Safe stuff, and have been quite happy with it. I made the switch gradually,  as you can get a adapter for the Warm and Safe controller to the Tourmaster stuff.

[Ghost]

Gerbings all the way, I have jacket liner, gloves, and heates insoles for my boots.  Now the limiting factor is the road conditions not the temp.

[ConPilot1]

Falconati you're probably aware of this link by now but if not, this is Gerbing's clearance site where you can get the stuff discounted pretty good.
Definitely cheaper than going to a stealer and plunking down more cash than you need to.

Also, spend the couple extra bucks and get the dial-in variable controller. Well worth it vs. an ON-OFF switch.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://heatedclothingoutlet.com/&sa=U&ei=-pqwTovCIMj40gGEx_jBAQ&ved=0CBEQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNFTViYePIE2EypSNLuPytHGuoTFPw

[Explorer]

 Don't even bother with the others. Get the Gerbings and be done with it.

[Kyle401]

I'm a big fan of my Gerbings microwire gloves.  

The Heated 'Stich Darien jacket is ok.  I think it is lower wattage than the Gerbings jacket and it feels like it could use a little more.

[falconati]

Awesome, thanks gang!  I really appreciate the input.  It sounds like Gerbings is the ticket (I believe in quality over price, so long as I can afford it).

Should I get jacket liners, or a jacket?  Pant liners, or pants?  I guess I'm a bit confused.  Do jacket liners go inside the jacket I already have, or do they go inside a Gerbings jacket?

[ConPilot1]

Jacket liner and gloves and controller. That's all you'll need. Pants is overkill, IMO. I've never had problems with my legs getting cold.
Might be overkill for your alternator.

Pay close attention to the fitting. Gerbing's has their own and very odd sizing charts/system.

The jacket liner and gloves are compact enough to stow in your sidecases year-round if you need them.

Go for the liners, you can wear them under your favorite bike jacket.


The newer Microwire jacket liner is actually quite nice. I have the old style utilitarian nylon jacket liner.
new style liners have a nice fleece collar and a much nicer cord stowage in the sleeves for stashing the wires when you don't need them.

[cbsnbiker]

Start with the jacket liner.

You may find the other items superfluous, unless you're planning on doing hard core cold weather riding.

Also, how big are your bikes' alternators? Most modern bikes can handle the added current of a jacket, but not all can handle the jacket, pants, and gloves, as well as any additional items on your bike (e.g. aux lights).

[Playinthestreet]

Another vote for Gerbings.

[stromgal]

Gerbings, and I'll second skipping the heated pants liners.  With the jacket liner keeping your core warm, you can get by with thermals under your leather pants. If you want to ride in real cold, the heated gloves are a necessity.  I've got heated socks, too, but only use them if I'm going to be riding many hours in sub-30-degree weather.

As others mentioned, pay close attention to Gerbings sizing... read their info and use a tape measure on your chest. You want the liner to fit close to you.

[D-Mac]

Gerbings. Start with the microwire jacket liner and you'll be AMAZED at how easy it is to ride in the 30s, and how much more comfortable you'll be in cooler evenings in the summer. You wear a light layer underneath and your regular jacket on top.

I also agree that you don't need the pants.

[1KPerDay]

+1 to Gerbings

First priority: Jacket liner.

Next: Gloves

Lesser/later: toes.

I have the old style heated socks and have only used them once on a trip. Too much trouble to hook up otherwise. The gloves make a huge difference in below freezing temps, even if you have heated grips.

The jacket liner is by far the best money I've spent on anything moto-gear related.

[jesse v]

i have the Tourmaster Synergy jacket liner, and it has been reliable for 2 years on 2 different bikes, not to mention PLENTY warm.  However, in hindsight, I think the Gerbings w/ its lifetime warranty would be the best decision.

[Spanky]

I have the gerbings jacket liner, T5 gloves, heated insoles, and the ex outer pants. I got the outer pants because I read about the pant liners having hot spots that made them uncomfortable, and the ex pants go over your jeans so if you are going inside, they are easily removed so you don't overheat. I agree that the pants are the least needed of the group, but they are nice to have. The heated socks would be another option if you don't want the heated insoles. I could not be happier with the heated gear. I can ride all day in freezing temps and be nice and warm. Like others have mentioned, check how many amps you have to work with on your bike. The gerbings website will tell you how many amps/watts each piece of gear takes so you don't overload your alternator. I suggest the dual controller also. The variable control is much better than on or off. Full on will be too hot in almost every situation, and the last thing you want to do in cold weather is sweat.

[DNA]

Jacket liner and gloves and controller. That's all you'll need. Pants is overkill, IMO. I've never had problems with my legs getting cold.
Might be overkill for your alternator.

Pay close attention to the fitting. Gerbing's has their own and very odd sizing charts/system.

The jacket liner and gloves are compact enough to stow in your sidecases year-round if you need them.

Go for the liners, you can wear them under your favorite bike jacket.


The newer Microwire jacket liner is actually quite nice. I have the old style utilitarian nylon jacket liner.
new style liners have a nice fleece collar and a much nicer cord stowage in the sleeves for stashing the wires when you don't need them.

This - Gerbings owns the LRD crowd for a reason.