Improving OEM heated grips possible?

[rclbaker]

Hi everyone,

The working of the heated grips is disappointing.
One dot: hardly noticeable and switching to three dots is a little bit better, say tepid.

Before my R1200R camhead I had an F800ST and the heated grips were just fine: warm with one dot and very warm with three dots.
I don´t believe that it has to do with the alu handlebar, as the right grip is mounted on plastic.

Question: is there a possibility to reduce the resistance of the grips in order to improve the heating capacity?


Thanks a lot,

Rob

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Rob, I suggest you do a side by side comparison with another 12R on this. Your description suggests that there is something wrong with your grips. In that case, a repair would be in order, rather than a redesign. My grips get pretty hot on the high setting. I use low on any chilly ride where I'd rather have the heat than put on heavier gloves.

With thin gloves on the grips should be uncomfortably hot to the touch with the heaters on high unless it's at or below freeing.

[roger l]

This morning it was 33 degrees when I started my ride to work. My ride to work is 25 miles mostly freeway. I put the grip heaters on high to get the grips warm fast. About half way to work I set the switch to low and my hands were fine. In ther cold I ride with a pair of thin gortex mittens. The mittens let me keep the fingers together but they let the heat thru to keep my hands warm. I also have Grip Puppies on my grips as well. If your grips are not HOT at the high setting there is possibly somthing wrong with the grips.

Roger L

[moto-m]

It seems that the heated grips on the cam heads don't get as hot as on the non-cam heads - can't understand why BMW would do that but more people are finding this to be so. On the older R1200R I could only comfortably use the second setting for a brief time - with the new bike it needs to be on the top setting to have any real effect. Disappointing - although the rest of the bike is a pleasure, the new seat being a big improvment.

[Woland]

The grips on my 07 R behaves just like the grips on my 07 F800ST did, lukewarm on 1 dot and hot on 3.

[websterize]

… is there a possibility to reduce the resistance of the grips in order to improve the heating capacity? …

The grips are great at heating your palms but not the tops of your hands. Rather than spending time/money tinkering, I would recommend heated gloves. They're a sure thing and make a world of difference in cold-weather motoring.

[mogu83]

I'm with Bill on this one. Hand guards and electric gloves are the best way to go when it gets really cold (IMHO).
I've often wondered if someone makes a pair of gloves with a thin material on the palms and heavy on the back just for bikes with heated grips.

[MTBeemer]

… is there a possibility to reduce the resistance of the grips in order to improve the heating capacity? …

The grips are great at heating your palms but not the tops of your hands. Rather than spending time/money tinkering, I would recommend heated gloves. They're a sure thing and make a world of difference in cold-weather motoring.

Agree. The difference between gloves and heated grips is huge. Add Hippo Hands and you are in heaven.

[David R]

12 camhead R. Grips have been on High for a few days now. Never too hot. Thick gloves and I can only sometimes tell they are on. Thin gloves they are plenty hot. I rode about 3oo miles yesterday in the forty's featherweight. Rain at the last two hours. The grips could have been warmer.

Reminds me of the warmers on my 2000 RT. It ducted the air from the oil cooler to your hands. Only problem when it was cold out the thermostat would not open and the oil cooler was cold.

David

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Not to rain on anyones parade here, but if you want warm hands in cold weather there are two options

1 - Hippo Hands. I've never done this, but just looking at them, you know that'll work.

2 - Electric gloves. I have Gerbing gloves and they just plain work good. Though I will admit that you need them full on if you have the new fine wire version (or whatever they call them). But full on has always been enough, so no complaints here.

[rclbaker]

Thanks a lot guys for all replies.

Coming back to the heated grips question and after reading the replies of Woland and moto-m: could it be that the performance of the grips of the camheads has become less, compared with the hexheads?

Thanks again for additional inputs!

Rob

[Lost Rider]

Can't comment on the new fancy versions of the R1200R, but my 07' heated grips on high are only tolerable at very cold temps or when it's raining. The low setting is very warm, high is down right hot and keep my hands warm for all day riding at below freezing temperatures, though my Gerbings G3 gloves also help make the temp a non-issue for long distance cold winter riding. The G3's don't have much insulation or any heating elements on the palm side and depend on heated grips to keep that side warm.
I have Rukka, Rev'it PCM, Held, and Gerbings gloves I use at different times on different rides. There's more than two options for warm dry hands in cold weather riding...
For short rides or commuting even in sub freezing temps, heated gloves aren't needed for me with my hot grips and other gloves, though hand guards help a little when you get caught in cold weather with the wrong gloves. Same heated grip feeling on my F800GS, same on Nancy's G650GS. Warm on low, HOT on high.

Since heated grips are just heating elements that warm up with electricity and the power is controlled by the CAN-BUS system, it seems they should either work or not, and not kind of work. Trip to dealer?
I'd like to confirm if it's in fact the case of the new R1200R cam heads so I can add it to the growing list of reasons not to consider "upgrading" when drooling over the new bikes.

Has anyone looked to see if the heated grip part #'s between the hex head and cam head bikes are different?...

[deilenberger]

Gotta agree with Bob, and even though I own them, I've never liked heated gloves.

What works - Wunderlich "Handlebar Muffs" - these are the same idea as HippoHands, but in a modern, lightweight design, with clear windows in them so you can see the controls. They take about 2 minutes to put on or take off. I'd suggest using them with some rigid handguards under them to keep them from blowing back on the levers.

They are good down to at least 30F (I usually have to turn the heated grips off after a few minutes when I use these), you can use your normal gloves (I like Lee Parks short deerskin gloves), and in rain - they totally keep your hands dry and block rain and wind trying to blow up your sleeves.

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorc ... 10360.html



Looks like the are out of stock - but they state 2-3 delivery, so that's not awful.

[MTBeemer]

I have a set of the Wunderlich muffs. I once rode all the way into Denali National Park to Wonder Lake on my GSPD; won one of the special permits that allow people to ride / drive into the park in September. I rode in 14 degree temperatures going down to the park from Fairbanks and my hands were warm even without using the anemic grip warmers on the GSPD. That allowed me just enough amperage to run a heated jacket every now and then to keep from freezing, Muffs can be a PIA to use sometimes, but they sure work. I used them all the time when riding a snowmachine. I embedded a coathanger around the opening to keep it open when I removed my hand, otherwise it can be very difficult to get your hand back on the grip while riding.

[Nerdowell]

While riding in 40ish weather, I tried the heated grips on my new r1200r and found I could only get much heat on the highest setting. I was riding with lined gloves. After reading the comments, I don't feel like mine are defective. It is just the way the new bikes are made.

[deilenberger]

I have a set of the Wunderlich muffs.

Snip..

I embedded a coathanger around the opening to keep it open when I removed my hand, otherwise it can be very difficult to get your hand back on the grip while riding.

I learned NOT to wave to other riders when coming up to a stop where I need to use the clutch... that can result in a very uncomfortable feeling of non-control as you fumble to get your hand back on the left grip.

As someone said "Experience teaches you things you don't want to know.."

[Birkenfelder]

Sounds like the consensus is newer camheads just don't heat up like older years. I've noticed the same diminished handlebar heating performance on Stihl chainsaws...my older saws get so hot one actually needs gloves...newer Stihls get warm, but certainly not hot. Likewise, my '02 Toyota 4Runner will truly cook me...my son's '10 gets "just warm". Lastly, my wife's Accord gets pleasantly warm...but not truly hot like my daughter's older model. My '11 R1200R is pleasantly warm (with thin gloves) on high...but certainly not hot.

Maybe this reduction in heating efficacy is the result of comments, complaints...even lawsuits from folks who truly got burned? McDonalds now offers lower temp coffee due to the moronic "burned lap" lawsuit. Just a thought.

Like most of you, I would certainly appreciate the handlebar heaters of yesteryear, but feel those of us with newer models are witnessing the "new" hot.

[MTBeemer]

I would certainly appreciate the handlebar heaters of yesteryear.........

Not the ones on my 93 GSPD, you wouldn't. They are pretty pathetic.

[David R]

After a 460 mile ride this weekend on my 12 R, I found the faster I go the warmer the grips get.

With winter gloves on, I can feel the heat sometimes.

Over 80 mph, they get way hotter, so much that I have to turn them down.

I also find my self squeezing the grips to get the heat out of them.

My Versys has hand (wind) guards and no warmers. I think they are better. I do not care to put any more "Stuff"
on my bike than needed. I have been trying to decide on the hand guards for a long time.
The warmers are great if I keep it over 80 mph.

David

[Catchina]

The heated grips on my r12r are working fine, two day trip into PA a few weeks ago and rarely did I have to turn them up to hi heat. We were riding in 35-45 degree weather be whole time and I do not have heated gear.