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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | I finally bought the Gerbing electric coat, pants, gloves and dual controller and WOW this setup is awesome! I hate being cold and for years I would avoid riding in weather much below 55 degrees unless for short distances. On long trips even in the summer when crossing mountain passes in the Rockies you could see temperatures in the low 30’s sometimes. This meant having to pack layers of clothes to be warm in this cold. I am sure most of you have gone through this exercise also. On trips you would have times where you went from jeans and short sleeve t-shirt to thermal underwear, multiple t-shirts, liners, coats, leather chaps, sometimes double socks, glove liners, gloves, and face mask and then once in warmer weather start taking it off to get back to the jeans and t-shirt. This was a hassle as it takes time to stop and add or take off clothes, the layers of clothes take up precious storage and once you are bundled up you can hardly move, looked like the Michelin man and many times would still be cold. Then if it started to rain you had to stop and get the rain suit over all of these clothes. The Gerbing’s have changed all of that. I went with the Union Ridge jacket and pants and the classic gloves with the dual controller. This set up will keep you warm well below 0 degrees F and you can wear the coat up to about 80 degrees. The jacket and pants are also water resistant to the point you don’t need a rain suit in heavy rain. This means you can be in your jeans and t-shirt and from 80 degrees to below 0 degrees al l you need is the jacket and pants and you will be warm and dry without all the bulk. This configuration will also require less storage. I went for a ride last week in 23 degree weather with a chill factor of 12 degrees and had to turn the electrics down as I was getting too hot. I was roasty toasty and comfortable all day. It was great! The Gerbing’s are not cheap but well worth it. Now the cold is my friend. http://www.gerbing.com/ |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1158
Richmond, Virginia | Great information. Are you sure you dont work for Gerbing??? We are about to go on our clubs annual New Years Day ride. About
50 bikes going. The weather for Virginia Thursday is calling for 22 degrees in the morning...... Between the electric clothing, and the adjustable lowers and new CeeBailey winter windshield, I too expect to be roasty toasty..... Dudes, if you love your Vision, dont let
the temperature shut you down. Buy some electric nut warmers and ride all day !! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | I discovered this stuff in 2003, and Spock is right on! I prefer the jacket liner so I can use different jackets, but I have the Union Ridge pants and they're great. |
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Tourer
Posts: 374
Tucson, AZ | Too funny, i bought the heated vest and glove a year ago for the Ultra, and never had the chance to wire things up or use them. Then the day after christmas i decided to give it a shot and run the power. Hardest part for me was fishing the wire under the panels...once done i went for a ride. Only found temps around the mid 20s but man what a difference. Probably wont use it very often, living in Arizona, but when its needed i will be ready.
mike v |
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | I bought my Wife Gerbings 3 Christmases ago. She is always cold. She still haven't used the pants nor socks, but I nabbed their battery hook-ups for all the bikes.
I on the other hand don't need them. I am 80-100 pounds overweight and am almost always hot. I hate it. I take a shower, get dressed and drive 25 minutes to work in 40º weather just to cool off. I live where I live because it paid the most for washing dishes, and still sold beer to 18 year olds back in the 80's. LOL
Herb |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Can't over-state the importance of good gear. I have a number to the Gerbing marketing rep for the east coast who I met at a roadside rest this past summer. We were the only two crazy riders pushing on in a terrible thunder/electrical storm. Offered to mail me a set of the Gerbing pants & jacket for free. Not thinking I said no and he said if I changed my mind give him a shout (I already have heated gear but it needs replaced). So who knows. Good post! |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 623
| where do you plug in at? do you ride around with storage door open? or did you relocate a plug?
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Tourer
Posts: 495
Carrollton, TX | jeffmack - 2008-12-29 5:18 PM where do you plug in at? do you ride around with storage door open? or did you relocate a plug? Good question. I ordered the accessory power outlets part number 2856746 for $39.99. There are two female 12 volt power outlets that come with this kit and one of them mounts in the center console on the right hand side and the other on the right hand side of the trunk armrest area below the speaker if you have the trunk. The kit comes with a template to mark the holes to drill and the wires to connect to the outlets are already part of the wiring harness with the bike so it is a pretty easy install. Gerbing has a 12 volt power port plug you can buy for $15.00 that plugs into these outlets and then into your Gerbing temperature controller or clothes. It is a clean setup and works awesome. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1632
Jasper, MO | jeffmack - 2008-12-29 6:18 PM
where do you plug in at? do you ride around with storage door open? or did you relocate a plug?
As an alternative, you can also just buy the 18" BMW plug to coaxial jack cable for $10.35 and plug it right into the jack in your storage compartment. Run the wire through the grommet for the MP3 cable and under the radio. It will come up right between the front of your seat and the triangular panel. It's barely noticable sticking up. You can get a 24" coaxial extension cable for $10 if the input cable on your controller isn't long enough. If you have the trunk, the same two items are a simple plug and play for your passenger. Plug the BMW cable into the outlet in the trunk, add the 24" extension, run it down through the well where the CB unit is, then under the seat and up alongside. You will end up with a little more than a foot of cable that neatly tucks in along the back of the passenger seat when not needed, but is easily accessed when needed. I've been using Widder heated gear for years, but I "outgrew" my vest and needed a new (larger) jacket liner. I decided on the Warm N Safe gear, since it has features that Gerbing doesn't offer, and is less expensive to boot. Realizing that the Vision already has the outlets, I looked at the Warm N Safe catalogue and found the cables I needed to do a plug and play installation for myself and the missus for a cost of $40.70. No drilling, no adapting, no extra parts needed. I will say that I will probably do a permanent installation later, with the jacks mounted per the other method and controlled by permanently mounted controllers, when I get more time. At this time, I was in a hurry to get ready for our annual New Year's Day Ride, and the $40 cable solution was quick and easy. The cables can be reused in a permanent installation too, so I'm not out any extra money that way.
Ronnie |
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | You know, thereis a hole inthe bottom of the "glove box" next to the power outlet. I simply obtained a BMW to coax converter about 10" long
and went from that pwr plug out the hole and under the cover in front of the seat. Then another coax under the right front of the seat. Tucks away between seat and side cover when not in use; and lays nicely to the right of where my jacket liner plug in drops down. Simple, effective and discrete. Oh, I forgot; the controller is also in the glove box. Pop it open to set and close back- out of the way and out of the weather. |
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I wish I had bought these earlier…