Heated Gear - Experiences

[bjryman]

Now that we're moving into the cold time of year, thought I'd start a thread about how everyone continues to keep warm. I live in Central Indiana where winter comes a bit later than rest of upper midwest and spring a bit sooner. Snow comes and goes throughout winter and stays away enough to offer many cool to cold days of riding.

With that start, I intend to ride every day there is no rain or snow. This year I've put on over 10,000 miles on my anniversary Ultra, without any out of State trips...I really ride!

I just purchased a set of the new HD heated pant liners, jacket liner, and gloves. Today the matching heated socks arrived from the maker of the HD equipment.

This week the temp in the morning was 31 degrees and I hooked up the gear to the bike and went 60 mph on the highway, 22 miles to work. Had my jeans on over the gear and long underwear. On top had my harley orange an black mid weight leather jacket and a 3/4 helmet with face shield.

Dual theromostat on the gear is fantastic though difficult to get to under the jackets. I was warm and toasty throughout the ride. I understand one can use this gear comfortably down into the teens of temperature.

Don't know how long this stuff will last, but will keep reporting. Oh yeah, I have an office at work and keep my "work clothes" there and change every day. Get some interesting looks walking in and out of the building with wires hanging out!!

How about it folks.....how long ya gonna ride this off season, and how ya gonna keep warm!!

bj

 

[Fourdogs]

I have the heated jacket liner and gloves...my wife has the jacket liner, pants and socks...we rode as low as 17 f...were absolutely comfortable. We also ride all year ...unless its ice and snow...are right after the snow melts coz in our area they don't use salt, but they use cinders and sand...makes a mess of the bike...lol

 

[kojba45]

I'll be ridin as long as it's not slick. I have the jacket liner and pants but not the gloves or socks (wish I could afford the gloves as my 04 RoadKing windshield dosn't protect the hands very well). Anyway we don't get much below freezing here in S. Texas but I'm on the coast and the humidity coupled with 35-38 degree weather and some wind chill added makes it miserable. I ride about 12K a year and proper clothing is a must for me.

Stay out of the barbed wire.
That stuff hurts and it scratches an enormous amount of paint!

 

[Randall K. Wilson]

I'm riding on my third Roadking and live in central IN as well. In the past when it dropped down into the middle thirties my hands would be the only thing to get cold. Even though I was wearing those big thick insulated gauntlet gloves. They still would get cold.

Hence last year I bought the HD heated gloves and Jacket liner. Tried them out some last year and now I think I'm good to go. I used to wear HD chaps, but found that the full Leather Jeans are much better. A local party here sewed a nice 15 inch long zipper into the leg above the ankle. By buying leather jeans a size larger than my pants size they are just perfect. They are very user friendly taking on and off even with tall boots on.

Using long johns, levi's, and HD full leather jeans, I think I'm going to be able to get by without buying the heated pants.

In the past my hands out in the open is what has been the issue of getting cold.
*************************

As I have said before, even a blind man knows a Harley when it putts by.

 

[DDogg]

I'm right next door in Michigan. Rides in the morning start out at 32, but the ride home is in the low fiftys. Great post. I'm 55, and I get colder. I was looking at getting some heated gloves. I'm open for suggestions. My hands control how cold I can ride. Own a FatBob. No windshield. Not into that. So I get the cold wind. I'm interested in hearing what others use for gloves when it's freezing out but dry. Always dry, any little puddle here in Michigan turns to ice after Halloween.

 

[Elwood]

Living in New England, this is absolutely my favorite time of year to ride. The colder the better and I'll ride every day the streets are clear and dry. Coldest I've ridden so far is 17 degrees and I did see one other bike out that day. I have a Fox Creek leather jacket, full leather pant, Under Armour thermal longjohns, Harley's heated gloves and for the real cold days I wear my Carolina boots with 600g Thinsulate. Even the lowers on the Ultra won't protect at sub freezing temps. If my wife is riding with me in the cold, she'll wear the heated gloves and she also has a Fox Creek jacket. One nice feature of her jacket is the pull out neck warmer the jacket has. The heated gloves work great and I also use some neoprene sleeves on my knees which help a lot too. If I can afford them I may go for the heated pants but that's a luxury right now.