Poor Man's Heating Gear

[StratTuner]

I already have the SAE-type connector hard wired directly to the battery.
That gives me an SAE connection that hangs just below the handlebars (on the left).

So far, I use an anapter that turns the SAE into powered USB for my Tom/Tom GPS.
It works well, but I've learned the hard way (dead battery) to disconnect EVERYTHING from the SAE when I stop for the night.

I also have the connection that turns SAE into the power outlet found in most cars.

I want to connect THIS to it

That would give me a USB to power the GPS and a place to plug in a cheap HEATING PAD to tuck inside my coat for an upcoming November (cold) ride to OMAHA.

I figure I could plug it all in and run with the heating pad inside my riding suit.
Has anyone had any experience with electrical gear like this?
How about electrical gear and rain?

Would it be best to keep the connection device in the frunk and run the wires out from the bottom and up to me?
(that way, rain running down the wire will fall OFF the wire at its lowest point before it goes up and in through the bottom of the Frunk).

Any advice on how to do this better is welcome.
thanks,

 

[jdmitchell]

Your hands and feet will be the first to suffer on a cold ride. Are you planning on using hot hands or something similar for hands and feet? I personally have never felt the need for a heated jacket. Heated socks and gloves on the other hand......ummmm yup. I found that heated grips were kind of useless on my Concours 14 since the top of my hand that was exposed was never in contact with the heat. So I am shopping for some heated gloves and socks. Firstgear and Gerbings are at the top of my list. Good luck with your cold ride.

 

[Beemerphile]

100 watts of 110v power (the rating of the device you pictured) will pull ~8 amps from the motorcycle. What is the fuse rating of your SAE circuit? What is the wattage of the "cheap heating pad"? Generally you are better off to stay with 12 VDC rated gear because you avoid the 10% or so of efficiency loss from the inverter.

 

[showkey]

Some of the cheap inverters are far greater than 10% loss. The wattage and conversion will add up quick in a bad way.

Then there is the 110 volt thing in a possible wet environment..........not the smartest or safest design. If I was stranded in a snow storm freezing and need to ride I would try it.........but starting out with a faulty or less than good design......not a good idea.

Heated grip or gloves should also be high on the list of needs for any trip in NOV. in the heart land. I have done multiple trips around the Great Lakes into Canada in MAY and would never recommend one do it without heated grips and vest. It can be done jeans and in a work jacket it just might not be fun. A little heat in the collar with a good tight fit to stop that draft on your neck is real nice to have feature.

Do it right..........buy a vest that has heating in the front, back and maybe in the sleeves......if it's sleeting in NOV you will not regret buying something that actually works. If this a one time deal buy a vest and sell after you use it.......or buy someone's used heated gear in one of the other forums flea markets.

 

[Beemerphile]

Showkey gave you better advice than I did. I didn't even think about the shock hazard, but it is very real. As far as its efficiency, I did some more digging and it is DC fused at 10 amps. At 10% efficiency loss it would pull 8 amps, so it is probably in the 10-20% range. I also found out that it has a fan in the unit. This is definitely not the ticket for M/C use.

 

[StratTuner]

the electrical part I don't understand much at all, but I do understnd electrical shock hazard.

I think I'll go with the small, chemical, packet hand-warmers.

I remember HAND WARMERS from when my children were in marching band. Cheaper, no electricity, lasts about 5 hours, AND I can put them in my gloves and boots. $6 for 10 sets. Not bad...

 

[Beemerphile]

If it is just a one time use for the trip in November, I have a spare Gerbing that I could loan you. It would plug directly into your SAE plug. PM me your mailing address if you want to borrow it. I have a light uninsulated heated liner meant to be used under insulated clothing and a thicker insulated liner that only needs a windproof layer. Your choice. Both have heated arms and collars. I think / hope I have a spare controller as well, but if not, I am pretty sure I have an in-line on/off switch.

 

[StratTuner]

thank you, BP. I'll PM you if I can't get something going.

 

[The_Drifter]

for an upcoming November (cold) ride to OMAHA.

Not only should You prepare yourself for the cold weather, but also realize what effect that will have on your bike and ride. It's possible you could encounter snow, and ice (which I would not ride a bike through). Even on a nice day, You could hit a patch of black ice. Be very careful, and check the weather conditions along your route (You may even wish to alternate your route). Also, realize that the weather may delay your trip. You can't go through a snowstorm on a bike. Even rain can be tricky sometimes.

Hopefully, some of the subscribers on this forum that has experienced riding a bike in cold climates, and give you further advice.

 

[ziggie]

I have gone 20 miles in 25 degree temps.it felt like 100 miles.all the warm gear in the world won't help once you get cold.be safe.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

Beemerphile posted a pic of a BMW riding in the snow. I'll try to find that post later.. The coldest temp that I have rode in has been 9°F. I wasn't cold because of my gear. If I didn't have the right gear, you could pay me to do that.
The deepest snow that I've ridden in was 8-10'', but that was on my TW200. No problems riding in my timber with those knobby tires.

 

[StratTuner]

Beemerphile posted a pic of a BMW riding in the snow. I'll try to find that post later.. The coldest temp that I have rode in has been 9°F. I wasn't cold because of my gear. If I didn't have the right gear, you could pay me to do that.
The deepest snow that I've ridden in was 8-10'', but that was on my TW200. No problems riding in my timber with those knobby tires.

I grew up in So. Cal, so "snow" to me is something you see on the tops of distant mountains! (Big Bear).
I've never driven any vehicle in snow in my adult life, so I expect I'll turn tale and run the other way if I encounter any.
Seriously, my plan "B" is to rent a truck and drive it home with NC700x in the truck bed if I find any snow.

 

[netizen]

I figured someone else would have posted this by now.. but since they haven't.

Just go to Wallmart and buy about 10 of the hand warmer packs. They usually sell them in packs of 3 or more for cheap. When you activate them they are good for like 6 hours. Put them inside your jacket and then make sure you seal the jacket up well so there are no big openings. You will be nice and toasty.
The key thing is just making sure there are no openings for the heat to escape from.

I rode in the teens like this many times and was good and warm. If you have a baklava you can even put one around your neck area and the warmth will flow up into your helmet if you do it right. You can put them in your pants and boots as well.

I still keep a few of those things around just in case of emergency. They work very well as long as you seal up well so the warm air can't escape.
I have even seen vests with pockets made to put these hand warmer packs in while riding.

Don't mess around with heating pads and mess up your electrics... just get some hand warmers... the bigger ones are the best... but the small ones are good for boots and gloves.

UPDATE**** Just noticed Stratuner had already mentioned the hand warmers***

 

[StratTuner]

I figured someone else would have posted this by now.. but since they haven't.

Just go to Wallmart and buy about 10 of the hand warmer packs. They usually sell them in packs of 3 or more for cheap. When you activate them they are good for like 6 hours. Put them inside your jacket and then make sure you seal the jacket up well so there are no big openings. You will be nice and toasty.

UPDATE**** Just noticed Stratuner had already mentioned the hand warmers***

Well yes, but it bears repeating. I remember how wonderful it felt to discover those hand warmers! I think I'll bring a roll of "blue tape" and just affix them where needed.

Omaha in three days riding:
California to Arizona
Arizona to Texas
Texas up to Omaha

I'm going along the southern route to avoice the Rockies.

 

[Harald]

I'm one of those crazy fools that rides all years long, which includes rain and temps below freezing. My record low that I've experienced is 17 degrees and I set that record over 25 years ago and then tied it a couple winters ago. I'm actually hoping for days even colder so I can break my record!

I never had heated gear and poo poo'd it as something for "whimps." But after getting a long sleeve heated liner a few years ago, I'm hooked! Sure it's possible to ride in really cold weather for a short period of time, but at longer distances it's critical to keep warm to keep comfortable and more importantly SAFE. It's hard to operate controls when shivering and numb!

One of the keys to staying warm is to block the wind because it will suck the heat right out of you. Going from naked bikes and sport bikes to a FJR1300 really showed me how much of a difference there is. I can comfortably ride without heated liner on shorter trips until temps drop into the 30's due to the excellent wind protection of that bike. There's a lot more wind hitting you on the NC700. Back in my pre heated gear days on sport bikes, I used to wear my rain gear when riding in cold weather because it made a huge difference in warmth due to it's ability to block wind. Even the NC can be helped with items like big shields, wind deflectors and handguards to block more wind.

Another factor to consider is that even if you're okay on shorter trips, the chilling effect is cumulative and on long trips you need to add heat to make up for heat loss. I haven't tried disposable heat pads, but I suspect they would work to some degree depending on how many you install and how cold it is. Can't beat a heated liner connected to a heat troller that allows for temp adjustment and doesn't waste precious charging system capacity from the bike like the cheapy power resistor setup that always draws full power.

 

[StratTuner]

I'm one of those crazy fools that rides all years long, which includes rain and temps below freezing. My record low that I've experienced is 17 degrees and I set that record over 25 years ago and then tied it a couple winters ago. I'm actually hoping for days even colder so I can break my record!

I never had heated gear and poo poo'd it as something for "whimps." But after getting a long sleeve heated liner a few years ago, I'm hooked! Sure it's possible to ride in really cold weather for a short period of time, but at longer distances it's critical to keep warm to keep comfortable and more importantly SAFE. It's hard to operate controls when shivering and numb!

One of the keys to staying warm is to block the wind because it will suck the heat right out of you. Going from naked bikes and sport bikes to a FJR1300 really showed me how much of a difference there is. I can comfortably ride without heated liner on shorter trips until temps drop into the 30's due to the excellent wind protection of that bike. There's a lot more wind hitting you on the NC700. Back in my pre heated gear days on sport bikes, I used to wear my rain gear when riding in cold weather because it made a huge difference in warmth due to it's ability to block wind. Even the NC can be helped with items like big shields, wind deflectors and handguards to block more wind.

Another factor to consider is that even if you're okay on shorter trips, the chilling effect is cumulative and on long trips you need to add heat to make up for heat loss. I haven't tried disposable heat pads, but I suspect they would work to some degree depending on how many you install and how cold it is. Can't beat a heated liner connected to a heat troller that allows for temp adjustment and doesn't waste precious charging system capacity from the bike like the cheapy power resistor setup that always draws full power.

I agree heated ANYTHING would be very nice... better than chem heat pads...
but that heated stuff is....considerably more expensive than heat pads.

 

[ziggie]

These work great.its a pocket on your socks.small warmer stuff inside.i made my own with an old pair of socks and sew or glue the pocket on.standing in a deer stand feet always got cold until i made these. Pocket Sock-Acrylic Blend | My Website