Heat Grips vs Gaurds vs Hippo Hands
 

My FIL wants something for his 82 Yammy XS400J to keep his hands warm in the morning (30* ride in), cause his afternoon ride home is nice. (He lives up north). These are my ideas, but want some input or other ideas.

For heated grips, I know my HD dealer has been selling these very well.

Heat Demons

Ebbs has some wrap around style that I'm not sure about.

Dirt/dual sport guys... what brands for hand gaurds?????

Then... No Worries fav.

Hippo Hands

heated grips and hippo hands

Grips keep your hands warm and the hippos will protect them from wind.

Hand guards don't actually provide great wind blocking, even the huge GS ones. They are mostly so you don't whack your hand on a tree or the ground.

Yeah that's what I thought on the hand gaurds. I told him I knew exactly who to ask.

He's got real nice big gaunlet gloves... but says in the morning his hands still get numb. He didn't believe that the heat grips would keep his hands warm. He tells me "it's the backside of my hands that is cold, not my palm." I told I know but they work that out.

With hippo hands and heated gloves, I have yet to encounter weather that has made my hands cold. My feet are the new weakness. I need new boots for winter.

Ok with the heated gloves are they heated all around?

dont know never used them, i would say how heats depends on brand though.

I had the thin ones that wrap under your grips. Not bad, but yeah, you definitely need something to keep the wind of the back of your hands when it gets real cold. Hippo Hands look like the way to go.

Having trouble figuring out their sizing though...

http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Ride..._grip_kit1.htm

http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Imag...it_Small_2.jpg

Yeh I like those, used them on my last bike and loved them, I also have a set of thick winter gloves, my biggest problem with that combo was wind seepage where I would get a small jet of wind get sucked into the glove and down my hand.

The nice thing about the ones I have is it makes the grips larger in diameter. which makes my hand cramp less over long hauls.

I vote headed wraps with hippo hands... that's what I have. the hippo hands keep the wind off my hands... and the heated grips puts heat INTO my hands...


though with the ones I have... they on have two settings.... on and off. on with the long hippo hands I traded Fatburg for... they're too hot. for the short ones Trip has they were perfect at anything from 40* to -5* (obviously I was going much slower at -5 than at 40)

I wouldn't recommend the BRAND i have though as the throttle side quit after one winter... but Aerostitch makes a version... and they're a stand up company. I think they're like $45 or so...

http://www.aerostich.com/aerostich-warm-wrap-grips.html

easily removable at the end of winter too..

Thanks Derf, that's a good price.

Ebbs... thanks as well. But I see 1 of the 4 reviews complaigned about the same problem you had with your generic brand.

I'm not sure which he will want but I will pass it along.

The BMW heated grips rock my cock. Setting one is about all I can take, setting 2 is omg this is fucking hot unless it's too cold to even feel it.

That's what people say about the HD ones. But I don't have any... peeps do say that once you get a set, you'll use them more than you think when you don't have a set.

But this is for my FIL. He always asks me what to get... he knows that if I don't know myself, I know who to ask.

I use the Hotgrips on the Busa they are great but the stock controller has low and high setting iwich leaves you asking is this on, or saying dam that is hot. I have Oxfords on the B King they have a 4 position controller that is easy to adjut and were $70 for the complete kit. I agree BTW once you have the heated Grips you seem to wind up using them all the time.

NNut... those seem to be complete grips. How long have you had them? I don't want to suggest something to FIL that ends up failing.

I have had the Hot Grips for 4 years and the Oxfords for about a year. I use them about 4 months out of the year. Guys over on the SuzukiB-king.org have been running the Oxfords longer with no failures. Oxford also makes the under the Grip Wraps. We ran those on the wife's Victory from 04 till she sold it last year they worked well under the Kuryakyn ISO grips. they didn't get quite as warm as the Heated grips but I am guessing that was because of the thickness of the ISO's

It looked like the hot grips & oxfords were the same thing when I searched them...

I think I may have added to the confusion Hot Grips (two words) is a company and the Oxford Company calls their product Hotgrips (One word)
Hot Grips are a US made brand and at least on the Models I used the Hot Grips Model 475-875 increase grip diameter (think Harley sized grips on a Busa) As a Rule Hot grips come with a 2 position Heat Controller or for an additional $50 a dial type heat Controller. (see them at Hotgrips.com)
Oxfords are Imported and come with a 4 button controller. I am using their model OF696 Sports HotGrips I have looked they no longer seem to offer the under grip product (Or I am confused about the maker of what was on the Victory) In any case you can see the Oxford line at their sight www.oxprod.com
In any case I have had very good luck with the Hot Grip Product (4 years no blown fuses no taxing the charging system) My only whine is the 2 position controller so I wind up running them and playing with the switch when it is too hot or cold.
I have had the Oxfords for just under a year the large button switch with 4 heat positions is great it's down side is that it is a bit harder to hide if that matters. On the B King have it mounted to my RAM mount but some might might not like the look of it.

Ok, thanks for the explanation...

So you like them both equally?

The thing about what you are suggesting over the others, is that you have a good running track record with them. Ebbs wrap overs, which I like, and the aerostitch ones he linked... both have a high failure rate. I can't suggest that to FIL.

While I haven't had them as long I actually like the Oxfords better (better controls and a more conventional feeling texture) I don't believe you would go wrong with either set but if I were mounting on a new bike I would go with the Oxfords

FWIW... I'm gonna pull the Oxford Hothands apart and re-solder them... I switched the grips where they plug into the switch and looks like that's where the failure is... worth the time...and honestly... if that is the big problem causing all the failures... an easy fix and still makes the product worth the $ IMO.

Thanks guys...