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Heated grips - ouch!

iMav

New member
This past saturday (22 Sept 2012), I completed the Lake Michigan 1000. 1020 miles in approx 20 hours. (All documented and submitted)

I had fairly thin gloves on and relied heavily on my heated grips to keep my hands warm.


BIG MISTAKE!


Over the course of 20 hours I, basically, slow-cooked my hands. By the time I realized what they were doing to my hands, it was too late.

I've got huge blisters all over my hands and they are very painful. It's been 3 days and I'm guessing it will be at least another week until my hands are somewhat back to normal.

(Note, I mainly ran the heated grips on the low setting...occasionally switching them off and also occasionally running them on high.)
 
High is really high, I mean where are they running these bikes Siberia?
I hear ya dude, I crank on high and I'm back to low in a minute.
Ouch!
 
Design FAIL! Was a warning provided in the Owner's Manual?

You have seen a doctor, yes? You may have more than 2nd degree burn damage going on; deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels.
 
What bike?

only ones we have that get too hot to handle are the '95 1100R w/handguards...the rubber gets soft on high and you can't hang on even at 30 degrees ambient.
 
What bike?

only ones we have that get too hot to handle are the '95 1100R w/handguards...the rubber gets soft on high and you can't hang on even at 30 degrees ambient.

I was wondering what bke also.

I've had a R100RT, K75T, K75S, K1200RS, and K1300S with heated grips and none were too hot with thin gloves.
The K1300S is the only bike that I can feel heat on the low setting.
 
I haven't seen a doctor yet. I just assumed things would heal up on their own.

These are the OEM heated grips on my 2010 R1200RT.

I ran them on low more then high. They got gradually redder and more uncomfortable as the day went on. It didn't feel like I was burning them at the time.

They just slowly cooked while I heated them over the better part of 20 hours straight.

They are absolutely killing me right now.
 
I've had a R100RT, K75T, K75S, K1200RS, and K1300S with heated grips and none were too hot with thin gloves.
The K1300S is the only bike that I can feel heat on the low setting.

Obviously they didn't feel "too hot" when I was using them. I didn't even realize at first that they were burnt. My hands "slow cooked" over the course of 20 hours.

I've used them MANY TIMES before (with the same gloves) without issue.

It was the heat over the extended time frame that did me in.
 
On most of my bikes I had little wind protection for my hands. I'm guessing the RT has very good wind protection for your hands.

You guess incorrectly. :)

I'm going to buy some wind deflectors that should help.
 
The Barkbuster S-7 fits the recent RT. It can also be adapted to other models not on their list by machining bar weights to proper dimensions, a fairly simple job. I mounted a set on SOs R1100S, for example.

Keeping a relaxed hold on the grips can reduce that heat transfer
 
You guess incorrectly. :)

I'm going to buy some wind deflectors that should help.

Check out Wunderlich. :thumb
Love mine.

Here's the bike with the RS mirrors as well.
I'm back to the OEM windsreen, Cee Bailey + 2 here. I had no wind at all with that one. Might be good if I was riding in real cold weather, but I don't much.
DSCN0211-L.jpg
 
Some physical differences among humans in evidence.

Few, I think, can or will continue to hold onto something that's going to burn them or give them blisters.

Apparently there are some people who can ... perhaps because their sensitivity is reduced. Something apparently one needs to know about oneself before using heated handgrips.
 
On a few other forums, others have expressed similar experiences...but only during long-duration endurance rides.

I felt no discomfort nor showed signs of any irritation until I was a good 12-14 hours into my ride.
 
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