Heated Vest vs. Jacket Liner

UncleHowie said:

Red-

IF you're going to the Cycle World show in Mpls this weekend, and IF Gerbing's has a booth there, they'll measure you up to make sure you get into the right size. Very helpful.

There are some "fit critical" issues with electric gear that I wasn't fully aware of.

I did this last year, and took the "factory" measurement sheet with me in case I decided to order one later.

Still haven't done it, but I probably will do it someday...

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+1
Proper fit makes a big difference.

HFD190 said:

I am thinking about purchasing either a heated vest or jacket liner. This will be my first heated clothing purchase. I am pretty much settled on Gerbings and at this point IÔÇÖm just trying to determine which makes the most sense. I ride with an Olympia jacket that keeps me comfortable down to about 45 degrees with the liner. IÔÇÖm concerned about too much bulk under the jacket, do folks ride with the heated liner under the jacket liner, or do you remove the jacket liner when wearing the heated liner? Also, has anyone who purchased a vest wished they had gone with the jacket liner instead?

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Gerbings jacket liner. Warm arms are good.

Those "Hippo Hands"

Yes, I'm a Polarbear and like the cold, hehehe. My "White" GSA has the look too, for my Polarbear image! Those HIPPO HANDS sure were something, so many years ago when they first came out. Must have been in the early 70's or so? I guess they are still made??? Quite a good peice of gear, but I've never used them first hand. No pun. Where are they sold today? My wife loves her Gerbings "jacket liner", arms and all and I have never missed the arms thing, with my really good heated vest...You all are softies,hehehe! I find the really hard core riders are all wearing vests if anything at all, regarding electrics. I know I ride winter long, nearly every day and all over several states and rarely see other riders, even those of you with those liners on. Most riders I do run into, do not even have any heat at all and are amazed at my heated vest. Mostly other brand X bike riders. 50000+ miles a year for me and I never see any of you out there with your liners or bikes, but I'm sure you must be out there somewhere. Now I'm gonna HEAR it, as I have poked back. Happy "warm" Trails to you liner lovers. Its a great product you have. Now you must use it...Randy

Hippo Hands

Polarbear said:

I guess they are still made??? Where are they sold today?

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http://www.hippohands.com/

Polarbear said:

Now you have. My arms are probably larger than most out here riding! I like them free of layers under the jacket and it works with the vest only for me. The heated body CORE keeps most folks warm, especially with the heated grips on the hands. Blood flows and its warm coming from the heated body core through the arms! Science. Liners are very good and I agree many love them things. I am a big guy with weightlifting arms. A good reason, yes, for my vest....Ever see those bare mega football player "arms" in cold snowy conditions on the fields and wonder why they don't freeze??? Many do wear coverage over their arms but many many do not! Blood flow is exceptional in atheletes of this size and the warmth from their core bodies does the job for short periods in the cold with no protection. Vests work equally good for some of us. I'm a minority, I know. Thought you needed to hear it though....Happy Trails, Randy

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I never tried the jacket, but I too to not want to be restricted under my jacket. I don't usually use my electric vest until the mid 30's or less and I cannot ever remember a time when I had wanted more heat when riding. Then again I am on a R-1150-RT so I do have a lot of protection in front of me. Besides we Americans have the right to bear arms.

Polarbear said:

You all are softies,hehehe! I find the really hard core riders are all wearing vests if anything at all, regarding electrics. I know I ride winter long, nearly every day and all over several states and rarely see other riders, even those of you with those liners on.

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that's just not right! Dang Bears!
I was glad to have warm arms this morning on the GSA! Headed to be camera bike in San Antonio Marathon. I thought I was hardcore until I wore a vest,then a liner the first time...rode a few years with just the leather on top and wondered what the wires and the fuss was all about. Never giving up the wires! Commuted with and without 'em every day...was nice to have them for days like these.

Good

I'm amused. Bear arms is a great one,I agree. The 24 reading is good too. I recently had that temp reading on my GSA at "15 degrees" in Marathon ,Texas about three weeks ago. My BMW Dealer told me when I got home that the 15 degree mark is the bottom for this sensor/ computer readout! I thought he was joking, but NO, he was serious. Ice covered my GSA that morning and it did not want to start either. Battery was aok, but I had to coax the engine to life, with a bit of throttle, like "carbed" bikes. The fuel magagement system is not COLD friendly, as I found out in Marathon at 15 degrees. "Zero" would KILL these bikes for sure. Thank goodness for my warm VEST, Randy

Polarbear said:

I'm amused. Bear arms is a great one,I agree. The 24 reading is good too. I recently had that temp reading on my GSA at "15 degrees" in Marathon ,Texas about three weeks ago. My BMW Dealer told me when I got home that the 15 degree mark is the bottom for this sensor/ computer readout! I thought he was joking, but NO, he was serious. Ice covered my GSA that morning and it did not want to start either. Battery was aok, but I had to coax the engine to life, with a bit of throttle, like "carbed" bikes. The fuel magagement system is not COLD friendly, as I found out in Marathon at 15 degrees. "Zero" would KILL these bikes for sure. Thank goodness for my warm VEST, Randy

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Have had same results in Marathon and Alpine with frost on things...the Hexheads do not like the cold and was afraid it wouldn't start. I wasn't the only one either. I do wonder what a colder morning than 20 degrees would do. 20/50 oil not thin enough?

I guess that flashing snowflake means STAY OFF?

Sw Texas

The other "COLD" state, "not" in the North US of A! Let it be said, Texan's can have brutal cold weather and "vests or liners" ARE required in the AM hours, even as far south as the Mex.Border of Texas. Of course, I hit there during a really cold week, but clear skies. Really good riding and all should go there, SW Texas winter... Good times, Randy.

Gerbings will wire your liner

Here's a story I wrote for RoadBike a few years ago. I assume Gerbings still offers this service. The referenced prices, of course, are out of date:
Get Wired!
By John M. Flora
So there we were, weaving up past the tree line on MontanaÔÇÖs Beartooth Pass in the crisp morning air. My riding companions looked like clones of the Michelin man, bulked up with every sweater and extra Henley they could scrounge from their saddlebags. One guy even had his rainsuit on in an effort to put another layer between his skin and the cold mountain air. I, on the other hand, wore only a T-shirt under my Firstgear TKO jacket and liner. Yet, I was perfectly comfortable. Toasty warm, even.
As we neared the summit, riding between shoulder-high, stark, white snow banks, my gloved left hand found the little black knob peeking out of my tank bag and gave it a quarter-turn clockwise. In a moment, I felt a new wave of welcome heat spread out across my back and engulf my arms. ÔÇ£Ahhhh, thatÔÇÖs better!ÔÇØ I thought, turning my attention to the next switchback.
You see, I hate being cold. But I also hate giving up valuable space in my saddlebags to bulky sweaters, fleece layers, or other extra garments that IÔÇÖll only need when it gets really brisk. When I bought my Firstgear jacket a few years ago, I found the ideal solution with the help of the folks at GerbingÔÇÖs Heated Clothing.
Most of us are familiar with GerbingÔÇÖs popular line of heated jackets, pants, full-body suits, clothing liners, socks, and gloves. But did you know that Gerbing also will wire the removable liner of your favorite jacket?
ÔÇ£We donÔÇÖt promote it,ÔÇØ said Bob Gerbing, discussing the custom wiring offered by the company. ÔÇ£But we gladly do it.ÔÇØ
The company charges $169 to wire your jacket liner, and thereÔÇÖs no extra charge for a pull-up mandarin collar. If you like, theyÔÇÖll include plugs in the wrists to connect to heated gloves for no extra charge. TheyÔÇÖll also wire a vest for $129, and you can get your favorite pair of lined gloves wired for $79. ÔÇ£As long as thereÔÇÖs an inner liner, we can wire them,ÔÇØ Bob explained.
The turnaround time for wiring jobs is usually about 7 to 10 days from the receipt of your gear. However, Bob told me that when ÔÇ£people have special requests and need something quick because theyÔÇÖre going on vacation, we try to expedite the order to accommodate them.ÔÇØ
Besides the heated garments and custom wiring work, GerbingÔÇÖs offers a variety of ways to connect to your bikeÔÇÖs electrical system. The cheapest is the simple $12 on/off switch, but the best solution is one of their electronic thermostats. These devices are actually timers, which meter out measured waves of heat every few seconds, drawing just enough current to maintain the desired level of heat. You can choose from two portable controllers ($59 each), which slip into a pocket or a tank bag. A permanent unit ($69) can be mounted on a motorcycle fairing.
BobÔÇÖs father, Gordon Gerbing started the heated clothing business 25 years ago. It began as a sideline to the machine shop he ran in the little town of Union at the eastern base of WashingtonÔÇÖs Olympic Peninsula. His original product was a one-piece heated suit.
For several years, his business grew by word of mouth ÔÇô one satisfied customer at a time. In 1988, Gordon quit the machine shop and went full time into heated clothing for motorcyclists. Around 1990, he and his wife Marilyn hit the road to promote the product line. Gordon became a familiar fixture on the motorcycle rally circuit. ÔÇ£HeÔÇÖd fly to a city and sleep in his rental car,ÔÇØ Bob recalled. ÔÇ£He promoted from the ground up.ÔÇØ
The company is still a family business. ÔÇ£Mom and Dad are both 70, but they still work here,ÔÇØ said Bob, who is in charge of quality control. BobÔÇÖs brother Jeff is vice president, and JeffÔÇÖs wife, Dottie, is the company secretary. And a small group of sales representatives (often including one or more Gerbings) hit the big events like Americade, Daytona, and Sturgis, as well as lots of brand-specific rallies.
GerbingÔÇÖs recently got a major boost, when the company signed a contract with Harley-Davidson to manufacture HarleyÔÇÖs heated clothing. ÔÇ£The new Softail is so smooth that Harley riders can take even longer trips and really need the heated clothes now,ÔÇØ Bob said, chuckling that the contract ÔÇ£is DadÔÇÖs plum prize. HeÔÇÖs been working toward it for years.ÔÇØ
While the Gerbing business on Dalby Road is essentially a factory, Bob said they welcome drop-in customers. ÔÇ£We have a rack of clothes in the hallway office. WeÔÇÖre open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and by appointment on weekends. If somebody wants to come out on the weekend, weÔÇÖll open up the shop for them. A lot of people have to work during the week, so weÔÇÖre happy to help them.ÔÇØ
So, the next time you try and cram lots of bulky layers onto your bike for an extended ride through several temperature zones, consider your options. WouldnÔÇÖt it be nice to take just your jacket liner and leave the other stuff home?



GerbingÔÇÖs Heated Clothing
D 750 Dalby Road, Dept. MT&C
Union, WA 98592
800/646-5916
www.gerbing.com

While a jacket liner is warmer, I actually prefer a vest. I have more freedom of movement and it packs better than a jacket liner. I might have a different view if I was on a bike with less wind protection than my RT though.