BMW heated vest

whats the opinion on these? i tried one on in L yesterday and it fit like a glove, i thought i'd read somewhere about a lack of wattage (WARMTH!) anyone have one?

Heated Vest

I purchased one of the expensive BMW models, from local dealer for 250.00 last fall. Rode with it until put bike away, K12RS, down to ~25 degrees under a joe rocket suit.

vest seems warm enough on low or high, mostly I use on low.
purchased this one because I did not like the high neck of the other bmw model.
better fit on me than less expensive bmw model
did not try on gerberings but many seem to like that one, I would look at gerbering since you can buy sleeves to attach and that may be a nice feature, my arms don't get cold but it might be nice to also roast them.
I would recommend buying one that has a "close" fit, closer to the body the more heat you receive.

down side of the vest is that I get static shocks when taking it off since it has that crazy metal fabric and anything sliding over it like your jacket builds up the static electricity. not a problem any other time than when taking it off.

bottom line I would recommend and buy again but this is the only one I have ever owned.

hope this helps..

I have the Gerbing vest, and I like it a lot. It works great, and it has a higher neck, that will keep you toasty when the wind tries to infiltrate the upper part of your cold weather gear. It is way cheaper than the BMW model, and I think it keeps you warmer. It is the widder vest that has the ability to add the sleeves, not the Gerbings.

My thermostatic control is an on off switch. I get cold, turn it on, I get too warm, turn it off. Costs almost nothing compared to the power robbing thermostat controller.

BMW heated Vest

I have one and have used it for about five years in the Mid-Atlantic region. It would NOT buy it again. I works...but not well. Fit is important so you need one that fits close to your body. I'd highly recommend Gerbing or another after market source. The BMW vest is made by Widder, so if you MUST have one...buy the Widder and save some cash.

heated vest

I bought a Harley Davidson vest. It is made by Gerbing. It works just fine. I like the high neck which keeps the back of my neck warm. I too use the on/off switch rather than a T-Stat. Works fine for me.

lorazepam said:

My thermostatic control is an on off switch. I get cold, turn it on, I get too warm, turn it off. Costs almost nothing compared to the power robbing thermostat controller.

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Most of the thermostatic controls do not "rob" power. They work on a duty cycle concept. You turn it on full, and it stays on 100% of the time. You turn it down to half way, and the controller turns the vest on and off, keeping power to it 50% of the time.

That said, the new style BMW vest (which uses NO wires or pads vs. the older style one that has heating wires) seemes to have a scheme where only part of the vest is turned on when you select Low.

thx1158 said:

I have one and have used it for about five years in the Mid-Atlantic region. It would NOT buy it again. I works...but not well. Fit is important so you need one that fits close to your body. I'd highly recommend Gerbing or another after market source. The BMW vest is made by Widder, so if you MUST have one...buy the Widder and save some cash.

Click to expand...

This is the older, less expensive style vest that BMW sells. The new style has some kind of electroresistive fabric in it. (The tag that lists what the vest is made of includes "1% aluminum".)

This new vest is very light, and is surprisingly warm without electricity. I can only compare it to the Aerostich Kanetsu jacket, and I would say that it's warmer than the 'stich piece. I have worn it down to freezing and been adequately warm. Here on the California coast, where it only gets into the 40s, I find it quite acceptable under my unlined Savannah II textile jacket and a soft shell windbreaker.

If you're going to ride in temps below 30,get a Gerbings or similar jacket liner.Having ridden all day at temps of 15-20,I'm convinced a heated vest just isn't good enough,and I'm one of those people that are hot all the time when off the bike.For those that are just starting out riding in the cold,make darn sure you seal off the space between your helmet and jacket.I use a Turtle fur neck warmer,after suffering with a condition called Bell's Palsy.The nerves controlling the left side of my face stopped working,I could't blink my eye or move that side of my face,bummer.It lasted for weeks. It was attributed to the cold air on my neck from a 900 mile day ending with temps in the 20s.

Heated Jacket liner

I bought Harley's electric jacket liner a few years ago. It is less bulky than the heated jacket liner that Aetostich sells, it has a collar that zips all the way up to give you a mock turtle neck, and it is heated in the sleeves. It also has extra leads for your passenger to plug in, and for connecting electric gloves. Fortunately the K1200GT has heated grips so my hands don't get cold. I'm not sure of the part number, nor am I sure who makes the jacket for Harley, but it's a good piece of gear.

Hey Bubba, if it fits well & close to your body it should work fine. I have a Gerbing jacket with a heat-troller & the set up works great for me.