Brettendress
Brett
My new Gerbings jacket was supposed to be here for my birthday yesterday but didn't show up yet, Grrrr can't wait it's been two weeks.
Brett Endress
Altoona pa
Brett Endress
Altoona pa
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N
nevada72
Guest
The G3s are stiff but hit them with leather conditioner a few times and they relax. I also used spray stikum for the throttle and right glove palm because the G3s don't grip very well. That coupled with the added bulk and slippery GS grips made for a sore throttle hand. Now all is well.
Question - do the thumbs on your G3s heat up? Mine don't and it can get a bit frosty below 30 degrees.
I mounted my dual controller on my left thigh of my riding pants with velcro. I actually glued a controller shaped piece of lexan on the pants perpendicular to the length of my leg creating a solid platform for the controller. I then used soft velcro on the pants and "pokey" velcro on the controller. The positioning the controls towards the bike. The placement is perfect for adjusting easily and movement on and off the bike. The only issue is I used a glue gun, reasoning that melted glue wouldn't "chemicaly" mess with my pants. That may be true, but the glue is pulling away from the fabric so I'll need to find something better.
All that said - I LOVE my jacket liner and gloves! It's like soaking in a hot tub while riding.
Mark,
I got mine at Twin City BMW in Savoy, IL. 40% off on all pre-microwire Gerbing. They also had 20% off on everything in the store, so I got the dual controller for $80.
Glenn
Thanks to everyone for all the feedback. Very helpful. I suspected the difference between the old and new would make very little difference to me. As others have said, the power draw on the old and new is exactly the same, so that is not an issue.
I ended up buying the pre-microwire jacket liner and G3 gloves at 40% off from Twin City BMW in Savoy, IL. These guys provide great service and are very friendly and helpful. They also had 20% off everything in the store at the time, so I got the Gerbing Dual Controller for $79 instead of $99. I need to pick up the leather cover for the controller. I really need to have that attached somewhere. I would like to know where others attach the controller when they are riding.
A little more digging on the Gerbing web site and I found that the 8 seconds warm up claim is 8 seconds to full temperature and that is 10 times faster than the pre-microwire. That means full temperature in 80 seconds instead of 8 seconds. For me, that makes very little difference, it is less than a minute and a half. I can feel heat in the jacket liner within 30 seconds, and within 10 seconds for the gloves.
Gerbing strongly recommends Nikwax Glove Proof for the G3 gloves. Hard to find, so I ordered on the web. Should be here on Monday. I got the Glove Proof and also ordered Nikwax Conditioner for Leather.
I have a new pair of Fly Milepost Sport Touring Boots, and the Conditioner is supposed to soften the leather and help with breaking in the boots in addition to making the leather waterproof. I really need this because the ankles are so stiff I have to shift by lifting my whole leg. Otherwise I really like the boots, very warm. This is my second pair of Milepost boots. The first pair I used for the first time to ride to the Return to Shilou Rally. Rode over 4 hours in the rain on the way back. When I got home and took the boots off, my right sock was soaking wet, but my left was completely dry. Obviously, the right boot was defective. Got an immediate exchange from Donelson Cycles. I like the boots, though, because even though my right foot was soaking wet, it was so warm, I didn't even realize it was wet until I took the boot off. I haven't used the new replacements yet, but I figure it would be a good idea to waterproof the leather before I use them in the rain. The boots are waterproof, but I believe they are waterproof because of a waterproof liner inside the boot. This is like the G3 gloves, they have an inside waterproof liner, but Gerbing strongly recommends that you waterproof the leather as well so the gloves don't soak up water and get heavy.
Someone mentioned the G3 gloves don't grip the throttle well. The Nikwax Glove Proof ad says that it improves the grip of the gloves. Since I use a Cramp Buster, though, this is not an issue for me. You might want to try one. If your dealer doesn't have it, I have seen them on eBay for $10 with free shipping, and I paid $10 at a dealer.
The next thing I need to decide is if I want to get the pants liner (or pants). I didn't get the pants originally because I was unsure about whether the load would be a problem. I installed the Gerbing connector that goes directly to the battery and left the 15 amp fuse in just in case I decide to buy the pants. I did a little test where I rode for an hour with the jacket liner and the gloves on, and rode back home without turning the bike off. Got off the bike for 5 minutes and restarted it. It turned over just as fast as before, so I am guessing I am ok on the load.
As I understand it, my 2003 Dakar has (at least) a 400 watt alternator. I have not been able to find out how much the bike uses when running. Mine came from the factory with the ABS option, and I read somewhere that with the ABS option they increase the alternator output to something like 730 watts. I don't know how I can find out about this for sure. Dealer doesn't seem to know the story on this. If anyone has any information about how many watts the bike draws when it is running, let me know. Also interested to know whether I have a 400 watt alternator or something larger because of the ABS option.
The Gloves use 27 watts and the Jacket Liner users 77 for a total of 104 watts. Since I have the controller, I have the option to turn down the load. It looks like the controller works by turning the power on and off. If I turn both channels down below half, the LED's look like the controller alternates between the channels. In that mode the battery would see a 27 watt load, then a 77 watt load in a cycle. If I remember right, the pants add 44 watts for a total of 148. The pants would be connected on the glove circuit, so if the controller is low enough to be in the alternate mode, the battery would see 71 watts (gloves and pants), then 77 watts for the jacket.
I am thinking about getting a Battery Bug:
http://www.argusanalyzers.com/batte...tery-bug-battery-monitor-argus-analyzers.html
You can get this on Amazon for about $49 with free shipping.
This is basically a volt meter that you can velcro up around your other instruments and should give you an indication about whether the Gerbing clothes are discharging the battery. It also has an audible alarm that goes off when you battery gets below a minimum voltage. It claims the additional benefit of analyzing the load on the battery every time you start the bike and predicts a battery failure long before that battery actually goes bad. If anyone has any experience with the Battery Bug, I would be interested in some feedback on that.
I ended up buying the pre-microwire jacket liner and G3 gloves at 40% off from Twin City BMW in Savoy, IL. These guys provide great service and are very friendly and helpful. They also had 20% off everything in the store at the time, so I got the Gerbing Dual Controller for $79 instead of $99. I need to pick up the leather cover for the controller. I really need to have that attached somewhere. I would like to know where others attach the controller when they are riding.
A little more digging on the Gerbing web site and I found that the 8 seconds warm up claim is 8 seconds to full temperature and that is 10 times faster than the pre-microwire. That means full temperature in 80 seconds instead of 8 seconds. For me, that makes very little difference, it is less than a minute and a half. I can feel heat in the jacket liner within 30 seconds, and within 10 seconds for the gloves.
Gerbing strongly recommends Nikwax Glove Proof for the G3 gloves. Hard to find, so I ordered on the web. Should be here on Monday. I got the Glove Proof and also ordered Nikwax Conditioner for Leather.
I have a new pair of Fly Milepost Sport Touring Boots, and the Conditioner is supposed to soften the leather and help with breaking in the boots in addition to making the leather waterproof. I really need this because the ankles are so stiff I have to shift by lifting my whole leg. Otherwise I really like the boots, very warm. This is my second pair of Milepost boots. The first pair I used for the first time to ride to the Return to Shilou Rally. Rode over 4 hours in the rain on the way back. When I got home and took the boots off, my right sock was soaking wet, but my left was completely dry. Obviously, the right boot was defective. Got an immediate exchange from Donelson Cycles. I like the boots, though, because even though my right foot was soaking wet, it was so warm, I didn't even realize it was wet until I took the boot off. I haven't used the new replacements yet, but I figure it would be a good idea to waterproof the leather before I use them in the rain. The boots are waterproof, but I believe they are waterproof because of a waterproof liner inside the boot. This is like the G3 gloves, they have an inside waterproof liner, but Gerbing strongly recommends that you waterproof the leather as well so the gloves don't soak up water and get heavy.
Someone mentioned the G3 gloves don't grip the throttle well. The Nikwax Glove Proof ad says that it improves the grip of the gloves. Since I use a Cramp Buster, though, this is not an issue for me. You might want to try one. If your dealer doesn't have it, I have seen them on eBay for $10 with free shipping, and I paid $10 at a dealer.
The next thing I need to decide is if I want to get the pants liner (or pants). I didn't get the pants originally because I was unsure about whether the load would be a problem. I installed the Gerbing connector that goes directly to the battery and left the 15 amp fuse in just in case I decide to buy the pants. I did a little test where I rode for an hour with the jacket liner and the gloves on, and rode back home without turning the bike off. Got off the bike for 5 minutes and restarted it. It turned over just as fast as before, so I am guessing I am ok on the load.
As I understand it, my 2003 Dakar has (at least) a 400 watt alternator. I have not been able to find out how much the bike uses when running. Mine came from the factory with the ABS option, and I read somewhere that with the ABS option they increase the alternator output to something like 730 watts. I don't know how I can find out about this for sure. Dealer doesn't seem to know the story on this. If anyone has any information about how many watts the bike draws when it is running, let me know. Also interested to know whether I have a 400 watt alternator or something larger because of the ABS option.
The Gloves use 27 watts and the Jacket Liner users 77 for a total of 104 watts. Since I have the controller, I have the option to turn down the load. It looks like the controller works by turning the power on and off. If I turn both channels down below half, the LED's look like the controller alternates between the channels. In that mode the battery would see a 27 watt load, then a 77 watt load in a cycle. If I remember right, the pants add 44 watts for a total of 148. The pants would be connected on the glove circuit, so if the controller is low enough to be in the alternate mode, the battery would see 71 watts (gloves and pants), then 77 watts for the jacket.
I am thinking about getting a Battery Bug:
http://www.argusanalyzers.com/batte...tery-bug-battery-monitor-argus-analyzers.html
You can get this on Amazon for about $49 with free shipping.
This is basically a volt meter that you can velcro up around your other instruments and should give you an indication about whether the Gerbing clothes are discharging the battery. It also has an audible alarm that goes off when you battery gets below a minimum voltage. It claims the additional benefit of analyzing the load on the battery every time you start the bike and predicts a battery failure long before that battery actually goes bad. If anyone has any experience with the Battery Bug, I would be interested in some feedback on that.
F
From MARS
Guest
Glenn, I did a little research on the charging capacity of the thumper F650GS and the Dakar model since I might be getting one. What I found is there is only one part number listed for the alternator for both thumper models. Based on that, I doubt BMW put in a larger charging capacity for ABS models, but I may be wrong.
BTW, I've had my full set of Gerbing's for several seasons. When I bought 'em, I rode a K12RS with 700+watts of power. Now I ride a GSPD with 270w. The socks are no longer needed since the cylinders keep the tootsies warm, and the PD tank protects the legs quite well. But, I can't stand to have a cold core or fingers, so the jacket and gloves get used a lot. So far, I haven't had any problems with starting, but I don't have to ride slow or deal with traffic.YMMV
Tom
PS: Sounds like you got a much better deal on your gear than I did.
BTW, I've had my full set of Gerbing's for several seasons. When I bought 'em, I rode a K12RS with 700+watts of power. Now I ride a GSPD with 270w. The socks are no longer needed since the cylinders keep the tootsies warm, and the PD tank protects the legs quite well. But, I can't stand to have a cold core or fingers, so the jacket and gloves get used a lot. So far, I haven't had any problems with starting, but I don't have to ride slow or deal with traffic.YMMV
Tom
PS: Sounds like you got a much better deal on your gear than I did.
ENFOMAN
BMW MOV Club Director
The Battery bug does as advertised and seems to be good insurance for me at least. I also have a nice kuryakin battery monitor that I place on my dash that will flash when too much voltage is drawn. available from White horse or twisted throttle in chrome or black, all are the same price.
http://www.whitehorsepress.com/images/products/large/ledbg.jpg
grafikfeat
New member
I just picked up the newer T5 gloves.
Way better than the original incarnation in bulk alone.
I haven't ridden w/ them yet as I need to water proof 'em first.
That being said... If any of you folks picked up your gear used...
This was included in the box:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/4042671329/" title="Gerbings Warning Slip by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2430/4042671329_abb048b1f8_o.jpg" width="737" height="1035" alt="Gerbings Warning Slip" /></a>
If redundant, I apologize.
~ Jim
Way better than the original incarnation in bulk alone.
I haven't ridden w/ them yet as I need to water proof 'em first.
That being said... If any of you folks picked up your gear used...
This was included in the box:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_popper/4042671329/" title="Gerbings Warning Slip by GrafikFeat, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2430/4042671329_abb048b1f8_o.jpg" width="737" height="1035" alt="Gerbings Warning Slip" /></a>
If redundant, I apologize.
~ Jim
DaleStrunk
New member
polishing wheels and parts
Hey there........... I have the urge (against the rules--I know) to polish up the spoked wheels on my K100 and some frame parts. Is there a coating on the wheels ?? anyone have any knowledge or experience in polishing pieces parts ????
Hey there........... I have the urge (against the rules--I know) to polish up the spoked wheels on my K100 and some frame parts. Is there a coating on the wheels ?? anyone have any knowledge or experience in polishing pieces parts ????
grafikfeat
New member
Hey there........... I have the urge (against the rules--I know) to polish up the spoked wheels on my K100 and some frame parts. Is there a coating on the wheels ?? anyone have any knowledge or experience in polishing pieces parts ????
Wrong Thread... You missed it by one.
B
barefootedcontessa
Guest
Olympia Phantom Suit Liner
I am hoping Gerbin can add the microwave technology to my existing liner as they promote in their press. Has anyone had a garment retrofitted from this company?
I am hoping Gerbin can add the microwave technology to my existing liner as they promote in their press. Has anyone had a garment retrofitted from this company?
Rode to work early this week with the temperature at 36F. This is the first time since I got the Gerbing gear to ride significantly below 50F. Turned on both the G3 gloves and the jacket liner and the top half of me was unbelievably comfortable. My legs, on the other hand were starting to get cold after only about a mile at 35 mph.
This was all I needed to know about whether I need the pants. Called my BMW dealer and they still had 3 pairs of pre-microwire pant liners at 40% off. I went to the Gerbing web site and did the measurements, hoping I would be able to save the 3 hour round trip to the dealer. When I bought my jacket liner and gloves, I was going to be near the dealer for another reason, so I stopped in and tried on the jacket liners and gloves to get the best fit. This was the day before the dealers open house, so he still had a full selection of sizes. Gerbing has a hip size and a belt to floor size. These sizes are not the actual measurements. You take the measurements and plug them into a table to determine the Gerbing size for each dimension.
The web site says to measure your hips and measure from your belt to the floor. Based on those dimensions, one of the three remaining pant liners was my exact size. The shipping was much less than the cost of gas alone, so I took a chance and had them shipped for less than $5. When I put them on, it seemed like they fit, as they say, like a glove. So, I decided to take a ride and make sure the electrics were working. As soon as I tried to swing my leg over the bike, I noticed they were very tight at the top of my legs. When I sat on the bike, the pants became even more tight at the top of my legs.
Fortunately, I have a great dealer (Twin City BMW, Savoy, IL), and they immediately agreed to take back the pant liners and special order the right size. I thought it would be great to get these at 40% off, but it's no bargain if they don't fit. So, I ordered new microwire pant liners.
Here's where I went wrong on the measurements; I hope this account will help others who need to order these without benefit of trying them on. I measured my hips, but what I should have measured was the widest part of me where the pants will be. In my case, the top of my legs is 2-1/2" more than my hips. Second thing is the length. I measured from my belt to the floor (with shoes on) wearing the kind of pants I wear to work. When I tried on the Gerbing pants, I noticed right away that they have a very high waist. When I measure from the Gerbing belt to the floor, it is 3 inches more than my dress pants.
The special order microwire pant liners size is based on a 1 inch larger hip dimension than I need (right now), and the 3 inch longer belt to floor size. Hopefully, these will have room to spare now and leave me a little extra room for the future. Since these are liners and will be worn under another pair of pants, I am guessing it is better for them to be slightly baggy than too tight.
The only reason I ordered the microwire pant liners was because of the size issue. However, I will mention that the pant liners are they only piece of pre-microwire Gerbing gear where I could feel the wire when I have it on. I cannot even find the wire in my G3 gloves. In the jacket liner, I can find the wire with my fingers if I look for it, but I cannot feel the wire anywhere when I wear the jacket liner. But in the pants liner, I could feel the wire that is on top of my thighs. So, the pants liner is the only piece I have tried where the thin microwire may actually increase the comfort.
I'll let you know the comparison when I get them in.
This was all I needed to know about whether I need the pants. Called my BMW dealer and they still had 3 pairs of pre-microwire pant liners at 40% off. I went to the Gerbing web site and did the measurements, hoping I would be able to save the 3 hour round trip to the dealer. When I bought my jacket liner and gloves, I was going to be near the dealer for another reason, so I stopped in and tried on the jacket liners and gloves to get the best fit. This was the day before the dealers open house, so he still had a full selection of sizes. Gerbing has a hip size and a belt to floor size. These sizes are not the actual measurements. You take the measurements and plug them into a table to determine the Gerbing size for each dimension.
The web site says to measure your hips and measure from your belt to the floor. Based on those dimensions, one of the three remaining pant liners was my exact size. The shipping was much less than the cost of gas alone, so I took a chance and had them shipped for less than $5. When I put them on, it seemed like they fit, as they say, like a glove. So, I decided to take a ride and make sure the electrics were working. As soon as I tried to swing my leg over the bike, I noticed they were very tight at the top of my legs. When I sat on the bike, the pants became even more tight at the top of my legs.
Fortunately, I have a great dealer (Twin City BMW, Savoy, IL), and they immediately agreed to take back the pant liners and special order the right size. I thought it would be great to get these at 40% off, but it's no bargain if they don't fit. So, I ordered new microwire pant liners.
Here's where I went wrong on the measurements; I hope this account will help others who need to order these without benefit of trying them on. I measured my hips, but what I should have measured was the widest part of me where the pants will be. In my case, the top of my legs is 2-1/2" more than my hips. Second thing is the length. I measured from my belt to the floor (with shoes on) wearing the kind of pants I wear to work. When I tried on the Gerbing pants, I noticed right away that they have a very high waist. When I measure from the Gerbing belt to the floor, it is 3 inches more than my dress pants.
The special order microwire pant liners size is based on a 1 inch larger hip dimension than I need (right now), and the 3 inch longer belt to floor size. Hopefully, these will have room to spare now and leave me a little extra room for the future. Since these are liners and will be worn under another pair of pants, I am guessing it is better for them to be slightly baggy than too tight.
The only reason I ordered the microwire pant liners was because of the size issue. However, I will mention that the pant liners are they only piece of pre-microwire Gerbing gear where I could feel the wire when I have it on. I cannot even find the wire in my G3 gloves. In the jacket liner, I can find the wire with my fingers if I look for it, but I cannot feel the wire anywhere when I wear the jacket liner. But in the pants liner, I could feel the wire that is on top of my thighs. So, the pants liner is the only piece I have tried where the thin microwire may actually increase the comfort.
I'll let you know the comparison when I get them in.
Received my Gerbing pants liners today. These fit like they should. They are just a tad too big in the waist and seat and when I am standing they seem to be a little too long. However when I sit on the bike, the leg length is just about right, and when I put my pants on over the liner, the fact that they are a little on the big side is not noticeable. So, I have a little room to "grow" in the future without any compromise in comfort in the short run.
These are the new microwire version, and I will say that I do not feel the wire in these at all. So my advice is that the pants may be the piece you may prefer in microwire. The pre-microwire pair that I tried for a day (and did not fit right) had a fairly thick wire that ran over the top of each knee. I am guessing this is the wire that transfers power to the connector at the bottom of each leg for socks or insoles. That wire was a little annoying. Also, I could definitely feel the wires on top of each thigh when I wore them. I do not feel any wire in the microwire version.
They do heat up very quickly, but the difference between microwire and pre-microwire is not significant in this area, in my opinion. What may be significant to some, though, is that the heat seems to be more evenly distributed. I don't think that would be an issue for me, but some might be willing to spend the extra for this.
These are the new microwire version, and I will say that I do not feel the wire in these at all. So my advice is that the pants may be the piece you may prefer in microwire. The pre-microwire pair that I tried for a day (and did not fit right) had a fairly thick wire that ran over the top of each knee. I am guessing this is the wire that transfers power to the connector at the bottom of each leg for socks or insoles. That wire was a little annoying. Also, I could definitely feel the wires on top of each thigh when I wore them. I do not feel any wire in the microwire version.
They do heat up very quickly, but the difference between microwire and pre-microwire is not significant in this area, in my opinion. What may be significant to some, though, is that the heat seems to be more evenly distributed. I don't think that would be an issue for me, but some might be willing to spend the extra for this.
grafikfeat
New member
You want them a little big to create dead air spaces.
Clothing for warmth is never tight...
Yes they will. I inquired about retrofitting one of my Olympia jacket liners and they said they would do it for $179.00.
The main reason I would retrofit rather than buy new is my Olympia is waterproof and I'm not so sure about the Gerbings. My Olympia doesn't have a nice stand up collar, though.
Biggest advantage of new microwire is the heated collar though it can be had on the old style Signature (gray) currently on sale. We have both and I'd save the $ on a jacket if it had the heated collar. A few seconds for heat up is of no consequence- the RTs seats and grips take a lot longer than any Gerbing gear.
Have but do not use G3 gloves- lousy feel. I use lighter Revit H2O gloves and Wunderlich mitts to block the wind - very effective combo with the RTs heated grips and preserves feel.
I ride down to freezing or high 20s (doesn't get any colder in NC except in mts once in a while and at night) and see no need for heated pants at these temps on the current RT if you have decent windproof, insulated bike gear. (If I rode in the teens or lower I might have a different opinion) The bike has superb lower leg protection. I use a Revit Sirocco, Gerbings Signature liner and Revit pants and thats plenty. (I have a stich but do not like it for temps below 45 compared to the above because it is inherently not windproof enough). SO uses the new microwire Gerbings and similar, Most of our riding is "at speed" not around cities.
Gerbings sizing is inane and what one expects of Asian stuff where people can't be bothered to manufacture to std US or Euro sizes. You will very likely end up exchanging if you buy by mail- even their published table is fantasy. (My jacket size in their system is a 50 and it is snug- I wear a 44 jacket in std sizes).
Have had no troubles with Gerbings controllers or wiring. The plugs could be improved by color coding to make things more intuitive for new users.
Have but do not use G3 gloves- lousy feel. I use lighter Revit H2O gloves and Wunderlich mitts to block the wind - very effective combo with the RTs heated grips and preserves feel.
I ride down to freezing or high 20s (doesn't get any colder in NC except in mts once in a while and at night) and see no need for heated pants at these temps on the current RT if you have decent windproof, insulated bike gear. (If I rode in the teens or lower I might have a different opinion) The bike has superb lower leg protection. I use a Revit Sirocco, Gerbings Signature liner and Revit pants and thats plenty. (I have a stich but do not like it for temps below 45 compared to the above because it is inherently not windproof enough). SO uses the new microwire Gerbings and similar, Most of our riding is "at speed" not around cities.
Gerbings sizing is inane and what one expects of Asian stuff where people can't be bothered to manufacture to std US or Euro sizes. You will very likely end up exchanging if you buy by mail- even their published table is fantasy. (My jacket size in their system is a 50 and it is snug- I wear a 44 jacket in std sizes).
Have had no troubles with Gerbings controllers or wiring. The plugs could be improved by color coding to make things more intuitive for new users.
