Gimme Heat (And Make It Snappy!)

As a new rider, I gladly faced the Chicago winter on two wheels without heated clothing whenever the roads were traction-friendly. I didn't have just any heated grips on my 1982 Yamaha Seca 400 at the time. I had (boisterous) "HEEEATED GRRRIPS" which, from what I remember, felt warmer after sticking my chest out and explaining confidently to others that "of course I rode here!"

Sub-freezing temperatures never felt so squid and my fifteen-mile jaunt from Rogers Park to North Chicago validated my will to ride accordingly (sidenote: I miss that bike). Today, with destinations often crossing state lines, comfort has become a much more significant concern. Switch-activated "palm warming technology" simply isn't enough when riding between the bronzing sun of West Palm Beach, Florida and the chilling fall of Chicago, Illinois.

Remember, cold weather riding involves a steep wind chill factor that compounds itself at the twist of a throttle. While heated grips certainly help (BikeMaster for ease of installation, Heat Demons for preferred handgrip compatibility), separate components are necessary based on the specific needs of individual riders. Heated clothing better answers the call for riders, especially if comparing Gerbing vest and gloves to basic heated grips.

Offering both twelve- and seven-volt systems, we tested the more standard "running engine," direct-to-battery coax configuration with a heated vest/glove combo. Gerbing's vest focuses temperature on the neck/core, while their gloves project heat to the tops and sides of your fingers. This is exactly why riders often pair Gerbing vest and gloves for full coverage.

Somewhere in Kentucky and with eight hours of riding ahead, I was glad to put their product into action!

From power to practice, the first thing buyers will notice is that Gerbing heated clothing goes from "not to hot" to hot in under five seconds. They've pushed through one obstacle by incorporating stainless steel wire, whereas other manufacturers lean toward copper. Gerbing's durable new wiring format conducts heat more efficiently, eliminating the shivering delay completely.

Regarding comfort, even though the vest is powerful enough to bake you into a trance, it's extremely lightweight and unobtrusive when combined with your preferred ATGATT riding suit. The gloves are equally posh but rigid where it counts, the interior insulation lined with fleece, with a tough leather exterior. I'd consider purchasing both elements even if they lacked power.

The wiring scheme for Gerbing heated clothing, much like any other heated riding product, has its own song and dance. For our setup, I would route a long "Y" connection through my jacket sleeves to the gloves and then plug it into one of two independently adjustable power outlets on a separately purchased (Gerbing) controller. The second outlet on the same controller goes to the vest and then we gather our wiring, zip-tie it into loops and place it in the vest's lower-left inside pocket. Once we organize all of this, the setup becomes a nice, tidy operation. The main power plug connects to the battery-direct coax powerlet port and voila ... warm riding!

So why have I stuffed the controller and its respective wiring into a pocket? Because Gerbing's wireless controller offers two portable dials that come preconfigured to connect with and control the pocketed one! Using two dual-lock mounting strips and some 3M VHB tape, we create a quick mount for the wireless setup and transfer it from one bike to the next with ease.

Now that we've installed everything and gotten to know the product, we can clearly see that Gerbing heated clothing stands tall among other brands. Having wired simple, hassle-free powerlet ports into our entire flock, I might not even need to winterize any of our bikes! Getting on, plugging in and rolling out is pretty straightforward, even moreso with Gerbing vest and gloves being controlled on separate channels. The heat their clothing produces is reliably strong, making my twenty-five-hundred-mile round trip from Chicago to Florida and back significantly more pleasurable. Now the only thing left for me to do ... is buy the heated insoles (or maybe the socks).

What Heated Riding Gear Do You Use?

There are other decent heated clothing products on the market. Which do you prefer? What do you like about it and why? Your input is invited. Leave a comment and/or write an article!