Jump to content

After installing Heated Grips, they are always warm, but....


Guest marcel
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi all,


Just recently bought "Dr. Bike Heated Grips" for about £30 , since i'm tired of having frozen hands! (Even though I wear leather gloves & a thermal glove liner too!)


This is the product:

http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/300x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/img_0042.jpg




The manual states that the heated grips must be wired "directly" from the battery. So i did that. The product claims that the "max setting" should allow the grips to reach a temp of 55 degrees!


Over the course of this week, I've NEVER experienced that kind of temperature which i was hoping to get. The temperature always feels like touching the back of your TV or SkyBox (basically "warm")

I could feel my palms being warm, but the rest of my hands felt cold.


It's driving me nuts, I thought there was a fault in wiring, but everything seems connected properly (otherwise there would be no heat at all)



The manual states that they operate BEST at 14V but 12 is just fine. So i did a few tricks to see if i can get the grips hotter:

#1 - Connected grips directly to the MAIN BEAM headlight wiring - The grips did NOT turn on AT ALL, the fuse wasn't blow, but the unit just refused to turn on ? (The hell?)

I pulled out my test meter ---> Connected to the headlights ---> During IDLE it is reading between 6-10V (more or less) ----> Above 3K rpm it reads a shocking 50V!!!!

I thought, what the hell ? 50V! The light is rated 12V, so i don't know how that's even possible ?


#2 - Connected grips directly to the "daytime light/dull light" (that little bulb inside the headlight casing) --> Again, the grips refused to turn on, regardless if the bike is in high revs

Again, the bulb is tiny and it is rated 12V but my test meter sometimes reads 40-55V when reving the bike ?!! - Again, i don't know how this is possible ?


Since connecting directly to the lights didn't work (as the lights are powered DIRECTLY from the generator ---> When the bike is OFF, but in ignition, ONLY the brake & indicator lights work.)


I've re-connected the heated grips back to the actual battery, as i've run out of ideas to make the grips hotter (or at least get more power)


Bike Info:

Honda CG125 W Brazil 2000

Battery = 12V 3AH

Heated Grips power rating = 12 - 14V at 5Amps max.



Lastly, the heated grips only work as long as i am MOVING, because at the traffic lights, they automatically switch off , due to the battery being easily drained.




I don't knw what else to do now ? :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can feel the warmth from the grips on your palms through your leather gloves and inner gloves I would say that they're working..... :) Never heard of this make......but I suspect that they aren't gonna get really hot. In really cold weather the wind chill on the backs of your hands will not be helped by heated grips......in these conditions they work better when used with handlebar muffs or wind deflectors. I wouldn't be connecting them to any other circuit....the max power they will get is direct from the battery...... :wink:

R&G do some heated grips that have won the Ride award.....so maybe they would be worth a look.

The heated grips on my Sprint are the Triumph ones with 2 heat settings....and TBH the higher setting is too hot for me......so another brand of grips may be better..... 8-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why would you think they work any better connected to a headlight rather than directly to the battery??

Are you sure you were using the multimeter corectly to get voltage readings like those??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a CG125 and I'm sure when I was looking to get some heated grips I came to the conclusion that the battery is not powerful enough for them.


The heated grips I was looking at were 6amps and I think the CG battery can only provide 2.5amps!!


Check in the bike manual if you have it to see what the battery is rated at.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a CG125 and I'm sure when I was looking to get some heated grips I came to the conclusion that the battery is not powerful enough for them.


The heated grips I was looking at were 6amps and I think the CG battery can only provide 2.5amps!!


Check in the bike manual if you have it to see what the battery is rated at.

This is a very good point......if the battery and alternator haven't got the necessary power to drive the grips fully then they won't get as hot as they should...... :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not just the battery the generator too. Might drain the battery even with a good battery. I don't think there is much to play with in the small bikes. handle bars muffs work wonders. but I've got a decent pair of wind resistant gloves that do the trick, till the wear out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a CG125 and I'm sure when I was looking to get some heated grips I came to the conclusion that the battery is not powerful enough for them.


The heated grips I was looking at were 6amps and I think the CG battery can only provide 2.5amps!!


Check in the bike manual if you have it to see what the battery is rated at.

This is a very good point......if the battery and alternator haven't got the necessary power to drive the grips fully then they won't get as hot as they should...... :wink:

 

Yes. but I think his figures are wrong. 2.5A max is totally wrong. 3Ahr battery means it can supply 3 Amps for 1 hr (which is not a lot) but a starter will draw a much higher current than that, but for a very small time. It's a guess but must be 30amps mnimum as a car or big bike can draw 60-90amps when starting.


The blurb with my oxford grips states 20A on max power but 75% is too much, usually use them on 50 so 10A draw. any modern alternator will easily supply that amount of juice.


I think the problem is they are crap.


Probably worth investing in some decent ones if you are riding through winter. they do make a huge difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, my oxford ones the hottest setting burns and the glue unstocks so the grips rotate. 50% is perfect.

 

Had some of those Oxford ones too a few years ago, magic things! And yeah, 50% was all I needed for any length of time. Sometimes used 75% when it was really cold but even then I couldn't have it that high for any extended period as the grips just got too hot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi all,


Just recently bought "Dr. Bike Heated Grips" for about £30 , since i'm tired of having frozen hands! (Even though I wear leather gloves & a thermal glove liner too!)


This is the product:

http://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/300x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/img_0042.jpg




The manual states that the heated grips must be wired "directly" from the battery. So i did that. The product claims that the "max setting" should allow the grips to reach a temp of 55 degrees!


Over the course of this week, I've NEVER experienced that kind of temperature which i was hoping to get. The temperature always feels like touching the back of your TV or SkyBox (basically "warm")

I could feel my palms being warm, but the rest of my hands felt cold.


It's driving me nuts, I thought there was a fault in wiring, but everything seems connected properly (otherwise there would be no heat at all)



The manual states that they operate BEST at 14V but 12 is just fine. So i did a few tricks to see if i can get the grips hotter:

#1 - Connected grips directly to the MAIN BEAM headlight wiring - The grips did NOT turn on AT ALL, the fuse wasn't blow, but the unit just refused to turn on ? (The hell?)

I pulled out my test meter ---> Connected to the headlights ---> During IDLE it is reading between 6-10V (more or less) ----> Above 3K rpm it reads a shocking 50V!!!!

I thought, what the hell ? 50V! The light is rated 12V, so i don't know how that's even possible ?


#2 - Connected grips directly to the "daytime light/dull light" (that little bulb inside the headlight casing) --> Again, the grips refused to turn on, regardless if the bike is in high revs

Again, the bulb is tiny and it is rated 12V but my test meter sometimes reads 40-55V when reving the bike ?!! - Again, i don't know how this is possible ?


Since connecting directly to the lights didn't work (as the lights are powered DIRECTLY from the generator ---> When the bike is OFF, but in ignition, ONLY the brake & indicator lights work.)


I've re-connected the heated grips back to the actual battery, as i've run out of ideas to make the grips hotter (or at least get more power)


Bike Info:

Honda CG125 W Brazil 2000

Battery = 12V 3AH

Heated Grips power rating = 12 - 14V at 5Amps max.



Lastly, the heated grips only work as long as i am MOVING, because at the traffic lights, they automatically switch off , due to the battery being easily drained.




I don't knw what else to do now ? :(

The drain on your battery is minimal (up to 4 amps) and so that you don't forget to turn them off when not in use there is a bright LED on the on/off switch! That's what it say's on the advert!

So at 12volts that's 48 watts max power and after initial warm up even on the coldest days they should not be running no more than 50% that will be around 20 watts total which is no more than your stop light bulb on. So with that figure in mind l would say its well within the scope of your bikes electrical system thats if everything is wired up and working correctly. I would revert back to the original wiring instructions and connect them direct to your battery. Start the bike up without the lights on and check the charging voltage to the battery before all else it should be no more than 14volts if all is OK, now switch on the grips full power without the headlights on and see if they heat up, again check the charging voltage to the battery it should still be around 14 volts, The power consumption of these grips is less than a 50 watt headlight bulb so the grips should be getting more than enough power to make them work, if they don't then you might have some faulty grips or controller, If the voltage drops below 12volts at the battery with the engine running l think there's and electrical fault on your charging circuit. Hope this helps and your soon sorted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies everyone, a lot of helpful info there.


The grips being wired directly to the generator/stator will NOT power up the unit , regardless if i switch polarities (+/-).


The headlights + instrumental cluster(clocks) + horn are powered DIRECTLY from the stator itself. Because if i turn the key to "on" position, the lights simply do not come on.


The Indicators & also the "N" (Neutral) light are the only things powered from the battery.


I believe there must be some sort of limiter, because while the engine is at high revs, the max voltage is always 12V , whem the test meter is connected to the battery directly.


So even if i buy the oxford ones, i would still need to wire them up via the battery rather than the stator/headlight wiring. :(


Even though this tiny battery of mine is new and is rated 3AH, you wouldnt believe how easily the grips drain the battery at the traffic lights , after 5 mins the whole thing is off. I could see my "N" light being dimm, unless i rev & start moving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies everyone, a lot of helpful info there.


The grips being wired directly to the generator/stator will NOT power up the unit , regardless if i switch polarities (+/-).


The headlights + instrumental cluster(clocks) + horn are powered DIRECTLY from the stator itself. Because if i turn the key to "on" position, the lights simply do not come on.


The Indicators & also the "N" (Neutral) light are the only things powered from the battery.


I believe there must be some sort of limiter, because while the engine is at high revs, the max voltage is always 12V , whem the test meter is connected to the battery directly.


So even if i buy the oxford ones, i would still need to wire them up via the battery rather than the stator/headlight wiring. :(


Even though this tiny battery of mine is new and is rated 3AH, you wouldnt believe how easily the grips drain the battery at the traffic lights , after 5 mins the whole thing is off. I could see my "N" light being dimm, unless i rev & start moving.

Why have you connected into the generator stator circuit? Your bike is fitted with an alternator which produces AC voltage from there it go's through a rectifier to convert it to DC. The charge voltage in the battery controls the voltage regulator which governs the charging output from the alternator. Never mess with these circuits they are very sensitive you can easily trash the charging system and end up with a very expensive repair bill. Your bike main fuse from the information l can gather is rated at 20 amps, more than enough power to try and test the grips. Go as instructed from what l am reading damage might have already been done. For your information a 3 AH battery will do exactly that, 3amp 1 hr 6 amps will do it in 30min and so on its the generator that has to do all the work the battery is just backup storage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The high voltages you get direct from the ALTERNATOR are correct when using a voltmeter. Put a LOAD in parallell with the Voltmeter and if the load is correct, then the voltage reading will be much lower (basically, the Voltmeter draws very little current and the impedence match with the Alternator will be well out!).


If your battery only reads 12v (when connected and the engine reving), then your charging circuit is faulty. The maximum voltage seen at the battery terminals should be 14.2V with no load (lights, etc not on).


With the engine off, check the battery Voltage is 12V MINIMUM and then turn on the heated griops, the voltage should NOT drop below 12V. If the grips draw a constant 4Amps, then you should still see around 11.8V after 30 minutes and 11.76V after an hour. If you leave it in this state (grips on, engine off) for a period of 6 hours, then the voltage should be around 11.4V - NB, this is NOT advised.


PS. These figures assume a fully servicable battery and no other electrical faults.


Hope this helps.


:cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheaper ones tend to have elements on just one side so if you don"t fit them correctly the heat is at the back of the grip and not the front. Better sets have elements all round.


Many, not necessarily cheap brands, have no insulator for the clutch side so the heat dissipates in to the bars. Not a problem on the throttle side obviously.


I removed the official Suzuki heated grips on my VStrom because they suffered from both the above faults and replaced them with Oxford Grips. I've been using this set for over 5 years with no problems. They can get uncomfortably hot on high settings when wearing thin gloves.


My Quad has OE heated grips designed for them and they are very efficient (essential in winter out here) but then it is Canadian and built for harsh winters.


What some don't realise is wearing really thick gloves reduces the benefit from the heated grips. It is best to look for some with a thinner palm and thicker back.


Heated gloves can be a better option. It is important to get sone where the elements curl over the top of the fingers otherwise your finger tips suffer. I've found heated inner gloves have this feature more commonly than heated gloves themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The high voltages you get direct from the ALTERNATOR are correct when using a voltmeter. Put a LOAD in parallell with the Voltmeter and if the load is correct, then the voltage reading will be much lower (basically, the Voltmeter draws very little current and the impedence match with the Alternator will be well out!).


If your battery only reads 12v (when connected and the engine reving), then your charging circuit is faulty. The maximum voltage seen at the battery terminals should be 14.2V with no load (lights, etc not on).


With the engine off, check the battery Voltage is 12V MINIMUM and then turn on the heated griops, the voltage should NOT drop below 12V. If the grips draw a constant 4Amps, then you should still see around 11.8V after 30 minutes and 11.76V after an hour. If you leave it in this state (grips on, engine off) for a period of 6 hours, then the voltage should be around 11.4V - NB, this is NOT advised.


PS. These figures assume a fully servicable battery and no other electrical faults.


Hope this helps.


:cheers:

Okay, the last 2 days, i've tried riding the bike with the hot grips OFF, so to allow the battery to charge.

- I got home, engine off, put the bike on stand

- Electricals off (including ignition key)

- Switch on grips to Lowest Setting

- After 5 minutes, the unit was off. The grips were slightly warm

- I put the ignition ON, turned the indicators ON...... They refused to operate, as that's how i know the battery has drained.


Makes me angry how these grips can drain a battery at the lowest setting, in 5 minutes and not actually HEAT UP :?


 

Just saw this, it seems that your bike is the weapon of choice lol


http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-new ... 24143.html

:mrgreen: LOL, that made me laugh haha. But they SURE do LOVE the honda CG's :roll:

One can put orange juice in the tank & it will still run like it's new! :lol: A reliable machine that is :cheers:


 

I've always found heated grips to be over-rated. I've had three sets on three different bikes and none of them got what-I'd-call warm.


For all the good they do, you'd be better off spending the money on some over-mittens, IMO.

Excuse my noob question, but what are "over-mittens" ? Searching that keyword on google hasn't brought any good info, apart from images of KITTENS lol (silly auto-correct)

 

Cheaper ones tend to have elements on just one side so if you don"t fit them correctly the heat is at the back of the grip and not the front. Better sets have elements all round.


Many, not necessarily cheap brands, have no insulator for the clutch side so the heat dissipates in to the bars. Not a problem on the throttle side obviously.


I removed the official Suzuki heated grips on my VStrom because they suffered from both the above faults and replaced them with Oxford Grips. I've been using this set for over 5 years with no problems. They can get uncomfortably hot on high settings when wearing thin gloves.


My Quad has OE heated grips designed for them and they are very efficient (essential in winter out here) but then it is Canadian and built for harsh winters.


What some don't realise is wearing really thick gloves reduces the benefit from the heated grips. It is best to look for some with a thinner palm and thicker back.


Heated gloves can be a better option. It is important to get sone where the elements curl over the top of the fingers otherwise your finger tips suffer. I've found heated inner gloves have this feature more commonly than heated gloves themselves.

Very good information there buddy. I don't know much about how heated gloves & heated grips work, so knowing now, is helpful.

Everyone seems to be praising Oxford grips, i've not heard a mention of "Dr.Bike" (same company as Oxford i believe) , or other brands.

Speaking of Oxford, i was browsing their catalog (GO TO PAGE 11) :

http://issuu.com/oxfordproductsltd/docs ... mer-screen

They have 3 types of heated grips:


Premium Grips = £80 :shock:

Essential Commuter = £45

Essential Scooter = £40


Mind you, I paid only £25 for the Dr.Bike ones. I'm trying to understand the differences of the products above :?:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heated grips will drain a battery not being charged very quickly. That is the danger of having them connected directly to the battery.


Heated clothing will do the same. I once made the mistake of sitting at a pump while the wife went in to pay and had left the ignition on with a non running engine. Battery was completely discharged a few minutes later.


Oxford have a built in safety feature that switches them off when the battery drops below a certain level.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Welcome to The Motorbike Forum.

    Sign in or register an account to join in.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Guidelines We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Please Sign In or Sign Up