Heated Motorcycle Gear

Heated Motorcycle Gear
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nick_Carr]Nick Carr

Winter is here folks, but that doesn't mean we can't keep riding. How can we stave off
the bone chilling wind and cold? Heated gear, of course!

Heated gear keeps various parts of your body warm while riding in winter temperatures, so just say no to Hypothermia! I'm a year round rider, and though I've since moved to Austin, Texas where winter riding is pretty tolerable, I used to live in Baltimore, Maryland where winter riding involved below freezing temps for extended periods of time and a good bit of that white stuff. Heated gear is a wonderful thing - trust me on this. I used to own a heated vest and gloves.

Heated gear is just that; motorcycle clothing and accessories that use a heating element to create warmth.

A few Heated Gear Manufacturers:

Widder
Warm & Safe
WarmGear
Gerbing

Many Motorcycle companies also offer their own versions (Harley Davidson and BMW immediately come to mind), which are usually produced by premium manufacturers. Of course that usually means all the quality at twice the price, but that sort of thing is up the individual customer.

How Does Heated Motorcycle Gear Work?

Most Heated gear uses anywhere from 15 to 100 watts depending on the brand and the amount of gear you use while riding.

You have two types of power output really. You can power it from your motorcycle battery, or you can run it on self contained, rechargeable batteries placed or sewn directly into the article of clothing. That's not to say they are interchangeable so see what kind of power supply it requires before you buy it!

I owned the plug in type that ran on my motorcycle's 12 volt battery. It provided unlimited riding hours. The drawback is that this means it ONLY works when riding. Walk away from the bike and you walk away from the heat.

The self contained style has a lithium battery (usually 7.4 volt) supply and lasts an average of 4 to 10 hours depending on the heat setting. When the battery is dead you have to plug in to the battery charger and 4 hours later; presto! The self contained provides a little more flexibility and warmth when you are away from the motorcycle.

All of the clothes work with a temp. controller that you can manually set to the desired temp. If you use several pieces of heated gear, they usually connect together so that one control works them all, thus preventing you from looking like a science fiction robot reject.

Heated Gear Clothing Choices:

jacket liners
jackets
vest liners
arm chaps
glove liners
gloves
pants liners
socks.

Prices run from $70 to $300 depending on what heated gear you purchase.

Tips for Wear

Heated gear is worn as close to your body as you can without actually touching your skin. For this reason, I preferred the vest liner and glove liner to the actual jacket and glove option. Also, I always wore leathers as my outer layer for both wind and crash protection.

Always remember that wind chill is as much your enemy as actual temperature. The thermometer doesn't tell the whole story, so dress warm. Also, avoid riding for extended lengths of time in the cold as you run the risk of lowering your core temp too much or getting dehydrated - a thing you might not expect to happen in the cold.

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