Heated cold-weather gear

Gerbing's

Gerbing's carries a complete line of heated gear for motorcyclists. They have everything from socks and pants to gloves and jackets, along with the controllers and accessories needed to make them work.

Widder

Widder electric gloves and vests are recommended by many club members. They can extend your riding season a full month at both the beginning and the end of the season.

The Competition Accessories and Twisted Throttle catalogs have them listed. Your local shop should have them, too.

The electric thermostat is the recommended one, as the old style cycles on and off, so you get cool periods. The new one is constant and reduces flow from the battery as you adjust it down.

Widder products come with a harness, with a connector lead to the battery. You can snake the lead under the seat from the battery out to the tank, then plug it in or out when you get on or off the bike. The battery connector lead can also be used to attach to a trickle charger.

If you get a vest, fit it snugly so you feel the warmth directly on the body. You want to wear it close to the skin, over a turtle neck and under a fleece. The vest with the collar can be bulky at the Aerostich (or jacket) collar closure. The new collarless vest has a higher neck than the old one had.

Heated grips or gloves?

We try to keep opinion to a minimum here in the FAQ, but when it comes to comfort, it's always opinion. Here's the gloves vs. grips opinion of one experienced club member:

• I had a set of Widder gloves, but I just sold them on eBay. I now have Kimpex grip heaters on both of my bikes and am much happier. For me, the gloves are a big hassle; they're quite bulky, and connecting/disconnecting the wires every time you stop, plus dealing with the wires running through your jacket, are a big pain.

The grip heaters are always transparently there. They get quite warm; however, they obviously heat only the palms of your hands, but I find that works well enough for the convenience. They cost only about $30, and they aren't too difficult to install, though you should allow a couple of hours for a clean install with neat wiring.

Here is the copy from Kimpex on their grip heaters:

• Kimpex Grip Heater Kit

This kit is for placing heater strips under your grips and wiring into your bike. It has a three position switch for low, high and off.

To find these, go to your local dealer or run an online search. The Kimpex online catalog is nearly impossible to use.

Places to buy winter gear

One can always Google for what you want. Here are a couple places to start:

CozyWinters is a good place to look for winter clothing for motorcycling and other outdoor pursuits.

Forest City Surplus has discounted cold-weather gear.

Campmor is one of the most popular places for outdoor gear.