Winter Riding Cloths....

[DragonLady58]

OK....I seem to be one of the few hard core all weather riders left out there....sooooo I'm gonna try to put out some useful info here.
I run Gerbing electrical stuff....I run electric socks, pants, jacket and gloves. Had a friend plug all his stuff in, didn't check his fuse, burned up his jacket (older 12v. model)....and put a load on his stators, enough to melt his plugs....
Anyway, those of you that don't know, or have no info on your electric gear, heres some guidelines....
1. Gloves-2.2 amps per pr.
2. Socks-2.2 amps per pr.
3. Jacket-6.9 amps
4. Pants-4.0 amps
5. Vest-4.2....I wear my cut so not for me....

Anyway, my socks are daisy chained to the pants and the jacket to the gloves.....
I can run mine 2 diff. ways....I can run my 2 diff. batteries....OR my dual 12v. electric controller.
I have 2 single controllers to vary my temps....or a single line with 2 diff. knobs for adjustability.

Heres the rub....the Nomad has 2 diff. stators, you'd think that you can run your lights, all your pretty access. lights, additional gauges, stereo and amp, and have plenty to add electric garment.....Nope.
You gotta do some math on your part....
You gotta figure up all your load, then figure in all your personal electrical stuff, making sure you have enough juice to run your electrical cloths.....
Gotta figure up all your load, subtract it from your total amp output, then thats your safety margin....thats whats left over.
Remember, you gotta keep your battery charged off of that and what it takes to run your bike....
Total Electr. output from your stators is 32 to 42 amps @ 6000rpms.....at 3000 its about 1/2 that.....which is about where the happy meter likes to run....then your electrical clothes load is 2/3rds that at 3000, going interstate speeds improves on that slightly....but remember, you have other loads that aren't counted yet, like a air horn, big halogen driving lights. Thats why the 1st. upgrade I do is all LED lighting....
With the newer, heavier wound stators from Electrosports, the ESG618 flashes to 44 amps @ 6000rpm.....but its safe to say thats probably 40 amps at a steady 6000. When its all said and done, you won't pull 6000 in 5th gear anyway....

[DragonLady58]

There are the snowmobile suites, but they are bulky, but really very warm....I use the gloves over my electric ones....and my hands stay nice and toasty.
Alot of folks go out and get heated grips....never tried any but am this next year.
Also, your fairing that kinda knocks the wind off your hands, with heated grips, then some good gloves will help also.
My bike, I run crash bar covers, helps knock the wind off my legs, then with my electric socks, I'm really comfortable....
Also, nothing really kills the cold like some good fitting leathers.

With the electrics on my bike and my electric cloths, I have a bettery in my shop I plug up to, to set my heat in the ballpark.
Let my bike warm up, then I plug in my suit to the batteries in my saddlebags, set my temps anf off I go....
For those that don't understand, I have a charging setup in my rt. hnd. saddlebag that charges up my bike battery, plus 2 small mc batteries mounted in saddlebag. That in turn, the 2 small MC batteries are hooked up to a MC dual isolator setup for a motorcycle. As my bike runs, it trickle charges the 2 small batterys thats powering my cloths....
The 2 batteries are seperate from the bike and are only being charged, theres no draw except for the cloths thats plugged in....
Hope this makes things clearer how to set up your own batt. system for some electric cloths.....

[Sabre-t]

I have FirstGear (under a different brand name) jacket, pants, gloves, and insoles that I run off the bike, with two dual controllers. Even with the jacket/gloves and pants/insoles daisy chained, I can control each piece separately. I sometimes need the gloves on full blast, but rarely run any of the rest of it more than 25% and even that is usually too high for the insoles. I have separate fused dongles off the battery to run the gear.

I don't ride in sub 20 temps anymore (I'm older and more cold natured now), but I used to ride to work even down to 10° - 12° F temps.

[DragonLady58]

Moral of this story, used to ride with thermal long Johns, with sweat pants and flannel shirl, then layered over that, jeans with chaps, and leather jacket with vest over the flannel shirt.
Stop for gas, and after about 15 minutes, you start sweating.....not good.

Now, with a teeshirt on, and boxers, then the electrics, then jeans w/chaps, leather jacket with vest, over a flannel shirt, you can easily moderate your temp easily with your control knob.
Keeps you from becoming too hot when stopped for fuelup, restrooms, snacks, or for a meal....be layered correctly helps keep you warm.....

Wether it be a 99' carbed Nomad or a brand new Voyager/Vaquero, you have 12 volt battery, you can hook up and be comfortable....just keep your electrical system on the bike non overloaded....fuse your cloths just shy of the total garmet ratings....so you won't melt them down...

[mbarr10]

Nice Summation. Very in-depth.

"Also, nothing really kills the cold like some good fitting leathers." Oh Hell yah
The wind blocking layer, for the insulation under. So I have found.
Over the years I have found Snow suits and insulated Carhart bibs, all let the wind thru.

Also found Heal/ Toe shifters work well with Snow boots. It was one less electrical thing for me to fuss over.

[Monkeyman]

I ride a 2021 Can Am Spyder RT so I have more wind protection than some. I'll ride in pretty much any temps as long as the roads are dry although I tend to stay home when it's much below 30*F. I've also got heated grips. I don't have any heated gear although I've thought about a pair of battery powered sox.



I wear (other than my regular sox, drawers, jeans and t shirt):


-Joe Rocket 7.0 overpants (generally with the thermal liner OUT...below 30*, I'll add the thermal liner)
-generic ankle high lace up boots (water resistant but not waterproof...they could be warmer but I wear these in the summer, too)
- Freeze Out Warm'r long sleeve shirt (this zips about 1/2 way down...blocks 99% of the wind and is WARM)
-Olympia Hudson jacket (comes with the mesh jacket, waterproof jacket and thermal liner...I never use the liner and I wear the waterproof jacket layer OVER the mesh jacket to keep the wind off)
-Alpinestars Equinox OutDry gloves (if it's under 45*ish...these don't have much dexterity but their insulated)
-Joe Rocket Ballistic Fusion gloves (between 45* and 65*...I've got summer gloves above that)
-Arctiva Thermolite glove liners (under the Joe Rocket gloves if I want more dexterity...down to the upper 30s)
-various neck gaiters (I have both insulated and not...usually they make me sweat)
-Shoei Neotech 2 helmet


I'll use the zippers on the Freeze Out mid layer, the mesh jacket and the rain jacket to regulate my temperature. I'll get dressed in my riding gear as the bike warms up and usually by then, I'm almost sweating. I'll leave everything unzipped about 1/2 way until I've ridden enough to cool off then start zipping things up as I get cooler. I'm constantly zipping and unzipping the rain jacket. One of these days, I'll invest in a nice GoreTex jacket and eliminate the need for some of the layers. Some days, I feel like the little kid from the movies going out in the snow. I can barely move with all the layers which isn't good when you're riding. :)

[ringadingh]

I wear my regular clothes that I would normally wear, and add a pair of bibbed snowmobile pants. Then my regular leather jacket over that. Ive never been cold in my body riding into the low teens. I wear good ski, or snowmobile gloves, and some insulated hiking boots. Sometimes my hands and feet get a little cool,but not bad.

[andyvh1959]

Riding pants help, to a point. Once those large thigh muscles get cold they stay cold for a long time, even after you're off the bike and in your jammies watching TV. Gortex riding pants over fleece lined jeans, over skiing tights (yeah, guys tights), works ok if you can keep most of the full wind force off your knees and thighs. On a cruiser with floorboards and no lowers that can be tough to achieve.

Heated riding gear is great because it greatly reduces the bulk you need to wear. And a heated vest or jacket keeps your back muscles warm, which is right against your kidneys which filter all your blood. Once you back muscle get cold, stiff, the kidneys get cooled and the blood gets cooled. All not good for comfort, focus and muscle ability.

But electrical load is the issue. One thing great my 94 BMW R1100RS and 07 BMW R1200RT is the 700 watt alternator, 58 amps of power. Yet that is at 5,000 rpm. ut even at 60 mph in 6th it turns 2800 rpm, still making 390+ watts, 32.5 watts. So if I'm riding a long day in full heated mode (suit, seat, grips) I ride in 5th gear to keep the revs up. My 76 BMW only made 240 watts, at 7,000 rpm. 5th gear at 60 mph on the old airhead was about 4,000, only 138 watts/11.5 amps. Even just turning on my electric vest dumped the Voltmeter negative, meaning the bike was draining the battery. Back then I would sometimes ride at 60 mph in 3rd gear.

[livingstone5]

AUsually normal gear, textile jacket, pants, but with a Field sheer heated vest, leather vest, insulated gloves, and heated grips.