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I installed Hot Grips on my GS850G and Symtec grip heaters on my VX800, partly because I was curious about the difference. And my hands were cold.
The GS got Ergo II Hot Grips because they are rigid inside and have to permanently installed with epoxy. I've been happy with the handlebars on the GS for years, so a permanent install was not a problem. About $85 shipped:
I just got the VX800 this summer, and I may want to change the bars again, so I installed the much less expensive Symtec grip heaters from Californy Sport Touring -- about $31 shipped:
(Make sure you DON'T get the similar-looking but vastly inferior Kimpex grip heaters. The Kimpex brand heaters use a resistor and aren't made nearly as well -- there are lots of complaints out there about the Kimpex krap.)
I wired both through relays, soldered all connections, and sealed everything with heat shrink tubing to avoid any problems. I hate wiring, and wanted to only do it once.
The install was similar with both, although the Hot Grips had a resistor I had to find a place for (I painted it black and zip-tied it to the frame just below the head tube). Dealing with the epoxy for the Hot Grips was a bit nerve-wracking, but I followed the package directions to the letter and everything went perfectly.
I had to shave all the ribs off the throttle tubes on both bikes. No big deal -- if I ever need to go back to stock, a new OEM throttle tube is only about $12. Both sets of grips pull just under 3 amps, about 27-30 watts. Both bikes have healthy electrical systems that don't even notice the small added load.
For both bikes, I bought a very small on-off-on switch at Frys (rated to handle the small amount of current easily) and used that instead of the enormous heavy-duty Russian Army tank toggle switch included. Hot Grips sells a smaller switch along with a cool-looking little plastic housing for another $20. I simply mounted my switches on small home made stainless steel tabs hanging from the clutch perch pinch bolt and encased them in heat shrink to protect and bundle the wires on the back.
For the Symtec grip heaters, I added a length of 1" self-sealing heat-shrink tubing to the left side -- this bit of insulation helps keep the heat from being sucked away by the steel bar. This is supposedly somewhat optional. (I love my $10 heat gun from Harbor Freight!)
At first, the Hotgrips got warmer than the grip heaters. However, I had an extremely thick set of Sunline touring grips on the VX, and the excess thickness was insulating me from the lovely warmth below.
I changed these grips for a set of Pro Grip gel touring grips in a more normal thickness, and now the Symtec grip heaters get slightly warmer (maybe a 3-5 degree difference) and are just a wee bit better able to stay warm in freezing temps than the Hot Grips.
The Hot Grips are very hard, but the Ergo II shape seems to work well enough for me, and the material is plenty tacky against leather gloves. If I didn't like them, too bad.
With the grip heaters, you can use whatever grip you want, of course -- even the stiff touring grips I used at first went on easily over the slight extra thickness. And, of course, you have the advantage of being able to change grips if needed, as long as you're careful in removing the old grips. It's best to carefully cut them off to avoid nicking the heating elements. I mounted my grips with hair spray and have had absolutely no problems with them moving around.
Bottom line, I'd say the Symtec grip heaters are the way to go (do NOT get the other brand you might find that comes with a resistor). The grip heaters have the following advantages:
- They're much cheaper - $31 vs. $80
- The wiring is a bit simpler (wired in parallel instead of series; no resistor)
- They work just as well or better than the Hot Grips, depending on the thickness of the grip you use. I'm using a rather soft gel grip, and the material doesn't seem at all affected by the temperatures.
- You can use your favorite grip, and change grips whenever you want. The Hot Grips are permanent unless you also change the handlebar and throttle tube.
- The Hot Grips are made from a hard plastic covered with a rather hard rubber, which you might or might not find unpleasant.
- When you switch to low, the Symtec heaters simply switch to using less heating element area. The Hot Grips use a resistor that gets very hot. You have to find a place to mount the resistor that can take some heat and gets enough airflow so things don't burn up. And you have to run the wires for the resistor.
On the other hand:
- The Hot Grips are POSSIBLY a bit more durable. They are proven to last virtually forever as long as you don't ever yank hard on the wires. If you mount them correctly, this will never be an issue.
- I think the Symtec grip heaters will also prove to be extremely durable. The wires are sheathed in a very durable material, and have much better strain relief than the "old" brand of grip heaters. If you add a small zip tie under the throttle grip as recommended, there's no way the wires can flex or pull out of the heating element.
- The Hot Grips are wired in series -- basically, each grip gets 6 volts. I'm considering adding a "turbo" switch that feeds 12v to each grip for those really chilly days. (This is not factory approved whatsoever...) With the grip heaters, each grip gets 12v so this isn't a possibility.
In 35-40 degree weather on an unfaired bike on the interstate, both will maintain a surface temperature of about 105-110 degrees as measured with my little infrared temperature measuring thingy. I can use a much lighter pair of winter gloves. In freezing weather around 25-30 degrees, I need my monster gloves, but the grip heat makes a big difference. If you have some sort of hand protection (I've considered adding dirt bike hand protectors) like a full fairing, they would be quite toasty and comfortable down to truly insane temps.
Both take about 5 minutes to start feeling much heat, and about 10 minutes to get up to full temperature.
The GS got Ergo II Hot Grips because they are rigid inside and have to permanently installed with epoxy. I've been happy with the handlebars on the GS for years, so a permanent install was not a problem. About $85 shipped:
I just got the VX800 this summer, and I may want to change the bars again, so I installed the much less expensive Symtec grip heaters from Californy Sport Touring -- about $31 shipped:
(Make sure you DON'T get the similar-looking but vastly inferior Kimpex grip heaters. The Kimpex brand heaters use a resistor and aren't made nearly as well -- there are lots of complaints out there about the Kimpex krap.)
I wired both through relays, soldered all connections, and sealed everything with heat shrink tubing to avoid any problems. I hate wiring, and wanted to only do it once.
The install was similar with both, although the Hot Grips had a resistor I had to find a place for (I painted it black and zip-tied it to the frame just below the head tube). Dealing with the epoxy for the Hot Grips was a bit nerve-wracking, but I followed the package directions to the letter and everything went perfectly.
I had to shave all the ribs off the throttle tubes on both bikes. No big deal -- if I ever need to go back to stock, a new OEM throttle tube is only about $12. Both sets of grips pull just under 3 amps, about 27-30 watts. Both bikes have healthy electrical systems that don't even notice the small added load.
For both bikes, I bought a very small on-off-on switch at Frys (rated to handle the small amount of current easily) and used that instead of the enormous heavy-duty Russian Army tank toggle switch included. Hot Grips sells a smaller switch along with a cool-looking little plastic housing for another $20. I simply mounted my switches on small home made stainless steel tabs hanging from the clutch perch pinch bolt and encased them in heat shrink to protect and bundle the wires on the back.
For the Symtec grip heaters, I added a length of 1" self-sealing heat-shrink tubing to the left side -- this bit of insulation helps keep the heat from being sucked away by the steel bar. This is supposedly somewhat optional. (I love my $10 heat gun from Harbor Freight!)
At first, the Hotgrips got warmer than the grip heaters. However, I had an extremely thick set of Sunline touring grips on the VX, and the excess thickness was insulating me from the lovely warmth below.
I changed these grips for a set of Pro Grip gel touring grips in a more normal thickness, and now the Symtec grip heaters get slightly warmer (maybe a 3-5 degree difference) and are just a wee bit better able to stay warm in freezing temps than the Hot Grips.
The Hot Grips are very hard, but the Ergo II shape seems to work well enough for me, and the material is plenty tacky against leather gloves. If I didn't like them, too bad.
With the grip heaters, you can use whatever grip you want, of course -- even the stiff touring grips I used at first went on easily over the slight extra thickness. And, of course, you have the advantage of being able to change grips if needed, as long as you're careful in removing the old grips. It's best to carefully cut them off to avoid nicking the heating elements. I mounted my grips with hair spray and have had absolutely no problems with them moving around.
Bottom line, I'd say the Symtec grip heaters are the way to go (do NOT get the other brand you might find that comes with a resistor). The grip heaters have the following advantages:
- They're much cheaper - $31 vs. $80
- The wiring is a bit simpler (wired in parallel instead of series; no resistor)
- They work just as well or better than the Hot Grips, depending on the thickness of the grip you use. I'm using a rather soft gel grip, and the material doesn't seem at all affected by the temperatures.
- You can use your favorite grip, and change grips whenever you want. The Hot Grips are permanent unless you also change the handlebar and throttle tube.
- The Hot Grips are made from a hard plastic covered with a rather hard rubber, which you might or might not find unpleasant.
- When you switch to low, the Symtec heaters simply switch to using less heating element area. The Hot Grips use a resistor that gets very hot. You have to find a place to mount the resistor that can take some heat and gets enough airflow so things don't burn up. And you have to run the wires for the resistor.
On the other hand:
- The Hot Grips are POSSIBLY a bit more durable. They are proven to last virtually forever as long as you don't ever yank hard on the wires. If you mount them correctly, this will never be an issue.
- I think the Symtec grip heaters will also prove to be extremely durable. The wires are sheathed in a very durable material, and have much better strain relief than the "old" brand of grip heaters. If you add a small zip tie under the throttle grip as recommended, there's no way the wires can flex or pull out of the heating element.
- The Hot Grips are wired in series -- basically, each grip gets 6 volts. I'm considering adding a "turbo" switch that feeds 12v to each grip for those really chilly days. (This is not factory approved whatsoever...) With the grip heaters, each grip gets 12v so this isn't a possibility.
In 35-40 degree weather on an unfaired bike on the interstate, both will maintain a surface temperature of about 105-110 degrees as measured with my little infrared temperature measuring thingy. I can use a much lighter pair of winter gloves. In freezing weather around 25-30 degrees, I need my monster gloves, but the grip heat makes a big difference. If you have some sort of hand protection (I've considered adding dirt bike hand protectors) like a full fairing, they would be quite toasty and comfortable down to truly insane temps.
Both take about 5 minutes to start feeling much heat, and about 10 minutes to get up to full temperature.
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