electric vests

[buford]

i'm tired of freezing while riding home for the holidays. any suggestions on heated vests between widder, aerostitch and bmw ? i assume that the bmw plug matches well, but do the other two ? how's the heat output on them (having never had one, i have no idea how warm is "warm".)? and it sounds like there's no electrical system problems, but are there any small details i should consider before trying 750 on wednesday ?

thanks a bunch. safe riding over the weekend to all,

buford

[jsherman]

I got a Widder before Aerostich came out with theirs. I am satisfied with the quality and fit. They sent me a plug that will fit either a standard cigarette lighter socket or--if I remove the outer part of the plug--my BMW accessory socket. My main suggestion is to get one without a collar. I got one with a collar thinking it would be warmer. It may be, but the extra thickness around my neck under my jacket is not worth the extra warmth.

[Paul Wishnafski]

Another option for you - Check out the line of heated clothing from Gerbing at www.gerbing.com. They make all their items custom sized, so the fit is perfect. I used to use a heated vest, then I ordered a heated jacket liner from Gerbing. It looks like a nylon windbreaker and is heated everywhere- front, back, arms, and collar. It puts out a lot more evenly distributed heat, actually too much at times. Be sure to order the optional thermostat which allows you to adjust to a "just right" temperature. I owned this jacket before I got my BMW, so I just changed to the BMW plug. I am sure you could order it with the proper plug. Hope this helps!

Safe riding,
Paul W.

[DavidSoine]

Cheap solution: Buy a used Widder or BMW vest(made by Widder). 50 bucks max. There are many available from those who are upgrading to Gerbings uninsulated jacket liners with thermostats.

Also you may be able to get faster service from Gerbings if you can fit into a "regular rack" size.

[markjenn]

I have a Eclipse and it is not very good.

Cycle World had a write-up recently on the Aerostich and it was very sensitive to sizing - the first one they had was a bit too big and didn't seem to work very well. Given the difficulty of mail-order sizing, I'd go for the widder as I've never had anyone say they didn't work great.

- Mark

[bmw4me]

Does anyone know if you can wad the Gerbing windbraker style liner up without harming it?

------------------
Gary

[Paul Wishnafski]

Gary - Before I had saddlebags on my other bikes, I used to roll up my heated jacket liner and stuff it into my small tank bag when the day warmed up. Even with saddlebags, the liner usually just gets shoved into whatever space is available during a quick pitstop. The liner's wires seem extremely flexible. I have not had any problems. Hope this info helps.

Safe riding,
Paul W.

[buford]

everybody:

thanks for the advice. i screwed around and didn't purchase one before the trip and nearly froze to death by the time it hit 30F in oklahoma city. i made sure that i didn't leave kansas city without one-a bmw/widder.

what a difference a little bit of heat makes...the phrase "never ride without one again" certainly applies. why i waited so long in the first place is beyond me.

anyway, thanks for the info,

buford

[Bob Truelsen]

I've got a BMW vest. It's the only I've ever had. It just has an on/off switch, no thermostat, so getting the right comfort means experimenting with at which layer do you wear it. The collar is nice and high. I'm not sure but it even felt heated.
The first time I used it I had it over a s/s tee shirt. It was too hot to the skin. Then moved it over the fleece liner of my Kilamenjaro (sp.?) suit. This was better. A thermostat would be convenient and better than stripping down on the side of the road to experiment.
But it's better than not having one. Just like heated grips.