Just purchased heated liner

[LVNeptune]

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IA6ZA2"]Amazon.com: Firstgear Warm & Safe Heated Liner Motorcycle Jacket - 90 Watt XXX-Large (50) Black: Automotive[/ame]

That's what I bought. I am a pretty big guy and wear 3XL sizes for the most part. My jacket fits but it is kind of short. I should have a 3XLT but it's kind of hard to find jackets that are for big & tall like myself.

Anyway, the liner does NOT zip up. I emailed the company that sold it to me to see if they possibly had a 4XL but it is impossible to zip up. My question to you guys is this:

1) Is that normal for the zip up to be slightly wrong on stuff like this

2) Since I will be using it as a liner will it be OK if I leave it unzipped and zip up my bike jacket?

Obviously the solution here is to lose some poundage and there will be no issues. But I can't just fix that overnight so here we are

Thanks in advance.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I have the exact same jacket, but in medium. I think I paid around $130 for it at Cycle Gear. Did you buy the heat troller? You will need it to control your wattage output, otherwise you will end up with a dead battery. You can also buy that at Cycle Gear.

 

[njbill]

Here is my $.02. I have a heated vest and I love it. Last week, I rode 120 miles in 29F and I was fine. The goal is to have it as tight to your body as possible with only a thin layer between bare skin and the heated gear. In addition to the front zipper, mine has velcro straps on each side to tighten it up once zipped. The more snug the fit around your core, the warmer you will be.

Ideally, I would really try to get one that you can zip up. If that is not an option, try buying a cheap kidney belt that uses the soft velcro to close. Wrap this around the outside of the unzipped heated jacket. I have one I would give you but it is a tight fit around my 32 waist. It would not fit a big guy.

Good luck and stay warm. :thumbup:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Mine zips up all the way.

I previously had a heated vest, and I like the jacket much better because it keeps my arms warm, and it gives me the option to use heated gloves.

You are correct, it needs to be tight. I just wear one shirt underneath my heated gear, then put my riding jacket over it and I'm usually fine. On rare occasions, I will place another piece of clothing over the heated liner to prevent cold air penetrating on really cold or during very windy conditions.

 

[LVNeptune]

I bought the troller yea it just hasn't arrived yet. I figured that it would use max wattage without it so I am not worried. I'll probably run by Cycle Gear and test out some liners later.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Here is my $.02. I have a heated vest and I love it. Last week, I rode 120 miles in 29F and I was fine. The goal is to have it as tight to your body as possible with only a thin layer between bare skin and the heated gear. In addition to the front zipper, mine has velcro straps on each side to tighten it up once zipped. The more snug the fit around your core, the warmer you will be.

Ideally, I would really try to get one that you can zip up. If that is not an option, try buying a cheap kidney belt that uses the soft velcro to close. Wrap this around the outside of the unzipped heated jacket. I have one I would give you but it is a tight fit around my 32 waist. It would not fit a big guy.

Good luck and stay warm. :thumbup:

+1 on the above.

I have a Widder heated vest, zippered front, arm chaps and heavy heated gloves. I can plug the gloves into the vest without the arm chaps (I don't care for the arm chaps).

As stated above, it should fit snuggly over a t-shirt style short to work best. The tighter it fits, the better it'll heat.

Since my middle expanded some since last year, I have to inhale a bit to get the zipper started. With that said, the heat troller/vest work considerably better with it being tight vs loose. I used it last week and the troller was on the first click and was plenty warm...

BTW, I sewed some velcro to the left side of my heavy leather jacket and stuck the other half of the velcro to the rear of the troller. Once I'm zipped up, I velcro/stick the controller to the side of my jacket, the end plug is a BMW style that plugs into a BMW outlet I put on the left side of the bike...

If it fits real loose or doesn't zip/close, its going to be about useless IMHO...

 

[LVNeptune]

Ended up going down to cycle gear to check their stuff. They said the Pecos store has never carried any heating stuff IN STORE.

They had a tape so we measured my mid section and chest and based off the numbers Synergy made a 4XL that apparently will fit just fine so I ordered that with their controller, which LOOKED proprietary but we'll see. Hopefully I can use the one I bought on Amazon. I am returning my other jacket liner now.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Ended up going down to cycle gear to check their stuff. They said the Pecos store has never carried any heating stuff IN STORE.

They had a tape so we measured my mid section and chest and based off the numbers Synergy made a 4XL that apparently will fit just fine so I ordered that with their controller, which LOOKED proprietary but we'll see. Hopefully I can use the one I bought on Amazon. I am returning my other jacket liner now.

The Cycle Gear store off of Decatur and Meadows Lane on the westside carries much more inventory since their store is twice the size of the Pecos location. Just take 95N, Decatur exit and head south (left off exit) and it's immediately on the right hand side once you past the Chevron.