Winter Gear

[zmeiaspas]

Ok guys! So after freezing on my way home last night in 53 degrees I decided I'd invest in some winter gear as it will only be getting colder anyway so what the heck.

So a guy on another board directed me over here:

Powerlet Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (Fairing) 2004 - 2006

What I learned from their web site is that our beloved FZ6 has an EEC (Excess Electrical Capacity) that can only handle a pair of heated gloves and is not enough for a heated vest. In other words the bike produces extra 20-25Watts and if you connect a heated vest (35-45Watts) it will slowly drain your battery.

Please say this ain't so I was planning to ride till the first snow fall

 

[Kriswithak]

Do you really need a heated vest? Generally most of your heat you lose from your feet and your head, with heated gloves making you comfortable (also can get some reasonably good handle bar protectors to stop the wind on your hands).
A good quality pair of pants and jacket should keep you very warm as long as you have a few layers underneath and get something good. A balaclava (sp?) is good too.
I found Dririder Nordic Pro jacket affordable and extremely good even in sub zero temperatures (plus windchill from travelling 130-140km/h), and my RST Pro Series textile pants where also amazing.

In a few other threads people have mentioned having between 100-150wats to spare though so you should be fine unless you have other mods on your bike (ie aftermarket lights) drawing more already. Should be fine with a vest using up to 45 and gloves using up to 25 easily.

 

[RyanK]

Ok guys! So after freezing on my way home last night in 53 degrees I decided I'd invest in some winter gear as it will only be getting colder anyway so what the heck.

If you were freezing at 53, you're in trouble...

Here's what I wear: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/9413-cold-weather-riding-gear.html

I set a new personal record last winter: http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/11956-new-personal-record-morning.html

I run high-wattage headlights (both sides are now dual filament too), have no running lights (just turn signals), and heated grips. If I run the heated grips daily, they'll slowly run it down. I ran it for a year that way w/o problems, but last winter I bought a battery tender jr. and just plug it in at night or on the weekends.

 

[RyanK]

Oh yeah, I am currently looking for a bigger windscreen as well, something to keep the wind up & over me, off my chest and thighs. That should help significantly.

the handguards are almost a waste...

 

[necrotimus]

You don't need heated gear to ride in the winter, you just need to dress apropriately. The two things to dress for are heat loss and wind.

My winter gear last year consisted of the following and I was able to ride in the teens comfortably:

1) fleece jacket for ambient temperatures
2) rain liner in jacket for keeping out the wind
3) mesh jacket for protection (only jacket I owned)
4) overpants with rain liner in for keeping out the wind
5) balaclava for head and neck
6) winter motorcycling gloves

Make sure you seal the openings between jacket and pants and at the cuffs as best as possible. The only thing that got chilly were my hands and that was after about 20mins. If I was going long distances I would consider putting on a pair of surgical gloves to trap the heat.

 

[RyanK]

If I was going long distances I would consider putting on a pair of surgical gloves to trap the heat.

I've tried that, inside & outside of my regualr gloves, and it made no difference at all. I was EXTREMELY surprised!!! I didn't figure it would trap the heat as much as keep out all cold air blowing thru, but it just made no difference at all...

 

[afpreppie04]

If you've swapped to HIDs you will have a little extra electrical headroom to play with as well.

 

[bcityroller]

I run a dual headlight, powerlet gloves (well mine are labelled FirstGear but same-same) and an Aerostich vest, GPS, etc. I specifically chose the Aerostich b/c it's a low watt (45W) vest. I'm definitely running a power deficit in that if I have the vest and the gloves running they're not as hot at a given setting as if just the gloves are on and they get warmer at speed than at stop (not always a bad thing). All that said, even commuting short distances through town with low speeds and frequent stops, I haven't actually incurred any charging/battery issues. If I do, I'll unplug the dual headlight for the cold months and get my 55W back from that.

I use the heated gloves a lot (anything 50 and below) and the vest as a liner but not actually on unless it's like mid-high 30s or there's moisture in the air sucking the heat out of me.

 

[zmeiaspas]

Thanks for the input guys! Actually I do agree that I lose most of the heat from my hands and head. I could feel I was freezing last night just because my hands were freezing. I felt totally comfortable in my jacket but I think my hands were keeping my entire body cold. I just ordered a pair of heated gloves from power outlet so I'm hoping that will solve most of my problems. Next step will be to buy a nice set of winter riding pants (the ones I wear now feel as if I wear next to nothing in the wind and rain but good for the hot summer days) and a nice new jacket (the one I have now is kind of small).

I think once the temps drop to 30-40 and below I'll buy a heating vest and just do what someone suggested: turn it on for 30 minutes and then turn it off for 30 minutes to allow the battery to recharge. Although some of you are suggesting the stats on powerletproducts.com are false (which would be awesome).

Again thanks for the input.

Oh and a last question: in terms of keeping warm, what's better mesh/textile or leather?

P.S.
And as for the balaclava: awesome idea! Thanks

And a last thing: what do you call that little piece of leather/fabric that some helmets have right underneath the chin? I think one of those will solve my problems with keeping my head all ventilated and cold at night.

 

[RJ2112]

zmeiaspas, see if you can find someone who carries skimobile gear, and look into a set of gloves for that use. They're pre curved like MC gloves, with sh*tloads of insulation and are waterproof. I bought a set 6 years ago before I started building up a set of winter gear, and they did wonders for keeping my hands warm.

Add the insulated riding pants, a heavy textile jacket, a balaclava, insulated hiking boots, and I am good to go to about 35°F @ 70 MPH for over an hour. Below that, I turn on the Widder vest, and concern myself with the loss of charge when I get home. (I too have a smart charger, and the harness wired permanently onto the battery.)

I can reach forward, and unplug the right headlight to conserve more wattage, if need be as well.

 

[RyanK]

Thanks for the input guys! Actually I do agree that I lose most of the heat from my hands and head. I could feel I was freezing last night just because my hands were freezing. I felt totally comfortable in my jacket but I think my hands were keeping my entire body cold.

Oh and a last question: in terms of keeping warm, what's better mesh/textile or leather?

P.S.
And as for the balaclava: awesome idea! Thanks

And a last thing: what do you call that little piece of leather/fabric that some helmets have right underneath the chin? I think one of those will solve my problems with keeping my head all ventilated and cold at night.

yeah, cold hands seem to make the whole body cold...kinda like little radiators

textile vs. leather:
Heat... I dunno, probably leather
price: textile by a mile
weight: textile
rain: textile all the way

balaclava makes a HUGE difference!!!

Not sure what the thing under your chin is called, but I bet it'll help fog your helmet up... Gotta be careful of that when it starts getting really cold.

 

[Less]

A couple of years ago I picked up a pair of ski/snow mobile gloves and ski socks and they make a big difference. The ski socks not only are warm but they come up to my knees so I can wear them under my jeans without riding pants for the warmer cool days of fall. From the knees down seems to take the brunt of the wind blast on the road.

 

[mgmidget72]

And a last thing: what do you call that little piece of leather/fabric that some helmets have right underneath the chin? I think one of those will solve my problems with keeping my head all ventilated and cold at night.

It's called a chin curtain.

While it is true that you can dress for cold weather without heated gear, it can get very bulky. Once you add up all the layers, it can really limit your range of motion - or at least make it uncomfortably tight at the edges of your range. Heated clothing will allow you to get by with much thinner gear. Also, if it warms up, you can just turn it down or off rather than stopping and taking off layers and finding a place to put them.

That said, I don't have any heated gear yet. After making it through the past two winters with almost daily highway commuting down to 30F, I'm hoping to get some soon to cut down on the bulk.

-Scott

 

[Cloggy]

yeah, cold hands seem to make the whole body cold...kinda like little radiators
..........
Not sure what the thing under your chin is called, but I bet it'll help fog your helmet up... Gotta be careful of that when it starts getting really cold.

I've got a chin guard on my Nolan N101 flip up helmet which I attatch in the winter and it works great, it also has a pinlock visor to stop it steaming up. the chin guard on a flip up can almost totally seal the helmet as the front of the helmet comes out, down and clicks back in again. I generally leave the front ventilation on the helmet open but close the top ventilation on the colder days to prevent my brain freezing .

 

[Dennis in NH]

I too have the dual headlight mod. I plan to use a heated vest and maybe heated gloves this Winter. How are you'all deactivating the 2nd light? just pull the plug and maybe tape it up to keep it protected from the elements? and which bulb (rider's right or left)?

Also, if I run my bike at a higher RPM, will I generate more watts? My idea here is that maybe in the city, I'll turn the vest down/off but on the highway, turn it on full.

I also have a battery tender and don't mind using it after every ride in the Winter.

If I drain the battery down while riding, will the bike just stop running (i.e., no charge for spark plugs)? or the bike just not startup again?

Thanks.

On another topic, if you want to hold in heat, wear good touring pants; you lose a lot of heat from the legs.

On really cold mornings, before I start my commute, I do a little workout at home (which increases my blood flow and body temperature). Then when I get outside, the cold feels good. You can also put on your gear and hop around outside or jog in place to generate heat.

If it's really cold outside and I'm on my way out from work to home, I put all my gear on (including helmet/neck warmer) first and then go outside; this way nothing is exposed to the cold.

I have a few pairs of fleece lined jeans (these are awesome in the cold); I use them for riding or anything else in the cold (like shoveling, snow blowing, just taking a walk outside with the dog, etc.). The liner that came with my MC jacket provides excellent warmth and is light; I use it for riding and if not riding, I wear it under a fleece jacket. Because of this liner, fleece jeans, and fleece jacket, last Winter, I rarely wore a big Winter jacket unless I was outside for a long time or doing snow activities).

Dennis

 

[RyanK]

If I drain the battery down while riding, will the bike just stop running (i.e., no charge for spark plugs)? or the bike just not startup again?

It won't quit, unless you really have MAJOR draw on it maybe, but it just wouldn't start again. You'd have to have an aweful lot of stuff running to get it drawn down that far in a long day or 2 of riding though...

 

[chimneydoc]

I use a Gerbings jacket liner and have had no perceivable power issues. I usually turn it on when I'm at freeway speeds. When I'm at home I plug in the battery tender, as far as I can tell everything works fine. I do however when I'm at a stop put both feet on the ground so as not to use the brake light to gain a few more watts. Doc

 

[SANGER_A2]

I ran heated grips for a long while with no power drain issues (I did the BD43 headlight mod too). I now have Exo2 heated gloves instead, which are amazing! Heated gloves use less power than heated grips and just keep your hands warm so much more effectively. A balaclava is great during the winter. A neck tube is an essential too - there are loads of different types (you want a thin, windproof one though).

 

[Dennis in NH]

I bought a $15 voltage meter from Wal Mart that you plug into a cig. lighter. It has red, yellow, and green LEDs plus numeric digital readout to show voltage. I connected it and get maybe 12.85V with the bike off. Idling, I get over 13V. When I run the bike, I think I max out at 14V.

When I turn on my heated liner (I'm betting 90W from First Gear (Warm and Safe brand)) to medium heat, voltage goes to 12.46V and fluctuates there plus or minus .13V. It seems even above 5K RPM -- I'm usually over 6K RPM on the highway -- the voltage reads the same. This suggests that I can't get more out of the stator by increasing RPM.

So, is this too much strain on the battery? I feel like if it's below 13V, it's no good and am a little scared to turn off the bike for fear it will not start again.

I have the dual headlight mod and will probably look into temporarily disabling it to get back 55W for my heated liner and see how things go. Maybe the best thing to do is just unplug one of the lights and see how that goes first.

This is where this bike ain't much of a "tourer" -- a "tourer" bike stator should give us lots of watts for touring accessories. Maybe I have to just go with heated gloves (I think about 30 watts) and gain weight around the waste and stop doing so many situps everyday. This could give me builtin insulation to keep warm obviating the need for the heated liner; but will also reduce performance due to added weight.

Thanks,

Dennis

 

[Dennis in NH]

So far, I undid the headlight mod giving back 55 watts. The heated liner works ok but I can't keep it at high or the voltmeter starts to drop to yellow then red.

Also, as soon as I use the high beam, there goes more watts and I see the red light again. I rode in 32F last night and kept having to decide -- should I keep the heated liner on higher or use the high beam to see better? oh and do I really need that turn signal because there's no one around and I'm feeling cold

I guess first thing is I need to put my unheated liner on top of my heated jacket liner and that will allow me to keep the heated liner on a lower setting -- but if I do that, I am admitting that it's Winter

I did try heated gloves alone. My gloves get pretty darn hot and I have to keep them on low but with just heated gloves, I really miss that heated liner.

Now I have to spend $75 on a pinlock anti-fog system for my Shoei RF-1000. I didn't realize that the "F" in RF-1000 stood for Fogs-a-lot. I guess with a helmet that quiet, not a lot of air gets in or out so if you have a hot head, it'll fog the visor.

Re: balaclava, so this thing fits over your head -- fine. Now, when I put on my helmet, the balaclava will be pressed onto my head really flattening out my hair and pressing on my head and kind of pulling my hair which seems quite uncomfortable. Do you'all get that problem? maybe I need a thinner balaclava.

Ah Winter, ... I guess we just have to adjust.

Dennis