Hey Wheelman, you got me all upset with that "fat guy" comment. I thought to myself, damn, I even lied about my weight in my post. LOL. Then I relaxed and realized it was Fat Tony.

 

Take a serious look at Warm and Safe. Gerbing is nice, but I like the form fitting nature of Warm and Safe. This gives a better heat transfer.
Have this setup, socks, pant liners, and jacket liner. Makes riding in any weather very enjoyable.

YMMV.

 

Dumb question. Where do you plug these in at?

 

Only ever had Gerbings. Got the gloves in 04, the inner jacket in 05 with the dual controller. Been warm ever since. Cannot compare quality nor features. I would buy Gerbings again, except I won't need to as they have a lifetime warranty.

Life is good down into the 20s F. I have the original heated gloves which people tell me are a little more bulky than the G-3s, but they are sure comfortable so no need to update.

I recommend the jacket liner over the vest, why, the gloves wires are already run down the sleeves. I also recommend a dual variable controller. This allows you to adjust for a perfect temperature on your hands and your body.

I also have the Gerbings heated boot soles. Since I purchased Neoprene "Mucks" working boots for the winter rides, I have not needed to use them.

 

The Gerbings vest is nice to have. I've had one for a couple years, ride in the cold a lot, and really only needed it a few times. A heated jacket seems like overkill and too big to just add a long.

A plug in unit that keeps you tethered to your bike, not a good idea, at least for me.

It's nice to be able to walk away from the bike with the battery unit, I bought an extra battery for just in case, and have a charge port in the bike for the spare. The battery lasts pretty long though.

I've packed my vest for winter hunting in Wisconsin where it justified it's price twice over. Can't do that with a plug in unit, even sitting in a tree with wind a zero degree temps the vest is plenty.

 

Pigtail off the battery. Kinda like the battery tender.

 

I have Gerbings jacket liner and gloves. I've been in temps down into the teens and it was still bearable, but you can stay nice and toasty in 20-30 degree temps. I also have the dual control thermostat and as someone mentioned earlier, there are wires to deal with, but you find a way to cope with it. I also bought the Gadget Tank Panel from Captain Itch to hold the thermostat controller right on top on my tank. that helps a lot.

http://shop.captain-itch.com/Misc-Gadgets_c31.htm

Mike

 

I used the ACC connector under the seat, connected with an HD Y-Plug Splitter (#98539-04V). For my '07 I had to cut and splice one section of that connector to a Gerbing connector, but maybe HD has figured out a more elegant solution by now. I've used a single controller with Y-connector for years to regulate the heat for the liner and gloves, but it died last winter and I will probably just use the ACC switch on the fairing insert, which it's wired through. You can connect heated clothes to any 12V source, either switched or not, and using an in-line fuse is advisable.

FWIW, using a single controller for both liner and gloves doesn't work very well, as the liner gets warmer than the gloves. I would suggest buying a dual controller that splits the regulation of gloves and liner.

I have the HD liner and Gerbing gloves but will be selling the liner, as I just don't need it here in S. LA. The gloves are another matter, as they are a must for me when the temps go <50°.

 

I say go with Gerbing for all the reasons already stated!

 

I have used Gerbing for three years and am very satisfied. I have had to return the jacket twice for warranty repairs, once due to a problem with heat in the jacket and the other time for the connection to the heated gloves. Depending on the time of year, (winter is slower) they are very responsive and the repair corrected the problem each time.