Embarassing question

[Alpinestarhero]

Handlebar muffs........just an idea at the moment, but I want a non-electrical alternative to heated grips for keeping my hands warm in the winter rides

Anyone use them on any bike? Will they get in the way of the steering at full lock if I use them?






Please don't punch me for thinking about using handlebar muffs

Matt

[ASM-Forever]

Handlebar muffs....topbox.....it will be a BMW next. :)

[sarah]

I saw a bike with handlebar muffs on Monday at Devil's Dyke. It looked crap.

[Warthog]

Man they look sad. Just my opinion obviously, but way waaay sad.

[hovis]

tut tut

[Samnooshka]

Tried them on my SV ages ago, but didn't work that well and kept turning round.. or was it the bandit... anyway, know a couple of people that use them and they say they are good... if it was looking cool and loosing feeling in my fingers or staying warm but looking dorky i'd take warm and dorky anyday. JMO ;) Oh yeah, if you use them with the heated grips its so lovely and toasty :D

[Stu]

Vstrom hand guards!
Not as warm, but don't compress the levers like my muffs did
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i136/stu369/DSC00038.jpg

[Gordon B]

Handlebar muffs........just an idea at the moment, but I want a non-electrical alternative to heated grips for keeping my hands warm in the winter rides

Anyone use them on any bike? Will they get in the way of the steering at full lock if I use them?






Please don't punch me for thinking about using handlebar muffs

Matt

Pah, be a man. The feeling in your fingers will be gone after about 20 minutes so you won't feel anything after that.;)

Its just when you get to work and they start warming up again, now THAT smarts......

HTH

G

[Alpinestarhero]

I'm not bothered about looks...i just want warm hands...

...im scared to fit the heated grips after the reg went, it indicates to me the electrics are a bit fragile

Stu, do they do a good job in winter when you have some decent gloves on?

Matt

[Stig]

As one that suffers from Raynauds (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_what.html) I always use muffs during the winter. Linked with heated grips, I can use my summer gloves all through the winter.

I don't care what it looks like. Vanity is for the summer months.

[Sid Squid]

As one that suffers from Raynauds (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_what.html) I always use muffs during the winter. Linked with heated grips, I can use my summer gloves all through the winter.

I don't care what it looks like. Vanity is for the summer months.

What he said.

Except: Vanity is for fools.

Warm hands are safer than the frozen hands that 'cool' people have. Think about that.

[fizzwheel]

but I want a non-electrical alternative to heated grips for keeping my hands warm in the winter rides

Decent winter gloves ;)

Took me a while to find a pair, but I did and even after along ride on a very frosty winters morning from Amesbury back to Yeovil, My hands were toasty all the way.

Alpinestars WR-1 Drystars, they are a bit bulky but once I got used to them I dont really notice it now.

The other thing I found, was to keep my core warm with plenty of thin layers, thermals under my jacket / trousers, I definately found my hands and feet stayed warmer if I kept the core of my body warmer by wearing plenty of extra layers, if you get some of the thermal thin base layers from Millets or somewhere like that they work really well.


Guess the muffs would work, as long as they dont foul the levers you should be OK, who cares what you look like as long as you're warm.

[northwind]

The SV can deal with heated grips fine, don't worry about blowing up your new reg/rec- if it's going to blow up, it will anyway ;) They're not massively effective when combined with heavy winter gloves, but every little helps. Heated gloves are better still of course, I'm considering these myself- never seen a pair yet that looked as protective as my winter gloves though, in fact they all look about as well put together as the no-name gloves you can buy at bike shows for a tenner ;)

I don't like muffs... (hur hur, etc) because I find them awkward when I remove my hands from the bars to pop in the mirrors for filtering. But they're very warm. Hand guards seem like a good option but I've never used them myself.

[Cloggsy]

I've got heated gloves (but no bike :lol:)

[gettin2dizzy]

I love a hot muff .......

[gettin2dizzy]

The SV can deal with heated grips fine, don't worry about blowing up your new reg/rec- if it's going to blow up, it will anyway ;) They're not massively effective when combined with heavy winter gloves, but every little helps. Heated gloves are better still of course, I'm considering these myself- never seen a pair yet that looked as protective as my winter gloves though, in fact they all look about as well put together as the no-name gloves you can buy at bike shows for a tenner ;)

I don't like muffs... (hur hur, etc) because I find them awkward when I remove my hands from the bars to pop in the mirrors for filtering. But they're very warm. Hand guards seem like a good option but I've never used them myself.

you can get heated inner gloves which sound like a better option for you.

[Fearg]

As one that suffers from Raynauds (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_what.html) I always use muffs during the winter. Linked with heated grips, I can use my summer gloves all through the winter.

I don't care what it looks like. Vanity is for the summer months.

+1

Only put the muffs on when its REALLY cold and the journey is more than about 30 mins. They are a real pain in the @rse IMO but they keep my hands warm. Personally I find they restrict my movements and overall control of the bike (not dangerously tho) but then when its that cold I'm not trying to get my knee down so its not a huge probelm. If its below about 5C when I set off and its not due to rise much during the day the muffs go on. Only used them about 6 times last winter but they kept my pinkies warm :)

[plowsie]

I have some of them two finger jobbies from HG, they're bloody nice and warm, did me well on the AR and hands never got wet, was a bit of a weird feeling first time i used them, instead of 3 finger braking it was 4. But they keep me warm. But damn they need a wash :lol:

[thor]

Cold hands are not cool ;)

Seriously.

There's always the heated clothing approach?

[Ping]

Mmmmmmmm, heated grrrrrriiiiiiiiiips. :cool:

I've killed my battery repeatedly with my grips... If you fit them make sure you connect them to the ignition so you can't accidentally leave them on. ;)

I don't have muffs (tee hee hee! I said muffs... TWICE!) so can't really comment on them. Do not fear the heated grips... They're great. :smt041

[Ceri JC]

I've used them. Looks crap, but looks significantly less crap than a crashed bike after you loose control due to frostbitten fingers. ;)

[gettin2dizzy]

A bike being used in the winter loooks good muff or no muff
a bike in the garage being cleaned over winter looks uncool

nobody likes an untidy muff though

[Stu]

Stu, do they do a good job in winter when you have some decent gloves on?

Matt
The guards let you get away with gloves that aren't perfect. They keep a lot of rain & wind chill off, plus good for car wing mirroes etc :-dd
Admittedly my muffs are crap, but seriously do good ones not press against the levers at, say, 100?

[plowsie]

The guards let you get away with gloves that aren't perfect. They keep a lot of rain & wind chill off, plus good for car wing mirroes etc :-dd
Admittedly my muffs are crap, but seriously do good ones not press against the levers at, say, 100?
He cant get over 100 with his t**-b** on ;)

[Alpinestarhero]

Well...i'll see if i can find someone who will let me put their muffs on my handlebars, and then I can see what its like. As long as it dosnt get in the way and lets me use all the steering lock I have, I'll get a pair. Not certain if the vstrom handgaurds would bit my curvy, or if they'l get in the way

But dont laugh if you see my bike with muffs on

And I will remove them when its warm enough to not need them

:nemo:

Matt

[duibhceK]

muffs provide excellent wind (and thus cold) protection. but hand guards usually suffice. I installed GS1150 hand guards on my TDM and except for 2 occasions i wore my summer gloves throughout last winter (granted, 't wasn't the coldest of winters).

[Bluewolf]

if it was looking cool and loosing feeling in my fingers or staying warm but looking dorky i'd take warm and dorky anyday.

:stupid:

[northwind]

you can get heated inner gloves which sound like a better option for you.

Yep, I'll be looking at that too. Good ones seem to be in short supply but it's worth a look.

The Spada Force 2 WP gloves are what I use now, really superb- warmer than the HG Pathans or either of the similiar ones I've tried, in a 4-finger armoured design. They're thicker and a wee bit more restrictive than the Pathans, mind, but not to the extent of some winter gloves, I've no problems living with it. Cheapish, too, £40 off EBay. They won the last RIde winter gloves test.

[Stu]

FFS!!!! It's August, I'm still waiting for summer . Can you all stop talking about winter gloves.
Come on, someone post up a pic of themselves in a Bikini. :D

[sarah]

Come on, someone post up a pic of themselves in a Bikini. :D

After you.;)

[Stu]

No, I insist, ladies first, I am a gentleman after all ;)

[sarah]

No, really, you go first. Age before beauty.;)

[Ping]

No, really, you go first. Age before beauty.;)
Yeah, crabs before pearls. ;)

[Bluewolf]

I'm not as svelte as I used to be...

http://iamamericanperiod.com/photogallery/People/Fat%20Bikini.jpg

[gettin2dizzy]

Yep, I'll be looking at that too. Good ones seem to be in short supply but it's worth a look.

The Spada Force 2 WP gloves are what I use now, really superb- warmer than the HG Pathans or either of the similiar ones I've tried, in a 4-finger armoured design. They're thicker and a wee bit more restrictive than the Pathans, mind, but not to the extent of some winter gloves, I've no problems living with it. Cheapish, too, £40 off EBay. They won the last RIde winter gloves test.

All of the inner gloves I've looked at only heat the back of the hand though unfortunately.

[northwind]

Too early to be talking about winter gloves? I wore my Spadas on the AR! And I had lovely warm dry hands until I got stupid and put my wet hands into them after the supermarket stop, after which I had lovely warm wet hands.

All of the inner gloves I've looked at only heat the back of the hand though unfortunately.

I found some that heat the fingers, but they didn't inspire confidence in their construction, the wiring was rubbish :(

[Tim in Belgium]

I'm afraid I've no Muff experience to speak of.

[AndyW]

I bought a pair of rev'it under gloves (not electric) last winter when my hands started feeling cold with normal (winter) gloves on. Kept hands toasty warm for the 30 min commute to work (50-60 mph tops on A roads). Made bending fingers tougher though.

[Stig]

I can assure everyone there are no winter motorcycle gloves that will keep my fingers warm (non heated ones anyway). My fingers are already suffering and going white and numb on my way to work in the mornings. And on a few occasions on the way home too.

If I didn't have heated grips and muffs I'd be in agony 5 miles from home.

[Cloggsy]

I can assure everyone there are no winter motorcycle gloves that will keep my fingers warm (non heated ones anyway).

I was gonna say...

These would:

http://www.brmc.co.uk/gloves.gif

These are what I've got & they are ace :!:

Two heat settings etc etc...

See here (http://www.brmc.co.uk/gerbing%20heated%20clothing.htm)

[Cazza]

I can assure everyone there are no winter motorcycle gloves that will keep my fingers warm (non heated ones anyway). My fingers are already suffering and going white and numb on my way to work in the mornings. And on a few occasions on the way home too.

If I didn't have heated grips and muffs I'd be in agony 5 miles from home.

Simon, as you know, I too suffer with this. Having heated grips on my bike for the last 18 months has been a godsend (well, an Oxfordsend really). I use them all year round - sometimes for prevention too, even if the weather's not that cold, as once the circulation's gone, that's it.

Even if you don't have circulatory problems, I think they're a great idea - I can see no downside in having them on the bike - makes no difference at all to how the handlebars feel. And if you ever have leaking gloves, warm and wet hands are so much easier to bear than cold and wet hands.

I've not tried muffs, so I can't offer my thoughts on those (that sentence is for your enjoyment Ping). But as my commutes on the bike these days are short, and infrequent, they're not something I'm looking to add. I've no doubt they'd make a difference though - especially given Ape's experience.

[gettin2dizzy]

+1 for grips.
And....unlike all the other methods mentioned, they're always on your bike :) no organisation required!

[Baph]

Handlebar muffs........just an idea at the moment, but I want a non-electrical alternative to heated grips for keeping my hands warm in the winter rides

Anyone use them on any bike? Will they get in the way of the steering at full lock if I use them?

Matt

Decent winter gloves. I have been laughed at before for using winter gloves a size too large, and thermal gloves under them, but it keeps me warm, and doesn't remove as much feeling as you'd expect. I had heated grips, and removed them because I never used them with 2 paid of gloves on.

I think I remember Stu saying he had some problems fitting the VStrom muffs to the SV (lock issues, trimming down the hand guards, eventually removing because they were so irritating all come to mind).

Topbox, muffs, next you'll be wanting a heated seat, and maria will be buying you slippers for Christmas!

[plowsie]

Topbox, muffs, next you'll be wanting a heated seat, and maria will be buying you slippers for Christmas!
He's having a goldwing as his next bike :D

[Jools'SV Now]

The muffs aren't enough on their own

Mrs had muffs only and used to have to peel fingers off bars in the winter. Go for the heated grips/gloves. or both;)

[gettin2dizzy]

just google 'muff'



:)