Heated Grips Installation FAQ
 compiled & edited by Kristian #562; updated by Scott ID, #1244
Please read the Disclaimer before attempting any work in this FAQ.

Non-Heated Grip Installation
by Nothing Clever, '02 P/D, Louisiana.

My old OEM grips (NOT heated) wore out so I was hunting for new ones. Shop recommended Pro-Grip (Rally model) made in Italy & retailing for US $7.95. I thought, "Too good to be true." But I gave in to my American impulse to spend for the ephemeral rush and bought them anyway.

Removing the Old Ones

Once home, I unscrewed the bar end weights and loosened the screws on the handguard clamp adjacent to the electric switch housings (lights on the left and kill switch on the right) so the handguards could rotate out of the way (probably don't need to do this as once the end screw is off, the plastic handguard is rather soft and can be moved out of the way easily). I used a flat-bladed screwdriver to gently pry the old, tight grip away from the throttle housing on the right and did the same on the left. I used a little of Mommy's hairspray to help coax them off.

Now for the installation of the new grips.

The ends of the grips are solid and presented the problem of 'how to make a nice, neat round hole' without butchering the grips. I took a 6 inch socket extension and two snug-fitting sockets from my tool set (two different sizes to accommodate the smaller-diameter left grip and larger diameter right grip), slid the grips down until the socket was firmly seated in the end of the grip. Holding the socket extension upright and resting on a piece of wood I squarely pounded away with a rubber mallet on the solid end of the grip. It took about 6 healthy blows for each grip and, presto, I had a nice, perfectly sized and perfectly round hole at the outside end of the grip for the bar-end weights to mate up to the bar. I remove the socket quickly from the grip before the hairspray set. I tossed the little plugs left over into the trash.

Next I sprayed hairspray onto the bar and the inside of the grip again to help ease the grip onto the handlebars and, when dried, to help keep it in place despite rain or heat.

Now for the important part.

The grips made an incredible difference and the bike feels refreshingly new, no exaggeration. Almost no road-buzz, steering feels more responsive, I feel much more control of the bike, the throttle responsive even seems smoother, grips are very comfortable and it's a cheap but immediately recognizable modification/maintenance.

Hot Grips
by Flash #412
 01/11/11

A while back, Doug #317 said, "The part number for the Kimpex heated grips is 994398. I didn't find it on the web site but called and they confirmed it, Accessory Warehouse www.accwhse.com  800/241-2222.   I ordered some at a total of around $35. A couple of the local "missing links" around here are quite satisfied with theirs.  These work even better than the $300 kind and have a three way switch, hi-off-low."

I've done this twice. The first time, I wired them from the battery via a fuse. The second time, I was back in the USA and dug around in my piles of crap and found a mating connector for the factory installed, factory-hot-grip connector up in the fairing. I ran off there, via a fuse. 

I drilled a hole in the dash, after checking from the back that it would fit where I wanted it to go. I picked up a rubber cover for standard toggle switches at an electronic parts place for about $1, making it completely waterproof. I have a black, rubber-covered, toggle switch on the dash, just below the roundel. Hi-Off-Lo. No indication of what it is. 

The grips that I got both times were too long for the F. The first time, I cut off JUST the closed ends. When I went to install them, I had to use some washers for bar-end spacers. To be on the safe side, I got some longer bar-end bolts, too. 

The second time, I cut the grips to fit, which unfortunately cut the heater wire (in each grip), too. I soldered in a small patch wire which I "sealed" into place with some epoxy and then covered (just the end of the grip) with tape. 

They work GREAT. 

Just before I bought the first set in France, I was all prepared to make my own. Take a look on my website for how I was going to make them, posted by an Australian. Note: I did NOT follow this plan. And so I can't say from personal experience that it'll work. That info is posted here.

Hot Grips Ò Installation

By Andy #618, Slightly modified by Flash #412, (14/12/01)

14/11/11

 

Parts Required:

General Comments:

 

The Hot GripsÒ only come in lengths of 4.75” or longer. OEM grips are 4.25”, which means you have to account for the extra half inch. Two possible solutions include:

 

 

I installed the grips with the standard hi/lo/off switch and resistor, and will include directions on how to do this. Jean #636 used the heat regulator, which he mounted on the bars (pick a convenient spot).

 

Getting to work:

 

  1. Remove your bar end weights, old grips and any adhesive residue. I sliced mine off with a razor. If you are more patient, you may be able to heat the grips with a hair drier and pull them off. Use a citrus cleaner to remove any glue residue.

  2. If you plan to fit the grips by using longer bolts skip to step 3, otherwise:

    1. Remove the two Allen nuts on each casing.

    2. Locate a little pin sticking out of the casing bottom part. That pin fits into a hole bored into the underside of the handlebars and prevent the whole thing from rotating.  There are two of these holes located on each side ½” apart.

    3. Move the mirrors and then the casings a little bit to the inside and you will get enough room to fit the hot grips.

    4. You should still be able to use the outer hole on the left side provided you don’t slide the hot grip all the way through.

    5. Make sure you don’t cover the hole when you glue the grip on.

  3. "Gluing" the grips on:

    1. Spray the inside of each grip liberally with "White Rain" (or equivalent) hair spray.

    2. The one with the smaller hole goes on the left side. The one with the larger on the right.

    3. You will want to eyeball where on the throttle tube the grip goes, rotationally so as to end up with the wire lead at the 7 o'clock position in relation to the bars as seen from the end, with the throttle at rest. This keeps the wire away from the ignition switch and allows it to travel unobstructed as you roll on throttle.

    4. It is easiest to use a vise to squeeze the grip onto the throttle tube. If one is not available, a pair of pieces of scrap wood and a hammer will do the job. Once the grip and throttle tube are mated, there will be no removing it without cutting.

    5. Slide your left grip on and allow both to cure overnight.  Do NOT ride the bike for at least six hours.

  4. Disconnect your battery.

  5. Take the wires leading from the grips and route them along the bars down toward the front forks. I clipped the black zip-ties on the bars and re-zipped them with the new wires underneath.  Ensure you leave enough wire to allow the throttle to twist properly. The directions suggest a 3” radius loop.

  6. After the Hairspray dries you will need to reinstall the bar end weights. I used two washers on the throttle side grip and eight on the clutch grip to provide proper spacing. I also needed the longer bolt on the clutch side to hold the weight on.

    7.

  7. Now you need to remove your front fairing and windscreen. I also removed the front fender to avoid dropping hot solder, or other stuff on it. I used a piece of plastic to protect the tire.

  8. Next the fun part. Find a suitable location on your dash for a ½” (13mm) hole for your hi/lo/off switch.  I chose a location between the trip meter reset switch and the BMW roundel.  I used a sharp pick to place a small indentation in the dash so my drill bit would not wander as I started the hole.  Check the backside of the dash to ensure you are not drilling into anything vital!

  9. The next step is the wiring. Following the wiring diagram, I did the following:

    1. I soldered the two wires coming from each grip to their counterpart on the opposite grip. Ensure you leave enough slack to allow the handlebars to turn through their complete range of motion.

    2. Next, I soldered a wire for the ground between one of the wires for the grips to the brown wire going to the hot grip quick connector for the ground. I then wrapped all soldered connections in electrical tape.

    3. Now, prior to installing the switch and the resistor, I soldered all wires to each connector. It was easier to do this while they were on the workbench than on the bike. On the wire leading from the “Lo” switch terminal to the resistor, I stripped a small section about two inches from the resistor terminal to connect to the second set of wires coming from the grips.

    4. Once all of the connections were soldered between the switch and resistor, I installed the switch and rubber boot to cover it on the dash.

    5. I then mounted the resistor on the black bar leading from the triple-clamp to the dash. I did this by applying silicon to the backside and using zip-ties to hold it in place. This has worked perfectly, and is rock solid after 3-4 weeks of use.

    6. Finally, I soldered the remaining connections in place – the wire between the grips and the low/resistor wire; and the wire from the “Hi” position with the 3 amp fuse to the green wire on the quick connector.

    7. Wrap all soldered connections with plastic electrical tape and secure any loose wires with zip ties.

    8. Reconnect the battery and test the grips and make sure they work.

  10. Reassemble the bike…you are done.

 

Additional comments by Jean #636:

 

Jim Hollander from Hotgrips sent me an email a few day and stressed the fact that he sent me the 475-875 model with ends bored out. Apparently they are a little shorter so that may explain why I had little problems fitting them. The heat regulator adds a lot of wiring to the handlebar area. It's really a question of personal comfort but the switch solution is definitively more aesthetic than the regulator one. But the latter gives you a wider range of choice when it comes to output.


I had to move the right side casing all the way to the second pin hole because a dealer had done, after the initial installation, an awful job changing the handlebars he had bent when dropping the bike (dealers, you know...) and had put the grip just right smack over the outer hole without fixing the pin, so the casing was rotating. I had to move it to the inner hole to attach it and now I have a 1/2 inch gap between the grip and the casing/mirror ensemble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Problems & Solutions during Installation:

 

Q. Installing heated grips on my 2001GS and all is going well for a novice. Well... I'm putting the left hand grip on (of course after doing the more tricky right side) and as I'm attaching the grip, somehow I hadn't pulled all the slack of the cable heating cable all the way tight and I pulled the grip right off of the cable. So the left hand grip is hanging in my hand with the wire coming out of the handle bar. I'm so pissed at myself. Anyone think this sort of thing can be fixed?
A. Cut the grip 'til you get to the wire. Solder it back. Use plenty of electrical tape. OR, buy a set of aftermarket grips and use one of them. OR, buy a BMW replacement GRIP. Flash#412.

Heated Handgrips on the Cheap

Cheapo Hot Grips #1 - Hot Grips Australia

Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 13:09:05 GMT
From: beka@ozemail.com.au (Eric Graudins)
Subject: BMW: DIY Heated Handgrips. (Longish)
Copyright

LO presidents.
This is similar to what I posted on an Oz motorcycle newsgroup a while ago. It may be relevant to those who are heading towards winter, unlike us down here in Oz who are getting ready for the barbecue season. It is submitted in the spirit of Pirsig, who also can't see the sense is spending a couple of hundred dollars when a couple will do.

A significant development from the Oz Deep South LoTech Motorcycle Research Labs.

Its starting to get cold here in Tassie. In a cuppla weeks its going to be bloody cold. And my hands are going to get icy cold, because some mongrel decided that he needed my Spidi winter gauntlets more than I did. This morally bankrupt cretin knocked them off out of my helmet which I had left dangling on the rear indicator of the mighty Chicken Wing. Probably had a spot of gardening to do. (This wouldn't happen now - I can whack them into one of the wonderful glove boxes on the RT ! )

I rode home that night with my mind filled with many thoughts:

  1. The hearty discussion that would take place if I ever found the aforesaid mongrel

  2. How I had looked at other people riding without gloves, and thought what dickheads they were, and pondered the fact that I was doing exactly the same thing

  3. Thought about getting some of those wonderful heated handgrips, so that I could use my lighter gloves all year round. - Nah - they are more expensive that another pair of gloves. Then, EUREKA!!! The light globes went off in my head - (or was it a speed camera - It wasn't- its been 3 weeks now, and no ticket.)

  4. I realised that heated handgrips are just a bit of resistance wire connected to the battery, and wound round the handgrips and coated with rubber. For this they charge over nearly $200.00

Upon checking the trusty Dick Smith catalog, (and no, I wasn't still riding at this stage) I found that item W-3200 is 4 metres of Cuprothal resistance wire with a resistance of 6 ohms per metre. For this they charge $1.20.

2 metres of this wound round each handgrip would give about 12 watts of heat. After application of the she'll be right rule, and a couple of stubbies (13oz bottles of beer) , I was confident that this was exactly the right amount of heating required. Total current drain should be about 2 amps.

To cut a long story short - it worked beautifully with the resistances connected in parallel across the battery. However, It's a bit too warm. I've got to turn it off after about 5 minutes. (see! you can't always rely on the she'll be right rule)

I then added a 5 ohm 10watt resistor in series with the aforementioned resistance wires. The temperature was now beautiful.

I then added a switch to bypass the resistor for those times that it is really cold, and you need the extra heat in the grips.

I drilled a hole into the handlebars near the headstem so that I could run the wiring through the handlebars, and out the ends. This was to solve the problem of connection to the heating element on the twistgrip. (Yeah, I know I've weakened the bars, and I know that someone an engineering degree will come back at me with detailed discussions of stress risers, and calculations proving that the handlebars now have less strength than a wet tissue. I've applied the partly discredited "she'll be right" rule again, and decided that the risk is acceptable. Anyway, it's been working on the CX for nearly 2 years now)

My handgrips are the black foamy touring ones, with a chrome knob on the end. The soft foam allows the resistance wire to be wound tightly around the grips. It digs into the foam, and does not slide laterally across the grip.

I used twin core wire running through the handlebars. I removed the chrome cap on each handgrip. The power wires were fed through a hole drilled near the headstem, and out each end of the bars. I ran twin core wire with +ve and -ve, rather than trying to find an earth for the heating element on the handgrip. I ran the +ve wire under the foam, so that it came out on the inner side of the handgrip. One end of the resistance wire was tied in a rolling hitch and wound in a spiral around the handgrip, at a spacing of about 6mm. 2 metres of wire will reach the entire width of the handgrip, where it was again hitched I soldered the first couple of turns together so it would not unroll, and also soldered the power leads to each end of the resistance wire. I glued the chrome end tips back on with silastic.

P.S. don't forget to put on some kind of switch, and a 5 amp fuse.

DISCLAIMER: This information pure fantasy of course. I would never suggest that anyone ever actually put it into practice, and deprive motorcycle accessory manufacturers of much needed revenue. Things like this are far too complex for the average person to undertake without professional assistance. Your bike could explode, catch fire, go rusty, or all three. I only thought of it because my brain has been burned out by the harsh rays of the sun caused by the huge hole in the ozone layer directly above us. Have pity on me.

Cheers,
Eric Graudins
Tasmania, Australia.
K100RT CX500 Ulysses #12359 (Oz Old Farts Bike Club)
AND on the 8th day, the lord said "OK Murphy, you can take over now"

Cheapo Hot Grips #2 - Kimpex

by Derek Janssen

Recently, I installed some heated handgrips on my 97 BMW F650. I wanted to share the installation procedure with you.

First I ordered the kit. The manufacturer is Kimpex and I ordered the kit from the Accessory Warehouse (http://www.accwhse.com/ or 1-800-241-2222; They do accept orders on-line). Kimpex heated handgrip kit is P/N- 994398, when ordered from Accessory Warehouse. (The kit was about $23 by the time shipping is included.)

Here’s a picture of the kit from the catalog:

Here’s the steps I followed:

  1. Remove bar end weights from handlebars.

  2. Remove grips without destroying. What I did was sprayed some hair spray (Vidal Sassoon) under the grip. I moved the grip around until the hair spray had spread around enough to loosen and remove the grip. Clean the bar and the plastic throttle after removing the grips to remove any excess hair spray.

  3. I installed heat shrink tubing on the grip heater wires. I left about 3-4 inches of bare wire to allow for soldering the connections. I installed the heat shrink tubing to allow for better abrasion resistance. I would recommend size ¼” which can be purchased at most electronics stores.

  4. Next, I installed the heaters. Remove the adhesive backing and stick the left heater on the left bar where the grip would go and stick the right heater on the plastic throttle thing. Be sure to leave enough room for the heater wires to come out of the throttle. I installed the heaters with the wires coming out vertically, but you may want to play around with that.

  6. Bare Handlebar showing where to install heater.

  8. The length of the wires on the heaters will not reach the switch. I soldered on ~15” of additional wire so the connections could be made. (Note: these extensions did not come with the kit.) As seen in the manufacturer’s wiring diagram the two wires from each heater are joined together to have one positive connection and one negative connection. This is further illustrated in the instructions from the manufacturer. Note 1: If you solder the connection, be sure to use shrink tubing over the solder connection. Note2: As an alternative to soldering, the crimp style connections should be adequate.

  9. Electrical connections: Once the additional extension wires are attached to the heater wires, install the crimp lugs on the ends of the extensions. The positive connection and negative connection cannot be differentiated right now, so pick one to be positive and one to be negative (it doesn’t matter which). Install a crimp style female spade plug (medium size [blue]) onto the positive connection. (Note: this plug did not come with the kit.) Install a crimp style MALE spade plug (medium size [blue]) onto the negative connection. (Note: this plug did not come with the kit.)

  11. Install a crimp style MALE spade plug (medium size [blue]) onto the connection coming from the switch (the two wires going into one.) (Note: this plug did not come with the kit.)

  12. Now you’re ready to drill the hole in the dash for the switch. I opted to install the switch between the BMW insignia and the odometer reset dial. Space is tight on the backside, so measure exactly equidistant from each (in the middle) or the switch may not fit. I suggest marking the spot and drilling smaller pilot holes before drilling the big ½” hole required for the switch. Before installing the switch, connect the positive connection from the heaters to the switch. Be sure to install the switch with High and Low in the appropriate spots. (See manufacturer’s installation instructions)

  13. Panel with Switch Mounted

  14. The two final connections are to the BMW power and ground. The wiring harness behind the headlight has a socket available for their heated handgrips. One wire is Green/Grey and one wire is Brown. Connect the wire from the switch to the Green/Grey wire in the harness. This is your Power connection. Connect the negative connection from the heaters to the Brown wire in the harness. This is your ground connection.

  16. Tie up any excess wiring.

Kit contents:

Additional parts:

Here’s the instructions that came with the Grips:

 

 

Cheapo Hot Grips #3 - Homemade with Wire Windings

Pat#1210 '94 Classic F

After seeing the thread about hand warmers and in particular the link to the DIY Handgrips I decided to have a go. I have ordered the wire from www.wires.co.uk Copper/Nickel 0.315mm which is 6.29 ohms per metre. I have a heater fan switch from a car which has 3 on "settings" and an off. I was thinking of using that to give 3 heat settings ( 5 ohm resistor, 10 ohm resistor and straight through). Is this a runner? If so what are the best type of resistors to use in this situation.

 

I have been looking at Farnell and they seem to have a comprehensive list of stock. Will I need to get the foamy grips that Eric mentioned in the link above or can I just wind the resistance wire around the standard grip. Put the heated grips together yesterday. Simple enough to do especially with the advice from Flash.

 

I wrapped the resistance wire around the grips 21 or 22 times which is roughly 2 metres (@6.9 ohms per metre= 13.8 ohms) and connected them to a single pole on-off-on toggle switch which I mounted on the dash directly above the trip re-set knob (using a splash proof cover). It looks very neat indeed.

 

I put a 5 ohm resistor on one of the on tabs of the switch by simply crimping a male and female spade connector on either side of the component. The fuse holder is also of the panel mounting type which is located below the idiot lights. Power has come from the un-used spade connectors which were just behind the dash on the right hand side which I guessed was the heated grips outlet that Flash referred to above.

 

The weather has been fantastic for the last few days so it is probably not a great time for trials but this morning it worked fine though on the hot side. I had ordered a 10 ohm resistor also which I might use to have a 'Summer' and 'Winter' setting. Cost approx €20-€25 with enough resistance wire left over to do at least 3 or 4 more pairs of grips. I am going to wrap "self-amalgamating" tape (fancy insulating tape) around the grips to protect them as I figure wet wire=short circuit.

 

Cheapo Hot Grips #4 Hein Gericke Heated Grips
by its_xls

I bought heated grips from Germany for ~70 Euro (~$70), from Hein Gericke. Daytona model. They have three settings, off-hi-lo.

Installation was easy once I found out that my bike already has the BMW wiring for heated grips (which didn't help me that much, but confused me a lot). They look great, are thicker than the OEM non-heated grips and work terrific.

My aftermarket grips are about the same heat left and right. Those were advertised as the "luxury" heated grips, not the "value" ones, the price difference was 2x ($39 for value grips, $79 for the luxury). But my guess is too that they probably suffer from hammering them onto the bar. The ones I got fit very well, and were easy to put on (with hairspray on the left side). 2001 F650 GSA

Cheapo Hot Grips #5 Saito Heated Grips
by Spakur #1117

I also ordered some cheap SAITO grips, from Germany ( www.louis.de ). They cost about €35 and have HI, Low, Start and off. Hopefully I get them tomorrow :-). If I remember correctly the Start consumes 60W, HI 20W, Low 12W, so Start is I guess to get them hot quickly (You're not supposed to use the START more than a few minutes). Here is photo off the SAITO grips from www.louis.de. Spakur #1117. 1995 Classic Red F650 with 60.000+ KM.
These are the ones. Made in Japan.

 

Manchons

by busker

Shown on a CS, but basically a nice warm place to put your hands. Here is my solution: "Manchons". A solution shared by a lot of "year round" Parisian riders with or without heated grips. You don't need winter gloves with these if you have heated grips. It takes no time to get use to them and, as ugly as they are, you don't see them when you're riding. It's a choice between looking cool and being cool or enjoying the ride... I bought these in Paris, yes in France, after seeing a BMW R1150R rider with them... This model is design for the f650gs but since the handle bars, controls and mirrors are similar, they fit nicely on the CS (nicely being a relative term here). These are made by Bryant and cost me 80€ but that is because I bough them at a BMW dealer... Givi makes them as well but I don’t know if they fit the CS. There are many makes and they can be found at all motorcycle accessories stores in Paris. In North America, I hear that you can also find them as after market items for snowmobiles. 


Specific Feedback on Cheapo Grips

 

Q. What are the best type of resistors to use in this situation.

Q. Will I need to get the foamy grips or can I just wind the resistance wire around the standard grip.

Q. I want to connect an LED to the circuit to let me know when it is on. Can I just connect it to the positive and negative (on the grip side of the switch) through a suitably large resistor. If so, are all LED's the some or is there a specific type and what size resistor? Can it be connected to the power coming through the ignition switch or do I need to use a relay (with power coming straight from the battery), if I want it to switch off with the ignition?

Q.  I'm about to rebuild my heated grips later this week and was wondering about resistors?

I'm about to install a resistor somewhere between 10-100 Ohms parallel to my right grip, so that the heat is better divided between the two grips. The Current will be less than 1A. The question is if I can just use any resistor? Are resistors rated for current? I have done the calculations on the grips and I'll need a resistor rated 0.9 - 9W + 20% = 1.1-11W depending on if I use a Resistance of 100-10 Ohms - which I'll need to experiment with. I have tried measuring the impedance of the two grips to see what the difference is there. They are 3.5 ohms for the left grip and 3.9 for the right grip. I think that I have to reduce the right grip to somewhere below 3.5 ohms, since the left grip is in contact with metal, which the right isn't. They are connected in serial in the Hi (20W) and Low (12W) mode and in parallel in the start mode (60W). It is in the start mode the highest current will pass thru the resistor. I've narrowed down my calculations and to get 3.5 Ohms over the right grip I need a resistor of ~35 Ohms. to get down to 3.0 ohms (which I think is probably to low) I need a 13 Ohms resistor.

General Feedback on Cheapo Grips

BMW Heated Grips Installation on the GS/Dakar

by beem_dubya

The new set comes as a kit. All parts, new bars, weights, connectors, etc. Everything is designed to snap into existing connectors on the bike. Pretty easy stuff. The install manual is very good. Great pics, easy to read, several languages. One good place to start is to make copies of the English section and the German section. All the install pics are in the German section only. I took both to a copy center and had them enlarged, taped them to my garage wall in sequence so I didn't have to fumble with a book and dirty hands. Looking back now after doing it, it should take less than two hours with a helper. Be careful with the wiring attached to the grips. Small gauge, easy to kink or crimp during the "snake-the-wires-thru-the-bars-and-find-the-hole-by-the-switch" game. The only help you need is someone to hold the bars during several steps so as not to damage anything or get air in the front master cylinder. I just bungee'd the bars to my garage door opener on the ceiling, works great.

 

For more on the "New Bars" & Hot Grips bit see the Aftermarket Handlebars FAQ.

 

Feedback:

Dual Star Heated Grip Install on GS/Dakar

by Eric #1112

Last weekend, my buddy Marc and I got together to install Dual-Star heated grips on our two Fs (my ’01 Dakar and his ’02 GS).

Dual-Star vs. Kimpex

 

On three previous bikes, I’ve installed the Kimpex snowmobile heated grips ($30 from Aerostich.com). This time, I decided to try something new and went with the Dual Star grips (also $30, from dual-star.com). Here’s how they stack up:

 

The Dual-Star grips feature:

 

Installation:

 

Start

 

Stop at Krispee-Kreme and buy some hot, fresh, donuts. Two per person is adequate without being gluttonous. You also need about 3 feet of wire. We used dual strand 18g wire from Radio Shack. Be sure NOT to get solid core stuff.  Now, you’re ready to start wrenching.

 

Power Supply

 

The FAQ says this about the provided open socket for the BMW heated grips: “The connectors that the grips and switch attach to were buried in the wiring junction box that’s between the battery and the front of the frame…”  Neither Marc nor I could find this mythical connector, so we opted instead for the accessory plug socket. If you buy the accessory socket subcord, it plugs into this.  It’s located in front of the seat, under the rear end of the faux gas tank here:

 

 

To make access easier, we unclipped the fuse box and moved the little BMS (?) computer to the side (simply remove the rubber band and it pops out).

 

My bike doesn’t have the accessory socket subcord, so I was able to plug directly into the accessory socket. Marc had installed the accessory socket subcord, but it seemed to have come with a spare socket of it’s own. We plugged the power wires into that.  The accessory connector has three circuits:

 

            Brown: ground

            Red:    always on

            Green: switched on (i.e., only on when bike is on)

 

(The accessory subcord has two wires of each color going into the connector, the plain socket has just one wire of each color)

 

Using the female couplers provided with the Dual-Star kit, we connected some red/black 18g wire to the accessory socket.  We had to mash the blue coupler a bit to make sure it stuck well into the accessory socket.

 

Here’s (with accessory subcord), and (no subcord). In each case, we hooked our red wire to the green wire in the connector (power), and our black wire to the brown wire in the connector (ground).

 

I ran my wires up the upper side of my right side frame, around the front of the head tube, to the left side of the instrument panel. Zip ties were freely applied.

 

Grips

 

Next we moved to the front of the bike. There’s lots of ways to take grips off (compressed air, cut with a knife, etc.), but I like to use rubbing alcohol. Take off the bar end weights, and insert a small flat blade screwdriver under the grip, like . Pour half a capful of rubbing alcohol under the grip, work the screwdriver around, and slide the grip off. The throttle side is exactly the same.

 

Now comes the first nervous part, installing the grip heater elements.  I put mine towards the outside edge of the handlebars (where my hands usually rest), with the wires coming out the bottom.  Here’s my , and my .

 

To reinstall the grips, rub an alcohol soaked finger around the inside of the grip, give a light coating of rubbing alcohol to the heater elements, and slide the grips on. When the alcohol evaporates, the grip should be securely fixed. BE VERY CAREFUL TO LET THE ALCOHOL EVAPORATE BEFORE RIDING—OTHERWISE, THE GRIP CAN SLIDE FREELY.  I’ve used this technique for years on mountain bikes and motorcycles, and I’ve never had a problem.

 

You can reinstall the bar end weights now, as well.

 

Wiring

 

Run the element wires along the existing wires down the handlebar, replacing the existing zip ties.

 

I drilled an ugly in my instrument panel for the switch (it gets covered up later); Marc has ABS which gives him a to use (above the handlebar mounting area).

 

The next nervous part is cutting all the wires to length. Twist the bars side to side to check for free play, measure twice, cut once.  Each grip element has three wires, plus the power wire and the ground wire, so you have 8 wires to deal with.

 

The Dual-Star directions are pretty good here, even if they seem counter-intuitive (i.e., hooking the low wires to the high side of the switch), but it all works out.  You’ll get :  

  1. The single power wire runs to the center prong on the switch,

  2. The ground wire from the accessory plug gets connected to the two ground wires from the grips,

  3. The high and low wires from the grip elements are each connected by a piggy back clip

We soldered all of these wiring connections to hold them together (use a rag to protect the bike).

 

That’s all of the hard stuff.  Plug the wires into the switch, and install the switch in your chosen spot.  The switch is keyed to the switch plate, so you can’t mix up the high and low wires.  Here’s the .

 

One odd thing came up: my grips were protected by the appropriate fuse in the fuse block, but Marc’s weren’t… quite. When he removed the fuse, he was still showing 8 volts on the voltmeter.  Neither of us had any explanation for this. Maybe a winter project?

 

 

Jamming Hot Grips


Problem - When heated grips are switched on the throttle stiffens and eventually locks solid. Turn grips off and it loosens again! (Dangerous!)

One Hot Grip stops Working?
by y kiwi #1303

Q. My left hand heated grip has stopped working, the right continues to work fine. Has anyone else experienced this or can anyone give a shortcut to the problem: bike is just about still in warranty but don't have time to take it to the dealers.


A. The wires go from the switch, to the connector block for power and then to the grips.

Mine failed between the switch and the grip. This seems like an easy thing to happen as there are a couple of places where friction is high or where the wire is compressed.

If there is a a fault between the connector and the grip:

 

Feedback:

Uneven Heat in my Heated Grips

Problem: With my new aftermarket CHEAP heated grips. I installed my new CHEAP heated grips (Saito) ordered from Germany last Friday. The problem I am having is that the left grip does not get as hot as the right one. It does not matter if I use the Start, Hi or Low setting, the left will always be colder than the right one. Before I take a look at it later this week (I hope) I thought that perhaps someone has some idea what to look for. My guess is that there is some problem either in the left grip or in the switch.

 

Solutions:

Removal of Heated Grips

Handlebar Heaters

General Feedback on Heated Grips

Links - Electrical Diagrams, Sources of Heated Grips