"Electrical Underwear!"

Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle on a crisp fall or winter day with clouds and the temperatures under fifty degrees knows that things can get uncomfortable and at times unsafe. There is a solution to make the experience more comfortable and safer: Electrically heated clothing.

Vests, gloves, chaps and even socks are available. There is woven into the clothing an electrical heating element identical to a household heating pad. The bikes twelve-volt battery heats the garments. A small lamp cord connects the biker thru a quick disconnect to the bike. A small inline switch, bike-mounted toggle switch, or thermostat controls the heat.

I have been told that the human body reacts to cold by with withdrawing blood from the extremities and sending it to the main trunk to protect the organs. That is why your fingers and toes tingle so badly. As the body gets colder clutch, brake, and shifter operation can get difficult. Thicker gloves sometimes make lever operation more difficult. If the trunk doesn't get cold then there is less need to pool the blood there for warming. Most manufacturers will suggest a vest as the first and perhaps only step in combating the cold. If your hands are arthritic then perhaps gloves may get the higher priority. Janie and I went with gloves first and purchased vests later.

There are several manufacturers of electrically heated clothing such as Widder and others. My experience is totally with Widder so I can get specific with details. You can purchase and use individually gloves, vest, and chaps. With gloves and vest used there is a wiring harness that you safety pin inside your jacket lining with a wire going down each sleeve terminating in a quick disconnect for the gloves. The other end goes to a quick disconnect near your waist for the vest to plug into. At this point a thermostat can be installed but they are pricey ($100). Janie uses a small inline switch that she can flip on and off to keep her toasty. The wiring continues thru another quick disconnect and now we are connecting to the bikes electrical system. The cord goes directly to the bike battery thru an inline fuse for short circuit protection. I ride a touring bike and instead of a switch at my thigh to control the current I use a dash mounted switch labeled HEAT which drives some people crazy!

Operation is very simple. Sit on the bike, make the single connection thru the disconnect and ride off. As you desire heat flip the switch on. It is better to try and anticipate being cold since if you wait until you are uncomfortable it takes awhile for the heat to catch up. The Widder inline switch is easy to operate even with gloves. Experience will teach you to leave rings off since they can get very warm. When stopping and dismounting turn the switch to off and disconnect. It will not hurt if you forget once in awhile and fail to disconnect. The connector will allow you to walk away but it saves wear and tear on the connectors.

The vest should not be worn directly against the skin but over a lightweight shirt. When we stop for meals I remove my jacket, sometimes sweater, and then unzip the vest so that I don't get too warm indoors. W always bring in our gloves so that the gloves start again from a warmer temperature. We have never had a need for the chaps so I can't offer anything opinions about that item. The gloves even without electricity are very warm and contain Thinsulate ®.

Any modern motorcycle should have the power to spare to heat the clothing. The clothing manufacturer will give you the current draw of any item and you can consult your local mechanic. When I am stopped in traffic with my vest, gloves, brake light and headlamp all on my 85 Harley's alternator warning lamp comes on and I boost the idle up and the lamp goes out. The gloves, vests and chaps come in many sizes from XXS thru XXL. Do not make the mistake of getting clothing too small. Widder ( http://www.widder.com ) has allowed us to return a recently purchased set of gloves because of ordering the wrong size. Some motorcycle shops are starting to carry the electrical clothing. I've found the best prices are in the magazine advertisements. Expect about $100 for a set of gloves and a bit less for the vest. At the start of each season I spray on a fresh coat of ScotchGuard on the gloves just in case we get caught in a shower.

You will find that electrically heated clothing will increase your year round enjoyment of the motorcycle and make operation safer. When you pull into that restaurant after sixty or seventy miles of forty-degree temperatures under a cloudy sky you won't have any need to have the waitress pour your first cup directly down your collar!

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Ride Safe!
Bill Barham aka Greasy Rider

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