Gerbing

[gtunches]

What is better to use the Gerbing Vest? Or the Gerbing jacket Liner?

And when riding 2 up can both of us use our Gerbing at the same time without killing the power.

[Semper_Fi]

I prefer the jacket instead of the vest.

 

I have my gebing controller hooked up to battery power thru a centech fuse panel - do not worry about current draw

 

 

[bakerzdosen]

Most BMW 1100+ bikes have an alternator the size of an automobile's, so excess power draw on the bike is rarely an issue. Two Gerbing's jacket liners on an r1100rt shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't have several hundred watts of other "stuff" (eg aux lighting) running at the same time.

 

However, if you two spend a LOT of time idling at traffic lights or the like, it could potentially be an issue I suppose.

[T__]

What is better to use the Gerbing Vest? Or the Gerbing jacket Liner?

And when riding 2 up can both of us use our Gerbing at the same time without killing the power.

 

 

Gerald, I guess that is a personal thing.. Some like the jacket & others like the vest..

 

Personally I like the vest better as it doesn’t bulk the arms of my riding jacket as much & allows better shirt layering over the vest.. The secret to me staying warm is my core body temp not my arms.. If you have problems with cold arms then a heated jacket might be better.. I have found that both (vest or jacket) work much better if a light shirt (or T shirt) is worn under the vest or jacket then a heavier pull over sweat shirt is worn over the heated (jacket or vest).. If I pull a heavy sweat shirt on over a heated jacket it is just too bulky for me..

 

Now if you are wearing heated gloves (or intend to) then the jacket does offer built in wires inside the jacket to power the gloves..

 

Twisty

 

[Dick_at_Lake_Tahoe_NV]

The Alternator on the GS puts out 600W, and on the RT puts out 720W. Lights and other users take about 150W (max). Jacket takes about 75W each (max), and gloves another 25W for the pair. So you can see how far you are under the capability of the Alternator. At idle you may draw some extra from the battery, but it will be quickly replaced by the alternator as soon as you are moving again.

[EffBee]

The Alternator on the GS puts out 600W, and on the RT puts out 720W. Lights and other users take about 150W (max). Jacket takes about 75W each (max), and gloves another 25W for the pair. So you can see how far you are under the capability of the Alternator. At idle you may draw some extra from the battery, but it will be quickly replaced by the alternator as soon as you are moving again.

 

What he said. He's got the numbers right. Two jacket liners and two pair of gloves take as much power as two PIAA 910's. And I ran those, PLUS another set of PIAA's, PLUS my Gerbings. My 1100RT never missed a beat in nearly 100K miles.

[JR356]

Hi,

 

Also look at Warm n Safe jacket liners,better than Gerbing in some respects!

 

JR356

[Penforhire]

My view on full liner versus vest - if it is cold enough to want a vest my arms will be cold too.

[tallman]

GT, bigger output. (840)

2 full Gerbings jacket liners

2 pair Gerbings gloves (4 total)

heated seat

sometimes heated grips

Motolights (50 W each)

PIAA's once in a while

GPS

XM

Autocom

Cell Phone

No problems

[Helga]

I have a heated vest along with the temperature controller which is a must. Just found a Gerbing Jacket for a friend at Goodwill today for $14.00! Needless to say, he was thrilled!

[Micky]

For years we are using the following:

Jacket liner and gloves for me.

Jacket liner, heated pants and heated socks for the wife.

Dual heat controller mounted on the dash, one for me one for the wife.

Blow the fuse on a trip that came with the Gerbing.

Changed the fuse to 25 Amp.

Never had any problems since.

 

Miklos, R 1100 Rt

[VonDawg]

+1 If cold you'll want a jacket, otherwise you can turn it off.

[Erik B]

I just bought a Gerbings jacket liner this week. Finally had the oportunity to try it this morning. WOW! I had an offbrand heated vest. This thing is way better than the vest I have. The collar is heated which is what I like the most. On my RT, with the windshield full up, I get a draft on the back of my neck. The heated collar fixes that. There may be other that are as good, but I am completely happy with the Gerbings.

[VinnyR11]

I think the liner is clearly the way to go. When it's cold enough for an electric liner or vest, you will not be concerned that you may be too hot, but you'll certainly be concerned that you may be too cold.

 

As others here, I've tried both and now would only purchase a liner with sleeves and collar. Huge difference.

[Ken H.]

Liner. Warm arms out in the wind. Ummmmm...

[sjn7708]

I have used aerostich and gerbing and the gerbing jacket liner is by far and away the warmest and gives u the most flexibility as far as layering. By using the jacket and pants liner I can ride year round in central Illinois. Dont get the liner too close to the skin or it will leave a mark- dont ask me how I know.

[Redbrick]

If I had to rate the bike related equipment as to effectiveness and satisfication, my Gerbings jacket would be #1.....Toasty in the right places when it's cold....

[Sam Sutton]

Has anyone tried the Gerbings with the "new" wiring? My dealer has the old style clothing on sale. Just wondering if there is much difference. Sam

[BarOne]

Just got one and yes -- they are FAST. If you already have the older style and the jacket is in good shape, I would question the $ just to warm up a few seconds faster though.

 

I love my Gerbings stuff.

[Kitsap]

Has anyone tried the Gerbings with the "new" wiring? My dealer has the old style clothing on sale. Just wondering if there is much difference. Sam

 

I just replaced my old Gerbings liner with the newer model. They both work great but the new model is faster to heat, has better coverage in my opinion and is more comfortable under my jacket. With the old liner there was a couple of areas where the wires would press against me that would annoy after a couple of hours in the saddle. This new liner just feels like a jacket liner that gets warm.

[Lmar]

Poster: Kitsap

Subject: Re: Gerbing

 

Originally Posted By: Sam Sutton

Has anyone tried the Gerbings with the "new" wiring? My dealer has the old style clothing on sale. Just wondering if there is much difference. Sam

 

 

I just replaced my old Gerbings liner with the newer model. They both work great but the new model is faster to heat, has better coverage in my opinion and is more comfortable under my jacket. With the old liner there was a couple of areas where the wires would press against me that would annoy after a couple of hours in the saddle. This new liner just feels like a jacket liner that gets warm.

 

How do you distinguish between old and new liner?

[Kitsap]

If it doesn't say microwire on the tag affixed to the garment it's the older heavy wire model. Go to the Gerbing's web sit for more info or wait for FB to chime in.

[EffBee]

If it doesn't say microwire on the tag affixed to the garment it's the older heavy wire model. Go to the Gerbing's web sit for more info or wait for FB to chime in.

 

Thanks, Wade. Sorry I didn't chime in sooner, but I was riding my (new to me) low-mileage '99 Boston Green Rt back from Phoenix to WA. And yes, it got cold from Sacramento north, especially over Shasta Lake. Additionally, it rained all the way from the CA/OR border to Portland this morning. Of course, I had my Gerbing's Microwire Jacket Liner and G3 gloves on, and stayed toasty warm.

 

There have been some things said that I want to clear up.

 

Micky, you said you have a permanent mount dual controller that you are using for both you and the wife. You even said that it blew the original 15A fuse. Of course it would. That's because two jacket liners on a dual controller is a no-no. Not trying to be negative, but the dual controller is actually a single controller with two circuits. It is designed so that you can use one circuit with your jacket liner, and the other with your gloves, pants, insoles, etc. Since the entire controller's power goes through one fuse, all that stuff wouldn't exceed 15Amps. But TWO Jacket Liners will. By replacing the original 15A fuse with a 25, you've effectively eliminated the fuse protection and turned your power wires and/or the jacket's heating wires, into fuses. If you ever have a short, they will melt before the 25A fuse blows. You don't want melting wires near your bike, or you and your wife. Get your wife her own controller and put the correct fuse in both of them. It will work much better.

 

As for how to tell the difference between the old copper-wire jacket liners and the new Microwire liners, the quick visual check is to look along the right vertical hem (it runs from the waist straight up to the right armpit). On the Microwire Jacket Liners, a couple of inches above the waist will be a sewn-in tag with the word "Microwire" on it.

 

Also, people have been asking me when the Microwire gloves will be coming out. The answer is that they've been out for several months. We just didn't make a big deal out of it because we wanted to wait for the Microwire Jacket Liners in order to create some hoopla.

 

Additionally, I've gotten questions about controllers, and whether you need new ones when you switch to Microwire gear. The answer is No, you don't have to purchase new controllers. The Gerbings Temp Controllers that powered your older Gerbings garments will work just fine on the new Microwire products.

 

Finally, for those who want to try a Microwire Jacket Liner before buying it, Gerbing's has instituted a Test Ride Program through selected dealers. That list of dealers is on the Gerbings website.

[Kitsap]

Pics man, pics! Let's see the green lady!

[Sam Sutton]

Thanks alot guys, I'm putting the new gerbings jacket on my Christmas list. Sam

[smiller]

Fernando do you know when the Cascade Extreme jackets will be microwire-equipped?

[BFG]

On my way back from the BRR I broke down bought a Gerbings liner at Bob's. Oh, why didn't I get one years ago.

"Buy the best and cry once," said a wise board member.

30's, rain, and TOTALLY WARM. Lifetime guarantee. Add that to the list of must have accessories.

[TomK]

Does anyone know if you can mix the new with the old? For instance, microwire pants connected to a thick wire jacket?

[stewm_21]

So let me be sure I have the shopping list right. If I want the 12v jacket ($200) and 12 v pant liner ($200), then I need will the dual temp controller ($100) and the accessory plug ($18) to hook it all up. After shipping and taxes about $600 just to extend the riding season. Should be worth it as the bike has been sitting idle for the last 2 weeks and storage is expensive.

 

2nd question, may sound silly / paranoid but have any of you found that while riding warm and comfortable on cool / cold day do you get overconfident in your tire grip on the cold roads?

 

 

[Paul Mihalka]

I regularly ride down to about 25f/-5c, and never had any unjustified tire slippage.

[Kitsap]

That's what you need. The jacket will come with a harness to take power from your battery. You're dual controller will plug into that, very straight forward.

 

Staying warm you will actually be more focused on your environment instead of pissing and moaning about being cold. As long as you're aware of your ambient temperature and road surface types and associated hazards you should be fine.

 

The Gerbings product is IMO a good investment in my riding enjoyment and as you noted prolongs the riding season. I'm fortunate enough that it can extend my season to year around, less ice on the road.

 

Cheers.

[smiller]

So let me be sure I have the shopping list right. If I want the 12v jacket ($200) and 12 v pant liner ($200), then I need will the dual temp controller ($100) and the accessory plug ($18) to hook it all up.

If your bike has any leg wind protection at all you may find that you don't need the pants liner. The jacket liner keeps your core temperature warm and allows your body to send warm blood to your extremities, and as a result a jacket liner alone will keep you very comfortable on a faired bike. This reduces the cost to just a liner and single controller.

 

BTW when your body core temperature lowers the opposite happens, your body constricts blood flow to the extremities making them feel even colder. Keeping your upper torso warm is the key to overall comfort.

[T__]

stewm_21, as mentioned above by Seth you probably won’t need the heated pants (at least to begin with).. Living up here in the cold part of the country I regularly ride in very cold temps.. Sometimes a couple of hundred miles at a time.. As of yet I haven’t found the need for heated pants..

 

A heated jacket liner or heated vest is the main piece of heated clothing I wear (the vest for cool days & the jacket liner for below 25°f days).. That by itself is all I really need to get to town or do some short trips.. Keep your upper core temp up & you can ride a fair ways in cold temps..

 

If I plan on riding more than 20 miles or so then I add heated gloves as my hands get cold at temps below 20°f if I ride fast & far.. I have pretty decent winter riding gloves but those even with the heated grips only go so far.. The heated gloves are just great to keep my hands warm for hours in cold weather..

 

About my only cold parts on me now are my feet & then only at temps below 20°f.. I tried heated socks but those thing bunched up & I could hardly walk with them in my boots.. SO I have been using those chemical hand/feet warmers that the hunters use (just toss one in each boot & good for about 4 hours or so).. Seeing as Gerbings just came out with heated boot insoles I really think I am going to try those this year..

 

Now on your cold tire question.. Yes I find a slight degradation in tire grip on cold days with very cold roads.. Nothing I would call dangerous at normal riding & normal lean angles but as I approach more aggressive corners or curves I can feel the tires (mainly rear) start to move around & slide a little.. What I find even more aggravating is my ability to corner correctly & move my body weight around with all my winter riding gear on.. That stuff makes me a much stiffer less effective rider if I try to ride aggressively..

 

Twisty

 

[alimar]

Get it while it’s HOT. If you are seriously thinking about buying Gerbing's gear now's the time, well at least until Gerbing pulls this promotion code that gets ya 20% off. When checking out on the Gerbing site use code GM20 in the Customer Code field. It worked this past Friday and again yesterday. This new Microwire jacket liner is sweet and at that price you can't go wrong

[Old Bill]

Get it while it’s HOT. If you are seriously thinking about buying Gerbing's gear now's the time, well at least until Gerbing pulls this promotion code that gets ya 20% off. When checking out on the Gerbing site use code GM20 in the Customer Code field. It worked this past Friday and again yesterday. This new Microwire jacket liner is sweet and at that price you can't go wrong

 

Mark,

 

Thanks for the tip. Just ordered a liner and gloves and the GM20 code saved me 20%.

 

Bill

[Marty Hill]

Amazing, recd. my new gloves today. Just saw this thread with 20% off code. Called gerbings/Heather didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned the GM20 code. Happy for all that used the code/wish I'd known about it.

[tallman]

It'd OK, you need to order another set anyways so you can leave one pair at Calvin's.

[Marty Hill]

I'm tempted just for the savings.

 

You guys never forget, do you?

[tallman]

Only cause of the love...

I'd order a pair but my G3's are working pretty dang well and so are Beth's.

 

[BarOne]

Question for the Gerbing Guru's. I recently purchased a fire wire jacket liner -- it works fine as advertised. When I conect my G3 gloves to the liner, the jacket continues to work but the gloves do not heat up.

 

The gloves work with my older style liner.

 

What am I missing here?

[smiller]

Question for the Gerbing Guru's. I recently purchased a fire wire jacket liner -- it works fine as advertised. When I conect my G3 gloves to the liner, the jacket continues to work but the gloves do not heat up.

 

The gloves work with my older style liner.

The newer liners have separate circuits for the liner and gloves (so that you can use a dual controller if desired.) If you want to use one controller for both liner and gloves then you will need a 'Y' adapter that supplies power to both the jacket and glove circuits.

[T__]

BarNone, the newer Gerbings jacket liner uses a different power input than the older jacket liners or the vests..

 

The new jacket liners have (2) power inputs to the liner.. One is JUST for the liner heating & the other input is for the glove pig tails & the optional other outlet for heated pants or socks..

 

SO, what you need is:

 

Either a Dual controller.. (2 cables into BOTH liner power inputs..

 

OR a “Y” little jumper that allows one controller to power BOTH liner inputs..

 

OR do as I do & make up a little single wire jumper to jump the optional outlet to the liner input then power the liner from the center (glove) input..

 

Sound complicated? If you just buy the the little “Y” splitter cable you can’t go wrong as it will only hook up to the correct inputs..

 

 

Twisty

 

[BarOne]

Thanks guys. I think I'll go the Y jumper route. Is this a Radio Shack item or a Gerbings item?

[T__]

BarOne, definitely not a Radio Shack item.. You can get the “Y” pig tail form Gerbings,, most Gerbings dealers,, or a lot of motorcycle dealers that sell heated clothing.. If I remember correctly not very expensive either.. (I believe it is called a splitter)

 

 

 

Twisty

 

[pokorskij]

No intention of hijacking the subject, but the 20% discount got my attention. Been considering the G3 gloves and when I went to the website they also have a new T5 model glove. I doubt it but am asking anyway, anyone with experience with the T5 gloves? What do you think about them?

 

They seem to fit my needs better but are more expensive, but with the discount cost about equals the G3 glove without the discount.

 

Thank in advance

[T__]

Pokorskij, heated gloves are a very personal thing on the likes & dislikes of fit,, feel,, & function.. Personally I don’t like the newer G3 Gerbings but that is probably just me..

 

My suggestion on heated gloves is the same for riding boots,, go to your local retail seller & try them on including hooking to a battery & trying the heating out (wear them around the store a while)..

 

In fact Gerbings is allowing a lot of dealers to sell heated gear at a year end discount.. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can find a local dealer that is selling the Gerbings cheaper than you can buy online even with the discount..

 

My local dealer has 20% off most Gerbings things right now (worth a call to you local Gerbings delaers anyhow)

 

Unless you buy high dollar things or lots of heated gear the shipping from online far exceeds the local sales tax..

 

I just bought some Gerbings heated equipment form my local dealer-- (From Gerbings with the 20% discount was $48.XX + shipping (somewhere in the $59.XX to my door.. From the dealer same was $48.XX+ tax so was about $51.XX out the door..

 

Twisty

 

[pokorskij]

Thanks Twisty1, all good points. One problem my local dealer doesn't stock much, in fact they have not had the newer G3 glove yet, but I could look around for other dealers closer, with a better inventory.

 

What don't you like about the newer G3?

 

Things that caught my eye on the new T5 gloves, waterproof and no gel in the palms, both seem to fit what I likes as I prefer feel to bulk etc. Love my Held Steve gloves, only switch due to high or low temps.

 

 

 

 

[tcshooter]

The GM20 code no longer works I was going to order today, no go. Liner, gloves and controler would have saved about $100. Dang I hate being late.

 

Looks like I was wrong, just have to capitalize GM.

[CopsRT]

IT worked for me, but the first try I typed gm20 and no luck. The second try I typed GM20 and it went through.

 

I just went back into the site and found that the code has to be typed as "GM20", if you type it in "gm20" it won't work.

 

Good luck.

[EffBee]

BarOne, definitely not a Radio Shack item.. You can get the “Y” pig tail form Gerbings,, most Gerbings dealers,, or a lot of motorcycle dealers that sell heated clothing.. If I remember correctly not very expensive either.. (I believe it is called a splitter)

 

 

 

Twisty

 

Ed Zachary. Part number ACSP. MSRP $9.95.