SURVIVAL IN THE SADDLE • PART 11
In the previous post we introduced you to the “basics” of suiting up for cold weather motorcycle riding. In this post we are going to further your knowledge with some high end apparel and gear choices.
This post is number 11 in the “Survival In The Saddle Series”. If you’re a new visitor to Roadcraft USA we welcome you to read our previous features. They are all designed to help you become a more confident, capable and satisfied two-wheeler. To browse through all of our published features Click Here to view an interactive visual index page.
Cold Weather Adventure
Some of the finest motorcycling apparel available comes from the world of adventure (ADV) riding. You know the type. These are the riders that ride anywhere, on road and off road. They traverse foreign countries. Deserts. Dense forests. The Arctic. Jungles. Sometimes they cruise through all of these extraordinary environments within the itinerary of a single trip!
The gear that these riders choose to wear is of paramount importance. It must protect them. In all types of environments. Though all manners of hazards. In all temperatures. Every rider can benefit from the technological strides that ADV gear manufacturers have made.
Leader Of The Pack
At the top of most ADV rider’s list of performance motorcycle gear would be the offerings from Klim. This company, was founded in 1999 in Rigby, Idaho. They are in the forefront of protective clothing design for motorcyclists, snowmobilers, off road vehicle operators, snowboarders and adventurers of all persuasions. Klim was purchased in 2012 by Polaris Industries and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of this legendary powersports manufacturer.
Klim’s product line is extensive. We would recommend a visit to their website to view the wide range of protective gear that they offer. For the purpose of this article we’ll confine our discussion to a few of their high end ADV pieces that are suitable for cold weather motorcycle riding.
Quality Has Its Price
Being recognized as the best isn’t easy in any business. It normally precludes you from offering a budget product. This is quite true of Klim’s top-of-the-line ADV outfits.
Near the top of the heap is the Klim Badlands Pro A3 suit. This is arguably the finest ADV suit on the market. It is one of only a couple of riding suits on the market that meets the stringent CE AAA safety rating. It has chest protectors, a kidney belt and a hydration system built in. These things are not available, or are expensive accessories, to other ADV suits on the market.
The Badlands Pro A3 suit is pictured above alongside Klim’s Adventure Rally suit. The prices shown are the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. The two pieces of the Adventure Rally suit could set you back three grand with your local sales tax factored in. These, obviously, aren’t suits for the masses. Here are some links to get this fine gear on Amazon:
One great thing about these premium ADV suits: they are 100% waterproof (in addition to being highly effective in fighting off the cold temperatures). Three layers of Gore-Tex fabric and an incredible setup of waterproof seams insure their watertightness. Owners of these fine suits don’t have to carry auxiliary rain gear with them.
Turn On The Heat
No discussion of cold weather motorcycle riding would be complete without talking about electrically heated gear. If there is one single, solitary, thing that has enabled me to comfortably navigate cold weather; this is it. This stuff rocks!!!
My personal choice for heated motorcycle gear is the stuff from industry leader, Gerbing. Founded in 1975 by a motorcyclist who rode his bike to work in extreme weather, the company remains in the forefront of the industry to this day. The company is still a family-owned business, which calls Philadelphia, PA its home.
Full Coverage
The Gerbing line of heated clothing includes jackets, vests, gloves, pants and footwear. A large assortment of power controllers and accessories support the product line. I’ll discuss some of the components here.
At the heart of the Gerbing system lies their 12V heated jacket. I wear this jacket over my under layers and beneath my leather jacket. If you’ve never used one of these wonders you don’t know what you’re missing. Seconds after you power up the jacket you are wrapped in a level of warmth that is hard to describe; but heaven to experience.
At the end of the jacket’s sleeves you’ll find pre-wired glove connections. It is here that you will plug in a pair of Gerbing electrically heated gloves.
Full Control Of Heat Output
There are a number of ways to control the heat output to the Gerbing gear. My personal choice is to use the 12V Dual Temperature Controller. By plugging this controller into the two connectors on the hem of the jacket, I have independent heating control of the jacket and the gloves. I find this to be a very useful accessory. I often have to turn the heat on the jacket down after a few minutes of riding. Even in the coldest weather. It simply gets too warm!
Conversely I keep the gloves turned on at full output nearly all the time. That is more of a function of my motorcycle than the Gerbing gear. My BMW sport-touring bike does not have hand protection. I can use all the heat I can get up there. When I rode my Harley-Davidson® ElectraGlides, my hands were behind a full fairing. I got away with lower heat settings on that machine.
The Dual Temperature Controller lists for $69.99. You can opt for a simple On/Off switch for just $19.99. If you’ve got the extra dollars in your budget, spring for the Dual Temperature Controller. You’ll really enjoy the flexibility that it provides.
Below The Waist
Gerbing also offers 12V heated pants, heated sock liners and heated boot insoles. I’m being honest when I tell you that I’ve never used them. I thought I might purchase them one day, but I’ve never found the need for them. With my layering approach discussed in the previous post I’ve never felt the need to add the pants or socks to my electric arsenal.
I’ve done some serious cold weather motorcycle riding, with single digit wind chills, and still have never felt the need for the electric pants and socks. I have riding buddies that employ them…and love them. I’m sure they’re wonderful but I don’t want to buy, carry and hook up the extra components if I don’t really need them.
Getting Wired Up
So let’s talk about hooking this stuff up. The actual installation on your bike is quite simple. Gerbing offers its 12V Battery Harness at a list price of just $11.99. It has everything you need. The harness connects directly to your bike’s battery with terminal lugs that are part of the harness. An in-line fuse holder is provided and spare fuses, of different capacities, are also included.
In the case of my BMW the battery is located directly under the saddle. The output connector of the harness is routed out under my seat in a convenient spot for attaching the Dual Temperature Controller. The simple installation can be seen above.
You can get as “fancy” as you like with the installation. I’ve seen riders use the Gerbing 12V Panel Mount, to flush mount the output jack to a chosen spot on their dashboard, air box or fairing inners. I went with the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) approach.
Get The Gear
All of the great Gerbing gear is readily available for purchase on Amazon. For your convenience we are providing the following direct links to the various components:
Durability
Can’t say enough good things here. I’ve had my jacket, gloves, controller and harness on three different bikes over the past 15 years or so. I also have a second jacket, pair of gloves and single controller that was used for many years by my girlfriend. Never had a problem. Never had a failure. Not even a blown fuse. Ever. I would call that pretty rock solid performance.
Nonetheless, I would suggest that you consider heated gear ONLY as a supplement to a layered approach to dressing for cold weather motorcycle riding. A minor electrical glitch can leave you without that wonderful source of heat. Enjoy the added comfort, but don’t stake your life on it.
Pros And Cons
The only downsides I see with heated gear:
1. The process of getting hooked up for the ride. You must first plug the controller into the output jack from your battery. You then have to attach the controller output(s) to the input jacks on the jacket. You then have to attach the gloves individually to the output jacks at the end of your jacket’s sleeves (Not an easy thing to do when you wear a form-fitting leather race-inspired jacket such as the one I wear). When you stop you have to disconnect it all. When you take off on the bike again you have to go through the entire process all over.
To be perfectly honest I never put the heated gear on for short rides…even in the coldest temperatures…for this reason alone. I generally only use the Gerbing gear when I know I’m going to be out for a full day of cold weather motorcycle riding.
2. Cosmetics. If you’re wearing the heated gear under an ADV suit, it will be invisible. If you’re wearing a trim leather racing jacket like mine, the hem of the heated jacket protrudes from under the leather. It’s not the most fashionable look; but form truly follows function when you’re talking about staying warm.
On The Plus Side
The best thing about heated clothing is that it enables you to get out and ride when the mercury drops to levels that scare off a lot of bikers. I’m guessing that my heated gear has added a month to both ends of my riding season. I pretty much ride all year long in the northeast USA. My Gerbing heated gear has a lot to do with making that possible.
We hope you have enjoyed this feature on cold weather motorcycle riding. In the next installment we’ll be discussing the particular hazards you might encounter out on the road in these low temperatures. As always we invite you to leave your comments below. Be sure to subscribe to Roadcraft USA for notifications when future articles hit the blog. If you have specific questions you would like addressed, please feel free to contact us directly via email. Thanks for reading and subscribing! Stay Warm and Ride On!
Please help support the Roadcraft USA online resource by making product purchases through the links in this post. As Amazon Associates we earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through these links. There is no additional cost to you whatsoever. Thank you for your support!
Good, basic article! A recommendation from me would be, if possible, try on the gear mentioned in the article before you buy!
I live way out in the central Rockies and I had to rely on both Klim’s sizing chart as well as Gerbing’s sizing chart for my heated jacket liner.
For my body type; 6’01”, 190lbs, with a 46 inch chest and 34 inch waist, I find Klim jackets run a wee on the small side if you are going to layer up underneath, while their pants run a bit on the larger end, but are pretty adjustable via the Velcro belt. Klim gloves are tight when new, but slowly break in.
The Gerbing jacket has a loose fit for me in its XL size and the sleeves are too short, ending about mid-wrist with no cuff to keep the sleeve in place.
There is an old adage that says, “There is no bad weather, only bad gear” and some iterations thereof. Having good gear/kit will open up riding experiences you never thought possible, and, chances are you will have the road to yourself!
Thanks for the insight on Klim’s sizing. I’m sure many readers will benefit from your experience. Interesting take on the Gerbing jacket. Mine has elastic cuffs on the sleeves and stays in place quite well. Mine is 10-15 years old. Perhaps they have changed the style since I purchased mine. Yes…”No Bad Weather…Just Bad Gear”. That’s been said before right here on this website. Thanks for joining the conversation. Ride safe! And warm.
I learned my ”No Bad Weather…Just Bad Gear” lesson 8 years ago. I was riding my Road King north from Arizona and had planned to stay the night in Kanab, Utah. Problem was, I booked the wrong night at the motel. There were no vacancies in Kanab, but I found one at a hotel in Panguitch, 70 miles further north on highway 89. It was getting late, the temp was dropping into the 40s, and I only had a medium-weight, low end riding jacket and gloves from Built. I had no choice but to continue on. It was 9PM when I headed out, pitch black and the temp was dropping into the high 30s. The cold and wind were unbearable and I tucked in behind my small windshield, plus I was stressed out about hitting animals darting out on the highway in front of me. I finally pulled into my hotel in hypothermia. I managed to check in, get to my room and call my wife, who is an RN to guide me through treating the hypothermia.
I now where a great textile waterproof riding jacket from Joe Rocket, insulated middle-wear top and legs, and Hotwired heated jacket base layer and gloves, and portable heated socks. My Shoei helmet is great for keeping out cold, but I have a baclava in case. I have since ridden many more trips in the cold, and this combination has worked every time. Lesson learned.
Great story, Mark. We’re happy you survived the ordeal. Thanks for joining the Roadcraft USA discussion. Ride safe!
First Gear Kilimanjaro Jacket and Bibs, watch for sale and grab both for about $500. Scheel Extreme IceArmor Fishing Gloves $30. Wolverine Sightline Boots, $125. Lived in Idaho for 40 years and just never got the heated gear bug. Worked nights and had a 25 mile ride in the morning. Had to scrape the frost off my seat a time or two. Been in snow, rain, sleet and just about any other kind of weather. That list kept me warm and dry.