Ar,nt we strange.

Hamster

Hamster

Active Member
The right hand heated grip as stopped work on the bike and all of a sudden
I,m like, must get it fixed, how will I cope with only one grip working, my hands are going to freeze.
Yet I,ve been riding motorbike,s, on and off, for over 30 year,s ( I know I don,nt look old enough ).
None of my other bike,s have ever had heated grip,s, I've ridden in minus degree,s and snow, ice
And never batted an eye. Just thought it strange how thing,s change over the year,s.
 
Stuart D

Stuart D

Active Member
Forum Supporter
I whole heartedly agree, I too have been riding bikes for over 36 years (I don't look old enough either) and only 4 years ago I bought an XRV with heated grips. The first bike so equipped and only kept it a week but that was the life changing moment. Like a big Jessie I was given a heated jacket by my long suffering wife and that has become an essential piece of winter riding apparel. When I first started it was Fisherman's socks turned over the top of the boots
 
MooN

MooN

Active Member
Yup, it's amazing how one comes to rely on one's comforts and find it inconceivable to do without them. In our defence however, I would argue that there is also a certain amount of "ageing" involved. it was not SO long ago when I would regularly ride 260km every friday night and back again every sunday night through the winter, come what may, dressed in jeans, an old leather jacket and workboots... If someone suggested that to me today as "sounds like fun" I would instantly reply
"S:)d that for a game, I'm too old for that isht!" :oldman: :lol:
 
austin

austin

Well-Known Member
My 1977 kit was a Levi jeans, Doc Martens, a sheepskin Donkey jacket, and a yellow Jet Helmet from my Grandad and some nylon bike gauntlets from the army and navy store. Overtrouser - pah. I went everywhere in that gear although I did upgrade to a Griffin Clubman helmet, and once was in severe danger of Hypothermia on a snowy wet day as I pulled into Gordano Services, M5 Bristol. I sat there uncontrollably shivering for about 2 hours while the lady on the till brought me cup after cup of sweet tea and soup. Fortunately the sun came out and it stopped snowing for the rest of the journey and TBH I don't think I could have carried on otherwise, although sheepskin donkey jacket was brilliant.

Would I go back to that? Nope, my knees are still permanently cold and nowadays I lurv my heated jacket, heated grips, gore tex suit, boots and gloves, merino wool layers, and primaloft filledjackets and trousers. It allows to have winter runs of several hundred miles and arrive warm, dry, and comfortable and even camp if I want to.

My sons though still go out in (kevlar) jeans and light jackets all year and don't seem to even notice the weather. Its definitely an age thing.
 
P

Philwhiskeydrinker

Well-Known Member
A neighbour flatly refused to fit heated grips saying 'they'll make me soft' then hop in the car & wack the heating on full....
I said it's daft not having heated grips, I mean, why suffer for what, thirty quid?

He now has heated grips and wishes he fitted 'em years ago.....

Folks eh!
 
boboneleg

boboneleg

Well-Known Member
Forum Supporter
Once you've had heated grips there's no going back. I even have them on my trail bikes, hang on! all my bikes are trail bikes :ridebumps:

My 1980 gear used to consist of a pair of overalls over my jeans, 2nd hand Belstaff (useless at retaining any heat), open face helmet, doc martens and gardening gloves. I once rode through Bristol to go to the dirt bike show with no brakes as the drums had frozen solid with the slush/snow :confused:
 
outrunner

outrunner

Well-Known Member
You lot were lucky, when I started riding in the mid 60's all I had was a pair of cheap jeans (could not afford Levi's), A workmans donkey jacket (none of that luxury sheepskin stuff), steel toe cap boots which were great for keeping your feet warm (not) and an old pair of leather gloves I got from my father. In the winter after an 8 mile ride to work the boss would have to chip my hands off the handlebars, youngsters nowadays, tsk, tsk. :oldman:


Andy.
 
Rubberchicken

Rubberchicken

Well-Known Member
Don't forget the stuffed newspaper Andy. :)

The K has none of these electrical features though it does have the big sodding fairing. Still gets mighty cold when caught out in the middle of nowhere on a clear night though. I'd fit them if I weren't going to sell it next spring...
 
DaveS

DaveS

Administrator
Staff member
Forum Supporter
Yep I used to ride to work in the winter along the a38, down in Devon, up Haldon hill, in the snow with 2 pairs of jeans on as it was cold. I used to put newspaper or magazines down by my belstaff jacket to keep me warm.
I had two pairs of gloves on. My hands would be totally numb and painful by the time I'd got to work. I'd put them under the cold tap to warm them up first.
Nothing heated. I commuted in all sorts of weather like that for many years.

Now I struggle without heat of some sort at less than 10C. A sign of getting old I think!
 
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