I am replacing a set of work out Dual-Star grip heaters on my wife's KLR and ordered the setup from KLR650.com. The wiring on the clutch side finally gave up the ghost where it connects to the heating element. I thought they were the same ones, but upon closer inspection, it appears that they are not. Has anyone used them and if so are they worth a damn? If not, Ill send them back and get something else. It looks like the KLR650.com units use the resistor for one side, is that a weak design? Thanks. Just for reference: KLR650.com Dual Star
Those look an awful lot like the ones I buy at cycle gear. They work great. I did have one of the wires come off the throttle side on one of my bikes, but I just soldered it back on. Still working great.
I just looked at the ones over at www.cyclegear.com. They look like the same ones. Thanks for the heads up.
I also bought the cheapest heaters on the market. They look the same with a resistor on one side. Last winter I had to replace the resistor as it broke off right at the cerramic. If you stop the resistor from being able to vibrate they will last a long time. Mine lasted a few years before letting go. That is 10's of thousands of kms a year. I will buy the same ones again if they finally to give up the ghost. I see no real reason to spend double or more for a set inside a set of grips......:huh Hope this helps
It does get warm if not hot right......so don't put anything that will catch fire so to speak or get harmed by heat. I used thin mechanics wire and wired it to a piece of metal and attched the metal to the back of my dash. Plus zip tied the wiring to stop it from vibrating.
The heaters without the resistor are superior. Sometimes the resistor is trouble free, but always something to worry about, once you have had trouble. The other thing to think about is all the power you are wasting by heating it. The Symtech/Dualstar type is only about 1/3 more money. FWIW
Those look identical to the cheap Tusk brand ones I got for my ATVs. On the ATVs that dont get rode often, they are still working. For those that got alot of use - they are all broken. Wires pulled off the resistor on a few (despite being ziptied down).....random broken wires......etc. I run the Symntec on my motorcycles.....Ive had some as long as 5 years and they are still going strong. I pulled them off all the ATVs......Im not impressed. I wouldnt waste the time to install them - your just going to be doing it agian soon if you ride often.
As mentioned before the resistor is a failure spot. On the bike I just picked up the wire was also broken at the resistor. Being on a budget so I can buy other farkles I went into the local RadioShack and picked up a replacement and put it in. Also as mentioned if you do use them make sure the routing of the resistor doesn't have any stress on it at that location. or you will soon have a set of non-heated grips. "My" preference would be to go the route of less failure prone. Good luck!
I had the el-cheapo grip heaters similar to those in the first photo with the resistor and hi/lo switch for about a year before the wire broke right at the resistor. The low setting was too low, so I just ditched the resistor altogether and just run the grips on high all the time. I've had them wired like this since 2006 with no issues. I've heard of grip heaters that have a resistor to cool off the throttle side to match the clutch side, but the ones I installed the resistor was for the hi/lo function, which was as useless as tits on a boar. I could never find a place to put that ugly, industrial-size hi/low switch. Getting rid of the resistor let me use the little Aerostich bar mounted switch. I'd get the cheapos again, and I'd cut out the resistor from the start.
<HR style="COLOR: #575757; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #575757" SIZE=1>I've always just snipped the resistor and run High or Off, but m<!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->y husband has been so happy with this little trick I try to share it every time the issue of grip heaters comes up. From RustySpokes over on the WRR thread: OK boys and girls, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I found an easy and cheap alternative to the dreaded resistor in your heated hand grip circuit. Get a two terminal, heavy duty turn signal flasher and wire it in place of the resistor. This is what your looking for... On low your grips will run at about half the power of the the high setting, and thus, about half the heat. The flasher will turn on and off acting as a poor man's pulse width modulation unit. But you only get one pulse width. I have also used this idea to make a "controller" for my homemade heated vest. Jim Jim's picture didn't come up, but here's a Google pic: Anyway, Doug bought one at Autozone, wired it in and has been happy as a lark. Sarah
I just saw a set that is so cheap that I couldn't turn it down. We'll see how they go. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-...=180745503064&ps=63&clkid=4825265529724305551
I like that idea, very clever if you already had the resistor type. But if I needed to buy some more heaters. I would still buy the non resistor type.
Christ! How can you go wrong at that price? If mine weren't working perfectly I'd be buying a few sets of those at that price!!!
Well, if I install them and they don't work, I'll have wasted an hour or two of my life dinking around with removing the handguards and installing them and such as well as 5 bucks. It will be good garage therapy time either way, though, I suppose.
I install mine over the hand guards and then put grip puppies over the heaters. They work very well this way. The grips insulate the bars and the thin grip puppies transfer the heat well into your hands. This way you don't wrestle with those frig'in grips again....augh! Hope this helps....
Actually my grips are loose ie I never put any adhesive on them after I took them off to mount up new bars.. I don't really see the problem with them being that way, either. They aren't like falling off, but I can turn them around the handlebars if I want to. it makes it handy for switching bent bars. Maybe the grip heaters will help "tighten them".
