re: [ST] Heated grips, again

["Scott" <98-VFR800@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

	I have Hot Grips on my 98 VFR 800. I believe they are about
1.50" diameter. Personally, I'd prefer they were a tad smaller.
However, one interesting side effect of the larger diameter is more
precise throttle control. Basically, a large input at such a large
diameter results in a smaller rotation of the grip. So "gross"
movements of my hand are not as apparent in the response of the bike.
The bike is more forgiving of sloppy control. When I ride my '01 VFR
800, which has stock sized grips, I have to be more aware of the
magnitude of my inputs and be more precise.
	Another aspect of the size for me is that it causes hand and
wrist pains when I ride for long times, say an hour or more. For some
reason it is more comfortable to be able to close my hand more on the
smaller grips.
	I have never used the Triumph brand grips. However, I don't
think they are quite as large as the Hot Grips. I have been told that
Hot Grips also come in a 1.25" diameter. I have been toying with the
idea of installing a set on my '01 VFR. 
	I installed my grips and it was really no big deal. I doubt if
it is much worse on the Triumphs. One nice feature of the Hot Grips is
that you can get a Variable Heat Controller for them. It is not simply
a potentiometer that dissappates heat. It is actually a small
integrated circuit that pulses the power to the grips, on off on off,
etc,... The rate at which it pulses determines the heat level. On high,
they are too hot to hold even with gloves. The nice thing is that the
controller can be set anywhere between 100% and 0%, much better than
simply a high/low switch I think.
	If you'd like to see how I wired mine, check my website in the
PRESENT BIKES > VFR section. There is a detailed write up with
pictures. I imagine a similar setup would work well on the Triumphs.

Adios,

- -- 
Scott Friday
98-VFR800@xxxxxxxxxxxx
2001 Honda VFR 800 Fi His in Red
1998 Honda VFR 800 Fi Hers in OEM Blue - RED BODYWORK FOR SALE!!
1999 Triumph Legend 900 TT (FOR SALE)
http://sfriday.com/
http://pages.tca.net/sfriday/ (mirror site)



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