Heated grips on a 4ride / 4rt

[cord]

Has anyone fitted heated grips to a 4ride (or a 4RT assuming they are the same) ?  Splat shop do some sticky back  heated elements that you then slip normal grips over the top, it says they consume 36W, will my 4 ride have enough power to drive them? And where am i best tapping into the wiring loom to take the feed?

[lemur]

Roughly the same power as your horn.  🤓 Don't use the horn at the same time as your heated grips and there should be no issue.

[jonnyc21]

Heated gloves might consume less power. 13W each 26 total and you can get a controller to adjust heat better.  example: gloves https://www.gerbing.com/collections/12v-heated-gloves/products/gerbing-12v-heated-glove-liners?variant=45244436054307 controller https://www.gerbing.com/collections/heated-motorcycle-plugs-and-temperature-controllers/products/gerbing-12v-single-zone-temperature-controller-knobbed?variant=44879387394339

[lemur]

Better control over the operating temperature sounds like a very good idea, I have the heated grips on a little snowmobile and find the heat too intense to operate continuously and need to toggle the heaters on and off to reduce the intensity to a tolerable rate.  When I winter ride my trials bike it is the clutch lever finger that freezes first and has me pausing regularly to warm my fingers on the engine, the grip heaters do little to address that.  

Hotshots chemical heat packs inserted into the back of your regular riding gloves work as an alternative to the grip heaters, but similarly do little to warm the lever fingers.  I have heard of local riders using the electric heaters on the control levers instead of the grips, but have not personally attempted that yet.

 

[lemur]

One problem you might encounter with the 4RT in winter is sub-zero engine starting as I did, if your engine oil gets too cold it will make cold starting difficult to impossible.  I even tested 0W winter grade engine oil but had no success with that.  Be ready to build a small fire under your bike to sub-zero cold start it.

[konrad]

43 minutes ago, lemur said:

When I winter ride my trials bike it is the clutch lever finger that freezes first....

That's are excellent observation that I know would be true. 

When I used to ride motorcycles on frozen lakes, a set of handlebar mittens was mandatory.  These were permanently attached to the handlebars, and covered all the controls (and you still wore riding gloves).  I think they were called Hippo Hands, but their current design is really different from what I remember.  Maybe the ones for MTBs would be most appropriate?  

[cord]

I'm fussy with gloves, and have tried the heatpacks to no avail. I get what your saying about clutch/brake finger, thats the 1 that struggles, am hoping a warm bar will be enough to defrost it.

Are you being serious, i can really drive it from the horn wiring? I've ridden the 4ride in sub zero temps several times, and never had starting issues. It's used more for  technical single track than trials type stuff. 

[lemur]

Horns draw a considerable amount of power, even more when they get old and rusty or full of water.  ~30 watts is typical, the 4RT has a significant large alternator on board to accommodate the fuel pump and fan, the alternator windings are oil cooled which works brilliantly if you should be stressing the limits.  Conserving power consumption from other accessories such as the high beam and horn leaves that power for your little heat strips.  I would be way more concerned about cooking the stator by running heaters on my TRS.

I don't winter ride the lakes much I ride the same back woods trails we ride the rest of the year, way more fun .   Competition soft compound tires can't withstand much below single digit minus centigrade temperatures and a heated garage with the riding area right outside my door makes it possible, caution that at minus 22C riding the knobs will peal right off your rear tire.  

Stored in extreme cold trials tires crack the sidewalls if you leave the bike sitting on them at low pressure.  When you are running 1740 GripStuds in subzero temps on ice and snow it is advisable to run higher then normal low tire pressures so that the sidewalls don't crack so badly, 👍 studded trials tires are awesome fun and extend the riding season by months here.  Since running studded tires I even look forward to winter riding 😎 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by lemur
cool video