Oem Heated Grips From Honda - Anyone Have Them Installed?

[superfunkomatic]

hi all,

i've been hunting around on david silver spares and found the OEM heated grips for the VFR.

has anyone installed them on their bike? any photos? i'd like to see how everything goes together on the handlebars before buying a set for myself.

here's the kit on david silver spares - HGRIP VFR800VT

[crazybrother]

Way too much money, IMHO. I just use the Symtec Heated grips. Much cheaper & they work great.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/mercha...;Category_Code=

[superfunkomatic]

yes, i know they are considerably more expensive, but i'm trying to keep the bike as close to stock or only add OEM accessories.

i'm just curious to see how the controller mounts. looks like it may go on the break reservoir, but i'm not sure.

Way too much money, IMHO. I just use the Symtec Heated grips. Much cheaper & they work great.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/mercha...;Category_Code=

[Alien VFR]

Way too much money, IMHO. I just use the Symtec Heated grips. Much cheaper & they work great.

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/mercha...;Category_Code=

:laugh:

I've had the symtec system for over a year now. Best "bang for the buck" $50 I ever spent on a motorcycle accessory.

It took only half an hour to install, and the results are fantastic. They get REALLY warm, easy install, and worth every penny.

And if keeping the bike "stock" is a concern, they can be removed in about 5 minutes.

[Guest]

Funk,

I installed these OEM heaters years ago. No problems at all, they are simple plug-ins. They are larger in diameter than the OEM grips though. That was not a problem for me, but I have heard of people put off by the slight increase.

The one thing that you need to order, but no one seems to mention, is the mounting plate for the controller. When I did a group buy for OntVFR, the majority of people simply mounted the controller to their bodywork. Generally, they went for a position just below the left hand grip. On the other hand, I fabricated a mount for the controller. I have gone through a number of them, as I keep trying for light weight and used composite materials - so far they have all failed... The default position of the controller then becomes the top of the clutch reservoir. {Why? Because it is a no hassle fix while away from home. A piece of double sided foam tape will hold the controller in place for thousands of miles. :laugh: ]

DSS carries the Honda mounting plates. You have to chose between the positions. Think of an inverted "L" or half of a "T". If the vertical leg attaches to the pair of reservoir bolts that hold the reservoir/lever to the bar, to which side of the vertical leg way would you mount the controller? Mounting to the clutch reservoir, choosing the right means that the controller will mount just on the riders side of the reservoir. Choose the left and the controller will mount over the high-beam switch. There is no interference with the controls or bodywork either way. FWIW, I went right.

All of this is contained in the instructions that come with the OEM heaters. Of course, unless you want to import another package from DSS, it is too late when you find the elegant OEM fix.

The Honda Heaters have at least a couple of advantages. One the controller has an infinite range, so given the time and inclination during a ride you could find a perfect setting if the conditions were unchanging. A second is that the grips will turn off when the voltage drops below a preset level (I don't know the actual value). That simply means that they will not drain the battery if you are in stop & go traffic. Once you get onto the flowing road again and the voltage rises, the controller restarts and you feel the heat in the grips.

I am very pleased with grips. Once you try riding with warm hands, it is weird to go back to cold.

I don't have photographs posted here, but I can dig around. PM me if it is still important.

Ride well.

[superfunkomatic]

that's exactly what i was looking for.

yes, if you do have pics that would be great. then i'll put in my order for the DSS plates and the grip kit.

thanx,

mike

Funk,

I installed these OEM heaters years ago. No problems at all, they are simple plug-ins. They are larger in diameter than the OEM grips though. That was not a problem for me, but I have heard of people put off by the slight increase.

The one thing that you need to order, but no one seems to mention, is the mounting plate for the controller. When I did a group buy for OntVFR, the majority of people simply mounted the controller to their bodywork. Generally, they went for a position just below the left hand grip. On the other hand, I fabricated a mount for the controller. I have gone through a number of them, as I keep trying for light weight and used composite materials - so far they have all failed... The default position of the controller then becomes the top of the clutch reservoir. {Why? Because it is a no hassle fix while away from home. A piece of double sided foam tape will hold the controller in place for thousands of miles. :laugh: ]

DSS carries the Honda mounting plates. You have to chose between the positions. Think of an inverted "L" or half of a "T". If the vertical leg attaches to the pair of reservoir bolts that hold the reservoir/lever to the bar, to which side of the vertical leg way would you mount the controller? Mounting to the clutch reservoir, choosing the right means that the controller will mount just on the riders side of the reservoir. Choose the left and the controller will mount over the high-beam switch. There is no interference with the controls or bodywork either way. FWIW, I went right.

All of this is contained in the instructions that come with the OEM heaters. Of course, unless you want to import another package from DSS, it is too late when you find the elegant OEM fix.

The Honda Heaters have at least a couple of advantages. One the controller has an infinite range, so given the time and inclination during a ride you could find a perfect setting if the conditions were unchanging. A second is that the grips will turn off when the voltage drops below a preset level (I don't know the actual value). That simply means that they will not drain the battery if you are in stop & go traffic. Once you get onto the flowing road again and the voltage rises, the controller restarts and you feel the heat in the grips.

I am very pleased with grips. Once you try riding with warm hands, it is weird to go back to cold.

I don't have photographs posted here, but I can dig around. PM me if it is still important.

Ride well.

[chonsey]

Funk,

I installed these OEM heaters years ago. No problems at all, they are simple plug-ins. They are larger in diameter than the OEM grips though. That was not a problem for me, but I have heard of people put off by the slight increase.

The one thing that you need to order, but no one seems to mention, is the mounting plate for the controller. When I did a group buy for OntVFR, the majority of people simply mounted the controller to their bodywork. Generally, they went for a position just below the left hand grip. On the other hand, I fabricated a mount for the controller. I have gone through a number of them, as I keep trying for light weight and used composite materials - so far they have all failed... The default position of the controller then becomes the top of the clutch reservoir. {Why? Because it is a no hassle fix while away from home. A piece of double sided foam tape will hold the controller in place for thousands of miles. :fing02: ]

DSS carries the Honda mounting plates. You have to chose between the positions. Think of an inverted "L" or half of a "T". If the vertical leg attaches to the pair of reservoir bolts that hold the reservoir/lever to the bar, to which side of the vertical leg way would you mount the controller? Mounting to the clutch reservoir, choosing the right means that the controller will mount just on the riders side of the reservoir. Choose the left and the controller will mount over the high-beam switch. There is no interference with the controls or bodywork either way. FWIW, I went right.

All of this is contained in the instructions that come with the OEM heaters. Of course, unless you want to import another package from DSS, it is too late when you find the elegant OEM fix.

The Honda Heaters have at least a couple of advantages. One the controller has an infinite range, so given the time and inclination during a ride you could find a perfect setting if the conditions were unchanging. A second is that the grips will turn off when the voltage drops below a preset level (I don't know the actual value). That simply means that they will not drain the battery if you are in stop & go traffic. Once you get onto the flowing road again and the voltage rises, the controller restarts and you feel the heat in the grips.

I am very pleased with grips. Once you try riding with warm hands, it is weird to go back to cold.

I don't have photographs posted here, but I can dig around. PM me if it is still important.

Ride well.

Yes, please post pics here! I too, am interested in the OEM heated grips :laugh:

[Guest]

I had them (sold the bike). They are obviously more expensive than alternative but I like it b/c they shutdown if they start to draw too much current from the stator and your dealer can't bitch about any warranty issues. The grips are bigger diameter and are a little abrasive on the hands without gloves but I liked them.

[superfunkomatic]

here are cementhead's pics.

i'm definitely going with the honda grips, especially since the electrical system has been known to be an issue with our bikes. no warranty issues.

[Beck]

here are cementhead's pics.

i'm definitely going with the honda grips, especially since the electrical system has been known to be an issue with our bikes. no warranty issues.

I'm in the Symtec fan club myself. because of the price and the simplicty and so far, after two years, reliability.

I also checked out Honda OEM systems, but as cementhead's pics show, they tend to be kinda.......BIG, more like something that you will see installed in a touring rig's cockpit. With just a little work and figuring out, I was able to install a Symtec system to also look OEM by integrating a small two position switch into my right grip switch pod, right above that starter switch. See pic:

Switch.jpg Here's my OEM Style Grip heater switch install I did to my 4th gen<br /><br />Beck 95 VFR

If you do decide to go with a Honda OEM system, you should maybe check out the latest heated grips they have for ST1100s which has a nicer control module with sleeker/more modern LED indicator lights and not the big rotary knob switch. But I think it costs a bit more at over $200.00.

BTW, I think that system in cementhead's pics looks identical to the one sold by OXFORD from the UK. Honda must source it from them. I bet you can get an almost identical OXFORD system for much less money if you like the system, but you will have to figure out the wiring cause it won't be "plug and play". It shouldn't be to difficult to do.

Good luck with your Heated grips project!

Beck

95 VFR

[jasonsmith]

I have the kit and must say I am very pleased with it. The harness connects easily but I think it could fit better, that all depends on the routes you take with it I guess. The 5 settings are nice and the switch is super easy to operate. Sorry I don't have a fwd looking photo ready but here is a grip and the switch which is mounted to the Honda switch bracket. The switch has an auto low voltage shut off just in case but the great thing is when it senses a low voltage the bottom most light on the switch flashes. That's my voltmeter too! My grips are a bit different from the UK version as my set was bought from Honda Japan. The set up is more expensive than the rest but I like it. No moisture problems at all. If I'm running with the high beams on and the heaters on they will cut out when idling at a light. Reg beams and the grips stay running even when idling. I might lower the bracket a bit or make a new one, it seems as though I nee to stretch my thumb to reach the button.

The front of my switch is just like this one... Red LEDS which are kinda bright.

[Guest]

Where, how did you scare up the Japan ones? Also what kind of pricing?

[jasonsmith]

A good buddy had a connection at the time. They came to about $135 for the kit. The grips and switch were one package, the harness another and the bracket another.

Honda Japan Heated Grips

[Jon28]

I know this is an old thread but I came across Oxford heated grips on Ebay for $52. Looks exactly the same as the aforementioned on here fwiw.

[DougFromIndy]

These look exactly the same as Oxford Heaterz hotgrips, the diameter I did not like, the controller fails if you leave bike out in the rain (see new updated controller from Oxford) so IMO these are a bad deal...I however like the dial control and push on/off with red led so I scored a few controllers on ebay for about $18 each and use symtec grip heaters with the old school dial controller on my TDM , the other I will use on my VFR this spring (the one on it now is stuck on full blast, cooked hands..I had to pull the fuse) so faulty one gets another junk replacement and too thick oxford grips (my hands xxl or 12 euro glove size) will get me thru chilly spring until summer when I pitch this Oxford junk (still is great to ride with hot hands) and make my own system with symtec/improved controller unit.

[timmythecop]

my symtec heated grips kept my hands warm in -30 degree wind chill and they cost 34 bucks. A discreet little toggle is the only evidence.

It draws milli-amps and after daily commute in sub-freezing weather (on hi all the time) for almost a year, no issues.

[Faceplant]

I had the dealer install the OEM grips when I bought my bike.

The design team behind these must have been smoking some pretty strong shit the day they came up with the control, it's just fugly and absolutely HUGE! :biggrin:

Also the dealer decided that the best mount is on the left fairing, which is, obviously, not the most discreet place to put them:

I like the fact that it is a variable controller, but I'm seriously considering changing to Symtec or Hot Grips or anything else that has a stylish switch instead of the enormous control knob I'm stuck with.

Anyone know if it is possible to replace the OEM control with something smaller and more slick looking?

[superfunkomatic]

let me know if you ever want to sell the OEM ones on your bike.

apparently the OEM ones have been discontinued, and they are hard to come by.

i'd happily buy yours if you're interested in changing to another style.

I had the dealer install the OEM grips when I bought my bike.

The design team behind these must have been smoking some pretty strong shit the day they came up with the control, it's just fugly and absolutely HUGE! :fing02:

Also the dealer decided that the best mount is on the left fairing, which is, obviously, not the most discreet place to put them:

I like the fact that it is a variable controller, but I'm seriously considering changing to Symtec or Hot Grips or anything else that has a stylish switch instead of the enormous control knob I'm stuck with.

Anyone know if it is possible to replace the OEM control with something smaller and more slick looking?

[StenR]

Hi folks,

I installed the OEM heated grips from DSS on my 5th gen last year. I was pretty satisfied, but now I have a question. I think the battery protection circuit is warning me about a dying battery, but I am not sure.

The battery is really old (still OEM, 10 years), but I have never had any problems starting the bike. Last year, when i fitted the grips, the grip control unit was flashing all the leds when the grips were set at maximum power. In this case, the grips do not get hot. The leds keeps flashing independent of rpm's, except for idle when only one single led is flashing.

To solve this, I used the second highest setting for the grips. Then the leds stay lit (the uppermost one a bit weaker, as it should). Grips get warm = me happy.

This week, the unit has also started flashing all the leds for the second and third highest power settings. So now, using the 4th highest level, I feel they do not get warm enough.

I have done some google searches, and I do not seem to be alone having this problem. People generally say it is the protection circuit and warn about dying battery or R/R. In my case, I test the R/R as a part of the service routine, and the charging voltage looks nice and stable. But I would not be surprised if the battery is getting weak.

What i wonder is if anyone who have had this problem actually has solved it? I have not seen a single post in any forum where the problem has been solved. I do not want to spend money on a new battery if it will not fix the problem, so I would really like to hear a "success story" :-)

Thanks,

StenR

[bliss]

Here are the grips I installed. There is a H and L setting. I wired them into my plate light with an auto-relay. They have worked great for over a year and were only about $50.00.

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[elizilla]

I like the mounted heated handgrip controller from warmnsafe.com. I've installed them in my V-Strom and my TDM, but not yet gotten one for the VFR. Need to figure out where best to put it. Anyways, here's a picture of where I put it in the handgrip on the V-Strom:

You drill two small holes about a centimeter apart, one for the switch and one for the little red LED that comes on when it is on. The mechanism underneath the switch is pretty small, fits into very tiny spaces. Then there is a cable a couple feet long, that goes to a small black box that contains the brains, which you can hide anywhere. The switch is a knob about 1/2" across, infinitely variable.

This switch has been installed on the V-Strom for about 50,000 miles, including plenty of rain, and has held up just fine.

I like this better than the hi/low switches that come with the grips, because the way those work is that they use full power for both high and low, but when you use low they dump half the power into a resistor, which just wastes it.

I used the kimpex heaters, which are similar to the symtec ones shown up thread. I used a couple layers of self vulcanizing rubber tape to insulate the metal bar under the clutch side, to keep the heat from getting drained away into the metal bar. This makes the clutch side thicker, so I bought two sets of gel grips and used a throttle side grip on each side. This makes the grips heat evenly, and gets you the most possible bang for the buck from the power you take from the bike. (The symtec heaters shown up thread are slightly different in that they have more heating elements in the clutch side grip, to make up for the fact you are attaching them to a giant heat sink, so you don't have to insulate underneath them. Either one works but some bikes don't have any watts to spare, so I prefer to insulate so I don't need as much electricity.)

I power mine straight from the battery, via an accessory fuse panel controlled by a relay so it turns off with the bike.

You can use stock handgrips with any of these heaters if you want to keep the bike stock looking.

[Egg on Leggs]

let me know if you ever want to sell the OEM ones on your bike.

apparently the OEM ones have been discontinued, and they are hard to come by.

i'd happily buy yours if you're interested in changing to another style.

I had the dealer install the OEM grips when I bought my bike.

The design team behind these must have been smoking some pretty strong shit the day they came up with the control, it's just fugly and absolutely HUGE! :biggrin:

Also the dealer decided that the best mount is on the left fairing, which is, obviously, not the most discreet place to put them:

I like the fact that it is a variable controller, but I'm seriously considering changing to Symtec or Hot Grips or anything else that has a stylish switch instead of the enormous control knob I'm stuck with.

Anyone know if it is possible to replace the OEM control with something smaller and more slick looking?

A friend of mine replaced the box controller with one from the Pan kit, it is a slim line design with an led setting indicator.

[enzed_viffer]

here are cementhead's pics.

i'm definitely going with the honda grips, especially since the electrical system has been known to be an issue with our bikes. no warranty issues.

So those are supposedly "OEM" Honda grips and controller?!?

I just replaced an almost identical setup on my bike - presumably installed by the previous owner who owned the bike in the UK.

While I liked the variable controller, I can't say I'm too impressed with the setup - for power it plugged into the brake light switch's input power. And the grips were hard and uncomfortable (admittedly, they were at least 5 years old before I cut them off).

As someone else has said, I don't think Honda makes these, so so much for "Sticking with OEM". More likely they are Oxford or Daytona, with a huge markup to make them look like OEM parts. :biggrin:

I replaced them with Oxford grips, with a solid-state controller, which is much slimmer than the original. The grips are very slightly fatter (which was disappointing) but softer and more comfortable. Installation was a breeze, apart from working out where to route the wires so they didn't snag anything or get pinched.

Anyone who's worried about "messing with your wiring" or "Keeping the bike original and OEM": Don't.

Everything is supplied so that you don't need to even touch the wiring on your bike: it's designed to hook up to the battery, using ring terminals and an inline fuse. Everything else is "plug'n'play". I didn't particularly like the battery hookup option (even though it has voltage protection etc built in) so I hooked it up to my BlueSea fusebox, in place of the old heated grips. I did like that NOTHING is required to install it, apart from rudimentary tools (an 8mm socket or spanner if you're using the supplied bracket, and of course, a screwdriver or spanner to connect it to the battery or fusebox. It also has an adhesive patch if you don't wish to use the bracket, and zip ties and grip glue to secure the cables and grips.

I like the new setup better, except it's hotter (the lowest heat setting seems ample for all but very cold conditions), and because of this, I miss the variable controller (even though it was urglee). I also find having to press the + button for a few seconds to turn it on (and the - likewise, to turn it off) a slight nuisance. It was easier while I was riding to just flick the knob left or right. The blue LED (for 'On" and the lowest heat setting) is also rather bright (albeit fairly small). Apart from that, it's great, and it was very cheap (NZ$99, which is about US$50).

[Faceplant]

A friend of mine replaced the box controller with one from the Pan kit, it is a slim line design with an led setting indicator.

Do you know where he got the Pan kit? Is there a website?

[Guest]

I've had the Oxford grips for a while now and really like them. The controler has 4 settings and will shut off if the voltage drops to low. My bike sits outside at work almost everyday and no problems the controler geting wet. I wired mine to a relay so they only work off switched power. LINK to my review.

Action

[JZH]

A friend of mine replaced the box controller with one from the Pan kit, it is a slim line design with an led setting indicator.

Do you know where he got the Pan kit? Is there a website?

When I installed the OEM heated grips on my ST1300, I noticed that the "kit" was rather expensive, but the individual parts weren't so bad, and I didn't need all of them, so I ordered the LH and RH grips and the electronic controller as separate parts. I got them from David Silver Spares on the "2-3wk wait and 20% discount" deal. I had to find the instructions elsewhere (I now have them in .pdf) and make my own wiring harness (which wasn't a big deal to me anyway, as I was doing a lot of re-wiring). I believe I originally sourced the part numbers from bike-parts.fr, though DSS should be able to find them (unless they would prefer to sell the whole kit!)...

If I were to fit heated grips on another bike, I'd probably use the same approach. The ST1300 Pan European controller fits almost flush into one of the LHS fairing panels, works well and looks a lot more "OEM" than the knob-type controllers.

Ciao,