Coolant Bars vs Electric Grips - Have Cold Hands

snowpromod · Jan 8, 2019

My hands are always cold - what is a better set up for cold hands? Coolant Bars or Electric Grips? Bike currently has electric grips....but I have 0 time on it.

Thanks

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Misha Subo · Jan 8, 2019

Me too...at the end of last season, I started to plumb up some coolant heat but only completed the top part on the bars. I'm going to be plumbing up the 1/4-turn shut-off somewhere down below but have to decide where the best source of heat on the 300 XCW is...anyone know where (top of head)? I'd like to do a clean solution by taking the barbed fitting off the head (it must be pipe threaded) and replacing with a t-fitting to the bar plumbing I've already done but don't want to butcher up my nice OEM head on both bikes only to find there is a better way...not much room around the thermostat etc.

SuperchargedWS6 · Jan 8, 2019

I think the coolant bars are more effective and dont take any power. For me on an electric start bike with a battery, I have been happy with my electric heated grips. They have been proven on sleds forever and have been great on my bike.

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heliwrench · Jan 8, 2019

Misha Subo said:
don't want to butcher up my nice OEM head on both bikes only to find there is a better way...not much room around the thermostat etc.

I imagine you probably have already thought of this but an aftermark thermostat with ports already drilled would probably be the cleanest install. I don't think the stock ktm thermostat works that great anyways.

noob · Jan 8, 2019

If you have cold hands, the coolant bars will take care of that. I have to play around with getting the valve fine tuned so it doesn't cook my hands. I don't have my hand guards on and my hands are toasty warm.

L.Hughes · Jan 8, 2019

Heat Demon elements under my grips. Plenty warm on low setting- I usually alternate OFF & LOW. The high setting will melt my grip glue. Way easier than messing with coolant heated bars in my book...

dooman92 · Jan 9, 2019

Bar heat

I've had several sets of heated grips. They work ok but not as warm as coolant heated. Had three failures with the AME grips. Newest bike has C3 coolant heated with 195 stat and the bars almost too warm at times but, can turn down if needed. All future setups will be coolant heated bars.

CONCRETE GANGSTER · Jan 9, 2019

C3 heated bars here. Easy clean install and nice and warm. I had electric and it seemed like when it got real cold out they couldn’t keep up

Ben 500RR-S · Jan 9, 2019

L.Hughes said:
Heat Demon elements under my grips. Plenty warm on low setting- I usually alternate OFF & LOW. The high setting will melt my grip glue. Way easier than messing with coolant heated bars in my book...

I agree, simple and easy with 12V heated grips.

I got a spare set of handlebars so can both leave the Bikemaster heated grips on them and just swap out the entire bar every spring/fall than mess with coolant and plumbing every time I need to make the change-back to dirt or snow.

Only on the extremely cold days did I have cold fingertips, otherwise, on the highest, 5th power setting, the grips do get nice and hot.

M5- · Jan 9, 2019

Coolant bars rock. You can dry your gloves on them. They are one of the best mods I've ever done. No wires to snap off or any issues like that. If you want a cheap solution for cold hands gauntlets keep your hands pretty warm for like 20 bucks. I ditched my gauntlets when I added the coolant bars and also went to thin gloves vs the Klim sledding gloves I used to wear to keep warm.

M5

GKR · Jan 9, 2019

Hey Ben, you can just shut the valve off to the coolant heated bars for summer use and you are done, no heat in the bars at all. No need to change anything for summer/winter. Also, the grips have a high enough electrical draw that you need to consider your stator and if it has enough power to keep your grips on (possibly your lights as well) and keep up to charging the battery. Bigger stator will handle this but its a significant added cost. Some bikes will have a bigger stator but in many cases, ie KTM and Husky MX bikes they do not. if you try and run both electric grips and lights you will have dead battery issues.

Ben 500RR-S · Jan 9, 2019

GKR said:
Hey Ben, you can just shut the valve off to the coolant heated bars for summer use and you are done, no heat in the bars at all. No need to change anything for summer/winter. Also, the grips have a high enough electrical draw that you need to consider your stator and if it has enough power to keep your grips on (possibly your lights as well) and keep up to charging the battery. Bigger stator will handle this but its a significant added cost. Some bikes will have a bigger stator but in many cases, ie KTM and Husky MX bikes they do not. if you try and run both electric grips and lights you will have dead battery issues.

Hmmmm, I didn't think that there would be no need to swap the bars, but for the extra lines/plumbing.

My bike has a 200W output stator as it came from Beta as a dual sport. I ran the Baja Designs Squadron Pro and the heated grips all last winter with no problems with charging or the battery as the stator can keep up with keeping the new AGM battery all charged up. In the daytime I keep the headlight off just to help things along as my high-low beam switch works as an on-off, when it is on high beam the headlight shuts off.

jeiner · Jan 9, 2019

Coolant Bars. This is my second year and I only wear waterproof gloves (zero insulation). I do carry some intense backup gloves just in case. I just love zero insulation between my hands and the grips, not to mention it helps 11% during whiskey throttle moments.

DanielMerrick · Jan 9, 2019

Heated gloves! I've had my fxrs for 3 years now and they've been great ! I ride in -30°c. I have the transfer series with almost no padding so they feel like mx gloves but the back side is heavily insulated. Work great because your hands are always warm 5-6hours on low. Helps on those cold days when your digging your riding partner out Haha. I would probably go heated bars before electric warmers.

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2-old · Jan 9, 2019

everyone is diff. but I get cold hands very easily I made my own coolant bars and they get very hot and no need for bigger stator etc. I would no longer consider electric

tek9tim · Jan 9, 2019

Coolant heated. Tons of heat, no strain on the electrical system. Keeps all of your controls ice free too. I've seen too many electric grips on bikes fail for my liking, especially on the throttle side where the wire is always moving.

I have an e-start only bike, I need as few holes in the electrical swiss cheese as possible, even though I carry a jump pack and have an aftermarket stator.

n16ht5 · Jan 9, 2019

I've had both, COOLANT BARS!!! the ones from C3 are hands down the best by a mile. They have QD lines so you can bypass them in about 30 seconds if needed.

POLZIN · Jan 9, 2019

Kinda off topic but I have a pair of Outdoor Research electric gloves and they are fantastic. A bit pricey but they work very well

jtskir222 · Jan 10, 2019

polly heaters

https://www.amazon.com/Polly-Heaters-Handlebar-Grip-PH-200/dp/B01LRDT95U

find these polly heaters. carefully cut the brass off. then they slide into the bars. they rock. you can find videos on line.

snowpromod said:
My hands are always cold - what is a better set up for cold hands? Coolant Bars or Electric Grips? Bike currently has electric grips....but I have 0 time on it.

Thanks

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cbc76am · Jan 12, 2019

I did many different electric heated grips and had dead battery, updated stators, and too thick of a grip issues with them all. Built my own coolent heated bars for 40 bucks and they are AMAZING. Never going back.

Coolant Bars vs Electric Grips - Have Cold Hands

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