Yamaha Heated Grips, Anyone install them?

[hupelde]

I just did the electrical tape last night. It's MUCH harder to get the grip on, lol. It it much better but unfortunately still uneven temps. such a bad design  
Doesn't the Super Tenere have the same setup stock? Is it an issue on that bike too? It would seem that the metal left bar and plastic right bar would be a common setup on any motorcycle but you don't hear about uneven heating issues for others?

The Super Tenere almost has the same setup...(they are different)..but the issue with the uneven temps exist there as well.The tape solution was coming from that area. Of course it's not perfect but much better now without burning the right hand while left is still cold.
 

[wessie]

Yes, I've seen it reported on the Super Tenere forum - it's where the tape idea came from...

[greg]

Same here. Was about to call the dealer and ask for replacement. The difference is startling. Can't believe it is by design...

[steve]

It would seem that the metal left bar and plastic right bar would be a common setup on any motorcycle but you don't hear about uneven heating issues for others?

A friend of mine who owns KTM's said the forum reported the same thing and suggested to me to use tape. So it isn't a Yamaha only problem. 
Good to see it can be applied to our bikes as well.
 

[mjsracing]

From previous experience, three are at least two ways to fix the uneven heating issues:
 
[ul type=disc][*]lower wattage on the throttle side[*]more insulation on the clutch side[/ul]
Lets talk physics (a personal favorite subject. Yes I'm fortunate to be married, thanks for your concern )
 
FJ-09 handlebars (like all bikes) are metal alloy and are an excellent heat conductor. Stock throttle tubes are plastic and are relatively good insulator for heat transfer.
 
In cold weather, the handlebars chill to near ambient temperature. In warm weather the handlebars warm to near ambient temperature.
 
The throttle has a great thermal insulator (throttle tube). If you don't do something to account for the massive difference in heat transfer, one grip will be much more effectively warmed by the individual grip heating elements.
 
 
To achieve equivalent clutch side grip heating effect, the heating element thermal isolation must be abut the same. Larger or smaller wattage would only work in in colder or warmer situations.
 
Bottom line:
 
[ul type=disc][*]Grips heating elements must have roughly the same thermal isolation from the handlebars.[*]Grip design could achieve this, but often don't [*]Installed thermal insulation can help achieve this[*]Consensus is that the stock Yamaha grip heaters (however expensive they may be) need a little help to achieve thermal equivalence between the throttle and the clutch side. [*]Wrap the clutch side with a couple of layers of electrical tape and you'll be happier![/ul]
 
 
 
 
 
 

[bobaintstoppin]

Good info mjs. Just one point to make is that you are talking about thermodynamics, not physics.

[jimf]

Bottom line:
[ul type=disc]
[*]Wrap the clutch side with a couple of layers of electrical tape and you'll be happier![/ul]

How well does the electrical tape hold up long-term?  I keep thinking of the gummy mess that electrical tape adhesive has become after a few years in other applications.  I'd hate to have the grip start slipping should that occur. 
I was thinking a single layer of duct tape might work better.  I've had better luck with its adhesive longevity, and the cloth material is likely to be a better thermal insulator.
 
I'm somewhat surprised that there isn't any kind of balance adjustment.  That would seem to be basic engineering to me.  (OK, not very surprised.  Years of working with motorcycle accessories has given me a pretty dim view of typical quality of such things, and the Yamaha accessories have been all over the map in those terms.  But still.)
 
 

[wessie]

Good info mjs. Just one point to make is that you are talking about thermodynamics, not physics.

any sub-section of science belongs to at least one of these three categories: biology, chemistry and physics
 
if you disagree I suggest you take it up with the head teacher in my high school
 
and thermodynamics is a branch of....?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics

[1moreroad]

How well does the electrical tape hold up long-term?  I keep thinking of the gummy mess that electrical tape adhesive has become after a few years in other applications.  I'd hate to have the grip start slipping should that occur

 
Zero problems on my last 2 bikes that I had for 7 and 6 years. The tape unwraps easily when the grips are pulled off. Maybe because it's not really exposed under the grip. Add a little hair spray before you slide the grips on if you need. It's slippery when wet, but dries sticky (kind of like... never mind)

[omniphil]

My scooter had heated grips and they were perfectly balanced from the factory. It was also the only bike i've had with heated grips so I assumed engineers designing the bike would account for the thermal difference side to side. I guess I was wrong, it seems like this is a larger problem effecting other manufactures..
 
For whatever its worth I put 2 layers of electrical tape on real tight and had a really hard time getting the grip back on. I have to assume that some of the electrical tape near the end pulled up out of the way as I was pushing the grip on so hard. Yeah, I guess I expected more from a near $300 kit. Even with the electrical tape there is still a noticeable difference in temps. Its certainly better than before however.
 
I was using Yamabond 7 for the adhesive, will the hair spray work better?

[jimf]

I canvassed a series of friends about this and the technique that I liked the most was to use heat shrink tubing rather than electrical tape. Use hairspray as the bonding agent under the tubing, and maybe use two layers of tubing/hairspray. That's my plan if the grips ever show up from Yamaha.
 

[bobaintstoppin]

any sub-section of science belongs to at least one of these three categories: biology, chemistry and physics 
if you disagree I suggest you take it up with the head teacher in my high school
 
and thermodynamics is a branch of....?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics

Wessie,  That turns out to be exactly correct.  Funny that I have a degree in this stuff (Thermo) and never thought of it as being physics.  My brother is a physics guy and I had to check with him to confirm.  You learn something every day   

[wessie]

any sub-section of science belongs to at least one of these three categories: biology, chemistry and physics 
if you disagree I suggest you take it up with the head teacher in my high school
 
and thermodynamics is a branch of....?
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamics

Wessie,  That turns out to be exactly correct.  Funny that I have a degree in this stuff (Thermo) and never thought of it as being physics.  My brother is a physics guy and I had to check with him to confirm.  You learn something every day 

 
Crikey.
 
I'm not sure what you thought physics was before your enlightenment today.
 
Did you really think that the First law of thermodynamics isn't physics, when it is based on the notion of conservation of energy derived from Newtonian physics?
 
 

[jimf]

 Funny that I have a degree in this stuff (Thermo) and never thought of it as being physics.

Crikey. 
I'm not sure what you thought physics was before your enlightenment today.

Give him a break.  If he's got a degree in thermogoddamnics, he's probably an engineer.  You gotta be happy if they even know what day of the week it is.  Scientific field taxonomy?  Get out. 

 

[ctrlaltdl]

use heat shrink tubing rather than electrical tape.

 
I was planning on using heat shrink as well. I'm going to use the kind that has adhesive inside of it, then good old Aqua-Net for the grips.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-HWT-1550-Shrink-Tubing/dp/B000GAOBG8/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1432164191&sr=8-14&keywords=heat+shrink+tubing+adhesive