Jump to content
  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 40 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

Are the heated grips operable with engine off / ignition on?


2and3cylinders

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

My left OEM heated grip power supply wire became a bit loose and frayed where it enters the grip so I reinforced this location with a boss of 3-M side molding adhesive bonded to the grip with 2-part epoxy.  I thought the left grip was still putting out heat last I road on X-Mas but didn't test functionality after the wire repair.

The other day (as one of my winter mod & maintenance projects) I then finally got around to replacing the OEM bars, having gone back to them after running Outlaw Racing's "TH-08 Low" bars (being used to a  lower, more sporty stance on my VTR1000F and RD400) a year or so before my neck, lower back and sciatica called foul loudly) with Renthal Street Naked bars but when reinstalling the KTM Adventure hand guards inadvertently got the left heated grip power with caught up in the hand guard's bar clamp and pinched it good.  The wire sheath had a small, short lineal tear but the ground wire and inner insulated power leads appeared superficially undamaged.   When I tried testing the temperature output of each grip with the ignition on but engine off, I didn't seem to get a reading on my infrared - laser pointer digital thermometer.  I will try again when the weather warms a bit (once I trudge through and clear the heavy, wet 5" of snow we got last night) with the engine running in my shop (with the door open and fan on LOL) but thought I'd ask if anyone else knew if the engine had to be running for the heated grips to warm up.

TIA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IIRC the engine had to running and in gear. Presumably to reduce the electrical load at idle.

Red 2015 Tracer, UK spec (well, it was until I started messing with it...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

"And in gear", are you sure about the latter?  Where did you glom this?

It makes sense the heated grips are powered by a relay or the ECU when the engine is running and juice is being "generated" but it would be unfortunate if heat goes off when in neutral, for example when checking  directions, making a call, etc.,.

I'll test this all out and report back.

Thx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
1 hour ago, Wintersdark said:

Pretty sure just running.  I warm up my bike before leaving for work in the morning and the grips are warm when I leave.

Yes, I remember and concur, when I forget to turn the grips off, I realize this when I grab em to go.

So nice and comfy...

I hope the left still works...

Thx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

I literally put a set on yesterday. Running they will work. Not running they will not. 

"It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same"  Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
8 hours ago, ilanr1 said:

Hi , the easy way to test your repair is just measure the resistance on the wires , it should be a few ohms...

Yes I know but that entails removing I believe the right fairing cover and disconnecting the plug, etc...

Much easier to just run it and check with a thermometer or just a readily cold hand, plus it flows some more new Techron small engine treatment through the TB and top end, and I get to enjoy the sound of the engine if not be able to ride.  Torture possibly. 😞

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Well I ran the bike and the heated grip display did come on and could be adjusted, which was encouraging. 

According to my forum search when others lost heat the heated grips, their display did not appear.   I was difficult with the grip puppies to feel heat and I rolled them back on the onboard side but the non-contact digital thermometer didn't seem to go up much as I had my hands on them to feel for heat, which could explain the slight rise in temps. Normally after 5 minutes I've felt them warm up but in the shop even with both doors open and a fan blowing I was being asphyxiated.  I guess I'll pull the right fairing and check for continuity.  Is it true there is no dedicated fuse for the heated grips?  I had the dealer install them as part of the purchase but had them give me the instructions and original grips and throttle housing, so I'll also check the instructions and shop manual.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

In all likelihood the grips use the same "engine running" output signal that is also used for the headlights. It wouldn't make sense to create separate logic just for the grips.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Well, all should be well to close this chapter anyway.  I ran continuity and resistance tests. Both right and left heated grips ad closed circuits with 2 ohms of resistance.  Just don't know why they didn't seem to warm up in the time it took the coolant to get up to 205F+.

Oh, well, we'll find out in the spring.

Now on to checking the throttle bodies and changing the engine oil and filter.  Not sure if I'll bother with the spark plugs, as I replaced them with iridium sparkies at 24,000 miles (now at 35k) when I adjusted the valves ( all were very tight) and installed an APE CCT (after the recall CCT got me nervous)  adjusted the APS, replaced the coolant, air filter, brake fluid (and installed Spiegler lines front and rear, R1 320 mm front rotors and R1 Brembo master cylinder, RJL pads, etc), along with a dozen other checks.  Want to lube the swing arm and shock linkage (the K-Tech Razor R will thank me), and check the steering head bearings.  The chain if not the sprockets at only just over 16k are for some reason reaching critical mass despite being a quality unit and reasonably well cared for (though have seen a fair amount of rain riding) but aren't gone yet.  The forks were rebuilt for the second time (don't ask) less than 5k ago, and the brake fluid flushed again with as well (again due to rain riding, 50 inches last year!) 

Thanks for the input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Supporting Member
10 minutes ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Well, all should be well to close this chapter anyway.  I ran continuity and resistance tests. Both right and left heated grips ad closed circuits with 2 ohms of resistance.  Just don't know why they didn't seem to warm up in the time it took the coolant to get up to 205F+

Out of curiosity, I tried this myself yesterday.  Recent snows meant no road testing, just backed out of the garage a few feet with the air temp a few degrees above freezing.

I started the bike and immediately set the grips to high, which for my settings was heat level 7 (I have mine set 3/5/7).  I ran the bike for close to 10 minutes and the grips never got hot, just comfortably warm - no gloves or grip puppies, just bare hands on the grips.

Normally, while riding, I occasionally use medium (lvl 5) with winter gloves and my hands get very warm and I never use the high setting.  I'm not sure if there is an ECU setting that limits the heat output at idle or only changes at a certain operating rpm but my grips normally get much warmer than what I experienced while letting the bike idle.

  • Thumbsup 1

***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, betoney said:

Out of curiosity, I tried this myself yesterday.  Recent snows meant no road testing, just backed out of the garage a few feet with the air temp a few degrees above freezing.

I started the bike and immediately set the grips to high, which for my settings was heat level 7 (I have mine set 3/5/7).  I ran the bike for close to 10 minutes and the grips never got hot, just comfortably warm - no gloves or grip puppies, just bare hands on the grips.

Normally, while riding, I occasionally use medium (lvl 5) with winter gloves and my hands get very warm and I never use the high setting.  I'm not sure if there is an ECU setting that limits the heat output at idle or only changes at a certain operating rpm but my grips normally get much warmer than what I experienced while letting the bike idle.

This is what I was referring to in my earlier post. I thought there was some kind of restriction when the bike is just idling. 

  • Thumbsup 1

Red 2015 Tracer, UK spec (well, it was until I started messing with it...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×