E Vest Question

[Guest Bruce]

The older I get the colder it seems to get.

 

I am planning to take a long-ish ride across Northern New England shorting and decided now was the time to get a vest ( long story on the "why ?", hope to report on a happy ending soon ) as there is now frost on the ground in the morning. So I ordered one and am planning to go through the bike's electrical sys on Sat and make sure all of the contacts are in good shape, figuring I'll need as much wattage head room as possible.

 

Long term I am going to simplifing and beefing up the bike's electrical sys but I don't have time for such an ambitious project at the moment. So for right now I'm going to focus on the wiring from the alt to the battery and head light as it would seem like these circuits carry the most current. I am wondering what kind experiences others have had with E vests and if there are any known weak areas in the charging sys to pay special attention to.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Bruce

[twhitaker]

I ride a lot with an electric vest. Sometimes two and have noticed no additional draw on the system. I do tend to turn the vest off 5 minutes before I get to my destination. It has a 10 amp fuse and I doubt it draws more than 3 amps.

[Mr. Bean]

I use a Widder vest with the adjustable controller. I hook the vest directly to my Battery Tender connector which in turn is connected directly to the battery. I used it last winter this way with no ill effects and also did the same thing for two years on my MZ Traveller (also not known for it's high powered elec system) with no problems.

 

Randy

[Gini Fata]

I use a Widder vest with the adjustable controller.  I hook the vest directly to my Battery Tender connector which in turn is connected directly to the battery.  I used it last winter this way with no ill effects and also did the same thing for two years on my MZ Traveller (also not known for it's high powered elec system) with no problems.

 

Randy

35793[/snapback]

I use a Gerbing jacket and pants on my Jackal with no problems. Even the wife is plugged in. I've even used them on my 87 lemans without a problem.

[Guest goldgooz]

I use a Widder vest with the adjustable controller.  I hook the vest directly to my Battery Tender connector which in turn is connected directly to the battery.  I used it last winter this way with no ill effects and also did the same thing for two years on my MZ Traveller (also not known for it's high powered elec system) with no problems.

 

Randy

35793[/snapback]

 

Bruce, I recently purchased a E-vest from Rider Wearhouse and used it on a 1200 mile trip up the BRP. The vest draws 45 watts and the Lemans handled the extra load with no problems. This is the first E-vest I've ever used and man was I impressed! I'll never go on a long ride in cool weather without it again.

 

Ride Safe, John B

[Guest Tony]

The older I get the colder it seems to get.

 

Bruce,

 

You got that right!

 

If you aren't behind some large "barn door" fairing, you might want to consider the Gerbing jacket liner. Keeping the trunk of your body warm is essential, but those arms can still get mighty cold with the e-vest. My shoulders used to ache at the heat transition point at the edge of the vest. Been using a Gerbing's for about 10 years. Used e-vest for a few years before that. Get the thermostat, or you'll spend all day with the on/off switch.

 

TonyBologna in Baton Rouge, formerly of Iowa where JRT knows how cold it gets!

[jrt]

It does get a bit chilly here, but we don't have near the snow that the NE has. FWIW, I have a set of e-gloves, but no vest. I have an aerostich suit that is quite effective for wind, and I wear a warm fuzzy pullover underneath. Mmmmm, warm fuzzy

That seems to do it for me. Maybe I just don't know any better.

J

[Guest dkgross]

I use a Gerbing jacket and gloves and have never had a problem.

[Guest Bruce]

A little feed back on the e-vest.

 

The weather cooperated just long enough this weekend for me to get in a ride and my daughter to get in some quality Trick ot Treating. So everyone's happy ( well accept for my wife as the Aerostich box arrived about the same time as I had decided to buy some other parts. My theory on marital harmony is to be sure you are worth more to your wife alive then dead. So to balance the equation in my favor I spent the rest of the weekend working on the house! ).

 

Back to the ride...

 

Saturday AM was 45 and very overcast. The roads were wet and the air felt cool, heavy, and damp. What we call raw. The vest was awesome. Even my hands and feet felt ok. The only places I actually felt warmth was my neck and ribs, but over all it made for a very nice ride. Only saw 1 other rider.

 

For comparison purposes the last ride was 52, dry, and sunny. And I got very cold. Same clothes, same roads.

 

The electrical system coped just fine. I ordered the vest the same size as my Darien and it fit perfectly. Nice and snug. Quality is typical Aerostich, which is to say impressive. Worth a weekend replacing rotted sills? Definetly.