Hotgrips - premium or cheapies?

[sdrio]

Would like any opinions you might have, and any general comments on hotgrips are very welcome.

I'm going to fit hotgrips on my MT07, but not sure which ones to use. I had the full premium ones on my MT03, but the controller on them failed and Googling it, seems like a common problem. The grips cost £75ish, and a replacement controller is about £40.

The advantage is that (when it works) the controller has 4 heat settings. It is an electronic rather than mechanical unit.

I also have a 'commuter' set on my 125cc scooter, which were about £32, and as far as I'm concerned work really well. They work via a mechanical switch, which has off, low and high settings.

The question I have is this; Oxfords blurb says the commuter grips are for bikes with 'Smaller batteries and lower powered charging systems'. Does this mean you CAN'T put them on a bigger bike? I prefer the simple mechanical switch version, and on my scooter the two settings are more than enough for what I need.

Any thoughts, or any alternative suggestions?

 

[TJ63]

I would steer clear of the Oxford ones with the electronic switch - it seems a lot of them fail. My local bike shop recommended Daytona grips. I've only used them a couple of times so far, but they seem fine, and have a 4-setting power switch. Cheaper than the Oxford ones too, at £60.

They don't recommend connecting them straight to the battery, so fitting is slightly more tricky in that you need to find an ignition-switched feed.

I personally would never fit grips connected straight to the battery anyway.

 

[sdrio]

Yes, I learned that lesson the hard way on my MT03.

Oxford say they have a low current sensor that switches them off, so I wired them direct, and forgot one day. Low current = about 2v, by which time the battery is well beyond being able to start the bike. Also, you get kids thinking it's funny to switch them on when the bike is parked, same result.

Ideal way is to cut a relay into a switched circuit, then direct off the battery on the other side of the relay. I did that on my MT03, so never had any more trouble battery wise.

 

[TJ63]

Ideal way is to cut a relay into a switched circuit, then direct off the battery on the other side of the relay. I did that on my MT03, so never had any more trouble battery wise.

That's exactly what I've done. The accessories circuit on the 07 is only 2 amps, so no good to power the grips, but ideal for switching the relay.

 

[Ralph]

Usually power mine from the horn live if it is switched by the ignition,
just piggy back it on the live no need to cut anything, many Honda
ones were intended to piggy back off the brake light switch.