Grip heaters don't like the cold

[DougF]

Help!

Here's an odd one: intermittent grip warmers on my 2010, 1200r.

Nice and warm grips (high and low positions working) at 53 degrees outside. Next morning the dashboard thermometer blinking 35 degrees and no heat in either position. I turned the grip heaters off and then on, still no heat. I left town for 5 days with the bike sitting in its usual spot in my enclosed garage. When I returned, rode at 42 degrees and still no heat. Then it warmed up outside (yesterday) 54 degrees and the grip heaters worked fine, nice and warm!

This is still a new bike, just over 1000 miles. Everything else on the bike works as it should. I had a dealer service as scheduled at 600 miles.

Any suggestions?

[angellr]

Schedule a Priest - you might need an exorcism!

[websterize]

Any suggestions?

I'd have the grips fixed under warranty and try out the Gerbing's heated gloves — they put the heated grips to shame.

[lewellen]

Help!
[...]
This is still a new bike, just over 1000 miles. Everything else on the bike works as it should. I had a dealer service as scheduled at 600 miles.

Any suggestions?

Intermittent bad connection, my guess would be in the switchgear but it could be elsewhere upstream of there. (If it were downstream of the switchgear, I'd expect one grip to warm, unless there's a common ground return. Not sure about that.) Stuff generally contracts when it's cold and expands when it's warm, so if the bad joint gets too cold, the wires pull apart just enough to break the circuit.

Or the switch itself could be on one end of the tolerance range, with contacts that j-u-s-t barely don't make contact when it gets too cold.

Since it's under warranty, my first reaction would be to take it to the dealer and let them fix it.

If you want to try some diagnostics yourself first, one thing to try is to change the temperature of the switch and see if it affects the heater operation. If it's a warm day, say, put an ice pack on the switch housing. After half an hour or so, try to turn on the heated grips - if they don't come on, you found the problem.

Or, if you're in a situation where they aren't turning on, you could heat the switch gear with a blow dryer and see if all of a sudden they start working.

Best of luck - electrical problems can be some of the most frustrating to diagnose.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[hortbum]

I also have a 2010. went for a ride in temps of 32 degrees last week and no heat. let it sit for awhile and started it and they worked. I'm going to the dealer this spring for service i will tell them about it.