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Been out today and the grips are on high but they are pretty ineffective. I could replace them with Oxfords which I know are much warmer but just wondered were these original grips ever effective and if so is it possible to restore them? It won't be pretty with oxfords on but I don't fancy paying over a ton to BMW each side for new grips if it's the wiring and switch that's at fault. Or are the grips just a low amperage like the Oxford commuter grips for 125's?

Suppose I could just wire direct to the battery to check if it's the wiring causing high resistance.

Britisherspy wrote:Been out today and the grips are on high but they are pretty ineffective. I could replace them with Oxfords which I know are much warmer but just wondered were these original grips ever effective and if so is it possible to restore them? It won't be pretty with oxfords on but I don't fancy paying over a ton to BMW each side for new grips if it's the wiring and switch that's at fault. Or are the grips just a low amperage like the Oxford commuter grips for 125's?

Suppose I could just wire direct to the battery to check if it's the wiring causing high resistance.

On both my 11S and my current 12S I generally found/find that setting number two is too high after a relatively short time. However I don't venture out at this time of year so I never experienced them in freezing conditions. I still think there might be a problem with your grips though.

Britisherspy wrote:Been out today and the grips are on high but they are pretty ineffective. I could replace them with Oxfords which I know are much warmer but just wondered were these original grips ever effective and if so is it possible to restore them? It won't be pretty with oxfords on but I don't fancy paying over a ton to BMW each side for new grips if it's the wiring and switch that's at fault. Or are the grips just a low amperage like the Oxford commuter grips for 125's?

Suppose I could just wire direct to the battery to check if it's the wiring causing high resistance.

I had exactly the same problem with my R1100RS.
They were working, so current was getting through, but they were very weak even at the high setting.
It turned out to be a bad connection at the switch.
Duly replaced, and now toasty

Can only speak for the 12S but too hot on high setting after 5 minutes, worse at low speed than high obviously. Sounds like yours have a problem.

Right I shall investigate.

Hi Steve

They were always nice and hot on the old girl when I had her. (tested after the new grips fitted) the left one was always a bit slower to get up to temperature though.

Good luck sorting it.

Like Skiddy, my 11S bars are too hot on high at slow speeds and the left bar is always slower to warm up.
On the 12S, they were ok but not as warm as the 11S, probably because there were grip puppies fitted.

The left grip is colder than the right because the right grip is insulated from the ally bar by the plastic throttle tube. Both of mine were the same.

I could do with a bit more heat really. I would prefer if the low setting was a bit warmer so I could use high to warm them up fast and low to keep them warm. I've given thought to shortening the feed wires since there's so much excess to try to achieve that but have resisted it so far for fear of knackering them.

Ive powered the grips on full just running off the battery And they max out around 35 degrees.

Traced the grip wiring to in front of the ecu and they are getting 12.8 v.

I'd like them a lot warmer than that.

Had a look at the switch on the bars and I can remove the switch holder but not separate it to get to the contacts for the heated grips. How do you take the switch unit out of the black plastic case?

I've been out an tested them with the motor running, just in case it made a difference - it doesn't, max out at 35 degrees on high, fall down to about 25 on low.

So I've bought some heated gloves - the Stormguard by EX02 - very nice and warm on the back of the hand and fingers/thumb. Pretty difficult to get under the cuffs of my jacket if its gonna rain but doable.

It could be the switch - sold as a complete unit by BMW for over £250. For now I'll try and remove the switch and dismantle it - but its another panels off, tank off faff I can do without. And I dont want to destroy the switchgear.

While I was up at D&K's yesterday I had a bit of a look at other bikes and if I had to replace the grips with another set, I think the ones on the Triumph Sprint ST looked the least intrusive.

Britisherspy wrote:I've been out an tested them with the motor running, just in case it made a difference - it doesn't, max out at 35 degrees on high, fall down to about 25 on low.

So I've bought some heated gloves - the Stormguard by EX02 - very nice and warm on the back of the hand and fingers/thumb. Pretty difficult to get under the cuffs of my jacket if its gonna rain but doable.

It could be the switch - sold as a complete unit by BMW for over £250. For now I'll try and remove the switch and dismantle it - but its another panels off, tank off faff I can do without. And I dont want to destroy the switchgear.

While I was up at D&K's yesterday I had a bit of a look at other bikes and if I had to replace the grips with another set, I think the ones on the Triumph Sprint ST looked the least intrusive.

Have a look at these. I fitted the Harley specific ones to a mates XR1200R and they work really well. These allow one to retain the standard grips (provided you don't have to butcher them) but also any grips you want as you just install the grips over the heater elements.

The link is for the fancy stepped heat setting but there's a more basic high/low version for half the price.

http://www.windingroads.co.uk/shop/prod ... heat-demon

Have a look at these. I fitted the Harley specific ones to a mates XR1200R and they work really well. These allow one to retain the standard grips (provided you don't have to butcher them) but also any grips you want as you just install the grips over the heater elements.

The link is for the fancy stepped heat setting but there's a more basic high/low version for half the price.

http://www.windingroads.co.uk/shop/prod ... heat-demon[/quote]

Look good thanks. How hot do they get I wonder?