FAQ
Choosing the right size | Handle bar, grips, mounted accessories | Heat transfer | Warranty | Trouble shooting | Videos
Choosing the right size
Q: How do I determine the required size of the heaters?
A: It is the simple rule that the order size equals the inner diameter of the handlebar rounded down to the nearest mm. Example: inside diameter is 18.0 mm, ordering size is 18 mm. Inside diameter is 17,9 mm, ordering size is 17 mm. 18.4 mm inner diameter results in ordering size 18 mm. The inner diameter can best be determined with the aid of a round part that fits as precisely as possible. A drill shaft, piece of round material, or a similar tool. Make sure that this cartridge dummy can be inserted 11 cm into the handlebar without jamming. You should select a heating cartridge that can be inserted without force, but with the least possible allowance in the handlebar tube. All heating cartridges have an undersize of at least 2/100 mm.
Q: Does the grip heating fit into my motorcycle type XYZ from whomever?
A: If you are unsure, you should measure the inner diameter of the handle bar and check if appropriate installation space is available for the heating cartridges. There is no database from which we could get the data.
Handle bar / Grips / Bar end mounted accessories
Q: Does one feel the heat through the throttle sleeve made of plastic?
A: Surprisingly you'll feel the heat even earlier than on the clutch side. The reason is that you hold the throttle grip more tight.
Q: Is it possible to mount the grip heating into a 1 inch handlebar?
A: Measure the required size and simply order the appropriate cartridge heaters here in the shop. There are all sizes from 12-22 mm. The standard Harley or Cruiser handlebar requires 21 or 22mm heating cartridges. But don't rely on this, always do the measurement!
Q: Does the grip heating fit into aluminium handlebars?
A: We have heating cartridges also for aluminium handlebars (inner diameter 12-14 mm), they can be ordered right here in the shop.
Q: Concerning the grips, anything to obey here?
A: Most important is to stay away from foam grips, as these are good insulators. Meaning you won't get the proper level of warmth comfort. Therefore these should not be used, just solid rubber, metal or combinations thereof. It is also important to properly glue the grips on the handle bar, so that they can't start rotating or moving when getting hot. A suitable adhesive is available here in the shop.
Q: Is it possible to combine handlebar end indicators with Coolride grip heating systems?
A: Unfortunately the combination of grip heating systems with bar end indicators is not possible. There are multiple reasons for this:
- Most handlebar end indicators work with LED. These are sensitive to heat. If the turn indicator gets heat from the heating cartridges, this reduces the life of the LED or leads to failure of the turn indicator within a short time.
- LED bar end indicators are usually one-piece, as there is no need to replace the bulb. Thus, there is no way to get the positive wire of the turn signal out of the banjo bolt. Drilling or passing cables through the center of the heating cartridge is not possible for technical reasons.
- Also, it is not advisable to simply route the indicator cable beneath the cartridge. The turn signal cable is not sufficiently temperature-resistant and the cartridge would have to be glued in with great play. This in turn would lead to an off-center positioning of the heating cartridge and a poor heat transfer, which in turn stresses the temperature susceptible wire of the handlebar end indicator even more.
F: How do I get the cables from the handlebar's inside out again?
A: There are different options to do this:
- As described in the installation instruction through an 8mm hole between the handlebar clamps
- Through the already existing holes of a handlebar prepared for internal cable routing
- Through the risers (Choppers / Custombikes)
- Through 2 holes of 5mm underneath the control units, the wires add to the original wiring harness of the control unit
Q: Isn't it dangerous to drill into the handlebars?
A: No, not if one considers the installation instructions. It is only an 8 mm hole drilled. This is located between the handlebar clamps, which means that the the handlebar is almost not charged with force at this point, because the bending and torsion forces are taken up by the handlebar clamps. Hundreds of customers and ourselves are using this system since many years, but whether the customers nor we ever had problems with broken handlebars. By the way, would it be dangerous to use a handlebar with inner cable routing? The holes are much larger, at the same thickness of tube material. More dangerous is when a heated rubber grip has twisted unnoticed and you suddenly aren't able any more to turn the throttle grip, because that cable is taut!
Q: Could authorities complain about drilling into the handlebars at an official inspection?
A: We cannot give you, unfortunately, a legally binding answer on this question. Please contact your local authority for technical inspection of vehicles. However, we do not know of any case in which our system has caused trouble during the official technical inspection.
Heat Transfer
Q: Isn't there a big heat loss through the handlebar tube?
A: Although there isa certain loss of heat in longitudinal direction, this is only a fraction of the amount of heat energy that is successfully transferred into the rider's hands as intended. Most important here is a comparison of the areas which are available for heat transfer. The full girthed area of the heating cartridges is used for the intentional heat transfer into the rider's hands. This is for example 18mm * 80mm * pi = 4522mm ². In longitudinal direction the handlebar's cross-sectional area is available for heat transfer. In our example this is 20mm ("neutral fibre") * pi * 2 mm = 126mm ². So the majority of heat is transferred into the grips and therefore into the rider's hands as intended.
Q: My right hand is warmer than the left hand. Why is that?
A: The reason is that you hold the throttle grip more tight. Usually this equals out after a familiarization phase.
Q: My palms are warm, but the fingers remain cold.
A: In this case, there is probably an Arctic cold. Cover-Ups for the hands are a big relief.
Q: What do I do with a low power alternator?
A: While it is theoretically possible to customize the grip heating with lower power, but this will lead to an unsatisfactory warmth comfort. Unfortunately, we can only recommend you in this case to mount a stronger alternator or to change the motorcycle. There should be about 75W power margin to supply the grip heating.
Warranty
Q: What's about warranty?
A: We give a full 5 year warranty on all products manufactured by us. These are "Grip Heating System Standard", "Grip Heating System Deluxe", "PCU-5" and "PCU-5TC". This is an expression of trust in outstanding quality and reliability of our products.
Trouble Shooting
Q: How can I ever get the heating cartridges out of the handle bar again?
A: Basically, a defect in the cartridge heater is almost impossible. The extraction becomes relevant when the handlebar must be replaced after a fall. All heating cartridges supplied after March 2017 can be uninstalled as follows:
Remove all parts (grips, levers, fixtures etc.) from the handle bar. Heat the area where the cartridge is glued into to 180°C/350°F using a soft burner flame. Monitor the temperature tightly using an infrared thermometer as temperatures above 180°C/350°F may damage the cartridge. Then pull out the heating cartridge with a pulling hammer or alternatively with a screw and a pair of pliers. Make sure that the connection wires are pushed through the hole in the handlebar tube and that their insulation is not damaged.
Q: After a while the throttle grip becomes difficult to move. Why does this happen?
A: At elevated temperatures the handle bar's steel material tends to rust more quickly. Put a little bit grease on the outer side of your steel handle bar underneath the throttle sleeve to prevent this.
Informations about sizing and heating capacity
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