Electric vest or full jacket liner

[toadshoney]

With the morning temps down to 30 deg and below, I am starting to seriously consider electricly heated liners.

Has any one used both a vest and a full jacket liner that can speak to any advantage one has over the other? I realize the sleeves in a full jacket are heated as well as the core, does it make a difference?

Thanks

Dean

[Corigan]

No idea about the vest, but I love my full sleeved gerbing liner. It's like having a giant electric blanket wrapped around you while going down the road.

[vgreid]

I have the 65 watt first gear full jacket liner. It worked great and I highly recommend. It also has a high collar that keeps your neck warm. So I would go for the full jacket and not the vest.

[Convict1997]

I made a vest. I chose the vest over the full jacket for a couple of reasons:

1. I had a precut length of wire and I wanted to get the most coverage available. Sleeves would have eaten up a lot of it.

2. I was worried that the constant flexing of the elbows and shoulders would cause a break in one of the wires.

3. I wanted something that would fold down as small as possible to take up the smallest amount of room in the saddlebag.

I'm sure it would be nice to have the full liner but, since I've never had it, I don't have to know what I'm missing. Either way, I say go for it. It makes such a big difference.

[justinmahn]

Wind breakers for the grips, and/or heated gloves may be all you need.

[adlowe]

I have a Widder vest and have been using it for 15 years. It works GREAT. Definitely worth what I spent on it.

But I'm switching to a Gerbing's jacket liner -- maybe when the motorcycle show comes to town in January. The sleeves will probably only make a meaningful difference 15% of the time I use the vest, maybe a little more. The difference will be HUGE those times, though.

The other advantage is that I'll be able to use the jacket liner at my destination and not have to carry a windbreaker with me. If I get a battery pack, I can fare better on those cold mountain nights with Paulie drinking VO. (He drinks the VO. I'm sticking with bourbon.)

The switch will mean replacing my Widder electric gloves. I don't use them much, maybe 15% of the time I use the vest, but the difference is HUGE when I use them.

[joe in calif]

I have an electric vest for many years and love it. I never had a full electric jacket liner so I can't speak for that but I do have a quilted liner from another jacket that keeps my arms warm.

[MikeB]

I have just the vest (Widder) and it's served me well down to freezing temps and in snow flurries. I'm sure a full liner would make my riding more comfortable -- but so would a full-zoot $29,000 Goldwing 1800 with all the bells and whistles. It's a question of what's enough rather than what's the best.

Convict1997's comment about packability is important, too. When I'm touring I like to have all my clothing options available for all weather contingencies, and that takes up space.

[John Hopkins]

Warm underware, plenty of layers under your leather jacket, two pair of pants, jeans, trousers, good socks, a scarf, boots and gloves, and heated grips that can be switched on to prevent that really cold numb feeling then switched on again..If you are doing short journeys using too much heated gear can drain the battery faster than the bike can charge it and if you are doing really long journeys you do not want to run out of battery miles from anywhere in bad weather.

Just my opinion based on my own riding experiences.

John.

[RIDETHEREJK]

Originally Posted by Corigan

No idea about the vest, but I love my full sleeved gerbing liner. It's like having a giant electric blanket wrapped around you while going down the road.

+1!