Schneiderman
10-13-2008, 11:44 AM
I bought the Synergy Heated Jacket Liner from Ready Rider's walk-in motorcycle apparel store, you can find my review of their service here: http://www.motorcycleforum.com/showthread.php?t=86950
Total cost from Ready Riders was $175 with a 10% discount.
My first impression upon seeing the jacket was that it was much higher quality than I expected, as well as much lighter and more flexible. It is very comfortable and there is nothing irregular about the fit- I usually wear a size medium in shirts and jackets and the size medium Synergy fits me fine. Also, the jacket stows reasonably small: it should easily fit into just about any saddlebag, tank bag, tailbag, etc however using the packaging it comes in exaggerates its size. I do store it in the package because the cargo capacity of my Concours allows it; if I were to store it in the smaller saddlebags of my Ninja I would forgo the packaging and just roll up the jacket and stick it in by itself.
Everything required is included with the Synergy, I have been told that with other heated liners you need to buy power supplies and controllers separately. Not so with the Synergy, the jacket has a controller installed as well as connectors to hook up the matching gloves or pants right from the jacket without needing to run extra wires. The wiring harness is included and has a fuse built in. Install took under 2 minutes: pop off the seat, uncover the battery, connect it to the battery terminals and put everything back in place. The jacket draws 76 watts.
My first ride with the synergy was very impressive. It was just under 50 degrees, and all I wore was a t-shirt, the Synergy and an Olympia Recon mesh jacket (which I usually wear on only the hottest of days, but I really wanted to give the synergy a good test!). I also wore my short, light gloves in place of my Icon Merc's or insulated Arctiva gloves. What I found out quickly is that the Synergy is HOT. It only takes about a minute to warm up but once it gets there, you know it.
Heat is displaced evenly for the most part, there are a couple very minor hot-spots particularly in the arms but I really only notice it if my arms are in a certain position (not riding position). After a few rides I have noticed that my hands stay warmer while wearing the liner, which is what I had hoped for- using the Synergy liner will extend the usability of my Icon Merc gloves down to below 50 degrees.
As temps have been in the 45-60 degree range recently I so far have only been running the liner on "low", and usually only for a few minutes at a time. I am very happy with the Synergy in every regard. To date it is the single most expensive item of gear I have purchased, but I think it is some of the best money I have ever spent. I have no doubt that it saves me money in the long run since I don't need to buy any more gear specifically for winter riding.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0302.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0308.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0309.jpg
Total cost from Ready Riders was $175 with a 10% discount.
My first impression upon seeing the jacket was that it was much higher quality than I expected, as well as much lighter and more flexible. It is very comfortable and there is nothing irregular about the fit- I usually wear a size medium in shirts and jackets and the size medium Synergy fits me fine. Also, the jacket stows reasonably small: it should easily fit into just about any saddlebag, tank bag, tailbag, etc however using the packaging it comes in exaggerates its size. I do store it in the package because the cargo capacity of my Concours allows it; if I were to store it in the smaller saddlebags of my Ninja I would forgo the packaging and just roll up the jacket and stick it in by itself.
Everything required is included with the Synergy, I have been told that with other heated liners you need to buy power supplies and controllers separately. Not so with the Synergy, the jacket has a controller installed as well as connectors to hook up the matching gloves or pants right from the jacket without needing to run extra wires. The wiring harness is included and has a fuse built in. Install took under 2 minutes: pop off the seat, uncover the battery, connect it to the battery terminals and put everything back in place. The jacket draws 76 watts.
My first ride with the synergy was very impressive. It was just under 50 degrees, and all I wore was a t-shirt, the Synergy and an Olympia Recon mesh jacket (which I usually wear on only the hottest of days, but I really wanted to give the synergy a good test!). I also wore my short, light gloves in place of my Icon Merc's or insulated Arctiva gloves. What I found out quickly is that the Synergy is HOT. It only takes about a minute to warm up but once it gets there, you know it.
Heat is displaced evenly for the most part, there are a couple very minor hot-spots particularly in the arms but I really only notice it if my arms are in a certain position (not riding position). After a few rides I have noticed that my hands stay warmer while wearing the liner, which is what I had hoped for- using the Synergy liner will extend the usability of my Icon Merc gloves down to below 50 degrees.
As temps have been in the 45-60 degree range recently I so far have only been running the liner on "low", and usually only for a few minutes at a time. I am very happy with the Synergy in every regard. To date it is the single most expensive item of gear I have purchased, but I think it is some of the best money I have ever spent. I have no doubt that it saves me money in the long run since I don't need to buy any more gear specifically for winter riding.
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0302.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0308.jpg
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd185/schneiderman07/100_0309.jpg