louturks
12-30-2008, 06:41 PM
Okay, so I went ahead and spent the big bucks for Harley Battery Operated Gloves. I went the Ebay route and payed $165.00 for the gloves, if you go to the dealer cost, $170. I spent $65 for the 2 batteries needed for the gloves, dealer cost, $75.
First of all, when you buy these gloves the only thing they come with are the charger, no batteries. Why, I don't know, maybe to get another $65-$75 out of you, cost of the batteries. That I thought, not good.
The quality of the gloves are very good. The charger has 2 separate wires coming from it so you can charge 2 batteries at once. At 1 bar left of charge state, it took 3-4 hours to charge. In the owners manual it states if you charge 2 batteries at one time, it would take 6 hours from a fully drained state. The batteries are 7.4v Lithium. The are 2 3/4" long, 2" wide. They weigh 4 oz. each. The top of the glove has a pouch where you place the battery, connect the plug, then zip it shut. It has a window so you can see the battery setting and push the button to select the setting. To connect the battery to the glove, you insert the plug on the glove to battery, then choose the settings. There are 4 settings, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The highest setting I rode in 20 degree weather and my fingers never got cold. Speed 65mph. In 40 degree weather I rode on the 50% setting. Today it was 50 degrees and never had to use the battery. The nice thing I like are these are so comfortable, you can ride in the cold all the time. I don't need separate winter gloves.
Now, the negative part. And these times are the times stated in the manual. If you use these at 25% setting, you get 4 hours time out of the battery. 50%= 2 hrs, 75%= 1.5 hrs, 100%= 1hr. I rode with them at 100% power and it did last exactly 1 hour. When the battery gets low the green light starts flashing on the setting you have.
If I was going to ride any long distance, I would buy another pair of batteries to have as spare.
I have a pair of heated gloves that work off the battery of the motorcycle and I think that at it's highest setting 100%, the battery operated gloves give off about equal heat.
In conclusion, would I buy them again? Yes, I used these when I shoveled snow and ride my bicycle when the temperature was in the teens and my hands never got cold. So these can be used anytime you go out in the cold. And when your riding your motorcycle, you don't have the wires to fuss with, using regular heated gloves.
Is it worth the money and would I recommend them? Well, I would go with the heated gloves that work off the motorcycle battery. I have a pair of them also. They are the best bet in my opinion, if you can stand the wires. But let me say this, I spent well over the amount I paid for these battery operated gloves, trying different non heated Winter gloves. None of them kept my fingers warm when I was riding when it was 20 degrees out. These battery operated gloves, kept my hands warm in the 20's.
The only thing I have yet to find out is the life overall of the batteries. In the manual, they state you can get 500 charges.
But I happen to have the $250 to spend to try these out. I know, it's a lot of money to spend for warm hands.
Here are some pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230893/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230899/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230919/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230909/
First of all, when you buy these gloves the only thing they come with are the charger, no batteries. Why, I don't know, maybe to get another $65-$75 out of you, cost of the batteries. That I thought, not good.
The quality of the gloves are very good. The charger has 2 separate wires coming from it so you can charge 2 batteries at once. At 1 bar left of charge state, it took 3-4 hours to charge. In the owners manual it states if you charge 2 batteries at one time, it would take 6 hours from a fully drained state. The batteries are 7.4v Lithium. The are 2 3/4" long, 2" wide. They weigh 4 oz. each. The top of the glove has a pouch where you place the battery, connect the plug, then zip it shut. It has a window so you can see the battery setting and push the button to select the setting. To connect the battery to the glove, you insert the plug on the glove to battery, then choose the settings. There are 4 settings, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. The highest setting I rode in 20 degree weather and my fingers never got cold. Speed 65mph. In 40 degree weather I rode on the 50% setting. Today it was 50 degrees and never had to use the battery. The nice thing I like are these are so comfortable, you can ride in the cold all the time. I don't need separate winter gloves.
Now, the negative part. And these times are the times stated in the manual. If you use these at 25% setting, you get 4 hours time out of the battery. 50%= 2 hrs, 75%= 1.5 hrs, 100%= 1hr. I rode with them at 100% power and it did last exactly 1 hour. When the battery gets low the green light starts flashing on the setting you have.
If I was going to ride any long distance, I would buy another pair of batteries to have as spare.
I have a pair of heated gloves that work off the battery of the motorcycle and I think that at it's highest setting 100%, the battery operated gloves give off about equal heat.
In conclusion, would I buy them again? Yes, I used these when I shoveled snow and ride my bicycle when the temperature was in the teens and my hands never got cold. So these can be used anytime you go out in the cold. And when your riding your motorcycle, you don't have the wires to fuss with, using regular heated gloves.
Is it worth the money and would I recommend them? Well, I would go with the heated gloves that work off the motorcycle battery. I have a pair of them also. They are the best bet in my opinion, if you can stand the wires. But let me say this, I spent well over the amount I paid for these battery operated gloves, trying different non heated Winter gloves. None of them kept my fingers warm when I was riding when it was 20 degrees out. These battery operated gloves, kept my hands warm in the 20's.
The only thing I have yet to find out is the life overall of the batteries. In the manual, they state you can get 500 charges.
But I happen to have the $250 to spend to try these out. I know, it's a lot of money to spend for warm hands.
Here are some pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230893/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230899/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230919/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7341106@N03/3151230909/