Keis Heated Vest & Gloves Review

[Twisted2004]

Morning all,

Thought I'd take the plunge and try out some heated clothing this year. With my previous bikes I've had oxford heated grips and also the wrap overs. I know exactly what is required to keep my hands warm and from the 5 or 6 winters that I've riddin. Obviously building up layers to keep your core warm really helps. Secondly if you can, heated grips with muffs over the top and you'll be toasty all day long.

However, heated grips and muffs my fireblade isn't the direction i really want to go in this year. So time to give the heated clothing a go.

I bought:-

- KEIS Heated Waist Coat
- KEIS Heated Undergloves
- KEIS Heat Controller was thrown in for free

All purchased from:-

https://www.motohaus.com/acatalog/Keis.html

Delivered the next day by UPS.

So far I've managed to unpack everything and check all the connections are in order and everything fits. My main concern was how bulky the undergloves will be in combination with my winter gloves. Had a quick check yesterday and although they do add some slight restriction to movement, nothing major to please so far.

https://twistedbiking.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/09112010248small.jpg

The waist coat feels like its a good quality product. Fits nicely. Been told to wear a t-shirt underneath then build layers on top.

The gloves connect directly to the a connector near the arm pit of the waist coat. One wire connects both gloves in a 'Y' shape wire. The waist coat plugs into the controller which has a couple of settings on it. The controller then connects the connector that runs to the battery.

Going to wire it up to my battery now. Will give you all an update on how that phase goes. After that, a ride in the cold to check out how effective they are!

Back soon.





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Current : Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak (For Sale)

[supZ]

so you cant just have the gloves on their own you need he vest to plug into?

ive been considering some heated undergloves but just the gloves, dont need anything else and dont want to compromise on my existing gloves.
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[Twisted2004]

[Walloper]

I have used Klan (and still have one yet) But my friendly HG agent recommended the Kies last year. Better by a country mile than the Klan.

The only critique I have is that the heated neck collar is an important part missing from my Kies where as the Klan has this as an integral part.

Operationally the Kies does exactly as it says on the tin.

I wouldn't bother with heated under-gloves as you loose too much sensitivity, I think. But if you suffer from severe cold hands then they work.
But I also bought Klan inner gloves (not for me) but they take ages to warm up and I don't think they are worth the dosh.

My Klan was ordered too small but I was using it for a week or two before investigating why it was so fcuking tight....

It was the online order thing.
I'd ticked the Fat Bastart box for size but I scrolled down to the next option which of course changed the one above. (Stupid fcuking on-line ordering)

ANYBODY INTERESTED IN A HARDLY USED KLAN HEATED WAISTCOAT SIZE SMALL?????
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[DrDonnyBrago]

[crazyjoyce]

ive got that waistcoat...

its really good in the depths of winter and i only turn it up to full when its reallllllly cold and on the motorway for hours on end.

i'd wear a few layers under it though else the heated bits get really hot against your skin.

be interested to know how well the gloves work.

oh and another thing i want to do it lengthen the thermostat cabling so it doesnt get involved with trousers/bottom of jacket etc

[Moo.]

If you want something cheaper (but dont know how good it is compared) Maplins is selling heated vests and gloves etc.. atm quite cheaply
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A2 Passed 18/6/10

[Tristan.]

I have the keis vest. Don't like it at all. I go home and back at christmas, ~350 miles each way and tried it with the jacket. At the lower heats I didn't notice a difference, at the middle ones my torso became uncomfortably hot but my arms where still freezing and due to the heat pad placement on my kidneys it made me feel really sick and need to piss a lot at all heats. I turned it off halfway into the journey and haven't used it since. Gloves sound nice though.

[chris-red]

I'll stick with Hand guards Heated grips and a decent jacket and gloves, hasn't failed me in the depths of winter before.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Walloper]

Heated clothing is good so you don't need to bother with layer and the bulk they cause.
But woe betide the man/woman who's only got a heated jaikit and no layers when the electric dies.....
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Twisted2004]

Right, so I i've tested everything out and here is the verdict.......i'm very pleased!!

I tested the gloves and heated vest by going for a 130mile ride. Tried to vary the journey, some 'a roads', 'b roads' and a 30min sus

tained motorway journey.

The vest is really toasty! Around town i had to turn it down cus it felt like my back was on fire. But when your consistently riding you can feel it at all. Your just nice and toasty with no remote feeling of a chill. This particularly evident on the motorway.

In the many winters i've been through, my body never really get that really cold because i usually have a couple of layers on and my winter jacket. With the heated vest i think i'll just be more comfortable.

Now the gloves, i'm wearing them in combination with under my hein gericke three fingered gloves. Although they bulk up my gloves a little bit, its nothing worth compaining about. Generally all of my winter gloves have been bulky, so no big deal. Heat wise my hand remained warm and toasty for the whole time they were on. I turned them off for about 20mins just to be certain they were keeping my hands warm. As soon as they were turned off my hands begun to cool very quickly and only then did i realise how warm the gloves were keeping my hands.

The only drawback that im feeling at the moment is the general extra effort involved in having an extra bit of kit to manage. Putting it on, making sure its wire correctly, then obviously taking them off after a ride. In all honesty i wont be wearing them on a short ride down the road. But anything else they definately get hooked up. I'll probably wire it up in my jacket properly next time i go out.

Overall im really please.

If i had a commuter bike i'd probably go for the heated wrap overs and muffs as well as the heated vest. But putting muffs on the blade is not, in my opinion, a good look! (..and they'd probably restrict the bars from turning)

Hope this helps and gives people an idea about the KEIS gloves and vest.
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Previous : DT125 > XJ600S > YZF1000R > Honda CBR1000RR-8 Fireblade (White) - Stolen > Honda CBR125R> Honda CBR1000RR-8 Fireblade (Red)
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