Datatool heated grips
There are sometimes mixed views on whether or not you should even think about putting heated grips on a bike, ‘they change the feel’, ‘they are too thick’, ‘you’re soft’, ‘they can run the battery down’ etc…
My first experience with heated grips was when I fitted a pair of Oxford ‘Hot Grips’ to my 2010 Fireblade.
To be honest at the time I wasn’t really concerned about how they looked or what anyone else thought. My rationale for fitting them was really quite simple I was struggling with cold hands most of the time, let alone when I was riding my bike.
This was a legacy of the after effects of damage to both my arms and hands following an accident in 2010 on my GSX-R 1000. In practice my enjoyment of riding my bike was being compromised by the cold and stiffness in my fingers and hands – so the heated grips solution seemed the way to go.
They were superb and something of a revelation to me – not only did they keep my hands warm the heat also helped to ease the general stiffness in my hands and fingers. The Oxford grips were swapped to my next bike when I traded the Fireblade for a new CB1000R and they provided some three years of decent service.
When I traded the CB1000R for my new Z1000 SX in May of this year heated grips were high on the list of accessories to fit. I had to look around for new ones though as the unit that switched then on and off and also controlled the temperature had become faulty – so much so that my method for switching them on and off was to remove/replace the under seat fuse – hardly convenient or practical.
The grips that I chose for the Z1000 are the new Datatool Therma Grips and I thought it might be useful to post a short review – and this isn’t a sponsored review in any way it’s just my thoughts and feedback.
The grips are made in the UK and are a pretty straightforward gadget to set up. I was particularly attracted to them because of their different design to other heated grips.
The Datatool grips have the controller built in as an integral part of the left hand grip – there isn’t a separate on/off switch – so there is no separate control box to connect up and find a convenient place to mount and importantly (for me at least) is the fact that you cant accidently leave them on and risk the battery running down as the system works by sensing the voltage of the bike running – or in other words once you stop the bike then the heated grips automatically switch off.
Of course you can solve that issue with other makes by connecting into a suitable wire linked into the ignition but the Datatool approach saves the bother of that. There is a tiny red indicator light built into the right hand grip that flashes when they are switched on … although the fact that your hands are nice and toasty is probably a good enough indicator.
In terms of fitting then they are easy just a straightforward case of making sure the wires are routed neatly and safely and a simple two wire connection to the battery – that’s about it really. The cable is plenty long enough, has an inline fuse fitted and as long as youre capable of finding your way to battery and connecting two wires then that’s just about all the technical expertise that is required.
The instructions that are supplied are clear and straightforward and come in a little glossy booklet with clear colour photographs. The only part of the instructions that merit comment and that made me smile was the stated assumption that the previous grips had been removed ….
The left hand grip did seem to take a bit of an effort to get on and seated correctly and initially the sliding four position heat setting switch in the left hand grip was quite stiff – and I did wonder whether or not I had pushed it on too far. However a spray of silicone lubricant did the trick and the slider now works with ease and perfectly well.
The Datatool product info describes then as having:
‘Large Surface Area – the Therma Grips are of a slightly oversized diameter which provides a larger contact area for the rider, resulting in increased heat transfer and greater comfort when riding in cold conditions’
And that statement is certainly true and my preference would really be for them to have been a little smaller (the Oxford Hot Grips I had previously had were the ‘sports’ style and so were not too much bulkier than the standard OEM rubber fitment. So yes they do add a bit of bulk to the grip and I guess that wont suit everybody but I think the advantages outweigh that and in particular the voltage sensing technology that means you’re not going to end up with a flat battery
In use – well I’ve done about 3,500 on the Z1000 since the end of May and had no problems at all.
So would I recommend them – then the answer is yes, effective and easy to fit and no worries about discharging the battery BUT I would advise that you have a look at the overall thickness of them – I’m not sure that will be to everybody’s taste.
Hi! I´m exactly in the same case as you, looking something to replace my old Oxford Sports heathed grips. I think they are quite a good product, but I wolud like to try something else.
Just have two questions,
– How is Datatools´ heating power compared with Oxford´s?
– The think I most hated from Oxford Sports grips was that they were absolutely hard. I have had original BMW heated grips and I could prove that it´s possible to combine both good heating power and soft touch, Are these Datatool grips soft or hard touch?
Thanks very much
Pep
Thanks for reading my review. They are indeed a good product and I think the automatic switching on/off is really good. I think the heating power is fine – and have more than done the job so far. On your second question I would say they tend towards being hard rather than soft.
The only drawback that I have found is that they are quite bulky especially when compared to the Oxford Sports grips and I would recommend that you check them out for feel and size before you buy.
If Datatool could produce a slimmer version I think they would probably be the perfect heated grip.
As an aside fitting of the grip is incredibly easy and trouble free.
Cheers
Tony
Thanks very much Tony.
From your words I understand that they are softer than Oxfords but harder than a stock rubber grip, isn´t it?
The problem is that I´m Spanish, and here Datatool doesn´t sell their products, so I have to buy them on Internet. Shipping costs are also quite expensive to consider returning them as an option, so I pretend to be quite sure before purchasing.
Thanks again!
Yes definitely harder than stock grip and hard for me to really make a judgement on difference between the Oxford ones as I no longer have them. I can see its difficult for you to be sure before purchase – as I said in earlier post the key thing to be aware of is that they are bulkier
Dear Tony,
I’m thinking about buying some Therma Grips for my MT-09. Could you please tell me what the diameter is of the plastic part, housing the switch and the status-LED?
Furthermore, I read that the overall length is 130 [mm]. My stock grip is 120 [mm]. Did you have the same ‘problem’ at your Kawa?]
Greetz,
Kees
Hello Kees
I cant actually give you those measurements as I no longer have the grips on. I didnt have any problems fitting on the Z1000 as the ends could easily be trimmed with sharp blade and couldnt be seen when bar ends put back on
Tony
Thanks for the blog post, I like the fact these have the built in controller. Having said that it does look like they’ve been discontinued as I’m struggling to find a shop with them in stock, even Amazon has sold out!
They were good grips and you’re right the builtin controller was a real bonus. Have you tried contacting the manufacturer direct?
Yea I contacted them yesterday and they confirmed the heated grips have been discontinued with no plans to replace them. It’s very disappointing as I can’t find any others with a built in controller. Looks like I’ll be getting a pair of Oxford grips!
that’s a shame, is there no one else who does similar?
they are still showing then on website – see this link, but perhaps it’s out of date?
https://www.datatool.co.uk/datatoolinsert/datatool-light.html
There is a pair by Techno Globe but they’re £116, can’t justify that.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tecno-globe-Heated-Handles-Gold/dp/B00H30SX1I
Ouch – that’s pricey. I’ve had mine on a Z1000SX, but traded that last year for a BMW RnineT and that has the OEM heated grips which are great and are of course linked to the ignition so I don’t need to worry about leaving them switched on – good luck with your search, heated grips certainly make a difference!
I am going to purchase a new Kawasaki Ninja 400 very soon and would like to fit a pair of Datatool heated-grips, but all outlets thus far are out of stock.
Who has them in stock.
Thanks
you should find them on ebay for about £60
I think they are the neatest set up I’ve come across. Personally I prefer the larger grips as small grips cramp up my fingers. I’m really pleased with them
Yes they are a very neat solution Paul. Although I must say the BMW factory fitted heated grips work perfectly. Regards Tony