Oxford Heated Grips Control Panel - Where have you put yours?

[T7norway]

Pretty happy with the cable routing. Followed the clutch and throttle cables down to behind the lower steering head bearing, and back to the battery on the right side of the bike.

[Burnsey]

Popped mine away from the bars and it sits on an OEM point between the bike and Camel anti-bobble head bracket on the right side. I chopped it down a little, redrilled a hole to suit and sprayed it matt black too.

 

After install it was dark and realised it isn't backlit, so was a bit tricky and just took a trip to get used to what button is where.

 

Could have installed either side, but it's not the type of thing I need to change on the move, so went for the right being right handed.

[Ray Ride4life]

4 hours ago, Burnsey said:

it's not the type of thing I need to change on the move

Until you mix the country roads with highway or even covered by trees on one part and in the windy open fields the next.
Then you might want to turn it up a bit and you have to choose between the long (cross)way with left or let go of the throttle.

[Burnsey]

Just now, Ray Ride4life said:

Until you mix the country roads with highway or even covered by trees on one part and in the windy open fields the next.
Then you might want to turn it up a bit and you have to choose between the long (cross)way with left or let go of the throttle.

 

To be fair, I'm not competing, so if I can't wait until the next junction, I can let off for two seconds and be fine.

 

If it's cold, they will be on anyway, so the temperature won't drop to unbearable in the blink of an eye.

 

It's fine there Ray, hate cluttered handlebars.

[Ray Ride4life]

16 minutes ago, Burnsey said:

 

To be fair, I'm not competing, so if I can't wait until the next junction, I can let off for two seconds and be fine.

 

If it's cold, they will be on anyway, so the temperature won't drop to unbearable in the blink of an eye.

 

It's fine there Ray, hate cluttered handlebars.

You might be surprised but i don't know the when and where of your rides, most of my reactions are based on my own experiences and the rest what i learned from others.
I commute to work every day and i have to be at work around 6:40 (CET) to open up and not being a morning person i take the fast way to work and the country road plus some offroad back home.
When i get to the highway it can cool down quick with no possibility to stop the first 10km.
If it works for you it's all that matter on your bike but it might be a thing to think about for someone else.

[Wintersdark]

On 12/15/2021 at 12:44 PM, Ray Ride4life said:

Until you mix the country roads with highway or even covered by trees on one part and in the windy open fields the next.
Then you might want to turn it up a bit and you have to choose between the long (cross)way with left or let go of the throttle.

I'm with you here.  For sure, anywhere that works for a given rider is good for them, but IMHO it's not a good spot to recommend for someone asking where to mount them, as the problems may not be readily apparent if they've never used these heated grips before.  I don't even like mine on the right side handlebars because I hate taking my hand off the throttle to adjust them, so when I've had them on the right in the past I've always taken my hand off the left grip and reached across to push buttons.

 

As to being mounted under the display... That's crazy.  I can't imagine trying to work that while riding.  Mind you, I've got huge hands to start with, and when you add bulkier winter gloves to the mix as well, that'd never work for me.  Though it seems many people don't adjust theirs while riding?  I guess my use case is more extreme than most, but it's really common for me to ride through a *wide* range of temperatures in a given ride basically any time in the year.   I need easy (and safe!) adjustment of heat accessible all the time.

 

For me, it's 100% left mirror mount.  Not the mirror stem itself as every time I mount something there, I can never get the mirror to stop rotating afterwards.  But the clamp - as multiple people have shown above, just mounting it to the bolt on the bottom of the left mirror mount gets you nice thumb reachable buttons off the left grip, and kind of integrates nicely with the left switchgear.  

[Burnsey]

26 minutes ago, Wintersdark said:

I'm with you here.  For sure, anywhere that works for a given rider is good for them, but IMHO it's not a good spot to recommend for someone asking where to mount them, as the problems may not be readily apparent if they've never used these heated grips before.  I don't even like mine on the right side handlebars because I hate taking my hand off the throttle to adjust them, so when I've had them on the right in the past I've always taken my hand off the left grip and reached across to push buttons.

 

As to being mounted under the display... That's crazy.  I can't imagine trying to work that while riding.  Mind you, I've got huge hands to start with, and when you add bulkier winter gloves to the mix as well, that'd never work for me.  Though it seems many people don't adjust theirs while riding?  I guess my use case is more extreme than most, but it's really common for me to ride through a *wide* range of temperatures in a given ride basically any time in the year.   I need easy (and safe!) adjustment of heat accessible all the time.

 

For me, it's 100% left mirror mount.  Not the mirror stem itself as every time I mount something there, I can never get the mirror to stop rotating afterwards.  But the clamp - as multiple people have shown above, just mounting it to the bolt on the bottom of the left mirror mount gets you nice thumb reachable buttons off the left grip, and kind of integrates nicely with the left switchgear.  

 

Let's not turn turn my post into a safety announcement lads.

 

It is less distance to reach than closing my visor, so inject some reality please...

 

BUT, it would only be (minimally) unsafe if operated whilst riding. As per the ABS button, you HAVE to stop to make a change should you mount in the position I have if you want to ensure both hands remain on the handlebars.

 

If I lived where you guys do, yes, the controller would be on the handlebars, but we very rarely go below zero here and can make a sensible decision prior to starting a journey, whether or not heating is required.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2021 by Burnsey

[Wintersdark]

9 hours ago, Burnsey said:

 

Let's not turn turn my post into a safety announcement lads.

 

It is less distance to reach than closing my visor, so inject some reality please...

 

BUT, it would only be (minimally) unsafe if operated whilst riding. As per the ABS button, you HAVE to stop to make a change should you mount in the position I have if you want to ensure both hands remain on the handlebars.

 

If I lived where you guys do, yes, the controller would be on the handlebars, but we very rarely go below zero here and can make a sensible decision prior to starting a journey, whether or not heating is required.

 

 

Oh for sure, I wasn't going off on some safety tirade there, sorry for giving that impression.  I merely personally dislike reaching, but I definitely don't think having to reach for something is some big safety issue.  Hell, I spend a great deal of time riding with my hands off the bars entirely, so I'm definitely not someone to preach about that.   

 

Where I talked about under the display (my second paragraph), I didn't mean your post at all (which is beside) but rather @DT675's - and again, only from my personal experience - if you never adjust them while riding then that's not really relevant.  Mostly because I find just reaching the keys with gloves on to be a challenge, let alone reaching down into the front end to push buttons.  To each their own, but that positioning would be incredibly difficult for me to use with the bike stopped.  

 

 

[Ray Ride4life]

I have a little problems with the heated gloves, bit of bad luck with the first pair not working properly, the second pair stopped working and the third pair the right stopped working.
Now it started freezing and the heated gloves are send back again (got new pairs without questioning every time) i finally discovered the complains about the OEM heated grips because they get lukewarm at best.
On the test ride the front was torqued which was straightened before i picked him up but when i got to setting up de bike properly i discovered that the handlebar also was bend and i'm awaiting for the new one which will be send under warranty (asked for the black one from the Rally which is granted) and i think i won't switch the OEM to the new handlebar but buy the Oxford, need a proper back up for my trips because i don't want to stop to switch gloves when i ride in the mountains where it can get cold at the summit.
I think i will put the controller on the left site of the display but will have a look when i get to work on it. First have to wait for the handlebar, it seems the supply chain has a weak link.

[Burnsey]

53 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

I have a little problems with the heated gloves, bit of bad luck with the first pair not working properly, the second pair stopped working and the third pair the right stopped working.
Now it started freezing and the heated gloves are send back again (got new pairs without questioning every time) i finally discovered the complains about the OEM heated grips because they get lukewarm at best.
On the test ride the front was torqued which was straightened before i picked him up but when i got to setting up de bike properly i discovered that the handlebar also was bend and i'm awaiting for the new one which will be send under warranty (asked for the black one from the Rally which is granted) and i think i won't switch the OEM to the new handlebar but buy the Oxford, need a proper back up for my trips because i don't want to stop to switch gloves when i ride in the mountains where it can get cold at the summit.
I think i will put the controller on the left site of the display but will have a look when i get to work on it. First have to wait for the handlebar, it seems the supply chain has a weak link.

 

No doubting the Oxford work, but there is a LOT of wiring and limited space for it to travel along.

 

I intend to fix some aux lights, so will have another look at that then.

[DT675]

Ive had mine in the location as mentioned, for about a year now. I like them there. Overall over a 12 month period, I really don't interact with that controller often. When our cold season hits I use the heated grips but usually shortly there-after we get really cold and enough snow that it snuffs out riding all together.  When I do use them I’m not one to change the heat setting as the day goes on much. Or at least when I do its at some stop anyway.   I also have the  handlebar muffs on so I’m always wearing my summer gloves anyway. I personally would not want to exchange that little of use for mounting them on the handlebars and having them there all summer long. But thats just me. To each his own. 

[Poacher]

I have just fitted mine (Oxford heated grips) and have wired them directly to the 'blanked off' plug behind the left hand side panel. They seem to work ok but is this circut 2amp or 10amp? I cant find any info on the left side plug though I think the right hand side plug is a 10amp.

[DT675]

Is the plug you connected to the 3 pin or the 2 pin? I believe the 3 pin is the 10 amp. 

[BLZ2DWL]

Bent the Oxford bracket 180 so it would tuck up tight, and enlarged the the hole to use the mirror mount. Still don't like having a big box on there, but I can live with it. 

 

[Wintersdark]

19 hours ago, DT675 said:

Ive had mine in the location as mentioned, for about a year now. I like them there. Overall over a 12 month period, I really don't interact with that controller often. When our cold season hits I use the heated grips but usually shortly there-after we get really cold and enough snow that it snuffs out riding all together.  When I do use them I’m not one to change the heat setting as the day goes on much. Or at least when I do its at some stop anyway.   I also have the  handlebar muffs on so I’m always wearing my summer gloves anyway. I personally would not want to exchange that little of use for mounting them on the handlebars and having them there all summer long. But thats just me. To each his own. 

For sure, to each their own.  Everyone has their own use cases, needs, wants, and preferences.  Seems crazy to me, but hey, it works for you and that's all that matters.