So I've had the Kanetsu Airvantage heated vest for a while.
Kanetsu Airvantage Heated Vest ($197)
It's a good vest and all, but there is a problem. It doesn't work
well with the entire BMW Rally 2 Pro suit and the Leatt
neck brace. What's wrong? Simple. The Kanetsu
Airvantage vest is so thick under the Rally 2 Pro that it causes the
Leatt neck brace to rise up and jam up against the helmet. This
makes for a very uncomfortable ride. The other day, while surfing
the http://www.aerostitch.com,
I ran across something new they're
offering for heated clothing. It's called the Aerostitch Electric
Warmbib. "Now that's a notion," I said to myself. I think
this will solve all of my warm clothing option without compromising the
Leatt Neck brace.
Aerostitch Electric Warmbib
At a mere $67 a pop, it's quite reasonable. So I went ahead and
got myself one.
There are two advantages to the warmbib:
It's small so it can be easily stowed away in the Vario top case.
It's also small enough that it doesn't require a whole of
electrical power to
operate.
I cut a whole on the side of my Givi tank bag and installed a BMW
accessory plug. Now I'm ready to keep myself warm on those cold
winter days.
Givi hard foam tank bag.
Despite the fact the Warmbib doesn't cover the entire body, heating
just the front torso appears to do the job. I'm sure the dual
function heated bib/windbreaker also helps. What impresses me the
most is the fact the Warmbib works with all of my other powered
accessories on the R12R's stock BMW accessory plug without causing the
Can-Bus to throw a fault. This would have never worked with the
Kanetsu Airvantage Heated Vest as the vest requires much more
power. I also bought the digital thermostat for the Warmbib, but
ended up leaving it off as I like the full heat blast effect.
What do I think of the Warmbib? It's definitely worth the money I
paid for it. For me it fits in with the scheme of things as it
provides a heat source without much power and/or bulk. Good
idea. Great price.
Written on: December 13, 2010
Last modified: December 13, 2010
