The biggest enemy in winter motorcycle life is cold fingers. Especially in the morning and evening hours of commuting, it is an everyday occurrence to lose feeling down to the palms of your hands. Electric heating gloves are nice, but there is the hassle of recharging batteries. A more casual and reliable way to warm your hands from the palms is with a custom-made standard grip heater. The model introduced here is Kijima's latest model, the GH11. It features a smart design that integrates the control switch with the grip, eliminating the cumbersome after-mounting feeling. We installed the GH11 on a PCX125 (JK05) to thoroughly examine how far it solves riders' problems!

We installed a grip heater on a PCX125!

Preliminary Preparation

What you need

Kijima|Grip heater GH11 115mm Contents: Grip heater main body, left and right bar end caps, electro taps x 2, black tie wraps x 3, aluminum tape for thickness adjustment

Things you should have

If you do not use the supplied electro-tap, it is convenient to use a branching harness . In this case, electric pliers are required to caulk the connector on the grip heater side of the wiring.

Kijima|Throttle Pipe PCX's throttle cone has a protrusion on it, and it is not possible to install a grip heater without modification. Considering the time and effort required to cut them off, we recommend that you purchase them.

Parts Cleaner: Used to make the grips more slippery when removing and installing them.

Curing tape is used to protect the lights from being damaged when removing and installing the cowl.

Installation Instructions

1.Remove the front cowl.

There are many people explaining how to remove and install the cowl on Youtube, etc., so we will refer to them and remove it. Remove the V-shaped cowl next to the screen, then the screen, then the inner cowl, in that order. First, remove the Phillips screw on the back side of the bottom of the screen.

Next, remove the V-shaped cowl next to the screen by pulling downward. The author inserted a flat-blade screwdriver into the crevice of the cowl to release the claws, and then pulled downward.

The last inner cowl can be removed by removing the 6 push rivets.

It took a while, but I managed to remove it without breaking the claws.

2.Removing the currently attached grips

The left grip was removed with a compressor and the right grip was cut open with a cutter. Even without a compressor, you can remove the grips by using parts cleaner to make them slippery.

3.Install the grip heaters while warming up the grips.

It is easier to install the grip heater when it is warmed up, so temporarily connect it to the accessory power supply to warm up the grip before installing it. Once installed, it is difficult to remove, so check the angle of the grips carefully and decide the position before installation. The throttle cone of PCX has a protrusion as shown in the image below, and the grip cannot be installed without shaving it. The author used a belt sander to sharpen it, but it was very difficult, so we recommend you to buy a throttle pipe.

[before shaving]

[after shaving]

After installing the ACC branching harness

After caulking a connector on the grip heater side wiring, run the wiring from the steering wheel through the cowl and connect the accessory power and grip heater connector. Put the excess wiring together in a nice place and place it in the space under the meter.

5.Reattach the cowl and bar ends and you are done!

Install the cowl in the reverse order of removal. Be careful not to be careless and break the claws. You can use your favorite bar ends or the caps that come with the bar ends. The author had to shave the throttle cone, which took a long time, but without it, the work would take about 2-3 hours. Considering the time it takes to sharpen it, I recommend purchasing a throttle pipe. There is also a risk of breaking the claws of the cowl, so if you are not confident in your DIY skills, it may be wise to take it easy and leave it to a professional.

The performance of the GH11 was thoroughly tested!

The test was conducted in the middle of winter, in the morning and evening of December, at an outside temperature of 5°C (41°F), when the hands were biting.

Rapid heating

The first thing that surprised us was the GH11's "heating performance. When I started the engine and turned it to level 3 (medium warmth), warmth began to gradually spread to the palms of my hands in just 15 seconds. The warmth is so fast that you may say, "Oh, it's warming up already! I can't believe how quickly it starts to warm up.

Ease of grip and switch operation

The GH11 maintains a natural and comfortable grip that is more comfortable than the factory grip, allowing the user to concentrate on the operation of the camera. In addition, the integrated switches are clearly colored and designed to make the current mode easy to understand at a glance even while driving. There was no confusion at all in operation, and it is fair to say that "functional beauty" is compatible.

Peace of Mind for Use without Worrying about Power Consumption

When a grip heater is installed, power consumption is a concern. I was concerned that the headlights would dim if the heater was set to the highest level. For a Class 2 moped like the PCX, it is a big advantage to be able to use the system without worrying about the battery.

Comparison of warmth levels (wearing inner gloves and inner-fleece-lined temples)

Level 1 No feeling of warmth I could not feel warmth through the double glove.
Level 2 Maybe good in spring and fall. I could feel warmth if I was aware of it when waiting at traffic lights, etc. It might be good for spring and autumn.
Level 3 A little warm I could feel warmth while driving.
Level 4 Comfortable A comfortable level where warmth can be felt in the palm of the hand even through double gloves. It prevents my palms from getting cold when riding in town or on ordinary roads.
Level 5 Firmly warm This is already "quite hot"! It has the power to quickly revive cold hands. You can feel your entire hand warming up when you hold it.

However, the fingertips still cannot avoid the effects of the driving wind. I tried removing the outer glove and using only the inner glove, but my fingertips were too cold to endure any level of coldness.

I wonder if they would be warmer if used in combination with a handlebar cover!

If the gloves blocked out the wind and generated heat inside, they would be the strongest! So, I also attached a handlebar cover and tested it. The handlebar cover I installed was Comine's Neoprene Warm Handlebar Cover.

Level 1 Comfortable to a certain degree The entire inside of the handlebar cover warms up within a few minutes after turning on the power, and the warmth is directly felt compared to the condition without the cover.
Level 2 Comfortable Feels even warmer than Level 1.
Level 3 Best for daily use (kotatsu handlebar) This level is best for morning and evening commuting! There is no coldness at all at the fingertips, and a truly blissful "kotatsu handle" has been achieved.
Level 4 More than enough warmth Not as hot as Level 5, but warm enough to cope with extremely cold weather.
Level 5 Phenomenally warm The heat is so high that you would think your fingers were sweating! This is the level where I had to hold the grips loosely because of the heat.

The handlebar cover completely blocked the running wind, which prevented the GH11 from escaping heat, and the effect was truly dramatic! At level 5, I was so hot that I had to hold the grips loosely, even though I was wearing only one inner glove without an outer glove. There is no doubt that the supreme "kotatsu handle" has been completed, with no feeling of cold at all, even down to the fingertips. Note when using together: The switch position must be devised! The GH11 itself was excellent to grip without being affected by the handle cover, but one thing needs to be noted. Because the GH11 control switch is integrated with the grip, the cover tends to slightly cover the switch when the handlebar cover is deeply attached. In this condition, when checking settings or switching modes while driving, it was difficult to see the switches and sometimes confusing to operate them. When installing the cover, it is necessary to devise the position and angle so that it does not interfere with the switches. The GH11's powerful heat generation was trapped by the "heat insulator" called the handle cover, resulting in the ultimate warmth! I decided to use the handlebar cover together with the grip heater because it is much warmer than without the handlebar cover.

In summary, I would like to "highly recommend" the GH11 to such riders!

Kijima's GH11 grip heater is truly an item for "riders who do not want to give up a comfortable winter motorcycle life! Especially, ・Owners of small displacement motorcycles such as PCX and GROM who often commute and ride around town in winter. Those who don't like the "retro-fit" look of grip heaters and want a sleek look. Those who want to use gloves that allow easy fingertip movement even in winter. We recommend these gloves for those who want to use them in the winter. We also recommend this glove for those who want to be completely protected from the cold if a handlebar cover is attached. The GH11's overwhelming heating performance and stable power supply will surely transform your winter riding experience! Installation may involve some difficulty, but the warmth of the palm of your hand will blow all that hard work out of the water with room to spare! Visit the gallery (13)

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