Grip Heater Update Installed

[Ruggybuggy]

The '07's had a problem with poor performing grip heater and Yamaha came up with a solution. You need part # 90891-50150 and cost was around $15. Cheap for better performing heaters. To install you will need to remove the tank to route the wiring harness. If you follow the left and right heater wiring harness they lead to the connectors that you need to get to. The right side connectors are located at the top above the chain case and is located in a protective boot, follow the harness down from the heater to locate. The left side is hidden and is located sitting on the left side of the engine valve cover in the same kind of protective boot. Basically you are joining the left side with the right side which results in the heaters being wired in series. The harness is then routed along the top behind the steering post next to the clear fuel lines. If anyone needs pics let me know. I still have the tank off and will take some.

 

[yam429]

I know this handwarmer topic has come up a hundred times but what works better this kit from Yamaha for $15 or the Yamaheater for $179? Sorry I don't mean to hijack your thread.

 

[yamahas]

Well my 09 came with the grips set up that way from the factory and I still went out and bought a yamaheater. That thing works great!

 

[Ruggybuggy]

Well my 09 came with the grips set up that way from the factory and I still went out and bought a yamaheater. That thing works great!

So you found that the stock heaters with the updated wiring harness still didn't get hot enough? I bought my '07 in the spring so have no experience with the heaters. I'm in the process of fixing and improving and read on the forum that the '07 heaters were terrible and that with the updated harness they worked well. I my part of the country daytime highs in January are usually around -25C so heaters are important. I ride my sled to work almost everyday in the winter, a 15kms trip one way.

 

[yamahas]

I found that if my hand got cold for what ever reason they did not have enough power to warm them back up.

At idle the power is cut to the warmers and if my hand started off cold they would not be able to warm up.

With the yamaheater the bars warm up even at idle so my hands are always warm, often too hot at max.

At 15 dollars you can't go wrong with trying it that way and seeing if you are happy with it. If not Yamaheater is the way to go imo.

 

[yam429]

My only complaint about the Yamaheater is that you can never shut your handwarmers off completely. If I don't want my handwarmers on when riding in 40F+ I have to settle for the lowest factory setting,one bar. Other than that the Yamaheater does a good job.

 

[Mooseman]

It's actually the other way around. The updated wiring harness connects the warmers in parallel, giving full voltage to both instead of splitting it for both.

The problem with the ECM controlled warmers is that it never gives full voltage to them, controlling them via a PWM (pulse width modulation) depending on RPM. This video shows exactly how it works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOP6_ii_HX8
That's also the reason why they get cold when idling. There may be a reason why Yamaha did it that way as possibly the stator doesn't put out enough power at idle to keep up with them. I do know that it totally cuts them out, as well as the passenger warmers on the VL/MP, when the fan is running.

I had put that harness on my MP, near burned my hands off but I have a huge windshield so it was overkill. But put it on my son's Phazer that has hooked bars and RSI heaters, it's still not warm enough (he doesn't have a windshield, just handguards). Foaming the bars does help a little. Some have concerns that using the harness could put extra strain on the ECM due to the higher load but haven't heard of any being fried because of it.

 

[xt_gt]

agree with mooseman.

mine was wiring was never installed. put the kit in & burns your hands off. i just run them on low setting 2 or 3, no windscreen & guards.

much better than better vs. cold hands

 

[Ruggybuggy]

So what I get from this is that with the updated harness expect the grips to work well when on the throttle but at idle or low RPM's not so good. Yamaha must have designed it this way for a reason. As Mooseman suggested maybe to protect the stator. So if a guy was to run HID's there would be more available wattage for the heaters. Anyone know what the stator output is? I was planning to run a heated jacket this winter.

 

[yamahas]

14 V 31.5 A, 440 W at 5,000 r/min

 

[Ruggybuggy]

14 V 31.5 A, 440 W at 5,000 r/min

That's not bad. My FZ1 puts out 560W and I run heated grips and jacket so running the jacket on the phazer won't be an issue.

 

[porkchop]

I must've gotten an '07 FX made mid-week or my Arctiva gloves are just that good- run 'em on like the #2 setting most of the time & it's plenty.
Use SPG handguards now but never had anything up until 2 years ago.

Cold hands suck regardless....

 

[cannondale27]

I agree. Maybe people use too thick of gloves to feel the heat. Mine are stock and I wear UnderArmor gloves almost all the time unless its really cold. The thin ones like there pants and shirts. Just need to block the wind.