Will spraying foam in handle bars make a difference?

[swmichvector]

my buddy says that if you fill the bars with spray foam it helps the crappy hand warmers. has anyone tried this? i have rockmeisters yamaheater and it does work.

 

[twomorestrokes]

Not sure if it works, but I've also heard that claim.

 

[newyorker_79]

I've heard that too. Just haven't had the guts to try it yet.

 

[swmichvector]

i ma going to try it tomorrow. cant hurt.

 

[RobWarrior]

Did it last year...hand warmers seemed to work fine...no risk just make sure you put a plug of some sort in the end of the bars after you spray the foam in it can make a mess.

 

[swmichvector]

Did it last year...hand warmers seemed to work fine...no risk just make sure you put a plug of some sort in the end of the bars after you spray the foam in it can make a mess.

did it make a noticeable difference??

 

[Swiss Sledder]

my buddy says that if you fill the bars with spray foam it helps the crappy hand warmers. has anyone tried this? i have rockmeisters yamaheater and it does work.

Yes people have tried the foam and no it doesn't work. The explanation is as follows and click here for the whole thread.

Have posted this many times, but here goes again... lol

Your factory grips work fine. The problem is they don't get enough power to get and keep your hands warm. Once they have the right power, they get nice & hot. Almost as hot as the SRX/Vipers of the past.

A number have expressed interest in foaming the bars. That is an old wives tale that won't die.

For any thermal insulation to have a benefit, it has to insulate against two heat differences.
That's what your gloves do, they insulate against the colder outside air.

Foaming does have a slight benefit in two ways.
It will slightly reduce vibration in your bars.
It will help reduce the heat losses caused by air movement with-in the bars. (This is a very small effect.)
(I know, many of you believe it works, and it will by definition, because you believe it does.)

A major grip manufacturer did tests on this and found a very slight improvement (Less than 1%), not enough to actually feel a difference.
(They were looking at making bars with foam already in them, but since it didn't help, they would be marketing a lie if they did market them.)
Think about it, if this worked and the idea has floated around for many, many years, why doesn't anyone sell foamed bars?
(Here's a hint... It doesn't do anything.)

Insulating your bars from the OUTSIDE air will have a much greater effect, yet still not a big effect. Even a zip up cover over your bars will have a larger effect than foam.

For such a negligible benefit, is it worth risking making a mess of your sled? Plugging the small holes in the ends of the bars will have pretty much the same benefit & won't risk making a mess.

 

[twomorestrokes]

If the real roblem is insuficient power to the grips, I'm confused why my grips work so poorly now when all I did was change the bar to a Nytro bar. When the sled was all Vector, they got toasty hot, now they're lukewarm. Same sled, same power supply, different grips. Is it due to a resistance change in the grips themselves?

May have to bite the bullet on a Yamaheater, but I hate to part with the $$ when I've been after new skis fo 5 years now and still don't have them.

 

[swmichvector]

thanks, thats what i wanted to know. i have a yamaha heater and it works.

 

[Geezer 2]

My son has an 06 Nytro and always complained about fogging and freezing on his glasses and cold hands. I finally talked him into putting a real windshied on and both problems went away. Just too much air on the hands and face.

 

[twomorestrokes]

Hi Ron! Haven't heard from you in awhile. Gonna be riding this winter?

Mike

 

[newyorker_79]

The only improvement I can see, from foaming the grips is that; when you stop to gas up or lunch, they'll stay warm for a couple more minutes.

 

[Rockmeister]

If the real problem is insuficient power to the grips, I'm confused why my grips work so poorly now when all I did was change the bar to a Nytro bar. When the sled was all Vector, they got toasty hot, now they're lukewarm. Same sled, same power supply, different grips. Is it due to a resistance change in the grips themselves?

May have to bite the bullet on a Yamaheater, but I hate to part with the $$ when I've been after new skis fo 5 years now and still don't have them.

This is what I replied after he asked me in the YamaHeater Thread about it.
Posting info here for anyone searching for an answer.


Heyya 2!

Don't really think you need a YamaHeater.

You are correct, most Vectors put out great power.
Should work great after correcting the wiring!

Need to wire the Nytro Bars in Parallel.
Black to one wire from each grip, & Yellow/Red to the other wire from each grip.

If you need more info, you are welcome to PM me.

Let us know how they work after this!

Rockmeister

 

[snoway]

If any of you guys are going to foam your bars, make sure your sled is in a temp. above 60F this time of year.
Also have a couple 1/4" bolts, preferably long enough that they have a partially smooth portion on the length, to plug the holes in the bar ends. Have electrical tape handy to stop any foam oozing from rivet holes.
do a test fill into a piece of 3/4 pipe or conduit, pvc etc. It will give you a feel for he flow and expansion rate of the product you are using.
I think some of the guys that are saying it creates a big mess, are over filling the bars.

 

[twomorestrokes]

RockMeister, I haven't had the chance to redo the wire ends yet but I'll let you know. The sled is hanging from the rafters with the skid out and is also waiting for a battery.

Better get a move on, the ground is white this morning.

Thanks!

Mike