+1 to what Warren wrote. There are a couple things that came to mind for me when I was going down this road.
- Will I need two batteries? Chances are, you will.
- If so, will I need two chargers? Maybe.
- What's the weight like?
- How warm will it really get? There's a difference between sitting on the bike, and the warmth you get from just moving around. What will get you warm in one environment, may not be enough on the motorcycle.
- What is my backup plan if the jacket liner fails?
- Will I want gloves too?
- What's the total cost and the expandability?
- What's the warranty time period? And what does it cover?
It seems like a no-brainer to get something that's battery operated, but I saw enough drawbacks that I went with the Gerbing gear. I don't know how long your commute is, but if it is anything like mine, it can vary a lot. Mine is a minimum 40 minutes...and that can expand to a couple hours...or more... depending on accidents, etc. Will the battery life last that long? Or will I need to stop and call for someone to bring me some warm layers to put on? Having two batteries has some advantages, and you may want a charger both at home, and at the work location. Then you're always starting with a fresh battery.
Regarding the weight...is this like carrying around a bulky D cell flashlight all the time? Where are the batteries located? Will they get in my way? As far as a backup plan, what you'll find with many of these electric jackets or liners, is the built-in warmth is minimal. If the connection fails...you could be freezing by the time you get to your destination. And if you can plug in heated gloves...how much more will they draw from the battery? Or will they have their own battery?
There are three things I liked when I decided to get the Gerbing gear.
- The warranty is terrific. I know of people who just send their gear in each year to be checked. All it costs them is the postage one way.
- The gloves have heating elements on the top and bottom of the hand. Many do not.
- It is designed to be worn on a motorcycle. You don't give up the skid protection and impact protection by getting just a warm jacket. I know of some riders who throw out all common sense when it comes to winter riding gear. In the summer, they'll go ATGATT. In the winter, warmth is their only consideration. For them, they put away the motorcycle gear, and get a nice down jacket or something...just when they are riding in the most hazardous conditions they'll find. With the Gerbing gear, you don't give up the leather on the gloves, and the liner slips under your existing motorcycle jacket just fine.
Good luck on your choices! Please let us know what you picked, and why. It'll help others going down that same road.
Chris