I am much to cheap to pay for wind deflectors, and the NT does not have any other method for shielding your hands when it is cold, so I stopped at a Sportsman’s Warehouse and purchased a set of Kolpin Geartector Mitts. (I have always called these things "Hippo Hands", but I have recently found out that is a brand name from a company out of Ontario) The Kolpin bar mitts were $20 at Sportsman’s Warehouse, so I figured they were a cheap experiment that would not cost me much if they did not work.
The Kolpin bar mitts install very easy (1 minute or less). They have a 5 or 6 inch zipper and a draw string on the inside opening so you can open it up and slip it over your controls, and then close the zipper and cinch up the draw string. They have a stiff plastic face on the leading edge (in front of your hands) and the inside is fleece lined. The cuff has a plastic or wire in the seam to keep it open making it easy to slip your hand in.
I have found the mitts to be very comfortable and have gone back to wearing my summer gloves because they are more comfortable and provide better protection in a crash. Although my summer gloves are perforated and designed for hot weather, my hands are very comfortable even at below freezing temperatures.
The only aspect of the Kolpin bar mitts that is inadequate for the NT is that they are not stiff enough to withstand the force of highway wind speed. When I purchased them, I installed them in the parking lot and the traveled about 20 miles home on the highway. (70 - 75 mph). The mitts blew back against the clutch and brake levers which is not good.
To solve this, I went to Lowes and purchased a four foot length of 3/16 round steel rod stock (Under $5) and three u-clamps (less then $2 each). I started by finding the center of the rod and making a slight bend. I then clamped the center of the rod to the center of my handlebars (around the bar and the top clamp). I then used a piece of 1/2" pipe to bend each side up to where I could clamp them onto the handlebar just below the controls. Again, I used the pipe to bend the rod forward and then across in front of the control lever. This left about four inches of rod sticking out past the end of the grips. I bent this back horizontal so it almost touched the end of the bar weights. This provided a frame that the bar mitts can fit over, and the rod is stiff enough that it holds the mitts forward ahead of the controls even at highway speed. You can adjust them by giving them a push or a pull. In the spring I can remove the frame by unbolting the u-clamps. Install time, less than 15 minutes.
The only other issue I have had is the hard plastic bead on the end of the draw string. It is there so that the draw clamp does not accidently slip off the end of the string. It was blowing around and banging on the tank. I solved this by tucking it up inside the mitt. I have not had any problem with it coming back out once I did that.
Although it is kind of strange riding with the bar mitts at first, you quickly get used to it. You can slip your hand out if you need to adjust your face shield or wave and then slip it right back in again. The mitts are stiff enough that they do not droop more than an inch or two. When at speed, the wind holds them up as well. Of course, you have to be able to manage the hand controls like the signal light switch and horn without looking at them, so if that is a problem for you, I highly recommend you get more practice before installing these.
I hope this helps some of you who are resisting spending the big bucks to buy the wind deflectors, but need some protection for your hands in cold weather.
I have some pictures of the support frame and the mitts on the bike and will attach them ASAP.
The Kolpin bar mitts install very easy (1 minute or less). They have a 5 or 6 inch zipper and a draw string on the inside opening so you can open it up and slip it over your controls, and then close the zipper and cinch up the draw string. They have a stiff plastic face on the leading edge (in front of your hands) and the inside is fleece lined. The cuff has a plastic or wire in the seam to keep it open making it easy to slip your hand in.
I have found the mitts to be very comfortable and have gone back to wearing my summer gloves because they are more comfortable and provide better protection in a crash. Although my summer gloves are perforated and designed for hot weather, my hands are very comfortable even at below freezing temperatures.
The only aspect of the Kolpin bar mitts that is inadequate for the NT is that they are not stiff enough to withstand the force of highway wind speed. When I purchased them, I installed them in the parking lot and the traveled about 20 miles home on the highway. (70 - 75 mph). The mitts blew back against the clutch and brake levers which is not good.
To solve this, I went to Lowes and purchased a four foot length of 3/16 round steel rod stock (Under $5) and three u-clamps (less then $2 each). I started by finding the center of the rod and making a slight bend. I then clamped the center of the rod to the center of my handlebars (around the bar and the top clamp). I then used a piece of 1/2" pipe to bend each side up to where I could clamp them onto the handlebar just below the controls. Again, I used the pipe to bend the rod forward and then across in front of the control lever. This left about four inches of rod sticking out past the end of the grips. I bent this back horizontal so it almost touched the end of the bar weights. This provided a frame that the bar mitts can fit over, and the rod is stiff enough that it holds the mitts forward ahead of the controls even at highway speed. You can adjust them by giving them a push or a pull. In the spring I can remove the frame by unbolting the u-clamps. Install time, less than 15 minutes.
The only other issue I have had is the hard plastic bead on the end of the draw string. It is there so that the draw clamp does not accidently slip off the end of the string. It was blowing around and banging on the tank. I solved this by tucking it up inside the mitt. I have not had any problem with it coming back out once I did that.
Although it is kind of strange riding with the bar mitts at first, you quickly get used to it. You can slip your hand out if you need to adjust your face shield or wave and then slip it right back in again. The mitts are stiff enough that they do not droop more than an inch or two. When at speed, the wind holds them up as well. Of course, you have to be able to manage the hand controls like the signal light switch and horn without looking at them, so if that is a problem for you, I highly recommend you get more practice before installing these.
I hope this helps some of you who are resisting spending the big bucks to buy the wind deflectors, but need some protection for your hands in cold weather.
I have some pictures of the support frame and the mitts on the bike and will attach them ASAP.
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