If Goldilocks (of Three Bears fame) had been a motorcyclist, these new heated grips from A’ME would surely have been right up her alley.
Traditional heated grips with just two settings are almost always either too hot or too cold at any given time, while A’ME’s new Heated Chicane Sports Bike grips offer six distinct temperature settings to choose from. A rider is sure to find a temp setting that is “just right.”
A’ME (short for Aeromarine Molding and Engineering) has been designing and producing high-performance American-made grips for more than 30 years. And it shows. Featuring what the company calls, “bluPulse Adaptive Thermal Regulation technology,” the Heated Chicane Sports Bike grip combines micro-electronics with thermal sensors in each grip to create the first “intelligent” heated motorcycle grip. It sure sounds smart anyway.
The kit includes everything needed for installation, including a selection of three interchangeable throttle cable cams that mesh with a unique geared throttle sleeve. This allows the one kit to be easily installed on a variety of street bikes. The grips are wired directly to the bikes’ battery, so internal sensors monitor the bike’s battery and promptly shut off the grips if the battery drops below 98 percent of full charge. So, a rider can stop for a short break and, upon return, find that the grips have kept things toasty while the bike was parked. Step away for an extended period and the grips turn off automatically. As soon as the bike is restarted, previous grip settings are restored. Smart indeed!
Not long ago I headed out for a mid-winter jaunt sporting a pair of freshly installed A’ME grips. With the outside temperature a balmy 52 degrees, I didn’t need heated grips but it sure was nice having a little warmth on hand (so to speak). Even with the grips set to a cool number 2 of six settings, I was able to don my warm-weather deerskin gloves instead of bulky cold-weather mitts. With the lighter gloves I had more flexibility and a better feel, which was enhanced by the profile and texture of the Chicane grip. The grip is thicker in the middle to better fit the palm and, thanks to a specially formulated compound called Vulcathane, the grip surface has a slightly tacky feel for greater control.
Preparing for another ride with ambient temps at a chillier 37 degrees, I thumbed the button on each grip before rolling out of the garage. Blue LED lights on each grip flashed three times confirming that I had selected heat setting number 3. As the bike warmed up in the driveway, the LED lights pulsed between dim and bright to let me know the grips were warming. Soon the LEDs glowed steady blue, indicating the grips had reached their target temperature. Out on the road, traffic was heavy and I was busily working the cold metal clutch lever. Soon, my left hand became
colder than my right. Since the grips are controlled independently, a simple stab at the button on the left grip established a warmer number 4 temperature setting for my left hand.
While it’s a breeze to bump up the heat with the touch of a button, reducing grip temperature settings when things get too warm is a bit more involved. The rider must repeatedly press the single button on each grip, cycling through the multiple settings until arriving at the desired number. For instance, it takes five presses of each button to lower grip temperature by one setting. Because the LED lights flash a set number of times to indicate each selection, the rider must view the entire light sequence to confirm which temperature setting has been chosen. I highly recommend that riders keep their eyes on the road and make any grip adjustments only when sitting still, preferably in a driveway or parking lot. Fortunately, in my experience, frequent changes are not required and having the wide range of settings and unique benefits outweigh the slight inconvenience.
A’ME Heated Chicane Sport Bike Grips are available in black or dark gray and retail for $139.95.
