Cold Weather Motorcycle Gear: Handlebar Muffs
My first introduction to using handlebar muffs was back when I did the Crotona Midnight Run in 2007. My dear friend Bill lent me his muffs to use that night. He has again imparted them on me for this winter.
Muff Mama
Because I don’t have heated gloves, I’m left to monkey around with winter gloves and heated grips on the Speed Triple. When I wear my winter gloves, I can’t feel the heated grips very well. I also find that my feel on the bars and levers is a bit more vague. Using the muffs allows me to use my heated grips and wear my regular leather riding gloves.
The Parts Unlimited muffs I am using do a good job of providing an extra layer of wind protection even at highway speeds. And they remind me of giant ovenmitts which ups the silly factor 
Caveat:
- Depending on the material used to construct your muffs, while moving – the wind can collapse the body of the muff. This can make it difficult to get your hand back into the opening if you took it out.
I have brushguards on the triple that help to keep the muff a little more rigid upfront. In my previous go-round with the muffs, I used them with the brushguards on the outside. I think the guards make it easier to get my hands back in while in motion. Your mileage may vary depending on how rigid your muffs happens to be.
So, until I spring for some Gerbing gloves, muffs it is.
Triple Muffy
[edit - 12/21/09]
A few people have asked – The model I am using are Parts Unlimited Snow Paws from their ATV catalog.
15 Responses to this entry
1:14 am
Those muffs are supergreen!
What’s next, a merkin?
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
5:26 am
Cold Weather Motorcycle Gear: Handlebar Muffs: My first introduction to using handlebar muffs was back … http://bit.ly/8mengC #motorcycle
5:42 am
I bet you’re the only reader who knows what a merkin is! A month or two back there were some merkin panties on Regretsy that might be in order. [Adds to xmas list...]
10:06 am
Hands….Muff!
Point of note – many “hippo hands” derivatives do not fit particularly well on sportbikes, a ‘la my failed attempt at a Christmas gift for you a few years back. What model are these?
10:34 am
Uhhhh… The black ones? With the fuzz? that um, go on the handlebars?
I have no idea.
11:21 am
I was looking up some info about the handguards I have on my SV and found these:
http://www.powermadd.com/products/HandguardGauntletATV.html
They’re made to fit the handguards on my bike. Really tempted, because my heated grips and gloves aren’t cutting it at temps less than 20°F.
11:55 am
FWIW…
Depending on how long you’re riding for…
Heated gloves are either great or a waste of $$$.
Short rides around 5-10 hours, they work great. Anything longer than that you’ll still be cold. While the gloves will continue to pump out the heat, exposure will eventually get you.
The upside is that I find the WnS gloves to be plenty warm for most conditions w/o having to turn the heat on. I went on a solo GCR last night and temps were in the low 30°’s. I was out for about 4hrs and never turned them on. As with anything though, YMMV.
I sincerely hope to see you and Crud out for the next CMR
3:16 pm
I put a couple of sets of those under-grip heaters on the triples – they work “ok”. The left side is always cooler, and I think that has a bit to do with them being on the cold bar directly, which is leeching cold temps from the entire bar (maybe I am wrong, but that’s my guess). I need to grab some of the full-grip type heaters as they are far better in delivering heat (the grips on the beemer are ridiculously hot on the high setting).
And yeah, a nice cold evening grilled cheese sounds delish
5:37 pm
I had some heavy felt handlebar muffs when I lived in Korea. They cost me about $3 and they were awesome and warm. On days where my commute was below zero, I’d throw some of those chemical heat things in the end of them (they were stiff felt), which would make the insides nice and toasty. I think the muffs are way better than heated gloves.
5:33 pm
9″ of snow here today. Muffs or no muffs, I think my winter riding has met with an early end this year. Grrr…
Were the brush guards an early attempt at wind deflection?
7:12 am
@Pinto
Yes, they were something to break the direct wind. They’re mostly knuckle savers keeping rocks at bay, though
Sorry to hear the snow has flown. The snow is always so lovely on the first day. By day 4 – the novelty is gone and i find myself longing for spring.
12:55 pm
Cold Weather Motorcycle Gear: Handlebar Muffs http://bit.ly/8mengC
2:52 pm
RT @fuzzygalore: Cold Weather Motorcycle Gear: Handlebar Muffs http://bit.ly/8mengC
3:27 pm
RT @fuzzygalore: Cold Weather Motorcycle Gear: Handlebar Muffs http://bit.ly/8mengC
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