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[cvoleo]

One of my favorite mods to my VROD was heated grips. My understanding is that I can't put heated grips on my '11 because of it's drive by wire technology.

Has anyone come up with a solution?

[Midnight Rider]

One of my favorite mods to my VROD was heated grips. My understanding is that I can't put heated grips on my '11 because of it's drive by wire technology.

Has anyone come up with a solution?

All the CVO Ultras and RGU's come with heated grips from the factory.  However, if I were starting from scratch, I would not bother with the HD heated grips, as they are notoriously unreliable...that's a nice way of putting it...I would go with Heat Demons.  Easier to install and work great.   http://www.heatdemons.com/

[cvoleo]

Great suggestion. Thanks.

[millmutt]

I agree on the Heat Demons, they are quite nice and you are not tied to any particular grip. The 4 level indicator/switch is nicer than the HD type.

Millmutt

[Buy early]

I agree on the Heat Demons, they are quite nice and you are not tied to any particular grip. The 4 level indicator/switch is nicer than the HD type.

Millmutt

+1

[Twolanerider]

Go the Heat Demons website and read the info regarding the ID of various newer bars from Harley.  Some of the recent models have used a bar with a smaller inside diameter than has been the standard for so many years.  The Heat Demons elements can't be use with such bars until the ID has been cut just a bit. 

The cut isn't much.  But it's a necessity with some of the new bars.

[dcigar]

its quite unbelievable that they wernt on the 12......

[grc]

If you go to the Harley P&A website and look up any of the heated grip sets, then download the instruction sheet, you will see that they indicate they can be used on the '11 and later Softails with the addition of a short interconnect harness.  So I don't understand why you think you can't use the Harley grips on the '11 Softy.  Now, having said that, I'd like to suggest that you forget the Harley stuff and follow the recommendations of all those knowledgeable folks who recommend the Heat Demons.  When enough folks quit buying Harley's unreliable stuff maybe they will fix the underlying design problems.


Jerry

[cvoleo]

Hey Jerry,

Thanks for the feedback.

Maybe you could help me with some confusion. You are correct when you state that Harley heated grips will work on 2011 Softails but here's what it says on the online description of the grip I was looking at; "Fits '96-later VRSC™, XL, XR, Dyna®, Softail® (except FLSTSE2/3) and '96-'07 Touring models.'12 Dyna® and '11 Softail® models require separate purchase of Electrical Connection Kit P/N 72673-11. Not compatible with internally wired handlebars. "

Maybe it's the internal wiring that is the issue.

BTW I had Harley heated grips on my VROD for 5 years and no problems. That said, the Heat Demons seem to make the most sense.

[Midnight Rider]

All the HD heated grips are "not compatible with interally wired handlebars", yet they put the same exact part numbers on the CVO Ultra models...so they don't follow their own specs, which is not unusual.

As Twolane mentioned, the only thing about some of the bars is that they are smaller in ID than the Heat Demons will allow.  The Heat Demon site PDF instructions address this, but it does require removing the bars and increasing the ID to 7/8".  Are the convertible bars 1" or 1.25"?  I haven't seen one, or haven't noticed.

[grc]

Hey Jerry,

Thanks for the feedback.

Maybe you could help me with some confusion. You are correct when you state that Harley heated grips will work on 2011 Softails but here's what it says on the online description of the grip I was looking at; "Fits '96-later VRSC™, XL, XR, Dyna®, Softail® (except FLSTSE2/3) and '96-'07 Touring models.'12 Dyna® and '11 Softail® models require separate purchase of Electrical Connection Kit P/N 72673-11. Not compatible with internally wired handlebars. "

Maybe it's the internal wiring that is the issue.

BTW I had Harley heated grips on my VROD for 5 years and no problems. That said, the Heat Demons seem to make the most sense.

Exactly, it's the internal wiring thing.  And as noted by TCnBham, Harley puts those exact same grips on all the CVO Ultra's with internal wiring.  Of course, I wonder if that might not be part of the reason they have such a lousy track record for reliability on those CVO's.


Jerry

[cvoleo]

All the HD heated grips are "not compatible with interally wired handlebars", yet they put the same exact part numbers on the CVO Ultra models...so they don't follow their own specs, which is not unusual.

As Twolane mentioned, the only thing about some of the bars is that they are smaller in ID than the Heat Demons will allow.  The Heat Demon site PDF instructions address this, but it does require removing the bars and increasing the ID to 7/8".  Are the convertible bars 1" or 1.25"?  I haven't seen one, or haven't noticed.

The 2011 are 1.25 bars. I talked with Joe at Heat Demons today and he is confirming everything you guys are saying about the ID. However, he didn't seem to know the ID of the 2011 CVO Softail bar. I guess I need to take it apart and just measure it.

Has anybody measured the ID of this bar?

[Midnight Rider]

The 2011 are 1.25 bars. I talked with Joe at Heat Demons today and he is confirming everything you guys are saying about the ID. However, he didn't seem to know the ID of the 2011 CVO Softail bar. I guess I need to take it apart and just measure it.

Has anybody measured the ID of this bar?

I don't know about the HD 1.25" bars, but some of the aftermarket bars that are 1.25" are only that fat after the grip/clutch/brake/switch assembly, so it's likely they are really 1" where the end of the grip is, but that's OD, not ID...you'd still need to verify the ID pretty precisely to be sure.  There should be enough slack in the wires to ease the grip off the end to measure.

[Midnight Rider]

Exactly, it's the internal wiring thing.  And as noted by TCnBham, Harley puts those exact same grips on all the CVO Ultra's with internal wiring.  Of course, I wonder if that might not be part of the reason they have such a lousy track record for reliability on those CVO's.
Jerry

I've wondered the same thing, Jerry.  However, as you know, I had mine apart on more than one occasion in the past, and I could see nothing that would logically cause that to be the case.  But then, what's logical about things like that when it's HD?   

[cvoleo]

OK. I just heard from my HD dealer (Thunder Harley in Sharon PA). Steve (from Thunder) tells me the bars on the 2011 Convertible go from 1 inch at the grips to 1.25 after that. He tells me the 1 inch heat demons should work fine.