GL1800 Heated saddle anyone?
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If you can get under the skin of the saddle it can easily be done. All you'd need isabout 20 to 30 feet of #30 AWG stranded, teflon coated wire (as the heating element), and associated connectors, switch, etc. It's important that the wire is stranded because if it's solid it will quickly break. This is really, really tiny wire.
The biggest challenge is to provide strain relief for the tiny #30 wire... although flexible, it can break easily under tension.
Here's how I'd do it... I've never done a seat, but I have done jacket liners.
Remove the seat vinyl.
Use about 25 to 30 feet of the #30 wire and run it back and forth, evenly spaced,over the seat foam to cover the whole thing. Use tape to temporarily hold it in place.
Solder a length of thicker wire (#16 or so) to each end of theelement wire,then insulate the connectionswith shrink-tubing (these will be the lead-in wires). Anchor the lead-in wires ina way so there is no chance that they will pull on the element wires. Use enough of the thicker wireso you'll be able to tap into wherever you'll eventually get power and installyour switch. Plan ahead so the lead-in wires come out of the seat where you want them - preferrably in a place where they will be protected from abuse.
Spray-glue alayer of clear plastic sheeting on top ofthe saddle foam and wiresto keep it waterproof and stabilize the thin wires, then install the skin (vinyl) of the saddle.
Now all you'll have to do is figure out where to place the switch and where you'll get power.
This arrangement will draw about 3 amps. That's enough to quickly killyour battery if the engine is not running. For this reason be sure to tap in where the power is turned off when the key is turned off. Also be certain to protect the circuit with a fuse of around 4 or 5 amps.
This setup is pretty much a short circuit, but since the small wire has so much resistance, the electricity is released as heat. This is the way all electric jacket liners, grips, and seats work. A lightbulb works in a similar way, but instead of just heat being released, light is also being released.
If you can get under the skin of the saddle it can easily be done. All you'd need isabout 20 to 30 feet of #30 AWG stranded, teflon coated wire (as the heating element), and associated connectors, switch, etc. It's important that the wire is stranded because if it's solid it will quickly break. This is really, really tiny wire.
The biggest challenge is to provide strain relief for the tiny #30 wire... although flexible, it can break easily under tension.
Here's how I'd do it... I've never done a seat, but I have done jacket liners.
Remove the seat vinyl.
Use about 25 to 30 feet of the #30 wire and run it back and forth, evenly spaced,over the seat foam to cover the whole thing. Use tape to temporarily hold it in place.
Solder a length of thicker wire (#16 or so) to each end of theelement wire,then insulate the connectionswith shrink-tubing (these will be the lead-in wires). Anchor the lead-in wires ina way so there is no chance that they will pull on the element wires. Use enough of the thicker wireso you'll be able to tap into wherever you'll eventually get power and installyour switch. Plan ahead so the lead-in wires come out of the seat where you want them - preferrably in a place where they will be protected from abuse.
Spray-glue alayer of clear plastic sheeting on top ofthe saddle foam and wiresto keep it waterproof and stabilize the thin wires, then install the skin (vinyl) of the saddle.
Now all you'll have to do is figure out where to place the switch and where you'll get power.
This arrangement will draw about 3 amps. That's enough to quickly killyour battery if the engine is not running. For this reason be sure to tap in where the power is turned off when the key is turned off. Also be certain to protect the circuit with a fuse of around 4 or 5 amps.
This setup is pretty much a short circuit, but since the small wire has so much resistance, the electricity is released as heat. This is the way all electric jacket liners, grips, and seats work. A lightbulb works in a similar way, but instead of just heat being released, light is also being released.
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I'd love to be able to have my gl1200 seat heated, but I don't trust the infamous alternator to cope!
I'd love to be able to have my gl1200 seat heated, but I don't trust the infamous alternator to cope!
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Marco, where would we be able to but the #30 AWG stranded, teflon coated wire? Also, would the hot wires melt down into the saddle foam, or do you have to put something between the wires and the foam?
I would be interested in doing this, or I should say I'd give the saddle to an upholsterer and get him to do it.
Marco, where would we be able to but the #30 AWG stranded, teflon coated wire? Also, would the hot wires melt down into the saddle foam, or do you have to put something between the wires and the foam?
I would be interested in doing this, or I should say I'd give the saddle to an upholsterer and get him to do it.
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For my jacket liner I found the wire on ebay. It was (if I remember correctly) 7-strand, 30 gauge, teflon-insulated wire. It can also be found, or ordered,at electronic suppliers. An internet search might turn some up.
I don't have a problem with the wire melting my jacket liner, although with seat foam it might be a problem, depending on the melting point of the foam.
Just to be on the safe side, maybe youshould put some heat-resistant material over the foam before placing the wire. Perhaps a peice of nomex material or heavy canvas. I suppose you'd have to experiment .
For my jacket liner I found the wire on ebay. It was (if I remember correctly) 7-strand, 30 gauge, teflon-insulated wire. It can also be found, or ordered,at electronic suppliers. An internet search might turn some up.
I don't have a problem with the wire melting my jacket liner, although with seat foam it might be a problem, depending on the melting point of the foam.
Just to be on the safe side, maybe youshould put some heat-resistant material over the foam before placing the wire. Perhaps a peice of nomex material or heavy canvas. I suppose you'd have to experiment .
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Kinda expensive but solid and can be trimmed to fit: http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/afcarseathea.html
Kinda expensive but solid and can be trimmed to fit: http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/afcarseathea.html
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Hmmmm, I might be tempted by this. I'll wait until I'm fitting a new battery first though.
Hmmmm, I might be tempted by this. I'll wait until I'm fitting a new battery first though.
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If you go down to a car scrap yard and get a heated seat out of any vehicle take the heated pad out and fix on the bike.
If you go down to a car scrap yard and get a heated seat out of any vehicle take the heated pad out and fix on the bike.
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Some of those kits draw heavily on the battery, there seems to be a wide variation on how hard they are on your battery. This mightn't be a bother in a car with a big battery, but I think we need to be careful with the Wing battery and get a heater with a lowish power draw.
Some of those kits draw heavily on the battery, there seems to be a wide variation on how hard they are on your battery. This mightn't be a bother in a car with a big battery, but I think we need to be careful with the Wing battery and get a heater with a lowish power draw.
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Just stuff a couple of these in your back pockets, won't hurt the battery at all!
http://freespace.virgin.net/whistling.tortoise/text/pad.htm
Just stuff a couple of these in your back pockets, won't hurt the battery at all!
http://freespace.virgin.net/whistling.tortoise/text/pad.htm
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