bluestratos
11-26-2014, 11:45 AM
I took a ride over the North Cascade Pass a couple weeks back with a good friend (Don). Most of the ride was pleasant but at the pass the temperature dropped to near freezing and I have to admit I was bit uncomfortable from that point on until we stopped from lunch. I purchased a seat heater kit (for front and back seats) and installed it in about 1.5 hours including hooking up the wiring.
First I took the seat off the RT, marked the outline of the existing fabric on the seat plastic shell for reference then removed all the staples for the back 2/3rds on both sides and around the back. After positioning the heating pads I routed the wires through existing openings and mounted the controls on the side of the saddle. I then used my power stapler and reattached the fabric following the outline I made earlier. then wired up the controls to my accessory fuse panel I had installed earlier this year.
It looks like it was never touched so as it was near freezing out I went for ride wearing just my jeans and my winter riding coat. The heat was apparent almost immediately and I was really enjoying the heat, realizing that a warm bottom mean warm legs and extremities ( I was only wearing my dress shoes). After 1/2 a mile it was getting too hot! like sitting on a hot sidewalk so I tuned it down to low. This was more than enough for the rest of the ride and in fact, it was still too warm by the time I got close to home so I turned it off altogether and the seat stayed nice and comfortable.
Those of you who have the heated seat know this already but if you don't have one, the cost of around $100 is well worth it and the time it takes is less than 1/2 a day for the average home mechanic.
First I took the seat off the RT, marked the outline of the existing fabric on the seat plastic shell for reference then removed all the staples for the back 2/3rds on both sides and around the back. After positioning the heating pads I routed the wires through existing openings and mounted the controls on the side of the saddle. I then used my power stapler and reattached the fabric following the outline I made earlier. then wired up the controls to my accessory fuse panel I had installed earlier this year.
It looks like it was never touched so as it was near freezing out I went for ride wearing just my jeans and my winter riding coat. The heat was apparent almost immediately and I was really enjoying the heat, realizing that a warm bottom mean warm legs and extremities ( I was only wearing my dress shoes). After 1/2 a mile it was getting too hot! like sitting on a hot sidewalk so I tuned it down to low. This was more than enough for the rest of the ride and in fact, it was still too warm by the time I got close to home so I turned it off altogether and the seat stayed nice and comfortable.
Those of you who have the heated seat know this already but if you don't have one, the cost of around $100 is well worth it and the time it takes is less than 1/2 a day for the average home mechanic.