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Making heated gear

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longhorn2000

longhorn2000

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I have a fjr1300 that I ride year round (around coastal south Texas) an hour each way to work, and want to figure out a new heated gear option as my electric jacket is getting on the older side of use.

I am looking at using my coolant system and sewing 1/4” tubing through out a sweatshirt and riding pants which won’t be a problem. My issue arises when looking for quick disconnects as I want to find fittings that won’t lose a lot of coolant each time I disconnect them. I am trying to do this cheap and the only disconnects I know of that do this well are hydraulic disconnects that are $30-50 a set and I will need 4 and for that price I can pretty much buy new electric gear. I also think it would be cool to use the wasted heat from the bike and actually help the efficiency of the bike rather than draw more power from it.

So long story short does anyone know of and valved quick disconnects that are on the cheaper side that can withstand engine coolant temps?
 
Ambitious project!
Will there be enough "extra" fluid to fill all those lines in the jacket?
 
:eek2: I wish you luck. Doesn't sound very easy even if someone gave you the parts. I can think of so many problems, but I have to applaud your "ingenuity".
 
All it will be is just running a t off the output on the water pump and a t on the input of the pump, regulate the temp with a simple ball valve. There is a company that actually makes handlebar heater kit using the same principle, but it’s all fixed mounts. Once I hook up the gear for the first time I will have to add coolant to fill the lines but after that if I can find some valve that don’t lose much coolant while disconnecting I’ll just have to add some every once and a while. While it’s not in use or summer i will have ball valve on 4 hook ups so it will be just a dead end coolant line ran up under the seat
 
Stators work by always outputting the same power (at a given RPM) - right? The point of the regulator in the reg/rec is to just waste off "excess" current to prevent over-charging the battery. So, electrical heated gear is doing the same thing - in principal - as your water-heated idea, isn't it? Instead of heating the regulator, current is diverted thru the jacket, gloves, pants, boots. There's no "extra" load on the engine - unless you upgrade the stator, or course. Alternators use non-permanent magnets to control the electrical output - which then provides a variable load on the engine. More electrical draw -> stronger electrical magnetic force -> more electricity generated -> more load on engine. But, your FJR doesn't have an alternator - it has a stator with permanent magnets. I think...
 
You are correct Jeff, and while it’s not really a matter of buying or affording the gear, I am the type of person that would rather try and make things for myself, even if the outcome is subpar to what I could simply buy because I like to make and design things and also when the things I make break or stop working I have a 100% understanding of how they work and I can fix them. And also if they are subpar compared to what I can buy it gives me an opportunity to redesign and perfect my contraption 😂😂😂😂
 
I would also like to add that I have a engineering degree, and I’m a diesel mech by trade and have all the tools you could ever need to work on everything from Rc cars to heavy equipment lol
 
This is what I’m currently working on hahaha
 

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Yep - I totally get that! Love the enthusiasm, but I'll be watching from the electrically heated sidelines :) FWIW: I love the cycle-gear in-house brand of heated gear.

I have a 100% understanding of how they work and I can fix them
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Except perhaps for the linchpin for this project: 1/4" high-temp fluid quick release valves.

I have a engineering degree
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Me too, and I've seen the level of design that goes into "simple" off-the-shelf components.
 
Think I just figured it out, I have 4-5 sets of old or broke auto ac gauges, r12 to r134a fill port adapters with schrader valves are 4 for about 25 bucks and all the seals will be temp and chemical compatible. And I can just use the quick connects from my old gauges.
 
How's the flow-rate thru those schrader valves? What flow rate will you need?
 
I don't think there is a tube strong enough to make me feel comfortable having engine coolant that close to my body that I couldn't get away from when a hole appears.

I wish you luck and hope it doesn't happen.
 
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It won’t be full 180-200 degree coolant because of the flow rate vs heat dissipation, and I will be using a 6 turn needle valve to meter the flow so there will be a lot of adjustability.
 
An alternative could be to build a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. Varying the number of coils would be a way to regulate the temp of the warming fluid. More complicated as it would also need a circ pump but the cooling system stays closed and isolated from the rider.
 
I am going to begin with trying to make the pants as they are really a luxury vs requirement for south Texas. And if they don’t end up working or working too well I can just shut them off and not be too cold for the rest of the trip. I may make a build thread on here to share progress but I’m sure it won’t be till after Xmas or new years
 
dukey33 said:
An alternative could be to build a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. Varying the number of coils would be a way to regulate the temp of the warming fluid. More complicated as it would also need a circ pump but the cooling system stays closed and isolated from the rider.
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Yeah not looking for that complicated hahaha, but that would probably be a much more osha approved way 🤣😂🤣😂🤣
 
dukey33 said:
An alternative could be to build a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. Varying the number of coils would be a way to regulate the temp of the warming fluid. More complicated as it would also need a circ pump but the cooling system stays closed and isolated from the rider.
Click to expand...
Or a second fully closed loop with small radiator. Just push that down behind the cylinder heads - it'll get plenty hot. With some check-valves, you might be able to make a fully passive system that still forces the coolant to flow due to thermal expansion.

Eager to see how this goes!
 
Jeff S said:
Or a second fully closed loop with small radiator. Just push that down behind the cylinder heads - it'll get plenty hot. With some check-valves, you might be able to make a fully passive system that still forces the coolant to flow due to thermal expansion.

Eager to see how this goes!
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There’s zero room for really anything from the radiator to the rear tire lol. Yamaha did some awesome engineering with packing everything as tight as they could, from a package point of view. Definitely not from a mechanic point of view hahahaha
 
You can buy a battery powered heated vest on ebay for $100 shipped to your door. I bought an ororo brand. The battery works for 3hrs kn high and 5 hrs on medium and 7 hrs on low. Also for $12 you can buy an adapter for a cig lighter. With a jacket over it it will keep you toasty. No danger, no chance of a coolant system leak on the road. No air lock in that hose you are connecting and disconnecting.
I spent many years as an auto tec and i dont see how you are going to do this with out being able to burp that system at the high point.
 
Tim Scholz said:
I spent many years as an auto tec and i dont see how you are going to do this with out being able to burp that system at the high point
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I’m a diesel tech, and as long as I pre fill the lines before first use then do a couple heat cycles with them hooked up and on the ground next to the bike no reason why they would airlock.

Tim Scholz said:
You can buy a battery powered heated vest on ebay for $100 shipped to your door. I bought an ororo brand. The battery works for 3hrs kn high and 5 hrs on medium and 7 hrs on low. Also for $12 you can buy an adapter for a cig lighter. With a jacket over it it will keep you toasty.
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And it’s not a matter of whether or not I can afford new heated gear I already have a heated jacket but it’s getting old but it still works great, I am doing this more because I like the idea and I like making things for myself rather than buying them. I already have my bike wired with 2 plugs with heat controllers.
 
longhorn2000 said:
I am looking at using my coolant system and sewing 1/4” tubing through out a sweatshirt and riding pants which won’t be a problem. My issue arises when looking for quick disconnects as I want to find fittings that won’t lose a lot of coolant each time I disconnect them.

So long story short does anyone know of and valved quick disconnects that are on the cheaper side that can withstand engine coolant temps?
Click to expand...

What about fuel line fittings for the EFI lines from the tank/fuel pump to the fuel rail?
 
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