Koso Heated Grips Install Help/Advice Needed!

[JesseLee]

'22 CRF450rs

Hello, I installed the Koso Heated MX grips wired straight to my battery. Ran them for the 1st time and they worked good, but had battery issues all day. Had to jump start several times. I emailed their tech support and all they tell me is this:

"If you take a look at the wiring diagram in the instruction manual here; https://kosonorthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AX1070G0_v01-comp.pdf they need to be on a “key switch 12V” which would mean a 12v switched source."

I need some help with this project! Is it even worth the hassle. Koso youtube video showing install shows plug and play, then tech tells me something entirely different. Needless to say I'm having buyers remorse and wish I would have just gotten heated bars!

Since they are already installed I'd like to get some use out of them. Any recommendations regarding hooking up a 12 volt source to a 22 CRF 450rs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[M5-]

How many watts is the stator on the bike? It may not have enough for heated bars, battery charging and fuel pump ignition etc. That's the first thing you need to calculate. I've seen heated grips work on some bikes work fine but others just kill the battery on any setting over low. Coolant bars are the action.

M5

 

[teal_210]

Advice you probably don't want to hear: Cut your losses and go with coolant heated bars.

By the time you get them working right they will fail, even when / if they work right they don't put out the same heat that coolant bars do.

 

[AllHatNoCattle]

I tried to make electric heated grips work for a couple seasons. The reality is that unless you have a big stator (non MX bike) you will have to run them on low all the time or else you will kill your battery.

If you really want to make them work, the best way is to get a relay. You will have to find the ignition on signal wire to tap into on your bike. I only know what it is for the KTM brands.

Even with a relay, you will be killing your battery if your stator doesn't produce enough wattage. Every MX bike I know of makes enough to run the engine and trickle charge the battery, and not much more.

After I killed my battery out in the mountains a few times I finally gave up and just went with coolant heated bars. Honestly they are just so much better, warmer and more reliable. You don't have to worry about your electrical draw and have cold hands because you are worried about the battery. Electric grips on low is better than nothing, but they aren't terribly warm on those cold days.

If I had it to do over again, I would skip over the 2 years of cold hands and worrying about dead batteries and just go straight to coolant heated bars.

 

[dooman92]

Again, depends on the output of your stator. I had electric grips on two different bikes for about four years with overall good results but , both bikes put out more than 220 watts from the stator and the grips were switched to turn off if bike was not running.

 

[GlennRMK]

You need to be sure to shut them off every time you shut off the bike. At least if you are going to sit for more than a few seconds.

As mentioned, you need to rig up a relay. This setup works well on KTMs, but I'm not sure what connector is on Hondas.

Tacomoto Relayed Harness

Also, try to look up what that bike has for stator power. Might not have enough, as mentioned.

 

[GlennRMK]

Looks like 60 W stock?

Honda Motorcycle Power Output Chart - Baja Designs - Off-Road LED & Laser Lights | Automotive, Jeep, Truck, UTV, ADV, Dirtbike

www.bajadesigns.com

Might be enough to run them on low

 

[C3 PowerSports]

We have a relay that plugs right into that bike and gives you a 10 second delay before it turns on and turns off instantly when the bike turns off. But like everyone else mentioned above even on bikes with big staters we've always had issues and cold hands with electric heaters. They just don't heat up as fast and as hot.