Wiring Your Bike For Heat -- Heated Gear Installation

Heated gear extends my riding season.  I'm able to ride comfortably down to the freezing point with heated gear.  Without it, I'm shivering below fifty degrees.

The heated gear involves a special jacket, worn under my regular riding gear, which is laced with high-resistance wires which generate heat when an electrical current passes through them... just like an electric blanket.

The gear is powered from the bike's battery.  This requires installation of a special wiring harness which attaches to the battery and provides a plug in for the heated gear.

In my case, I have a Gerbing heated jacket, and so have also purchased the Gerbing wiring harness and temperature controller.  These are each sold separately.

To install the wiring harness, you'll need access to the battery.

The exact steps for accessing the battery will vary from bike to bike.  Check your owner's manual.  But usually, accessing the battery requires removing the seat and possibly one of the side-covers.

1.  Remove the seat.  

For the Honda ST1300, this involves opening the saddlebag-bracket lock on the left side of the bike, and pulling the seat release lever. 

Pull the seat slightly up and to the rear of the bike to release.  

For the Honda Magna, this involves removing the three seat bolts (stock seat) or one seat bolt (after-market seat). 

2.  Remove the side cover.

For the Honda ST1300, there are three bolts holding the side cover in place. 

For the Honda Magna, this step is not required. 

3.  Disconnect the battery


Remove the bolts from the battery terminals, one at a time.  The black wire of the wiring harness goes over the negative terminal of the battery; red over the positive terminal. 

4.  Position the plug

Thread the wiring harness carefully so that the plug is accessible under the edge of the seat.  On the Honda Magna, the most logical place for the plug seemed to be the front edge of the seat, since there was a ready-made notch between the gas tank and the seat.

For the Honda ST1300, given the shape of the seat, it was easier to position the plug at the left side of the seat.

Just make sure the wiring doesn't block the seat's locking or clamping mechanism.  And keep the end of the plug from the engine or exhaust.




Replace the side cover, then the seat, and you're ready to go.