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OK, heated clothing. With all the winter jacks, over-pants, and gloves out there, who needs heated clothing?
Well, we tell our customers, "Those that want to be warm, have control of how warm, and take being warm seriously." Being in Arizona, most of our local customers (to include us) survive the summers, look forward to late fall, and crave the winter. But in the winter we can go from the low 50's in the desert, to the low 20's in the mountains. Adjusting for this change can be a apparel challenge.
Our main complaint with heated clothing is that installing it on the bike can be a challenge, and than plugging everything in can be a huge pain. Also, the systems can be expensive. By the time you buy the complete outfit, you can be upside down over $600.00. Also, many don't offer a pant option, only offering a jacket and gloves.
The Synergy system isn't ground breaking, but Tourmaster has found a way of making a functional design, affordable.
The heating elements are constructed of carbon fiber. The same material higher-end tire warmers are using. They are flexible, and heat up semi-fast. They are also very light, and we walked way with zero complaints. The controlers are easy to use, even with gloves. Each piece comes with a controler, wiring harness, and mounting leg band. Nothing really more to buy.
If you buy the jacket liner, pants and gloves everything interconnects. You simply put everything on, connect the gloves to the connectors located on the lower sleeve of the jacket, and the jacket into the pants. A single temperature controler is all thats needed. Other units we've evaluated have a harness that attaches the the battery, then the temperature controler is a seporate loose box with a nob. Not a very convenient solution. If you go with the vest liner, it gets a little more involved, but everything you need is provided (Download instruction manual in More Images section above).
We feel it simply comes down to how long you spend on your bike when the weather gets cooler. Heated liners allow you to wear a basic jacket, and keep the under-clothing to a minimum. If you commute to work, take longer rides, or want to have control over your comfort, you can't go wrong. From personal experience, once you use them, you'll feel naked without that controler in easy reach. For under $420.00 we think the complete set (jacket, pants, gloves) is a great buy, and should last for years.
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