Review: Heated Grips, Symtec Vs Koso

Jiggles · October 25th, 2012, 09:00 PM

Symtec Heated Grips

Koso Heated Grips

Alright so, I love me some heated grips, as long as my hands are warm, I'm warm. I've tried two different kits and I'll weigh the pros and cons of each

First up is the Symtec heated grips. These are a heating element that are placed under your current grips. They are discreet and you can put whatever grips you want on top of them. The wiring feels sturdy and discreet and a bit of assembly is required. The switch is waterproof when properly installed though installation does require you to drill into your fairing.

These heat up quickly, though depending on the grips you use. The heat setting has three modes, off lo and hi. Hi will heat the grips up very quickly but very often becomes too warm too leave on. Lo provides a nice warm temperature that will keep you toasty.

One issue with the heat is that the size of your grips are not the same. The grip on your throttle side is thinner than the clutch side due to the throttle tube. The throttle tube is also plastic so it doesn't absorb quite as much heat as the metal handle bar on the clutch side. This discrepancy can cause the right grip to feel a bit warmer but I've never felt it to be a serious issue.

The Koso grips come as a mostly complete set. All you need to do is connect it to a power source and they start working. The wiring is a bit more bulky and difficult to hide. It also has 3 quick disconnects for attaching the grips that don't appear to be waterproof so they either need to be hidden under a fairing or wrapped. The Koso wires are not easily shortened so you will end up with extra wiring that can be a bit of a mess.

The switch comes pre-wired unlike Symtec's but I'm not particularly fond of the switch. The switch is not very discreet, it needs to be mounted either to the handlebar with the included mount or if there is no space on the handlebar (my 1000 had this issue) then it needs to be stuck somewhere else. It doesn't require drilling into the fairing but it also doesn't look great and can be a pain to find a good spot for it.

The switch does however have 5 different heat modes allowing finer control. The Koso also seems to be more evenly heated on each side due to the heating element being incorporated into the grips. It also heats up quite quickly.

One issue I had with the Koso was that the grips were slightly longer than my stock grips. This was no issue on the clutch side but on the throttle side it caused the grip to rub the bar end which is unacceptable. I remedied this issue by cutting off the outer lip of the Koso grip to give it enough clearance.

The Koso's are also a lot harder to install on the handlebars than the Symtecs. The Koso's are very stiff and do not flex much. I use hairspray to help the grips slide on and then stick later but this was still very difficult with the Koso's. It took a lot more effort to get them on and I really have no idea how I will ever get them off if I need to. I think they are more or less permanently attached unless I wish to destroy them while taking them off.

The Breakdown

Tidiness - Symtec
The Symtecs win this category. They are very discreet and the round rocker switch blends in well while the Koso sticks out like a sore thumb. The symtec wires are easy to hide while the Koso's take quite a bit more effort.

Plug And Play - Koso
The Koso kit is completely assembled when it arrives. All it needs is a power source and a few quick disconnects attached

Heating Element Installation - Symtec
The symtec heaters are very easy to install compared to the Koso. The Koso is think and rigid and takes a lot of effort to get the grips onto the bike. I also needed to cut the Kosos to make them work.

Heat - Koso
The Koso more evenly heats both hands and gives finer control over the level of heat

Weatherproof - Symtec
On the symtec the only exposed wiring is conveniently hidden under the switch (and therefore fairing) causing it to be much more weatherproof out of the box.

Reuseability - Symtec
I successfully transplanted the used symtec grips from my last 250 to my new one. I'm not confident that would be possible with the Koso grips.

Both have their own pro's and cons but I would recommend either to someone looking for a set of heated grips.

Pics

Symtec Rocker Switch

Koso Completed Install

Koso Cut

I attached my Koso to a relay so I had to cut off the ends that came with it

csmith12 · November 6th, 2012, 04:30 PM

Dood... the cup holder still gets me.

Nice review.

Jiggles · November 6th, 2012, 04:40 PM

The cup holder is badass, turns heads

ChaoSS · November 9th, 2012, 04:08 AM

He's gotta keep his beer cold somehow.

backinthesaddleagain · November 9th, 2012, 09:11 AM

Best heated grips I have ever come accross are the ones on the BMW S1000RR. Well I never turned them on during my test ride, but I bet at the white knuckle speeds that bike can produce they might put the color back in the knuckles.

Actually during my test ride I never even thought about the heated grips.

October 25th, 2012, 09:00 PM	#1
Jiggles Jigglin' your Jiglets Name: Sean Location: San Jose, Ca Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 1 MOTM - Apr '13	Review: Heated Grips, Symtec Vs Koso Symtec Heated Grips Koso Heated Grips Alright so, I love me some heated grips, as long as my hands are warm, I'm warm. I've tried two different kits and I'll weigh the pros and cons of each First up is the Symtec heated grips. These are a heating element that are placed under your current grips. They are discreet and you can put whatever grips you want on top of them. The wiring feels sturdy and discreet and a bit of assembly is required. The switch is waterproof when properly installed though installation does require you to drill into your fairing. These heat up quickly, though depending on the grips you use. The heat setting has three modes, off lo and hi. Hi will heat the grips up very quickly but very often becomes too warm too leave on. Lo provides a nice warm temperature that will keep you toasty. One issue with the heat is that the size of your grips are not the same. The grip on your throttle side is thinner than the clutch side due to the throttle tube. The throttle tube is also plastic so it doesn't absorb quite as much heat as the metal handle bar on the clutch side. This discrepancy can cause the right grip to feel a bit warmer but I've never felt it to be a serious issue. The Koso grips come as a mostly complete set. All you need to do is connect it to a power source and they start working. The wiring is a bit more bulky and difficult to hide. It also has 3 quick disconnects for attaching the grips that don't appear to be waterproof so they either need to be hidden under a fairing or wrapped. The Koso wires are not easily shortened so you will end up with extra wiring that can be a bit of a mess. The switch comes pre-wired unlike Symtec's but I'm not particularly fond of the switch. The switch is not very discreet, it needs to be mounted either to the handlebar with the included mount or if there is no space on the handlebar (my 1000 had this issue) then it needs to be stuck somewhere else. It doesn't require drilling into the fairing but it also doesn't look great and can be a pain to find a good spot for it. The switch does however have 5 different heat modes allowing finer control. The Koso also seems to be more evenly heated on each side due to the heating element being incorporated into the grips. It also heats up quite quickly. One issue I had with the Koso was that the grips were slightly longer than my stock grips. This was no issue on the clutch side but on the throttle side it caused the grip to rub the bar end which is unacceptable. I remedied this issue by cutting off the outer lip of the Koso grip to give it enough clearance. The Koso's are also a lot harder to install on the handlebars than the Symtecs. The Koso's are very stiff and do not flex much. I use hairspray to help the grips slide on and then stick later but this was still very difficult with the Koso's. It took a lot more effort to get them on and I really have no idea how I will ever get them off if I need to. I think they are more or less permanently attached unless I wish to destroy them while taking them off. The Breakdown Tidiness - Symtec The Symtecs win this category. They are very discreet and the round rocker switch blends in well while the Koso sticks out like a sore thumb. The symtec wires are easy to hide while the Koso's take quite a bit more effort. Plug And Play - Koso The Koso kit is completely assembled when it arrives. All it needs is a power source and a few quick disconnects attached Heating Element Installation - Symtec The symtec heaters are very easy to install compared to the Koso. The Koso is think and rigid and takes a lot of effort to get the grips onto the bike. I also needed to cut the Kosos to make them work. Heat - Koso The Koso more evenly heats both hands and gives finer control over the level of heat Weatherproof - Symtec On the symtec the only exposed wiring is conveniently hidden under the switch (and therefore fairing) causing it to be much more weatherproof out of the box. Reuseability - Symtec I successfully transplanted the used symtec grips from my last 250 to my new one. I'm not confident that would be possible with the Koso grips. Both have their own pro's and cons but I would recommend either to someone looking for a set of heated grips. Pics Symtec Rocker Switch Koso Completed Install Koso Cut I attached my Koso to a relay so I had to cut off the ends that came with it __________________________________________________ If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs

November 6th, 2012, 04:30 PM	#2
csmith12 The Corner Whisperer Name: Chris (aka Reactor) Location: Northern KY Join Date: May 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250 (track), 1992 250, 2006 R6 (street/track), 2008 R6 (track) Posts: Too much. MOTY 2015, MOTM - Nov '12, Nov '13	Dood... the cup holder still gets me. Nice review. __________________________________________________ Goal: Shake A Million Hands \| Look through the corners \| Track Day Prep \| Closest track? \| The Mid-Ohio School

November 6th, 2012, 04:40 PM	#3
Jiggles Jigglin' your Jiglets Name: Sean Location: San Jose, Ca Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 K1300S, 2013 Ninja 300, 2011 Ninja 250R, Faster than Unregistered's ninjette Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 1 MOTM - Apr '13	The cup holder is badass, turns heads __________________________________________________ If the Ninja 250 doesn't have enough power for you, then you don't know how to ride it. AFM #676 Supersports are for n00bs

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ChaoSS ninjette.org sage Name: Tim Location: Goshen CA Join Date: Oct 2012 Motorcycle(s): 2012 red 250 ninja Posts: 740	He's gotta keep his beer cold somehow.

November 9th, 2012, 09:11 AM	#5
backinthesaddleagain ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Greg Location: Rhode Island Join Date: Apr 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2013 ZX6R 636 Posts: A lot.	Best heated grips I have ever come accross are the ones on the BMW S1000RR. Well I never turned them on during my test ride, but I bet at the white knuckle speeds that bike can produce they might put the color back in the knuckles. Actually during my test ride I never even thought about the heated grips.