Are you baffled by the range of Gerbing accessories?
Don’t worry, sometimes the wide variety of Gerbing accessories can be slightly daunting – especially if you don’t have an excellent knowledge of electronics and wiring. However, this doesn’t have to be the case! In the following article, we help you understand what’s what within the range of Gerbing Accessories. If you’re still unsure of which Gerbing accessories you need at the end, please contact us or call us on 01623 627600.
Gerbing battery harness
A.K.A.Gerbing battery cable, battery wire or wiring harness
Starting with the most crucial of Gerbing accessories. The battery harness is the main piece of wiring which you’ll need in order to connect your Gerbing gear to a motorcycle battery. The wire connects directly to the battery terminals, and the opposite end has a female plug with a waterproof cap. It is into this which you’ll plug other Gerbing accessories. The Gerbing battery harness is supplied as standard with all 12v Gerbing gloves, jackets and trousers.
Buy the Gerbing Battery Harness
Gerbing Y-Leads
A.K.A. long y-leads, y-harness
This long cable is used for connecting Gerbing gloves to the battery harness (the y-lead has a male end which plugs straight into the female end of the battery harness). The y-harness then splits this one wire into two long leads, which run down to either glove. You’ll only need a set of y-leads if you are using 12v Gerbing gloves on their own. If you use the gloves and a jacket, you’ll only need a short splitter cable (see below) to power the both. The y-harness can also be used for connecting up Gerbing socks. However, this is all a bit surplus to requirement, given that all 12v Gerbing gloves and socks come with a set of y-leads with a built in temperature controller (see the Junior Temperature controller).
Top tip: Hold on to the glove ends of the y-leads as you put your jacket on (as if you were holding a sleeve in place whilst you put a jacket on). That way, the lead ends will be in place, ready to connect to your gloves when you put them on.
Gerbing Junior Temperature Controller
A.K.A in-line temperature controller
This is, in essence, a set of Y-leads (see above) with a built-in temperature controller. This Gerbing accessory allows four different heat settings at the push of a button, with a light display for ease of noting which setting you’re on. The Junior Controller is supplied as standard with all 12v Gerbing gloves.
To confuse matters a little, there are two junior controllers: the 12v junior controller, and the 7v-12v converting junior controller. This means that, if you have 7v Gerbing gloves which are usually powered by portable 7v batteries, you can connect to a 12v battery and enjoy greater warmth. But if you have 12v gloves, such as the XR-12, T12 or G12, you’ll never need the 7v-12v converter.
Buy the Gerbing Junior Controller
Gerbing Esta Pack
A.K.A. wiring pack
This is the basic pack of Gerbing accessories supplied with 12v Gerbing gloves and socks. It includes a battery harness, y-leads (or Junior controller with gloves), a pack of fuses and some instructions.
Gerbing Dual Portable Temperature Controller
A.K.A. Dual controller
This is one of the handiest Gerbing accessories. If you have two Gerbing items, with the dual controller you can run them on separate circuits at different temperatures. The bottom cable of the dual controller plugs directly in to the battery harness, and then the two outgoing leads would plug into the items you wish to control. The beauty of the dual portable controller is that there is enough wiring to allow you to store it in your pocket whilst riding, or stash it on a bit of velcro somewhere nearby your seat. The digital display makes it easy to ascertain what temperature each item is on, and the large buttons allow you to easily adjust the gloves’ temperature with your gloves still on. All this makes the dual portable controller an important addition to the range of Gerbing accessories.
Buy the Gerbing Dual Portable Controller
Gerbing Single Portable Temperature Controller
A.K.A. single controller
The Gerbing single portable controller is identical to the dual portable controller, with only one difference – it controls just one circuit. So, if you wear a Gerbing jacket alone, you can put the single controller between the battery cable and the jacket, or if you want to control the Gerbing jacket and Gerbing gloves on one circuit, you’d put the single controller between the battery cable and a short splitter cable (see below), which would then plug into both the jacket port and gloves port near the waistband of the jacket. Then you’d plug your gloves in at the cuffs of the jacket, and voila! You have a single circuit and the freedom to adjust the temperature quickly and easily. Do note, however, that if you use Gerbing gloves alone, there really is no need for the single controller as the junior controller provides exactly the same function (and they are supplied as standard as part of the esta pack).
Buy the Gerbing Single Portable Controller
Gerbing Panel Mount Kit
A.K.A. port kit, panel mounted kit
This is another really handy addition to the range of Gerbing accessories. The panel mount kit incliudes the port itself, a coil cord extension wire (to run concealed within the bike) and a battery cable. For the biker who wants to streamline the way he uses his Gerbing gear, the panel mount kit allows you to run hidden wiring from the bike’s battery to a point chosen by you on the bike. Here, the panel mounted port will be installed, which then acts as a really simple port into which you can directly plug your Gerbing clothing. As we said, this is one of our favourite Gerbing accessories.
Buy the Gerbing Panel Mount Port Kit
Gerbing Panel Mount Port
A.K.A. port
This is basically just the port from the above kit. If you want or need the port to be situated near the bike’s battery or you already have the extension cord, and if you already have a battery cable, you’ll really only need port itself. If that’s the case, then this is the Gerbing accessory for you!
Buy the Gerbing Panel Mount Port Kit
Gerbing Cigarette Adaptor Plug / BMW Hella Plug
A.K.A. port
The Gerbing cigarette adaptor allows you to plug straight into an existing port on your bike. Believe it or not, the cigarette adaptor/hella plug is one of the most confusing Gerbing accessories – purely because there are a couple of variations out there. The all black plastic adaptor (which looks like a typical car charger) is only suitable for use with a normal, universal cigarette adaptor port. The version with a red cap is the same as this, but the red cap can also be removed to allow use with BMW machines or any machine with the continental style cigarette port. If in doubt about which adaptor you need, call us and speak with one of our staff and we’ll tell you which Gerbing accessories you need.
Buy the Gerbing Cigarette Adaptor
Gerbing Splitter Cable
A.K.A. short y-lead, short splitter cable
The splitter cable is probably the most simple of Gerbing accessories. Where you want to split one circuit into two, just insert the splitter cable. It is regularly used between the battery cable and the two ports on the jacket (one which operates the jacket, and one the gloves).
Buy the Gerbing Splitter Cable
Gerbing Extension Cables
A.K.A. 50 cm coax (straight) or coil cord wire
Give yourself a little extra room for manoeuvre with a longer cable. Choose from either a straight 50cm wire, or a coil cord alternative. The coil cord will leave a little less ‘flapping in the wind’, of course!
Buy the Gerbing Extension Cable
So, there we have it. An extensive guide to what’s what in the range of Gerbing accessories. If you think we’ve missed one of the Gerbing accessories, please do let us know in the comments section below.
If you’re still unsure which of the Gerbing accessories you require, please get in touch. Our staff have expert knowledge of the Gerbing range, and we can advise you on which Gerbing accessories you will need over the phone or in person in our Nottinghamshire store.