Tourmaster Heated Gear for Cold Weather Riding

Riding in low temperatures is perfectly possible, but it can be far from comfortable. A good set of heated motorcycle gear goes a long way toward keeping the ride going when the mercury plummets.

You shouldn’t rush to buy heated gear pieces, as picking the right ones can be complex. You must consider several factors, or you may end up with gear that hinders your control of the motorcycle without warming you up.

In this article, we’ll explain the most significant things to keep in mind when purchasing heated riding gear. We’ll also highlight the Tourmaster Synergy BT riding suit, which is a practical option for chilly rides.

What to Consider When Buying Heated Riding Gear?

Buying electrically heated riding gear is more involved than purchasing regular gear pieces. It’s not enough that they fit right. You also have to ensure they mesh with your non-heated gear to ensure proper heat transfer.

Here are the five most important things to keep in mind when browsing heated motorcycle gear:

• Heat levels: Different products from different manufacturers produce different amounts of heat. Do your due diligence and study your options to find gear that suits the temperatures you expect to be riding in. Additionally, make sure your gear has adjustable heating, as staying warm isn’t a one-temp-fits-all situation.
• Power source: Heated gear is powered either by your bike (through battery wiring or an outlet) or by a battery. Plugged-in gear won’t run out of power, but you will have to do some cable management. Battery-powered pieces can die and leave you cold, but there are no wires to get in your way.
• Power load: If you buy plug-in gear, you then have to consider the power drain on your bike’s battery. Riders with boatloads of accessories (auxiliary lights, navigator, heated grips and seat…) may have to unplug something to avoid tripping the system.
• Fit and comfort: Heated gear should fit snugly against your body for optimal heat transfer. Too baggy pieces will leave air pockets between the heater element and your body that will compromise their effectiveness. If you purchase heated liners, you have to make sure they’re not so bulky that they restrict your range of motion and ability to control your motorcycle.
• Materials: When buying heated outer layers, look for the same materials you would with regular riding gear to ensure they offer sufficient protection (but keep the tighter-than-usual fit in mind). With heated liners and inner layers, look for flexible and lightweight materials to maximize comfort and flexibility.

Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus 

The Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus is a set of heated riding gear that’s a good fit for long-distance tours. This suit provides reliable heat, comfortable materials, and versatile control, allowing you to power either by wiring it to your bike’s battery or with a battery pack (sold separately). 

Each of the pieces can be used separately or daisy-chained through interior connectors, leaving only one connector that plugs into your bike. You can control the heat levels either through individual controllers on each gear piece or through the Tourmaster AddHeat app.

For safety, each piece includes a safety fuse in the wiring harness (included) and a thermal cutoff sensor in the heating elements.

Let’s take a closer look at each piece of the Synergy BT Pro-Plus suit.

Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus Jacket

The Synergy BT Pro-Plus jacket is a versatile top that functions both as a liner and a jacket in its own right.

Its outer shell consists of wind- and water-resistant polyester, like a windbreaker, offering protection against the breeze and a light drizzle (but not impacts as there’s no armor). It’s also cut like a regular bomber jacket, so it won’t break your cool looks when worn alone.

The inner lining is super soft, making this one of the most comfortable heated riding jackets on the market. Tourmaster has designed the heating system well, and you won’t feel the wires and carbon fiber heating elements pressing on you, like with some jackets.

Those heating elements are located on the chest, back, arms, and neck, providing well-distributed heat. They have three power settings, allowing you to swap between 126, 113, and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In practice, when worn with another jacket, the Pro-Plus can keep you warm even well below the freezing point.

As a particularly user-friendly feature, the jacket is machine washable and dryer safe. That’s a welcome rarity with heated gear.

The only real negative is the location of the integrated power switch, which is on the left side of the chest. It’s not an issue if you’re wearing the jacket on its own, but it’s difficult to reach if you’re layered up. 

There’s also no waist cinch, so make sure to check the measurements properly. You may also find that the jacket is bulkier than dedicated liners when worn as an underlayer.

Overall, the Synergy BT Pro-Plus jacket is a great pick for touring riders for a slightly chilly fall day and cold winter ride alike.

Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus Pant Liner

The Synergy BT Pro-Plus pant liner offers much the same as the jacket, just for your legs. Note, though, that unlike the jacket, this is a dedicated liner—it’s not meant to be worn as your only riding pants.

The front panel is made of the same polyester material as the jacket, offering an extra layer of wind and water resistance on your legs. In the rear, your rear is cradled by a nylon and spandex compression panel.

Along the legs run the flexible carbon fiber heating elements, which reach from mid-shin to upper thigh. They can go from 100 to 126 degrees (like the jacket) and are similarly well integrated into the material, so they won’t press onto your skin distractingly. The liner can be machine washed and dried, so keeping it clean is easy.

The power switch is located on the right hip, which is again an awkward location. You really need to stop and reach under your clothes if you want to adjust the heat while riding. It’s also somewhat of a pity that you can’t wear the liner on the outside for a matching look with the jacket. 

Whether worn on their own or plugged into the jacket, the Synergy BT Pro-Plus is an excellent lower-body companion on cold rides.

Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus Glove

Tourmaster offers not just one, but two options for keeping your mitts warm during the ride. The first is the Synergy BT Pro-Plus glove, a full-fledged touring glove with fast-working heating elements.

Blasting the heat are the same (only glove-sized) flexible carbon fiber components as in the jacket and pants, with identical 100-113-126-degree adjustment. It’s nice that Tourmaster has kept the warmth levels consistent for ease of control. The heat comes on in a couple of minutes and is very warm even when the ambient air is below 32.

The exceptional heating performance is partially due to the quality materials. The interior is very soft, while a pre-curved shape and flex panels make grabbing the grips easy. 

A Thinsulate layer effectively keeps the heat in and cold out, while a moisture-wicking Hipora liner provides waterproofing even in a downpour. Finally, the top layer is built of full-grain goat leather for abrasion resistance.

All that heated comfort and weatherproofing comes at the price of armor protection. There are small foam cushions on the knuckles and the palms have synthetic slider patches, but that’s all you get. For extra protection, you could try to fit thinner gloves under the Pro-Plus, but that may be a challenge as they run a little small.

In any case, the Synergy BT Pro-Plus glove is a high-quality, well-performing heated finger warmer. It’s also quite reasonably priced in the grand scheme of heated gloves, which is always a plus.

Tourmaster Synergy BT Pro-Plus Glove Liner

Tourmaster’s second hand-warming option is the Synergy BT Pro-Plus glove liner. It is, like its sister products, a warm and well-made piece of heated gear—if you have the jacket to plug it into.

The Pro-Plus glove has, like the jacket and pants, a soft polyester windbreaker shell that also provides water resistance. On the inside is a soft fleece liner that, when combined with the spandex fourchettes (that is, the inner finger surface), makes for a comfortable and flexible glove.

Frankly, although they are liners, you can wear them as gloves on their own. There’s no armor, but with the heat elements and decent wind resistance, they can certainly keep you warm in fall weather.

For the heat, you have once again the carbon fiber elements with three degrees of adjustment (100, 113, 126 degrees). The controller switch is on the top of the right wrist. Depending on your overglove, it can be a little fiddly to get to.

The liners are fairly thick, which means they may not fit the most comfortably under every glove. Yet, the bigger issue is powering them.

As an odd one out in the Synergy BT Pro-Plus family, this one doesn’t come with a battery harness in the box. Your options for powering them are to either plug them into the Pro-Plus jacket or to buy the battery harness or lithium battery separately. It’s hard to imagine why Tourmaster didn’t include the harness.

Additionally, these liners are a little pricey. Then again, they do work as an independent glove for not-so-cold rides, too, so you can consider them two products at the price of one.