10 Warmest Accessories for Winter Touring

It’s cold, windy, wet, and dreary—in other words, perfect weather for a motorcycle ride. You just need to don appropriately warm cold-weather riding gear.

High-quality warm accessories won’t clear the roads of snow, but they can let you squeeze a few extra weeks out of the riding season. You can then wow your riding friends with stories about how you rode through last week’s blizzard without a hitch.

Here are 10 cold-weather accessories to keep you toasty on cold roads.

Symtec Heat Demon Seat Pad

Riding with a frozen bottom is no fun. The appropriately named Symtec Heat Demon seat pad will keep your backside toasty even on a frigid Alaska ride.

This 10-by-9-inch seat heater pad slips effortlessly under your vinyl or leather seat cover to warm your tush. The 24-inch power cable has a break connection between the pigtail DC plug and the pad to make installation simple.

In addition to the pad and cabling, you’ll get an on/off rocker switch to activate the pad. The switch doesn’t have temperature controls, though, so I recommend investing in a separate controller for more precise booty heating.

Joe Rocket Survivor Suit

A quality riding suit is key to surviving the seasons. Joe Rocket Survivor suit lets you tackle the elements in comfort—whatever they may be.

The waterproof outer shell and insulated detachable liner keep sleet, snow, and wind out while trapping your body heat inside to keep you cozy even when the temps dip into the low 30s. Yet, the suit doesn’t restrict your movement, thanks to the articulated waist and plenty of adjustment options in virtually all parts.

This suit isn’t just for winter, though. It sports the aptly named Big Air ventilation system that, combined with removing the liner, does a good of cooling you down in the summer as well.

Although the Survivor fits fine on my skinny and tall scarecrow frame, short riders might find the legs a bit long while the top may be tight on muscle-bound motorcyclists. You should try it on, though—it’s hard to beat this level of weatherproofing.

Axial Block Neck Warmer

Did you know that more than 50% of your body’s heat loss can happen through the neck when you’re really bundled up? The Axial Block neck warmer stops that heat from escaping and keeps you warmer during your ride.

This neck warmer’s flared, stretchy bottom panels form a seal around your shoulders, trapping heat more effectively than simple tube designs. The microfleece inner surface is warm and comfortable against the skin, while the antibacterial treatment prevents unpleasant odors.

Axial Block also has an excellent windproof membrane on the outer surface that doesn’t let the breeze through even at highway speeds. This neck warmer is good for more than just riding, too—I like to pack one for my cold-weather hiking trips.

Hotwired Heated Inner Sole

Gloves and suits often take the warm gear spotlight, but you shouldn’t ignore your feet. The Hotwired heated insoles do a good job of keeping your little piggies from freezing during a cold ride.

These 12-volt insoles are contoured for comfort, with a slim profile that makes them easy to fit in your boots. The insoles produce plenty of heat to keep your feet toasty even in freezing temperatures.

In fact, they heat up so much that I recommend putting them under your standard insoles or wearing thick woolen socks. Note that the insoles are designed to work with the Hotwired harness and controller.

Hotwired Heated Glove Liner

If Hotwired can keep your feet warm, the company can do the same for your hands. Slip the Hotwired heated glove liners into your mitts and stop worrying about cold fingers.

These glove liners are made from lightweight, stretchable fabric that feels natural inside the gloves. They heat up within seconds and have an automatic heat cutoff feature to keep them from overheating (and your fingers from burning).

The gloves are designed to work with Hotwired controllers and wiring. They might be a bit thick for thinner gloves, but that only means your gloves aren’t fit for cold-weather riding anyway!

Hotwired 12V heated glove liners retail for $89.99.

Gerbing Heated Jacket and Pant Liners

When heading out to the road in the coldest weather, even a thick riding suit may not keep you warm. Gerbing solves this issue by incorporating electric heating into its jacket and pants liners.

Both liners feature Microwire heating zones that warm up quickly and keep you toasty even when the temperatures dip below 30. The liners themselves are comfortable and fit well under your suit without making you look like the Michelin man. They feature a durable Ripstop nylon shell to keep the heated internals covered.

There are additional connections at the sleeve and pant leg cuffs for plugging in heated glove and boot liners. Note that the required heat controller and harness are sold separately.

509 Range Insulated Glove

There are few things worse than an icy breeze biting your fingers through your motorcycling gloves. The 509 Range insulated gloves shield your hands from the wind.

These gloves feature a Thinsulate insulation layer and a waterproof Hipora lining that make them weatherproof in almost all conditions. With an extra-long gauntlet cuff with a simple pull closure, you can easily seal the gloves around the sleeves of your underlayer to lock in your body heat.

On the top, genuine goat leather increases long-term durability. It’s a pity these gloves are designed for snowmobiles so there’s no built-in knuckle armor—that one addition would’ve made them just about ideal cold-weather motorcycling gloves.

Oxford Heaterz Heated Grips

If mere gloves aren’t enough to keep your hands warm, the Oxford Heaterz heated grips can provide you with the heat you need. These premium-grade heated hand grips have five heat settings, going all the way up to 122 degrees.

The 4.72-inch long grips fit most motorcycles with a ⅞-inch handlebar. Installation is simple, thanks to the smart heat controller that can detect a running bike without connecting to a switched circuit.

All electrical connections and the switch are rainproof so you won’t have to worry about melting ice or rain ruining them. As a smart move, the cabling is coated with silicone that remains flexible to resist cracking even in freezing temperatures to prolong the grips’ lifespan.

Barkbusters Blizzard Handguards

Are you planning to ride into a blizzard? Well, you’re a braver rider than me, but you should still be prepared. The Barkbusters Blizzard handguards can protect your hands even when the snow and sleet fly horizontally.

The semi-rigid, self-supporting structure allows the handguards to keep their shape in high winds. The wind protection is top-notch, eliminating normal winds and taking the bite out of even strong gales.

Installation on any kind of bike takes only about 15 minutes and you get all the hardware you need in the box. The handguards’ appearance is inoffensive and won’t ruin the looks of your beloved motorcycle.

MRA VarioScreen Universal Windshield

You shouldn’t be completely responsible for keeping yourself warm with your clothing choices. The MRA VarioScreen windshield lets your bike do its share of maintaining comfortable riding temperatures in cold weather.

Made from durable PMMA thermoplastic, the MRA VarioScreen fits most motorcycle types, from naked bikes to enduro, dual-sport, and cruiser motorcycles. The aerodynamic shape, combined with the 19.3-inch height and 17.3-inch width, directs wind away from the cockpit and eliminates buffeting even at freeway speeds.

You might have to wait in line to get your windshield, though, as the MRA VarioScreen is regularly out of stock—which just tells you how well it works. Once you get your hands on your shield, note that the mounting kit is sold separately.