The question is.... OEM heated grips or aftermarket ones? What are the Pro's and Cons each way??

$$$$$!

Yeah i can see the verdict there CF, but in experiance do any work better than others? I noticed that some of the Oxford grips have a temp controller but i guess the BM ones are ON or OFF... or have they got a middle setting to?

The latest BMW grips have two settings, depending upon your glove's level of insulation on the inside where they meet the grips...the settings are 'hot' and very 'hot'.

The latest, as in ones made for the K series? I like the idea of hot and very hot as it will mean i will be able to get to work without the feeling of my fingers dropping off!!!
Which is one of the main reasons i bought the BMW in the first place... 70 mile commute to and from work before dawn and returning home after dusk

The early grips, Airhead era, weren't particularly good, but they might have been limited by the weak-at-best charging system of those bikes. But the K's and the Oilheads have terrific grips. The P.O. of my bike fitted a soft rubber version with heavy-duty wires and they work well, but I can't use my bar end weights and live and ride mainly in Queensland which is sub-tropical. It's Winter and this morning it's about 7 degrees, the other day was 3 degrees. I can cope without them wearing some insulated riding gloves. But if I was back in the UK or down in Tassie I'd whack them straight back on. I've tried the heat tapes that wrap round the bar and stick to it and they seem to take ages for the heat to reach your fingers, not worth the trouble. How 'bout some Gerbings heated gloves? They're sweet and easier than plumbing your bike and removing the current grips.

http://www.gerbing.com/products/gloves.html

TWB hits the nail on the head heated gloves are WAAAAAAAAY better than heated grips because the heat goes from the outside of the hands not the bit gripping the bars. Do yourself a massive favour and spring for the gloves, I seriously doubt you will regret it. Lived and rode in the UK for years and I wish I had them then!
Regards,
K-BIKE

On the K12 I just set the cruise control, turn on the seat heater, then sit on my hands ! No seriously, my mate has the Oxford heated grips on his Bergman 650 Maxi scooter and he loves them. 4 heat settings, I think he runs them on the second setting, and a really neat installation too. But I can see that the heated gloves would be great. Not too keen on the reference to Tassie though, maybe some of us need to harden up a bit, eh Darren ?

Not me, I have all the gear I need, and ride rain or shine or cold, in Tassie, or Canada, or the UK in Winter, just with heated grips and a Gerbings heated jacket liner.

It's almost 6 of 1 and 6 of the other... Heated gloves mean that when i not on the BM I can take them with me but then I am thinking that as i have the LT a lot of the wind is deflected so the fitted heated grips would work a treat, esp as i not going to be using the Thundercat when it is cold...

Looks like i am going to be away from Oct this year till beginning of Feb next year, so will be coming back to our coldest weather...

Plenty of time to decide yet but worth doing so early.... Just off to the paint shop to get a quote for spraying the bike... my attempt appears to have gone wrong... learning curve for me here.

I guess I should have stated that I use a pair of BMW Winter Pro gloves, with the goretex liner and polar fleece. They cost me $140 5 years ago but have been well worth the money, I don't use the heated grips with these gloves as they are so well insulated that the heat can hardly get through. Cold hands stop you from enjoying the ride, so a solution that suits needs to be found, can also be a safety issue in extreme circumstances. Ride safe always.