TM Synergy 2.0 and FG heated glove liners

[Ken M1]

I purchased a Tour Master Synergy 2.0 jacket liner and First Gear heated glove liners recently. I'll review them here, but this is just part one. This is just a fit/finish review and the ride/heat review will follow after a decent ride.
Tour Master Synergy 2.0 jacket liner:
I'm impressed with this jacket liner for it's price. Realizing that it's the "bargain" of the heated liners, I wasn't expecting much. However, it's really well made. It even looks decent enough to not feel like a freak if worn by itself. The size charts are pretty much right on the money. I'm a 39" chest, so ordered the small (40"). It does have room and I could have gotten into a xsmall even as there are stretch panels down the side that aren't even flexed when I wear it. If you go for this jacket... don't be bashful... go SMALLER than your street clothes! That being said... here's some nitpicks about it.
The jacket liner runs heavy gauge wiring down the sleeves (to power gloves/liners) which you will definitely feel digging into your arm when wearing a tight (propper) fitting sport jacket. LOT'S of care/time must be taken to strategically move those wires to the inside arm so your armor doesn't dig that into you.
Next... it has decent bulk. It is poly filled (?) and not like a normal jacket liner. This is a plus AND a negative. It's bulk makes it a bit warmer (even off the bike), but makes it a tighter squeeze in a sport fit jacket (especially in the arms, where the armor normally fits tight).
Next... the ridiculous wiring from the dual controller to the jacket. Seriously... there is no need for three separate wires here. They should be loomed together and I will be doing just that (or at least elect taping them into a tidy line). 2 go from controller to jacket, 1 goes to power (controller). They should ALL be kept together. Either TM should loom these, or better yet... use a harness that plugs all in at the same time.
Next... the sleeves have knit cuffs. Ok... so how do I squeeze the liner sleeves into my jacket sleeves without it riding up on my arm?? I don't. I'ts a major PITA. You have to reach in the ends of your sleeves and dig for them and yank them down. EVERY time. C'mon TM, I realize this is the "budget" heated liner (of the brands), but could you please put a $2 "thumb hole" on the sleeves so I could get my darn jacket over it??
Now the pluses:
Again.. this thing looks NICE! It's bulk gives it some substantial feeling.
It's cost. This jacket includes EVERYTHING you need (unlike ANY others). Dual controller (you can run gloves off this with NOTHING extra too), power harness, leg band for controller (if you choose to use it), etc.

Now the First Gear heated glove liners:
Not much to say here. They fit great (again, go smaller), are thin, no wires over fingers (they run between fingers) and will easily fit under OVERsized gloves (no propper fitting sport glove would even allow a thin liner, much less a heated one). They have the female "port" which uses a jacket liner's (or separate lines) plugs to connect. Again... they are VERY stretchy, so go WAY smaller than you use (I wear MED gloves and got SM liner and I could have gone even smaller).

The TM jacket liner's sleeve plugs (which neatly tuck into a zippered pocket when not in use) DO match perfectly and are barely (but work) long enough to reach them (after you yank down the sleeves enough)).

TM jacket liner rated at 65w
FG glove liners rated at 22w (pair)
87w total combined (well within the 120w (claimed) excess watts the Street has to spare)

On a side note, I'll be installing this with Gerbing's flush mount port kit. I also have an adapter so I can plug my battery tender into that mounted port (SAE/Male coax adapter). Also added is a Gerbing's (they use the same coax plugs as TM) 1' coiled extention (which stretches to 4') so I can connect without fearing of unplugging or ripping connections/lines as I move on bike. I'm not sure why all manufacturers don't include that... but in my mind, it's a "must have". Without a coiled extension, you either have a tight wire that unpluggs easily/rips liner, or too much slack flapping in the wind.

So how does it WORK?? Well.. as soon as I test them, I'll let you know!

[weezy84]

hi,

considering the first gear liner, gloves, and socks. update on gear, por favor?