Cliff and Jenny from the Adventure Bike Shop in Sudbury laid on an Open Day which happened to be well timed for the UK launch of AMH6.

The forecast was cold and sunny on the big day and when I left at 9am my Voyager (left) read just 2°C and on the whole ride never got above 3°C, though I suspect that was a wind chilled not ambient reading.

Either way, I was determined not to freeze on the 80-mile ride to Sudbury so wore my one-piece fleece under suit, a heavy merino Ice Breaker under that and my Aerostich Kanestu electric vest. Unfortunately I find myself between moto jackets at this time, having recently got rid of the Aerostich Falstaff. I’ve been trawling ebay for a classic 1970s PVC Rukka jacket, but although there are always a couple on there most days, my XL size seems rare. The one-piece Rukka I have is if, I’m honest, just too small and short by the time I have cold weather gear on so I put it under the guillotine and made an adequate pull-over anorak out of it.

I’d not run the Aero vest on the GS500 yet and was concerned that it’s modest electricity generating capacity wouldn’t handle the jacket’s draw, especially with the Suzuki’s annoying 24/7 headlamp which will make cold winter starts harder, too. So the headlight finally got a snip and a switch crudely spliced in. Now I could run my low-draw, super bright SR-M LED as a daytime or city riding lamp.

I’ve never taken the Dartford Crossing (free to bikes) and didn’t even know it was a tunnel northbound; instead I was looking forward to the impressively high bridge (right). I’m not sure I’ve ever actually been to Suffolk which was recently rebranded the ‘Curious County’. I really ought to get out more, but once over the river, even Essex looked alluring in the pale autumn sunshine, helped by smooth empty roads. But as I neared Sudbury the strong north wind hauled in some heavy Arctic clouds which smothered the sun and then proceeded to precipitate themselves with vigour. By the time I got to the shop  the weak point in my cold proof armoury – my delicate calfskin gloves – were sodden.

Outside the Shop spilled an inland sea of of tooled-up GSs, broken only by the odd KTM and an XTZ or two, while inside the comforting aroma of coffee mixed bacon rolls. A couple of guys, including AMH contributor Pat Mac, just back from a 20,000-mile run from BA to AK, were wearing Keis elecric vests (good review here) which use heated flexible panels rather than wires. Even then, one of the riders observed just as I’d done on the ride up: unless they’re on max setting you’re never totally sure these things are working … that is until to turn them off. Then the difference is clear. They may not feeling like leaning on a radiator but they sure take the edge off of the chill, stop your body tensing up with cold and so defer fatigue. As a quote in the review above says: “[although] … after a while you stop noticing the heat, but you don’t get cold“.

Assuming warmed panels are more efficient, they’ve also got to be a better way of spreading heat than thin wires which were the form back in the 70s and 80s. At that time I was despatching with an eccentric, Maurice Seddon who was wired up to his ancient BSA and even lived in a 12-volt tarp-house powered by a windmill. The actual technology used is panels is unclear – perhaps deliberately – but you’d imagine panels will be more reliable too, with no wires to break.

Electric clothing is most efficient when worn close to the skin and as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, one clever thing with my Aero Kanetsu, even with old fashioned wires, is a mouth tube (right) which inflates the torso lining to push the heating elements onto you and so maximise heat transfer. Up to a point the air may act as insulation and a draught excluder too. Trouble is it then has the effect of making you wish the arms were inflated too. That wouldn’t work, but those sleeve straps you see on modern jackets would have the same effect. The warmth differential is a side effect with all electric jackets; the heating areas highlight the areas of your body which are unheated, but above all a warm core is key and the extremities eventually benefit, even if it might not feel like it.

As the happy throng departed, some with an AMH6, with just enough daylight to get home, I set off myself. It poured most of the way back down the M11 onto which I’s strayed while not watching roadsigns. But through the deluge I felt strangely immune to it all, knowing my cut-down Rukka was as waterproof as a windscreen. What a shame it’s just too dang small once the Aero e-vest is pumped up. I’ve got to get some kind of jacket if I’m going to be riding this winter and after hours of webbery, I just have. More news about that soon, unless it gets sent back in shame.

Some 20 minutes from home I switched off the Kanetsu and even in town at low speeds I soon noticed the chill. Despite the combination of low temps and heavy rain, I got back feeling like I’d just stepped off a GS12, and that must be largely down to the benefits of the electric vest. I can’t believe I’ve been riding for so long and only just got into them.